5 posts from March 2008

DAN BROWN
Angels & Demons
The DaVinci Code
Deception Point
Digital Fortress
 
MICHAEL CRICHTON
State of Fear
Timeline
Prey
Airframe
Andromeda Strain
 
SCOTT ADAMS
God's Debris: A Thought Experiment
The Religion War

LINCOLN CHILDS
Death Match

DOUGLAS PRESTON
Tyrannosaur Canyon

CHRIS KUZNESKI
Sign of the Cross

RAYMOND KHOURY
The Last Templar

JOE BUFF
Seas of Crisis

GREG ILES
The Footprints of God

ISAAC ASIMOV
I, Robot

DAVID BRIN
Kiln People
 
STEPHEN KING
On Writing
The Stand
From A Buick 8
Storm of the Century

ROBERT SAWYER

Calculating God
Factoring Humanity

MITCH ALBOM
The Five People You Meet In Heaven

ALDOUS HUXLEY
Brave New World

RAY BRADBURY
Fahrenheit 451

GEORGE ORWELL
1984

CONNIE WILLIS
Passage

STEPHEN BAXTER / ARTHUR CLARKE
The Light of Other Days
Time's Eye
Sunstorm
Childhood's End

TOM CLANCY
The Hunt For Red October
Patriot Games
Clear And Present Danger
The Sum of all Fears

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Sirloin Steak, cubed

3 C. Sliced Carrots

3 C. Sliced Celery

1 large White Onion, coarsely diced

1 C. Fresh Roasted Green Chiles, diced (frozen will also work)

2-3 Cans Beef Consomme

4 T. Cornstarch (heaping)

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 T. Minced Garlic

Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder to taste

PREPARATION

Add oil to large stock pot and brown sirloin over medium heat.

Add all vegetables then add beef consomme and 1 to 2 cans of water (cover meat and vegetables).

Bring to a rolling boil and cook till vegetables are tender.

Reduce heat to medium.

Add 4 heaping Tbsp. Cornstarch and 1 C. cold water in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly blended.

Push vegetables and meat to sides of pot and add in cornstarch mixture to bubbling broth, stirring constantly until desired consistency is achieved.

Turn heat down and simmer. Mix vegetables and meat with sauce. Serve piping hot with flaky biscuits or corn muffins.

* For southwest vegetable soup add a can of tomato sauce and do not thicken with cornstarch.

This Sunday, March 9, 2008 marks the one year anniversary of the passing of one of rock's most distinctive voices. I thought it was fitting to re-post this YouTube tribute video set to perhaps his most famous song. This band will always be one of my favorites and their music will forever evoke "more than a feeling."

Last week as I watched the guys sing, one performance made chills run down my spine and brought tears to my eyes. It was David Archuleta singing John Lennon's "Imagine". It was breathtaking and inspiring all at once and reminded me of the sheer power of music to bring the things that are really important in life into perspective.

Last night, the guys performed songs from the '80's - my favorite decade. Chills again. This time it was David Cook with an electric guitar doing the most powerful and moving rendition of Lionel Richie's "Hello" that I've ever heard. As stated simply by Randy Jackson, "It was brilliant".

My American Idol prediction for this year ... the final two will be comprised of two guys: David Cook, and David Archuleta. Both are in a different league from the other contestants.

Well, Hillary has done it! Over the last 72 hours, she has managed to scare just enough Ohioans and Texans to continue on her hell bent path toward a brokered convention. Never mind that the polls show and most analysts feel that she is the weaker candidate for facing McCain in the general election. Never mind that she has an innate talent for dividing people and provoking animosity among those who are independent or undecided. And never mind that she is undermining the Democratic party's best chance to do an about face from eight years of Bush/Cheney or McCain's "business as usual" politics and to nominate a candidate who instills optimism and hope by inspiring people to call out their better angels in terms of their relations and dealings with one another.

As I'm writing this, I hear a Clinton Campaign spokesperson on CNN crediting the infamous red phone ad ("who do you want in the White House answering the red phone at 3 am in the morning?") for the narrow victory in Texas.  I can't believe they are actually proud of this or even acknowledging it. Fear and angry politics have once again prevailed over hope - Woohoo! Yay!! If they are correct though, we should be far more afraid of the fact that our voting public (or at least Texans) are intimidated and influenced by such an unrealistic metaphor. I guess this should come as no surprise though given the effectiveness of the "raise the terror alert level and garner votes" tactics that the right wing has employed for the past seven years.

Notwithstanding the above and the perils of a brokered election, I remain optimistic that our next "surge" will be one toward reason and hope and with any luck, this fall, such will prove transcendant and unassailable. In the interim, I can only hope that Billary's interests will turn from the self-serving, win at all costs philosophy to one that is more measured and respectful of the Democratic party and what's left of the Clinton legacy.