Good Morning my friends.
So, we ended up with almost 2 feet of snow fall over the week.  And then starting on Friday, the temperature went up, it started to rain and now we are all worried about flooding.

Well, not ALL of us.  LOL!

I’m on high enough ground that I should be fine, adding just a bit of pain in traveling and such.

And speaking of pain.  My knee is doing better.  I had my staples pulled out on Thursday. I took a really short video for those of you who might be interested.  

I’m so glad I had such a cool surgeon.  Allowing me to take pictures and showing me things that he really didn’t have to.  He’s a really good guy.  And now…let’s move on.

After this week of really lousy weather, let’s do some laughing today.  What do you think?  Yeah, I thought so, too!

Ain’t that the truth!  Lord, the amount of time I’ve lost (and that you guys have gotten the benefits from) of following one video to another and another and another…

 

A true story. A thermodynamics professor had written a take home exam for his graduate students. It had one question:

“Is hell exothermic or endothermic? Support your answer with a proof.”

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

“First, we postulate that if souls exist, then they must have some mass. If they do, then a mole of souls can also have a mass. So, at what rate are souls moving into hell and at what rate are souls leaving? I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for souls entering hell, lets look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all people and all souls go to hell.

With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change in volume in hell. Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the ratio of the mass of souls and volume needs to stay constant.

So, if hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.

Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, than the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.”

It was not revealed what grade the student got.

Snopes.com has some really interesting things to say about this “story”.  It actually is a bit of a legend.

Variations:

• This piece commonly begins with a statement meant to authenticate the story: “An actual question given on University of Washington chemistry midterm,” “from a Yale professor,” and “Dr. Schambaugh, of the University of Oklahoma School of Chemical Engineering, Final Exam question for May of 1997” have been spotted so far. 
• Sometimes the student’s comments culminate in the assertion that hell must be exothermic because a girl he’d been chasing had sworn it’d be a cold day in hell before she’d sleep with him, and he’d so far been unable to get to first base with her. 
• Often the story concludes with “The student received the only ‘A’ given on the exam.”

Origins:   The piece quoted above appears to have begun its Internet life as a joke posted to the newsgroup rec.humor in 1997. Its roots, however, are far older: It has antecedents in a 1920’s-era piece written by Dr. Paul Darwin Foote, a scientist noted for his pioneering work in the field of high temperature measurement, which appeared in the house organ of the Taylor Instrument Company. In that article, “The Temperature of Heaven and Hell,” Foote drew scientific deductions from descriptions of the states of various material substances as described in the Bible to conclude that Heaven was hotter than Hell. That item was penned as a humor piece and was written at a time in Foote’s career when he was well established, thus any notion that it was the work of a cheeky student out to impress his professor should be dismissed.

The same item subsequently appeared as a story published in a 1962 book (The Mathematical Magpie, which reprinted it from a 1960 magazine article), and as a parody published in a 1972 edition of Applied Optics which was attributed to “an unnamed environmental physicist of several decades back”:
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/hell.asp#TVoDOwQdBVRUUkXJ.99

There is more to the story if you’d like to click on the above link and read about a professor who proved that Heaven is hotter than Hell.  Pretty good really, but let’s move on.

 

Gotta love the windows jokes.

There is no way that I have EVER seen a Nativity Scene like this.  Dare I say the word, Geek?

 

You know that all potatoes have eyes. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Potato had eyes for each other, and finally hey got married, and had a little sweet potato, whom they called ‘Yam’. Of course, they wanted the best for Yam. When it was time, they told her about the facts of life. They warned her about going out and getting half-baked, so she wouldn’t get accidentally mashed, and get a bad name for herself like ‘Hot Potato’, and end up with a bunch of Tater Tots. Yam said not to worry, no Spud would get her into the sack and make a rotten potato out of her! But on the other hand she wouldn’t stay home and become a Couch Potato, either. She would get plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her Shoestring cousins. When she went off to Europe, Mr. and Mrs. Potato told Yam to watch out for the Hard Boiled guys from Ireland. And the greasy guys from France called the French Fries. And when she went out west, to watch out for the Indians so she wouldn’t get scalloped. Yam said she would stay on the straight and narrow and wouldn’t associate with those high class Yukon Golds, or the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise their trade on all the trucks that say, ‘Frito Lay.’ Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho P.U. (that’s Potato University) so that when she graduated she’d really be in the Chips. But in spite of all they did for her, one day Yam came home and announced she was going to marry Tom Brokaw. Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very upset. They told Yam she couldn’t possibly marry Tom Brokaw because he’s just a… just a… just a COMMON TATER!!!

So, I tried to warn you!  This one is so really bad, I feel the overwhelming need to apologize!  So, I’m sorry.  Please accept my humblest of apologies for this stinker.  I promise to never always bring you more of these as I find them!

I’m sure there are better jobs out there…none come to mind, but I’m sure there are.

 

A blonde walks by a travel agency and notices a sign in the window, “Cruise Special — $99!” So she goes inside, lays her money on the counter and says, “I’d like the $99 cruise special, please.” The agent grabs her, drags her into the back room, ties her to a large inner tube, then drags her out the back door and downhill to the river, where he pushes her in and sends her floating. A second blonde comes by a few minutes later, sees the sign, goes inside, lays her money on the counter, and asks for the $99 special. She too is tied to an inner tube and sent floating down the river. Somehow drifting into stronger current, she eventually catches up with the first blonde. They float side by side for a while before the first blonde asks, “Do they serve refreshments on this cruise?” The second blonde replies,”They didn’t last year….”

Finally, proof of the old joke!  You know the one.  Where Mickey goes to court to divorce Minnie.  The judge tells Mickey, “You can’t divorce your wife because she’s stupid.” and Mickey replies, “I didn’t say she was stupid, I said she was fucking Goofy!”
And now, thanks to my little brother, the Strike Owl, who happens to work for the mouse, we have proof!  Poor Mickey.  Cuckolded by a dog…or a whatever the hell Goofy is!

 

At a recent dinner party, one of the guests, a particularly obnoxious male guest, who was overly impressed with his financial status and bragged about it to anyone who would listen, tried to make some clever remarks. When he was served a piece of meat, he picked it up with his fork, held it up and smirked, and thinking he was being witty, asked loudly, ‘Is this pig?’ Another guest, sitting at the table, commented quietly, ‘That depends on which end of the fork you’re referring to?’

