The Red Brick Times

Wonders never cease. Linda's hoping to go back to work Monday!
Posted 7:58 PM by Sally D. 0 comments

Q. What's the plural of y'all?
A. All y'all.

Told to me by someone born and raised in the south so it must be true.
Posted 3:51 PM by whatley 0 comments

I hope these guys have some mega-servers because this link is being posted everywhere today. Projection of the most likely outcome of a new war in the Gulf. (Flash animation, sound not necessary.)
Posted 10:57 AM by whatley 0 comments

The Bill of No Rights
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We, the sensible of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden, delusional, and other liberal, commie, pinko bedwetters. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that a whole lot of people were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights.


ARTICLE I
You do not have the right to a new car, big-screen color TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.


ARTICLE II
You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone, not just you. You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc, but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.


ARTICLE III
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all of your relatives independently wealthy.


ARTICLE IV
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone one in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.


ARTICLE V
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.


ARTICLE VI
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and kill you.


ARTICLE VII
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or life of leisure.


ARTICLE VIII
You do not have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you'd like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.


ARTICLE IX
You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities in education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.


ARTICLE X
You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness--which, by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an overabundance of idiotic laws created by those around you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

Sent by a friend of mine who is a former Socialist, turned business owner, turned right wing-capitalist, retired motorcycle bum and free-thinking rabble-rouser (or so his wife says).

He also included the following snippet at the end of his email:
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."

Posted 1:40 PM by Andy Allan 0 comments

A friend's daughter recently visited Hershey, Pa and came back with bags of the product. To avoid manic overdose, I am taking it to work where the ravenous cube-locusts will make short work of any kind of free food.

But, salivating and dreaming, I went to Google and looked up "Chocolate", getting 5 and a half million hits. The Hershey's factory site seemed reasonable, until I found the recipe section. Here is one that grabbed me. What better to do on a below-zero evening than have visions of chocolate drops dance in your head?


BLACK FOREST MINI CHEESECAKES

• 18 to 24 vanilla wafer cookies
• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 container (8 oz.) dairy sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• SOUR CREAM TOPPING (recipe follows)
• Canned cherry pie filling, chilled


1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with foil bake cups. Place one vanilla wafer (flat-side down) in bottom of each cup.

2. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, cocoa and flour; blend well. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in sour cream and almond extract. Fill each muffin cup almost full with batter.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool 5 to 10 minutes. Spread heaping teaspoon SOUR CREAM TOPPING on each cup. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; refrigerate. Just before serving, garnish with cherry pie filling. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecakes. 1-1/2 to 2 dozen cheesecakes.


SOUR CREAM TOPPING: Stir together 1 container (8 oz.) dairy sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.

The recipe for Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes is found here.


Eat, drink and be merry, for tommorrow we may diet.
Posted 11:28 AM by Andy Allan 0 comments

Woohoo! The Clean Water Network has named our very own John Katko as one of its 30 Heroes for 30 Years of the Clean Water Act! As you'll see from that link he's in some pretty good company. The Chronicle story from last Friday is here. Congrats John!
Posted 9:56 AM by whatley 0 comments

In light of the recent statistical findings that consumption of beer and liquor 4 to 5 times per week have shown a 30% reduction in heart attack mortality, I am tempted to obtain a single malt 12-year-old poteen and up my ancestors every other day.

It is common knowledge that Johnny Appleseed went thither and yon spreading seeds widely. But it is not commonly known that at the time he did so, apples were not comestibles. The varieties of the time were sour and unpalatable. The most frequent use for apples was to make cider. And when they said cider, they meant rip-roaring, fire-breathing, hairy-chested, Friday-night-regalement, swell-headed, boot-stomping, triple-XXX throat searing liquid that was the water of life distilled from the fruits of the wild. So Johnny Appleseed was not the gentleman farmer hobo of the pioneer past. He was a gleeful elfin Bacchus of libertine debauchery who reveled in keeping a good portion of the populace tippling and tipsy. So up our ancestors! Huzzah! Wallow and be merry for you will not be the first.

Of course, there is always art. There is an exhibition called "From Tankards to Teacups: The Art of Serving Beverages in Early America"
from which description I extract the following fragment:

"Since colonial times beer, tea, whiskey and wine have factored into the fabric of American customs and culture. Early colonists found water mistrustful; if alive today our forebearers would be shocked to see so many progeny toting tinted plastic bottles of "designer" water. One historian notes that the "Pilgrims" landed at the particular site of "Plymouth Rock," because of a shortage of beer. One of the first buildings erected was a brew house. Advertisements in the English press followed for "brew masters" to make the journey to the Americas. Drinking water could produce illness and even death, but the boiling of beer killed bacteria. Ale, beer, and later homemade wine, whiskey and imported tea were all beverages that people consumed from cradle to grave."

Here's lookin' up your old address!


Posted 1:24 PM by Andy Allan 0 comments

No posts for almost 10 days now. Not surprising really. It's hard to say anything when you know your post will appear right above one so tragic. What can you say, life goes on? Not exactly profound but it's all I've got. Life goes on.
Posted 1:52 PM by whatley 0 comments

Hating to be the bearer of sad news, but grateful when others post information about our friends, I bring you the following report. On Monday, Sandy Stevens suffered a brain aneurism, which burst and was complicated with a stroke. (Don't have enough information or medical knowlege to say if one was cause and the other effect.) A 911 call and CPR got her to the local ER, where there just happened to be a renowned neurosurgeon on call. Surgery followed, and it was determined that the damaged part of the brain is that which controls small motor function. Tuesday she was stable, but had not yet regained consciousness. Today, (Wednesday) the news was not good. Sandy's blood pressure remains unstable, so they cannot test brain function. Terri and Zak are with her, and Ashton says that they have discussed Sandy's wishes for a DNR, if it becomes necessary.

Linda got this information about Sandy when Zak called Adam to ask him to dog sit while he's in Florida. Tuesday evening Linda went back in the Cleveland Clinic for a short stay to treat her for a blood clot in her leg. Linda's been feeling good, getting more active, and even driving herself around. We are waiting to see if this oral chemotherapy is effective.

Keep good thoughts.

Sally


Posted 6:32 PM by Sally D. 0 comments

Q. Why don't WASPs have orgies?
A. Too many thank you notes.

(found on Mighty Girl)
Posted 3:42 PM by whatley 0 comments

A worldwide toast tonight for JRR on (what would have been) his eleventy-first birthday. "a rather curious number and a very respectable age for a hobbit".
Posted 2:14 PM by whatley 0 comments