A Fish Story I Could Not Resist

Did Something Fishy Cause Benson The Giant Carp To Go Belly Up?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124991924916619783.html?mod=yhoofront

FS 1.7 Dinner Art

On the subject of "is it art?"

My day has been a bit frustrating. Starting at the beginning of the business day I had one small mission to accomplish. In a perfect, sane world this should only take one simple five minute phone call. In reality, I stopped counting the many people I was transfered to and given extension numbers for after 10.

Oh yes, and that one small mission was no closer to being accomplished. After banging my head a a few times, stomping around muttering insults to the customer service industry as a whole, I see it is time to start dinner.

This is great right, cooking usually takes my mind off the little things that annoy me. So, what are we having tonight? I express out-loud while rummaging through the pantry and fridge. By the look of these ingredients I say "spaghetti it is!" Right about now I have a large pot with meat browning to perfection in a saute' of olive oil and Italian herbs. The smell is wonderful and reminds me of the basil plant on my counter, and eureka! That's right I'm making pesto!

I pull out my most handy gadget in my kitchen the 3 cup food processor. Pesto is perfection in a few easy steps. Harvest the basil, rinse, stuff in food processor, add olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and a dash of salt and pepper and chop, blend, mix, chop, voila! Pour that over a little angel hair pasta with some roasted chicken and yum yum yum! As I open the lid and take a whiff of my perfect pesto I know it would be a waste to encourage anyone else in my household to try it.

In my house I am outnumbered by those that feel Italian food is simply pizza, fried mozzarella sticks, red sauce, pizza rolls, pizza pockets and pasta and must always contain ground round or a wanna be "Italian sausage". I have learned not to argue when said members claim that a pizza roll is Italian food because it has a meshing of pizza ingredients and and good dash of MSG for a poison your palate forever flavor. Much like how some people consider Boones Farm a "quality" wine, twitch twitch shutter shutter. This is what everyone else under my roof considers "quality" Italian food. It hurts the CK. I feel shame, shame, shame, but as they say you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink the Chianti. -----CK

Mystery Photo Thursday 1.2

If you are scratching your head or shying away thinking this photo is creepy, you are not alone. The mystery of this pic is not what but WHY??? Two years ago I was visiting the Philbrook Museum working on an assignment for a class at OSU. I walked into the room and saw this, to make things even more insane it was animated and talking. Is it art? I am sure on some perspective yes. What and why I am still not sure. Please do not let this steer you away from visiting the Phil as this is most certainly not the norm for their collection and it is still one of my favorite spots in Tulsa. So, I open this blog up for someone to answer the questions we all have about this particular piece. I also must say that if it's purpose is for educational enlightenment I fear it would scare the poor, little children as soon as they walked into the room. ----CK

Alaska Sea Blob Mystery (Sorta) Solved

Alaska Sea Blob Mystery (Sorta) Solved

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I deduct 10 points from Slytherin

The Muggle world has busted Crabbe... (link to story below)

Insert your world of Harry Potter alibi here. I'll post a few to get you started.

1) But it was for potions class I swear!

2) I was holding onto them for professor Sprout while she was on vacation.

3) I was trying to conjure oregano.

4)It's the secret ingredient in Hermione's muffins that makes them so tasty.

5) Draco made me do it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090721/ap_en_mo/eu_britain_potter_actor;_ylt=AuJSxToBXagEvE_MQ60XJQKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFrdjUyNjViBHBvcwMxNjYEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9lbnRlcnRhaW5tZW50BHNsawNwb3QtZ3Jvd2luZ3A-

FS1.6 It's Good To Know I Am Still The Alpha Of My Household

As a few of you know, I took a trip home this weekend and just returned yesterday afternoon. Upon walking back into the house I was expecting it to be in a shambles but to my surprise there was actually some major improvements made. No carnage, no wreckage, no Harold and his purple crayon murals on the walls. I do say I am most impressed. There was only one slight snag in the fabric of this home sweet home story... The dog Apparently my 38 pound little bundle of fur was too much for my 6 foot, military trained to kick your ass husband. Granted Ginger who is a mix of 3/4 German Shepherd and 1/4 we have no clue can be quite the stubborn little canine. She and I have on more than one occasion had the discussion over who is the head bitch of our household. I was shocked to hear that she was jumping on the couch and growling at my husband while I was gone. In fact her behavior was so bad that my husband was about to make a 911 call to the Dog Whisper instead she became an outside dog until I returned. Naturally, once I was settled in I had to see this so called "hell hound" behavior. So I opened the back door and she did her lap of joy around the downstairs then sat perfectly at my feet waiting for me to pet her. I bent down and gave her a pet and a scratch behind the ears and she quietly went into the next room and laid down. To this my husband just shakes his head and I say " it's good to know I am still the alpha of my household."---CK