I’ve had those same type of experiences at dinner parties.

 

This is my cousin Guido’s place.  He doubles as a hit man.  He also thinks it’s hilarious that no one from law enforcement has caught on. 

Mrs. Dragon cannot ride in a car without telling whoever is driving what to do, when to do it, etc. She is, bar none, the worst back seat driver in the world. I have long thought this, though she would deny it. She claimed she seldom, if ever made comments about my driving. I, of course, claimed the opposite. Now I have proof. The other day we were headed for the mall and our little daughter dragonette piped up, “Daddy, before you married Mommy, who told you how to drive?

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five- and six-year olds. After explaining the commandment to “honor” thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, “Thou shall not kill.”

A PARENT’S POEM”

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I’m pretty sure I’ll lose my mind!

I pray I find a little quiet,
Far from the daily family riot.
May I lie back and not have to think
About what they’re stuffing down the sink.

Or who they’re with, or where they’re at,
And what they’re doing to the family cat.
I pray for time all to myself,
Wait! Did something just fall off a shelf?

To cuddle in my nice, soft bed,
Oh, no! Another goldfish dead!
Some silent moments for goodness sake,
Hey, did I just hear a window break?

And that I need not cook or clean,
Well, heck, I’ve got the right to dream!
Yes, now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep.
But as I look around I know,
I must have lost them long ago!

Now why am I not surprised at all over this one?

 

Barack Obama was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the president if he would like to lead the discussion on the word ‘tragedy.’ So our illustrious president asked the class for an example of a ‘tragedy.’ One little boy stood up and offered: ‘If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy.’ ‘No,’ said Obama, ‘that would be an accident.’ A little girl raised her hand: ‘If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy. I’m afraid not,’ explained Obama. ‘That’s what we would call great loss.’ The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Obama searched the room. ‘Isn’t there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?’ Finally at the back of the room, Little Johnny raised his hand. In a quiet voice he said: ‘If the plane carrying you and Mrs. Obama was struck by a ‘friendly fire’ missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy.’ ‘Fantastic!’ exclaimed Obama. ‘That’s right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?’ ‘Well,’ says the boy, ‘It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn’t be a great loss… and it probably wouldn’t be an accident either.’

Believe it or not, there are some questions that even “Dear Abby” can’t answer.  Here are some of those letters:

Dear Abby,
A couple of women moved in across the hall from me. One is a middle-aged gym teacher and the other is a social worker in her mid-twenties. These two women go everywhere together and I’ve never seen a man go into or leave their apartment. Do you think they could be Lebanese?

Dear Abby,
What can I do about all the Sex, Nudity, Fowl Language and Violence on my VCR?

Dear Abby,
I have a man I can’t trust. He cheats so much, I’m not even sure the baby I’m carrying is his.

Dear Abby,
I am a twenty-three year old liberated woman who has been on the pill for two years. It’s getting expensive and I think my boyfriend should share half the cost but I don’t know him well enough to discuss money with him.

Dear Abby,
I’ve suspected that my husband has been fooling around and when confronted with the evidence, he denied everything and said it would never happen again.

Dear Abby,
Our son writes that he is taking Judo. Why would a boy who was raised in a good Christian home turn against his own?

Dear Abby,
I joined the Navy to see the world. I’ve seen it. Now how do I get out?

Dear Abby,
My 40-year old son has been paying a psychiatrist $50.00 an hour every week for two and a half years. He must be crazy.

Dear Abby,
I was married to Bill for three months and I didn’t know he drank until one night he came home sober.

Dear Abby,
My mother is mean and short-tempered. I think she is going through mental pause.

Dear Abby,
You told some woman whose husband had lost all interest in sex to send him to a doctor. Well, my husband lost all interest in sex and he is a doctor. Now what do I do?

A sixth grade child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. Here is what he wrote:

The Children’s Bible in a Nutshell.

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, “The Lord thy God is one,” but I think He must be a lot older than that.
Anyway, God said, “Give me a light!” and someone did.
Then God made the world.
He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren’t embarrassed because mirrors hadn’t been invented yet.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden … Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn’t have cars.
Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.
One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.
After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.
Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh’s people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.
God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don’t lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor’s stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.
One of Moses’ best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.
After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn’t sound very wise to me.
After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.
There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don’t have to worry about them.
After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, “Close the door! Were you born in a barn?” It would be nice to say, ”As a matter of fact, I was.”)
During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.
Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn’t stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.
Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

As a point of fact, my own sixth grade dragonette pretty much agreed with the whole thing.  She told me that she would have written it the same way.  Whereas the original young man was probably suffering from a bad case of naivety, I believe my own daughter is suffering from a bad case of smart-assery.  But, you see my point.

It’s the best first line I’ve EVER heard in my entire life!  and the rest of the video ain’t bad either!

Is Dragon Fruit the Next “It” Food?

Heck yes!  It is!  By name alone, it must be!  But, let’s take a little closer look at this great fruit and see how else it might more closely deserve the name, “Dragon!”

So, for starters, that is one beautiful looking fruit!  Let’s take a little closer look.  Here’s what the Food Network has to say about it:

There’s a new super food in town.   Is the oddly gorgeous dragon fruit poised to be the next pomegranate?See that?  Super food!  And oddly gorgeous!  If that isn’t the perfect description of a dragon, than I don’t know what is!
Dragon fruit has recently been making appearances in everything from herbal teas to yogurts. Dragon-fruit-infused liquors are showing up on cocktail menus — and the scent is even being featured in candles and dish soap.
What Is Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a white-fleshed fruit adorned with petite black edible seeds. Vibrant green leaves shoot from its fuchsia skin. Some varieties have yellow skin and darker flesh.
Fresh, dried and canned dragon fruit can be found at some specialty markets and online. The fruits can get expensive, with some fresh imports selling for more than $10 apiece.  Well, of course we’re expensive!  What did you think?  Dragon!
Dragon fruit is low in calories and high in vitamin C and fiber. The seeds contain a small amount of heart-healthy fats and the flesh boasts cell-protecting antioxidants like lycopene and the lesser known phytoalbumins. Of Course!  Expect only the best!
Despite its show-stopping appearance and ferocious name, dragon fruit has a mild watermelon-like flavor with a soft and somewhat grainy texture. It pairs well with the sweetness of berries, kiwi and honey.  Most of us are just big teddy bears underneath.  Teddy Bears that like virgins and razing villages.  It’s to be expected, right?
Dragon fruits are in season from late summer through December. The fruit — which forms from a nocturnal cactus plant that blooms at night (under a full moon no less) — is native to Central and South America and is now domestically grown in Hawaii, California and southern Florida.  Well, the full moon sounds right, but unlike the fruit, this dragon is available all year round!

Have a great day my friends!

[Lethal is mumbling to himself from behind the podium] “Let’s see Tube socks and fleece slippers – check. Flannel skivvies and fleece pants- right. T-shirt, turtleneck fleece pullover- ok. Thinsulate watch cap  pulled low and fingerless gloves with mitten option at ready- good to go. Spectacles testicles wallet, watch, smartphone- ok all in place. Giant fleece Notre Dame blanket ready to don as shawl soon as this bloody issue gets rolling right here in the insulated bag with the hand warmers making it toasty. OK let’s hurry this along I’m bloody well freezing still!” <Steps up to podium>

AHEM! If I could have your semi-frozen attention please! I know it is a LOT chillier in here than  normal. When we sized the heating units for the place we didn’t envision Impish being gone out of commission this long and the lack of contribution of all his hot air to the heating system or it ever getting quite this cold. Since auxiliary heating units are currently as scarce as the preverbal legal age good looking virgin we’ll just have to make do as best we can until Impish gets back on (both) his feet. So let’s just move right on and get this ball rolling shall we? Moving might help us keep warm.

Well its back to the grindstone all the holidays are over, no more parties no more family gatherings and no more paid time off until President’s Day, until you’re a teacher (Winter recess) or in College (Spring Break). That’s sort of our underlying theme to today’s issue to help get you back in the swing of things.  Good thing too because those credit card bills should be arriving any day now.

As I have stated before it’s an old Irish adage that every moment of pleasure in life is purchased at the cost of an equal moment of pain. (Lethal dons a pair of noise canceling headphones). Considering how good a time some of you had for Thanksgiving and Christmas I don’t think I’m going to be able to stand the anguished sounds of pain and despair when you open those bills so I think I’ll just wear these for a couple weeks.

Some of you whom I exchange e-mails with off the blog have been enquiring about how cold it is here and if the ‘Artic Vortex’ has made itself known this far south. Well let me answer you like this:

Here is the our current weather situation as summed up by one of your more accurate local weather guessers:

Temperatures fell into the 20s in Houston Monday morning with wind chill readings in the mid-teens, thanks to a brisk north wind. High temperatures Monday will stay below 40 degrees for most of the region. The wind chill won’t make it above 30.

It’s one of the coldest outbreaks in Houston in years. Monday morning temperatures fell to freezing in Galveston for the first time since February of 2011, according to the National Weather Service.

The affect of the cold air is amplified by the wind. With a persistent north wind at 10 to 20 miles per hour through Monday afternoon, the temperature will feel like 25 to 30 degrees to us!

Temperatures will tumble Monday night through Tuesday morning as the wind relaxes and skies stay clear.

By early Tuesday, we’ll be in the mid teens north of Houston, 20 degrees in town, and 30 degrees in Galveston. If the temperature dips below 20 at Bush Intercontinental Airport, a distinct possibility, it will be the first reading in the teens for that location since January of 1996.  IAH has only registered a temperature below 20 degrees TWICE since 1990!

The cold air will moderate quickly, beginning Tuesday afternoon.

Our north wind will shift to a southeast breeze off the Gulf of Mexico. By Tuesday afternoon, temperatures will be in the upper 40s with no freezing temperatures expected overnight Tuesday night.  On Wednesday, highs will reach 60 degrees, and we’ll be flirting with 70 by Thursday and Friday.

Of course he neglects to mention the temps plummet again starting Sunday back to the low 60s and high 50s. Lastly I take exception with his open line that the temps fell…they were obviously pushed!

 

Hey! It’s the first Leprechaun Laughs of the 2014- so I figured might as well start it off in a big way !

Here’s a little motivational pep talk song to help get that shoulder back to the wheel and your nose back to the grindstone!

 

Phil Everly dies at 74; half of vocal duo the Everly Brothers

The Everlys charted nearly three dozen hits in the late ’50s and early ’60s, among them ‘Bye Bye Love’ and ‘When Will I Be Loved.’ Their harmonies influenced the Beatles and Beach Boys.

Phil Everly, who with his brother, Don, made up the most revered vocal duo of the rock-music era, their exquisite harmonies profoundly influencing the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds and countless younger-generation rock, folk and country singers, has died. He was 74.

Everly died Friday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, due to a life time of smoking.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Phil Everly and his brother, Don (now 76), as the Everly Brothers, ranked among the elite in the music world by virtue of their pitch-perfect harmonies and emotive lyrics.  Phil’s tenor injected the pair’s repertoire — among the best known are “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream” — with quivering harmony, embodying the roller-coaster confusion of young desire.

Rolling Stone labeled the Everly Brothers “the most important vocal duo in rock,” having influenced the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and many other acts.

Along the way, they notched 35 Top 100 songs — more than any other vocal pair.

Phil and Don were born in the business, the offspring of country and western singers Margaret and Ike Everly.

The Everlys sang with their parents in live shows and on the radio. In the mid-’50s, while still teenagers, they moved to Nashville to be songwriters before signing a deal in 1957 with Cadence Records. They became international sensations over the next five years with tunes such as “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “When Will I Be Loved” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream.” In terms of record sales, their chief rivals during this stretch were Elvis Presley and Pat Boone.

Their style — a product of their blend of rock ‘n’ roll with Appalachian folk, bluegrass and other genres more closely aligned to their Kentucky roots — helped them earn inductions in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“The amount of music that can be directly traced to the Everly Brothers is incredible,” wrote one admirer on Twitter. “Thanks, Phil…and ‘Bye Bye.'”