Make Your Own Deadliest Catch Playset! - Deadliest Catch Wiki

Make Your Own Deadliest Catch Playset! - Deadliest Catch Wiki

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CK must admit, I am a big "catch Fan"! Though I do not harbor (yes that pun was intended) as much intimacy for the Discovery Channel as the Bloodhound Gang, I do enjoy most of their shows. Except for those drop me in the middle of nowhere and see how long I can survive programs which just irritate me.

The Deadliest Catch is by far my favorite. I am quite sure this has something to do with the Scandinavian influence in my life. If ever there was an example of the work hard play hard mentality this is it. The guys do one hell of a job in the most treacherous weather conditions and body of water that the planet earth has to offer. I lift my shot glass of Brennivin to all the crews for a safe journey but must admit that the Northwestern and Time Bandit are most admired but I'll leave the cod biting for good luck to Edgar-----CK

FS 1.5 Stop The Media Michael Madness

Enough is enough people, for more than 2 weeks now the media has been broadcasting every tiny aspect of Michael Jackson's life. It is impossible to check your email, watch TV, or open a magazine without being bombarded by a Michael Jackson story, speculation, or tribute.

This is not a life changing event!!!!!

The world is not going to stop turning!!!!!!

...and for the love of God he did not personally touch your life!!!!

Yes, Michael Jackson was a great musician and amazing performer. Yes, he brought entertainment to us with his music. Of course my sympathy goes out to his family and friends for their loss. On the other hand, I find that the media's inability to let go of this tragic event, carpet bombing the world with so much coverage for such a long time that I am starting to question if I grieved long enough for my personal family members who have passed. Those people who were a part of my everyday life and an influence to my character and the person I am today. How dare some news anchor in New York or LA who also had no personal relationship with the King Of Pop keep trying to convince me that Michael Jackson's death was more tragic and personal than my Grandfathers. Cut the crap, unplug people and look at yourselves. I am most certain you will find that if you step back and say "No" to the "Hulu Soup" (hulu.com) you will see the people in you life need your attention and the King Of Pop needs to rest in peace.-----CK

Mystery Photo Thursday 1.1

Who can be the first to identify this handy gadget?

Best of luck to all. ---CK

It is now Sunday morning and so far no takers on guessing the mystery object. I'm surprised that this one has stumped so many. In efforts to keep all of those I know and love from head trauma caused from slapping your foreheads I will keep my hints vague. Here we go....

Hint #1 "it Rocks"

That's right, that's all I am giving you but for those of you who can remember my tales of my time in Germany, think of one of the main industries in the area I used to live. The one that doesn't involve grapes. -----CK

FS 1.3 There Are So Many Things Wrong With The World Today And Here Are The Headlines To Prove It.

The news headlines on Yahoo this morning are so "out there" that I think I am just going to let them speak for themselves. Also because I am still working on my first cup of coffee and in a slightly foggy state this early in the morning.

The teacher of the year award goes to...

Calif. students get X-rated version of class DVD

Employee of the year goes to...

Scrub tech may have exposed thousands to hepatitis

Honestly, this last one takes the biscuit and all sarcasm aside this woman has angered me ever since the story originally came out. So I am giving her the Worst Mother Of The Century award...

Judge tentatively acquits woman in MySpace case

%&*%&)^**&*&*(&^*^*!!! Ok, I'm alright I will now excuse myself to grab another cup of coffee, stomp around a bit, and kick the dryer for taking to long to dry my clothes. Have a great weekend!---- CK

He's Just Not That Into You---movie review

I normally don't take much credence to movie and book reviews I read as I tend to like most movies that get really bad ratings. This is one of those movies... all the reviews posted on Netflix commented on it being a disappointment. Comments about Drew Barrymore having no more than a cameo in this flick make me wonder if said viewers even watched the 2nd 1/2 of the movie. It is not the greatest movie of all time, I doubt it will become a cult classic but still overall I enjoyed it. Is it a "chick flick" ? I would have to say yes. Only because I think most men would not feel comfortable owning up to the 101 ways a guy blows you off side of the story. Don't take this to heart guys, or as an attack, the subject is not some new insight for women to use against you. This is information that most women already have and the subject of this movie is finding humor in dealing with it. ---CK

Mystery Photo Thursday 1.0

It's a pretty busy morning for me so I am posting up a contest instead of my normal morning rant. Who can be the first to name the city and historical landmark in this photo? I can't give any hints on this one it would be far to easy. Good Luck!