The Everly Brothers: 12 Essential Tracks

Look back at Phil Everly’s beautiful career in a playlist of his key work

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/the-everly-brothers-12-essential-tracks-20140104

Source Material: http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-phil-everly-20140104,0,2345470.story

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-an-appreciation-phil-everly-the-voice-of-desperate-teenaged-love-20140104,0,5563013.story

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/03/showbiz/singer-phil-everly-dies/

Photo: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/phil-everly-everly-brothers-vocal-legend-dead-at-74-20140103

Gwen’s Old-Fashioned Potato-Beef Casserole

Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood (c) Clarkson Potter 2008
Prep Time: 40 min | Inactive Prep Time: —
Cook Time: 45 min | Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings

 

Ingredients

 3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
Salt
Vegetable oil, to coat pan
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs

Directions

 Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Potatoes cook quickly. Test often for tenderness and don’t overcook them. Alternatively, cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes, releasing the pressure immediately to prevent overcooking. Drain the potatoes and arrange them in a 6- by 9- by 2-inch casserole dish.
In a large skillet, add a little oil to coat the pan. Combine the beef and onion and cook together over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion softened, about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and the flour turns light brown in color. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue to stir while cooking over medium heat. When the mixture thickens, season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cheese and browned beef and onions.
Pour the ground beef mixture over the potatoes and bake the casserole for 20 minutes, until heated through and bubbling. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the casserole and bake until the crumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes longer.

Cook Notes: Because all the ingredients are fully cooked, if they are still hot when you assemble the casserole, the baking time can be greatly reduced or even eliminated; simply brown the crumb topping under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

 One of my (Molly supplied) New Year’s Resolutions is to find ways to reduce the non fixed costs of our budget. This was received with the caveat that she didn’t want to feel like we weren’t eating healthy or eating on food stamps (hey from my observations some of those people are eating better than we are!) 

One of the things I had gotten away from doing was making my own copycat recipes of things we liked, for example spice blends. Buy buying bulk spices and spending about an  hour making my own blends I can save quite a bit of money. It also cuts way back on your salt intake (go look at the label on things like taco seasoning and see how close to the top of the list salt appears and look at how much of it there is!) The trick is having the recipe for those blends.

Here are two of the more popular ones to try making yourself. If I get positive feed back I’ll post some more of these copycat style recipes for you.

Emeril’s Southwest Seasoning

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. 
Store in an airtight container away from light. Use within three months.

Yield: 1/2 cup

Generally I make a double batch of this as  we tend to go through it quite fast. Our personal tastes dictate only 1/2 a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and I substitute onion powder for the coriander which we find bothers us. You don’t normally keep crushed red pepper flakes on hand and don’t want to buy a whole jar just for this?  No problem just ask Popa John’s for a few with your next pizza.

Emeril’s Creole Seasoning:

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 Tbsp paprika
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp cayenne
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. 
Store in an airtight container away from light. Use within three months.

 

Yield: about 2/3 cup

In both cases I omit the salt from mine. This allows me not to have to worry if I am cooking for someone who is on a Low Sodium Diet (basically which of us isn’t trying to limit our sodium intake these days?). It also I feel gives me better control over the salt in my dishes because some dishes already have a great deal of sodium inherent in their ingredients.

Also I do my combining in a very dry blender. This assures even mixing and with things that are coarser like red pepper flakes I put those in first and give them their own spin so that they get broken up down to consistent size with the rest of the ingredients.

When certain of Molly’s family come to visit they always want to go out to eat at Chili’s. We’re blessed(?) with one right at the end of our road which it intersects the main drag so its easy to get to and hard to invent excuses no to go to. It’s not that they are in love with the the food there or the ambiance they just love the salsa.

Chili’s Copycat Salsa Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole tomatoes, drained
3-4 canned, whole jalapenos (not pickled)
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice

Directions: Place all of the ingredients together into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips.

Since canned tomatoes already come with a good deal of salt, I swapped the garlic salt for garlic powder. We generally don’t keep jalapenos even pickled around the house so I simply grab a few fresh when I make this. Most grocery stores offer them year round now. Remove the seeds and membranes for less heat and either buy one of those coring tools or wear gloves to do it or you’ll be sorry the first time you rub your eye nose or mouth. 

Finally, if I want to impress people not hooked on Chili’s Salsa, I add fresh cilantro and used canned fire roasted tomatoes.

Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe

Cajun chicken pasta is Cajun seasoned chicken tossed with a cream sauce and linguini. The highlight of this recipe is the cream sauce, this well seasoned alfredo style sauce is nothing short of amazing. The good news is, you probably have a lot of the ingredients for this recipe on hand. I really enjoyed the sundried tomatoes, but they can be left out if you choose. For the chicken, you can season the breasts, fry them whole and then slice them instead if you choose. This chicken pasta dish is sure to please almost everyone. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small strips)
4 ounces linguini (cooked all dente)
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (See Emeril’s Creole Spice Above!)
2 tablespoons butter
1 green onion (thinly sliced)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place chicken strips and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, toss the chicken with the seasoning until the chicken strips evenly coated with the seasoning.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken and sauté the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees).
Step 3: Reduce heat to low. Add green onions, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook until heated through. Pour over hot linguini and toss with parmesan cheese.
(Makes 2 Servings)

There are more stupid people than dreamt of by WalMartian photographers and here’s the proof!

So I guess its packaging you open like the woman on the label?

Nope she’s not drunk- just Blonde!

Certainly bring a whole new dimension and meaning to the Dispatcher’s call for a stiff at the beach!


In case you can’t read the circled area of the card it reads ‘black person like you’. Someone is sleeping on the couch for a LONG time!

I ain’t even touching this one, its too easy no challenge.

Prime example of why I buy my hardware at a real hardware story and not Wally-world!

In name only Mom, in name only.

Stop AT&T from collecting your data!

Thanks to a sneaky update to its privacy policy, AT&T can now collect data about you. It wants to track the way you use your phone so it can sell the details to advertisers and other firms.

Of course, it makes the data “anonymous” before it collects that data. However, the fine print in AT&T’s plan reveals some scary details it seems to have no problem selling.

AT&T wants to collect all of your browsing data from your smartphone. It also wants to grab your location, passwords, security codes and more. It can do so much with that data!

Luckily, there is a way to opt out. Head to this page and log in with your AT&T account information.

You’ll see a list of the numbers on your account. Each one will have a “Check to opt out” box next to them. Click it on each of your accounts to opt out of AT&T’s data collection.

 

I sort of forgot to put this next one in last weeks New Year’s issue. My bad Calvin! Thanks for the assist though.

OK I’ve got to hurry this along as Friday just texted me that they finally got my plane started and warmed up and the same with my limo. I’ve got urgent business in Cabo, Acapulco and South Padre Island overseeing the staking out of sites and setting up my spray suntan concessions for Spring break. Yup, that’s right- I’m abandoning ship for anyplace above 70 and sunny.

Anyway we all I’m sure watch some version of reality TV which is hard to avoid now a days and runs the gambit from things like Honey Bo-boo & Keeping Up with the Kardasians to Sons of a Gun & Duck Hunters and then on to things like This Old House & Extreme Makeover.

While I have been watching This Old House for so long now I’ve seen it through 3 different hosts I became hooked on Extreme Makeovers several years ago primarily because they seem to really make an effort to help out and make a positive change in the lives of people who are really deserving of it as opposed to people who will just make good TV.

But have you ever wondered about what happens to those house and people after the cameras leave?

Kemah family given “Makeover” home trying to sell it

KEMAH, Texas – A Galveston County family given a house for free by the TV show “Extreme Makeover” is trying to sell the place because they say they no longer need such a big home.

Less than four years after the team from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crafted a beautiful, brand new home for a Kemah family, the house is on the market — at a greatly reduced price.

After their home was destroyed by Hurricane Ike, the Beach family— known for fostering more than 85 children over a 23-year span— was selected for the seventh season of the TV series in 2010. Larry and Melissa Beach had been living in a travel trailer with their 13 children when Ty Pennington and his crew, including celebrity volunteer Jessica Alba, built the home and revealed it on national TV on Easter Sunday.

Melissa Beach tells The Galveston County Daily News she’s grateful for the time spent in the home but the family of 13 is downsizing and only uses part of the eight-bedroom, 4-1/2 bathroom home in Kemah.

The Beaches have been trying to sell their house — located at 1013 Delesandri Lane — since February and have reduced the price by 33 percent, from $700,000 to $535,000. They say they must sell because the house is too expensive to maintain, especially now that many of their children are grown up and no longer live there.

“It is a big decision,” Larry Beach told the Houston Chronicle. Beach has four children with his wife, Melissa, in addition to the 13 they adopted and dozens more they’ve fostered. “It’s costing us 12- to 15-hundred dollars a month just in taxes and insurance. It’s costing us more to live here than it would to sell it.”

The two-story house — which was essentially given to them as the materials and labor were donated — is located only a few blocks from the Kemah Boardwalk. The home, which sits on a one-acre plot, features eight bedrooms — each with a different theme, including the nearby Boardwalk, four and a half bathrooms, a game room and media room.

“We are torn. The community put a lot into this house and that’s really the conflict we have struggled with,” said Beach. “A lot of people volunteered and gave for our house and family. After months of talking about, it we made the decision that it doesn’t really do any good to keep digging a hole for ourselves.”

In 2009, CBS highlighted six families who said they initially benefited from the Extreme Makeover experience but later found themselves unable to afford high taxes and maintenance bills and some had even taken out mortgages against the properties, which subsequently increased costs.

The Beach family said they were very happy with ABC, but that things changed when Mercy, their 2-year-old daughter, died from a seizure only weeks after the house was finished. They then decided they no longer wanted to foster kids and the sizeable house became unnecessary as their children started moving away.

Maybe a little less focus on grandiose gestures and a little more on practicality and affordability would be a good idea you Reality TV producing folks!

I hear you Calvin muh man I hear ya! Just try having a trouble prone Dragon for a side kick instead of a Tiger and see how much it slows you down!

Well, I’m starting this on Saturday…last Saturday, January 4th.  Depending on what happens over the next couple of days with this “significant winter weather event” will depend on when you guys will see this posting.  So the storm is still a bit away from us.  It’s currently about 1930 hrs.  Colts are behind by 6 and there is just a about 5 minutes left in the game.  Crazy night.  Crazy day. 

So, people of course have gone crazy, waiting for this storm.  Seems like everyone is going to be making French Toast over the next couple of days.  All the local grocery stores are out of bread, milk and eggs.  It’s amazing to me that every time it storms, people make French Toast.  Plus, I guess everyone is afraid of their pipes freezing, since the stores are also sold out of bottled water.  I can kind of understand that, since we are supposed to get wind chills that might be all the way down to -40° F and snow drifts that might be up to 6 to 8 feet tall.  I think it would be hilarious if it missed us completely.  Heck, I got an email this afternoon from work saying we would be closed on Monday and the storm hasn’t even started yet.

The Colts beat Kansas City in what I think is probably one of the best all time come backs in the play offs, EVER!  45-44. after being down 21 points at the half, they come back and hold KC to 2 field goals, out scoring them in the second half 28 to 6.  What an exciting game!  Okay, Denver is next!  We get them next week!

SUNDAY 5 January 2014

Good Morning….Afternooon….my friends.

Well, the snow got here.  I found a ruler, of sorts, and hobbled outside the garage where I could get it in the snow, take pictures of it and be protected by standing in the garage.  I’m sure I looked silly as hell to any of my neighbors who might have been looking out of their windows at the time.  This old cigar smoking dragon, dressed in blue jeans and bathrobe, hobbling out of the garage, sticking something in the ground, and then taking pictures of it.  And from now on, it will be every hour or so, the garage goes up, the dragon takes a picture, the garage door goes down.  Anyway, check this out:
That’s almost 10 inches of snow.  Okay, so to be honest, due to the placement of the ruler, it is piled on top of about 5 inches from the snow fall on Friday, but that’s an additional 5 inches piled on in the last couple of hours.  It’s coming down pretty hard as you can see by this:

Or this picture of my neighbors car:

So yeah, it’s snowing quite a bit.  So bad in fact that an hour and a half later, the ruler looks like this:

Yup, that sucker is just about covered!  That would be about 1.3 inches per hour!  That’s a lot of snow!