FS 1.2 Nostalgic Morning Notions

I was put in a very "old school" mood first thing this morning by an article on Yahoo recounting the Sony Walkman's 30th birthday. Apparently it is big news to some people out there that the Walkman is having difficulty competing with the Ipod. So, now in honor of nostalgia we should put down our Ipods and go buy Walkmans to celebrate it's 30th birthday!?

If that doesn't give you a guilt complex that only a neglected mother could deliver then I am not sure what else would.

Now, I am a kitschy kinda gal. I have great appreciation for quality goods made to last through the decades. If I had to sum up my personal style for one of those HGTV shows I can only imagine the poor designer's face when I claim " Techy European Kitsch" as "My" style. That's right you must incorporate my 1970 red and yellow plaid thermos I use daily for my coffee along with my British bar signs, Icelandic and German knick-knacks, and enough techy gadgets to start my own Radio Shack into a IKEAish setting with a punk rock vibe.

In closing, Happy Birthday to the walkman and my best regards to Sony as they face the fact that technology has moved on, past the walkman and I am quite happy with my ipod. This is not to say that Sony is a bad company in general, in fact I have several Sony products in my home that I am very happy with. Let's just face facts that Apple has filled the niche for portable music devices. Can't you just be happy and content with having the PS3? Do they even still sell Walkmans? If so where the heck do you purchase them cause I haven't seen one in years on any store shelves. I have hope that the Walkman will find it's market in music snobs who cower away from the idea of a digital music library or vinyl enthusiasts if they could come up with a way to make that portable. ---CK

FS 1.1 How I Like My Coffee etc...

I have to agree with Dennis Leary on this one, specifically his famous Coffee Flavored Coffee rant. After all let's keep things simple people. Much like Italian food coffee is best in it's most simplistic form. A splash of milk and sugar or shot of whiskey are perfectly acceptable condiments. Coffee should taste like coffee not fruit salad, flowers, or pancakes. Please don't let me mislead you into thinking that I must be a Starbucks fan. I am not! In fact I find that most "gourmet" coffee tastes like burnt mud and much prefer cheap old Maxwell House. Most people are mislead into thinking that European coffee is far better than anything produced in America. I have spent some time living in Europe and have to disagree. In my experience it was very hard to find coffee at the grocery store that was not instant, yuck! I was blessed that the cafe' I frequented for coffee served a very mellow espresso. A dear friend of mine was not so lucky on her trip to Italy. This experience birthed a infamous quote,"That crap they serve in Italy that they call coffee would make baby Jesus cry." As a rule Europeans prefer their coffee strong like myself. This brings us to the question of how strong do you like your coffee? To which I respond... "I will not have a weak man in my bed or a weak brew in my cup." This rule also applies to beer and whiskey. ---CK

FS 1.0 Welcome To Blogging

Here the question arises... "What can you blog about that cannot be used against you by strangers, potential employers, friends and foes?" There is one very simple answer to this question, Nothing. In some way shape or form you will annoy or offend someone it is inevitable. As a blogger you have two choices, not to care and continue your rants or to unplug from all things techy. My choice is to continue and I ask that if I offend or annoy you that you make the responsible decision to simply click on the X in the left hand corner of your screen, (red dot in same corner for Mac users) I bring this up after reading an article on slashdot.org about a teen who's family business was ruined and her family was run out of town in response to a blog she posted after going away to college mentioning how much she disliked the town she was from. Catty rants and copyrights pretty much sums it up, here is the link. http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/06/26/1331218/Of-Catty-Rants-and-Copyrights

This is clearly an example of small town extremism but it just goes to show how insane people can be. The one question that no one has addressed on this story that I would like the answer to is "why the hell is a high school principal keeping tabs on his recently graduated females myspace posts???? hummmmmmmm???????