Okay, going to send this out now.  More later.

Cheers my friends,

Impish

Good Morning My Friends.  Welcome to another edition of Dragon Laffs.  Your favorite on line e-zine of all time.  Well, as you can see from the above picture, I’m back to work, although I haven’t left my home.  For several days this week, I have teleworked, which means working from my work laptop while at home.  It’s about the same thing that many other people do when they work from home, so that’s not anything special.  But for me, it’s pretty cool. 

This is a pretty cool movie.  Behind the scenes of the movie Gravity.  Shows how they do a lot of the special effects.  I do have to warn you, there are some spoilers involved, so be advised.

I want to print this up and hang it up in my office!

Google glass is  not just a fad anymore.  Watch this video from CBS News about a one of a kind doctor, using cutting edge technology in the operating room

A young lawyer decided that his life needed a hobby. Since his buddies talked about sailing, he thought he’d give it a go. He went to the local boat show and asked a lot of questions. Everything seemed to be going well when he said, “How do you dock the boat?” The salesman replied, “Well, you really don’t dock the sailboat, you tie it up to a float just beyond the dock. This way you don’t bang up the finish on the craft.” “Well then,” the lawyer asked, “How do you get out to the sailboat?” “Good question.” The salesman told him. “You can get a small raft and paddle out to the boat, or you can just walk out to the boat, if you don’t mind getting wet. “ “Oh, I get it,” the lawyer replied, “It’s Row vs Wade.”

O’Leary was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn’t find a parking place. Looking up toward heaven, he said “Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of my life and I’ll give up me whiskey.” Miraculously, a parking place appeared. O’Leary looked up again and said “Never mind Lord. I found one.”

A fellow CBRNE Instructor had designed some changes in our curriculum for one of our most important classes. He asked my help in putting it into operation and training the other instructors. At first, he handled most of the work. Eventually, though, he asked me to help with the last phase of the training. When I sat down with one instructor and told her I would be showing her how to make changes to the classes, she sighed with relief. “I’m so glad you’re teaching me instead of him.” Surprised, I said that my colleague was far more experienced than I was. “Yes,” she said, “but I feel much more comfortable with you. I get nervous around really smart people.”

OUCH!! 

Okay, so I guess it’s just a morning for groaners.  Now, I have to warn you that this one is especially stinky!

A Russian couple was walking down the street in St. Petersburg the other night, when the man felt a drop hit his nose. “I think it’s raining,” he said to his wife. “No, that felt more like snow to me,” she replied. “No, I’m sure it was just rain, he said.” Well, as these things go, they were about to have a major argument about whether it was raining or snowing. Just then they saw a minor communist party official walking toward them. “Let’s not fight about it,” the man said, “let’s ask Comrade Rudolph whether it’s officially raining or snowing.” As the official approached, the man said, “Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?” “It’s raining, of course,” he answered and walked on. But the woman insisted: “I know that felt like snow!” To which the man quietly replied: “Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!” 

I’m not even going to bother putting up a warning for this one.

A pregnant woman from Washington, D.C. gets in a car accident and falls into a deep coma. Asleep for nearly 6 months, when she wakes up she sees that she is no longer pregnant and frantically asks the doctor about her baby. The doctor replies, “Ma’am you had twins! a boy and a girl. Your brother from Maryland came in and named them.” The woman thinks to herself, “No, not my brother… he’s an idiot!” She asks the doctor, “Well, what’s the girl’s name?” “Denise.” “Wow, that’s not a bad name, I like it! What’s the boy’s name?” “Denephew.” 

Because of an ear infection, my young son, Casey, had to go to the pediatrician. I was impressed with the way the doctor directed his comments and questions to my son. When he asked Casey, “Is there anything you are allergic to?” Casey nodded and whispered in his ear. Smiling, the pediatrician wrote out a prescription and handed it to me. Without looking at it, I tucked it into my purse. Later, the pharmacist filled the order, remarking on the unusual food-drug interaction my son must have. When he saw my puzzled expression, he showed me the label on the bottle. As per the doctor’s instructions, it read: “Do not take with broccoli.”

A stalwart Vermont farmer bought some land that was still just as it had been before the Pilgrims landed. He dug up hundreds of stones and built a fence; cut down trees to create a clearing; built a house and a small barn; cleared land for pasture, dug a well and over several years just generally worked his fingers to the bone in creating a small, neat, productive farm. Eventually his pastor came out for a visit and marveled rather fulsomely, and at great length, at all that “you and God have done together.” “Eh,” the farmer said dubiously. “Ya shoulda seen the place when God ran it on his own.”

Today’s Last Word is sent to us, by none other than our own Lethal Leprechaun.  This is pretty special, not only because of my connection to the State Police and Law Enforcement in general, but also because it is such a great story.  Please watch this and enjoy the story.

The Year That was Issue

Yea that’s right, a Black & White banner. What can I say, its literally the end of the year and our budget is about run out what with all the last minute expenses for ramps and such for a wheelchair bound Impish to get around here so I’m cheeping out a little to make the bean counters happy.

Quitcherbitchin and count yourselves lucky you got both a Christmas and New Years Eve issue already! I don’t get paid extra for working the holidays, in fact I don’t get paid (or thanked other than by Impish) at all for stepping up at the holidays.

Since it’s likely none of you will be sober enough to focus on your computer screens tomorrow &/or caught up in the Parade/Bowl games I’m putting this out early.

Since its supposed to be very chilly and rainy here my plan for New Years Day involves sleeping slightly late, lots of fleece- both clothes and blankets, the couch, coffee (likely with Baileys &/or Irish Whiskey in the unlikely event I am suffer a touch of hangover), an assembled the night before breakfast casserole which was placed in a cold oven  for 45 min when I got my coffee and the Tournament of Roses Parade. Once the is over so is any influence I will have on the TV’s remote as Molly the College Football Queen is already hard at work planning her watching vs. recording strategy for all the bowl games.

Finally, since it IS my second holiday issue in as many weeks I have brought in some help to express my thoughts on New Years. Calvin of Calvin & Hobbs fame as graciously agreed to make his views on the subject known to us as we laugh some and look back on the year that was.

Since the Dr. has finally cleared me to have a wee bit o’ cheer for New Years after my recent illness, it could be I’ll be having one of Reader Kismette’s versions o’ Irish Coffee (hence the possibility of a slight hangover). She’s wisely printed the recipe on this mug for me.

Ho-Ho- WOAH!

Already feel like you’re forgetting the major events of 2013? Well, may we present the perfect CliffsNotes: One image packed to the edges with everything that has happened in the last 12 months, from the Edward Snowden leaks to the smashing power of Pacific Rim‘s Jaegers and kaiju.

Illustrated by Mario Zucca, the image has almost 90 different highlights from the past year. There’s a bit of Katniss Everdeen, the rise of original Netflix content, the cast of Game of Thrones outside of a bridal store (Red Wedding, get it?), some twerking Miley Cyrus and President Obama in front of a 404-ing computer. There also nods to the dominance of Breaking Bad – and the coming dominance of Netflix shows like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards.

“The task was daunting: Illustrate a scene mishmashing all of the major news stories from 2013, almost 90 to be exact,” said Zucca, who created the illustration for Beutler Ink, in a blog post. “We decided the scene should be staged in a Times Square-like setting. I didn’t really know where to start.”

Ultimately Zucca went with a Times Square-style setting, giving him many venues to stick big images and tiny Easter eggs. See how many you can spot in the image above and when you think you’ve found them all, head over to Zucca’s site for a full breakdown of the images to see which ones you missed.

Reuters Pictures of the Year 2013

From the world stage, to the street corner, Reuters presents extraordinary images taken by its global network of photographers in 2013.

 

5 Myths About the Light Bulb Ban

Marc Lallanilla, LiveScience Published: Dec 18, 2013, 7:57 AM EST

Incandescent light bulbs will still be available in stores after Jan. 1, until supplies run out. (Getty Images)

When the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) was signed into law in 2007, among its provisions was the eventual phasing out of an icon of 20th-century life: the familiar (but notoriously inefficient) incandescent light bulb, which wastes 90 percent of its energy use as heat, not light.

In response, conservative pundits howled in protest, claiming the law would destroy the free market, bankrupt consumers and unravel the very fabric of American life. The destruction and mayhem hasn’t happened yet, but that hasn’t stopped the grumbling from certain hidebound commentators.

As a result, many people have heard a number of ill-founded stories about the effect of the phasing-out of incandescent bulbs, which use a heated tungsten filament to produce light, and the dangers of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diode (LED) lights. Here are a few facts that shine a light on some of the more odious myths being circulated today. [Light Bulbs: Incandescent, Fluorescent, LED (Infographic)]

Myth 1: Incandescent bulbs will become illegal.

No, armed government agents will not smash down your front door to confiscate your light bulbs, despite what you may have read on a fire-breathing conservative blog. The ban only applies to the manufacture and import of incandescent bulbs, not their use by consumers.

In fact, incandescent light bulbs will still be available in stores after Jan. 1, until supplies run out. And some specialty incandescent bulbs — appliance bulbs, rough service bulbs, marine lamps, three-way bulbs — are exempt from the ban and will continue to be available for purchase.

Myth 2: No light bulbs besides CFLs will be available.

There are several options for consumers after Jan. 1: Not only can you buy CFL, LED or halogen lamps, but next-generation, high-efficiency incandescent bulbs will also be available.

EISA doesn’t favor one energy-saving technology over any other; it simply requires that all light bulbs sold meet basic efficiency standards. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), light bulbs that traditionally use between 40 and 100 watts of energy must use at least 27 percent less energy by 2014.

Myth 3: Consumers will lose money buying expensive new light bulbs.

It’s no secret that newer, high-efficiency light bulbs have a somewhat higher price tag than old-fashioned incandescent lamps. But that argument fails to take into account the high electric bills that accompany older, inefficient lamps.

About 12 percent of the average household’s power bill goes to lighting, according to the EPA. A CFL bulb, which uses about 75 percent less energy than a comparable incandescent while lasting 10 times longer, will save consumers more than $40 over the lamp’s lifetime.

Additionally, as lighting companies invest more in research, lighting technology will continue to improve, resulting in a wider array of inexpensive, high-efficiency alternatives.

Myth 4: CFLs will fill the world with toxic mercury.

Mercury is a hazardous material that’s dangerous for human health and the environment. And it’s true that CFLs contain a small amount of mercury.

But coal-fired power plants are the main emitters of mercury in the United States, releasing about 50 percent of all human-caused mercury emissions, according to the EPA, and lower energy demands overall will result in less mercury in the environment, not more.

Nonetheless, if a CFL breaks, the cleanup procedures are onerous (remove all people and pets from the room, air out the room for 10 minutes, do not vacuum, etc.) and CFLs usually must be taken to a recycling center — not thrown in the garbage — at the end of their life span. For that reason, many people are now choosing safer LED lights or other lamps instead of CFLs.

Myth 5: You can’t use dimmers with energy-saving light bulbs.

There are some CFL and LED light bulbs that aren’t compatible with dimmers. However, there are also CFLs, LEDs and halogen lamps that can be used with dimmers, provided the dimmer is the correct kind of dimmer for the bulb. Older styles of dimmers might damage the bulb, so make sure you’re using a dimmer that’s designed to work with high-efficiency lamps.

I have to admit he even makes Impish look like Presidential material…and sane. Just goes to show you nobody is ever truly worthless, they can always make someone else look good or serve as an shining example of what happens when you make all the wrong choices. Then again come to think of it Old Rob there is doing a hell of a stand up job feeding material to comics world wide too.

2013 Tragedies

Published: 12/24/2013 The Legacy

The world saw many truly awful tragedies in the past year, as well as many epic outpourings of sympathy and support for those affected by these events. As the year comes to a close, we remember our neighbors around the world who suffered through the some worst days of 2013.

Boston Marathon Bombing
In Boston, April 15 marks the annual running of the Boston Marathon, a source of pride for the city. In 2013, however, the marathon was tragically marred by two bombs detonated at the finish line as runners completed the course. Three spectators were killed in the tandem blasts, and another 264 people sustained serious injuries. In the following days, police officers tracked down the two perpetrators, killing one in a running gunfight that also claimed the life of one officer and resulted in the injuries of 16 others. Read more

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion
On April 17, a fertilizer plant in the small community of West, Texas, exploded in the early evening, killing 15 people and injuring more than 160. The plant exploded with the force of a large bomb, leveling homes and businesses in several blocks surrounding the blast, which registered as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake. Read more

Asiana Plane Crash
Three passengers aboard Asiana Flight 214 were killed and another 181 injured on July 6 when their flight crashed at San Francisco International Airport. The flight crashed just short of the runway, with the tail section striking the seawall outside the airport and breaking off from the main fuselage, throwing several people onto the runway. Read more

Washington Navy Yard Shooting
A lone gunman entered the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. on September 16 and opened fire on civilian and military personnel working at the yard’s many offices. Thirteen people were killed, including the gunman, and another 11 were injured in the shooting and ensuing chaos. Information surfaced later that the gunman, who formerly served in the Navy, had a history of mental illness and documented incidents of gun violence. Read more

Oklahoma Tornado
Moore, Oklahoma, an area known as “Tornado Alley,” endured one of the deadliest storms in its history on May 20. During the EF5-level storm, a tornado with a base one mile wide tore a path of destruction through the small community, killing 24. Among the dead were nine children from Briarwood Elementary. Read more

Super Typhoon Haiyan
In early November, a storm formed above the Pacific Ocean that would become Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most destructive storms in recorded history. The storm pounded Micronesia, southern China, Vietnam and the Philippines with torrential rains and deadly winds. The area suffered billions of dollars in damage, and the human toll includes 6,149 deaths, with 1,779 people missing and millions displaced from their ravaged homes. The damage was particularly terrible in the Philippines, coming on the heels of severe earthquakes that killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes. Read more

Arizona Wildfire
Wildfires are a yearly occurrence in Arizona, but 2013 saw one of the most deadly in recent memory. Lightning strikes ignited an area near Yarnell, Arizona, on June 28, and on June 30 the fire overran a crew sent to battle the blaze, killing 19 firefighters. It was the worst loss of life for firefighters in a wildland fire in 80 years. Read more

We remember the victims of these horrible events, as well as countless other deadly tragedies around the world in 2013.

 As ’13 closes, we chew on ‘sharknado,’ ‘freedom fries’ and ‘horndog’

By Joe Amarante Posted: 12/28/13, 11:03 AM EST

Time is running out on 2013 so let’s savor and masticate on this year’s key words and phrases before they get, you know, digested, metabolized or maybe excreted from the body politic.

Remember “teachable moment” or “Snowmagedden” from 2010? Right, they’re so yesterday.

But thanks to help from lexicographer Grant Barrett’s list in The New York Times the other day, and other sources, we see a list heavy on partisan enmity, with some communications and food technology thrown in.

Start with the food: “Cronut” may be delicious and decadent, but it comes from one baker in New York. So we don’t see much longevity for it.

The budget battles in Congress gave new meaning to the term “toxic politics” and made us cringe at cable news stories about “sequestration, shutdown, fiscal cliff and gridlock.”

“Boston strong” was a nice expression of support after the marathon bombing. (Yankees fans point out that we can now drop its use, given the Red Sox championship and all.)

On the pop culture front, there was the word “twerk,” which could mean “a former child star acting like a mentally unhinged stripper,” but instead refers to gyrations by Miley Cyrus, a former child star acting like a … Oops, time’s up on this one!

“Sharknado” comes from a campy cable movie, of course, and (like cronut) signals our Twitter-fueled appreciation for “portmanteaus” (blended words).

“Duck Dynasty” qualifies as a 2013 craze that (just recently) descended into the politically incorrect swamp due to Phil Robertson’s comments about homosexuality. Paula Deen in 2013 lost much of her business empire over a word that should have departed the lexicon a century ago, but somehow has not.

Other terms I’m not sweet on? “Common Core” already makes me testy. “Disruption” is a way-overused word about innovation and upstarts. Snapchat, which sure sounds sleazy in design (although the disappearing images would have saved Anthony Weiner’s career). Also involving smartphones is “no filter,” which is a way of saying a scenic photo has not been altered with filters (Instagram).

And then there’s “bitcoin,” a real techie concept since it replaces conventional money with an experimental, decentralized digital currency. That does bring to mind other digital terms I’d like to see: “Bit-turd” for the hater comments by anonymous “trolls” and “flamers” at the end of stories online and “bit-chow” for “food porn” (Not to be confused with “bitch-ow!,” which is getting bit by a female dog.)

Need evidence the year’s news breeds words and terms? Rewind a decade to 2003, the year the ambitious and delusional men in the White House decided to invade Iraq: “Pre-emptive self-defense” meant attacking a potential enemy before it attacks you. See also “slam dunk.” Then there was “embed” or a journalist who travels with a military or political unit.

We spoke of “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq and (soon) “weapons of mass deception” (see the list at Americandialect.org).

Among the most ridiculous: Replacing “Freedom” for French as in freedom fries.

In other areas, “metrosexual” (male clothes hog) came into vogue, as did off-shoring, which is the practice of CEOs replacing American jobs with ones from other countries and then scoring a huge bonus for it.

That was also the year people uttered the term “The governator” for then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was also imaginatively described as “gropenführer.”

Want quaint? It’s the year that “text” became a verb (as in send a text message).

Or 20 years ago? In 1993 (we’re reminded from wordorigins.org), we talked of “casual Friday,” “fashionista” and (then-exotic) “cybershop” and “e-commerce,” not to mention “DVD” and “web site.”

Speaking of “food porn,” it was new 20 years ago when describing food and cooking shows.

“Gentleman’s club” became a term for an upscale strip joint, as did “horndog” (although it did have earlier roots) for men always on the make.

“MP3” was new and the “V-chip” was being pushed by the likes of Sen. Joe Lieberman (it was put in TV sets but never really caught on).

And the term “zone out” was new, which is what you’ll do if I don’t let the clock strike midnight on this topic right now. Happy New Year.