★ April 23, 2012 ★

Thank you Harold for the sticker. :) I had a nice weekend & even managed to spend some time playing Pyramid Solitaire on myYearbook last night. It took me a while, but I finally cleared the board & won a game. This morning in 2nd Life I went to a French speaking area in the game & although I couldn't chat with anyone I did manage to get myself some cool new clothes. Now if only I could get away with dressing like this still in real life. Well, that was several pounds ago ... about 30. Speaking our pounds & my refusal to diet because I enjoy food way too much, I've decided to share a recipe with you today. No, there's nothing "diet" about it, so if you're watching your weight, don't even read it. It'll make you drool all over your keyboard. Daniel Jason Grady, we lost you 1 year ago today & we still think of you & miss you every day.

Business e-mails:

Instant messaging.

If you don't get a response, stop until you know the recipient wants to IM.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Prep Time--8hr 

Cooking Time--30min 

Total Time--8hr 30min 

Servings--8

There are certain foods that you really shouldn't gourmetize, ethnictize or otherwise vary from the tried and true way. Fried chicken is one, and this recipe for buttermilk fried chicken, followed to a T, will win over crowds everytime. I have perfected this recipe by taking a little of this and a little of that from other recipes over the years. Some tips: Always use shortening instead of oil. Also, give yourself enough time to let the chicken marinate (we're talking at least 8 hours) before you fry it up.

Ingredients

Rub

• 2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 Teaspoons parika
• 1 Teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 Teaspoons onion powder
• 1 Teaspoon dry mustard powder

Fried Chicken

• 2 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 Teaspoons parika
• 1 Teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 Teaspoons onion powder
• 1 Teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 8 Chicken pieces (drumsticks and thighs)
• 4 Cup buttermilk
• Vegetable shortening (approximately 1 cup)

Preparation

Step 1:

Mix the all the ingredients for the dry rub together in a medium bowl.

Step 2:

Stab chicken pieces all over with a sharp knife (this will allow the buttermilk and seasonings to really get into the chicken).

Step 3:

Coat uncooked chicken thoroughly with dry rub and place in a large glass or stainless steel bowl.

Step 4:

Pour all 4 cups of the buttermilk over the chicken and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place bowl in the fridge and allow to marinate for at least 8 hours.

Step 5:

Melt vegetable shortening in cast iron skillet. It should be enough to come about 1/3 of the way up the pan. Heat the shortening to 325 degrees. Any hotter and the skin will burn before the meat is fully cooked.

Step 6:

Place the chicken into the pan, skin side down. Do not crowd the pan or allow the chicken to touch.

Step 7:

Cook chicken approximately 10 minutes on each side until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. Internal temperature should be 180 degrees.

Step 8:

After you take the chicken out the pan place it on wire baking rack (set over a sheet pan or several layers of paper towels) to drain. Serve alongside your favorite fixings.

By what name is the character Alonso Quijano better known in the world of literary classics?

Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Caddyshack:

All hell breaks loose at an exclusive golf course when a rich land developer (Rodney Dangerfield) wants to convert the swanky country club into a condo community and a psychotic greenskeeper (Bill Murray) launches an all-out war against a relentless gopher. Chevy Chase co-stars as a wry, well-heeled slacker who applies Zen philosophy to his golf game, while Ted Knight (as a disgruntled club bigwig) plays the straight man.

Chrysler buys luxury automaker Lamborghini (1987):

On this day in 1987, the Chrysler Corporation purchases Nuova Automobili F. Lamborghini, the Bologna, Italy-based maker of high-priced, high-performance cars. Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the media reported that Chrysler paid $25 million for Lamborghini, which at the time was experiencing financial difficulties.

Lamborghini was established in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916-1993), a wealthy Italian industrialist who made his fortune building tractors and air-conditioning systems, among other ventures. Lamborghini owned a variety of sports cars, including Ferraris. According to legend, after experiencing mechanical problems with his Ferraris, he tried to meet with Enzo Ferrari, the carmaker's founder. When Enzo Ferrari turned him down, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to build cars that would be even better than Ferrari's. Lamborghini's first car, the 350 GTV, a two-seat coupe with a V12 engine, launched in 1963.

The company's logo featured a bull, a reference to Ferruccio Lamborghini's zodiac sign, Taurus the bull. Various Lamborghini models had names related to bulls or bullfighting, including the Miura, a mid-engine sports car that was released in mid-1960s and gained Lamborghini an international following among car enthusiasts and a reputation for prestige and cutting-edge design. The Miura was named for a breeder of fighting bulls, Don Eduardo Miura.

In the early 1970s, Lamborghini's tractor business experienced problems and he eventually sold his interest in his sports car business and retired to his vineyard in the mid-1970s. Automobili Lamborghini changed hands several times and in 1987 was sold to Chrysler. As The New York Times reported on the day of the sale: "Chrysler officials have acknowledged in the past that an association with a high-priced European brand could give it credibility in the luxury end of the market, where the company has long been weak." The Times also noted that Lamborghini was producing about 450 cars a year and was best known for the Countach, which carried a price tag of $127,000 and featured a 420-horsepower, V12 engine capable of speeds of 170 miles per hour.

In 1994, Chrysler sold Lamborghini to a group of Indonesian investors. Four years later, German automaker Volkswagen took control of Lamborghini. The company has continued to build high-performance cars, including the Murcielago (capable of 250 mph) and the Gallardo.

Flat velveteen Hangars:

Even silky straps stay put, & you get 1/3 more hanging space in the closet.

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International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day.

Kitchen:

The utensil holder is often overlooked when cleaning the kitchen. Be sure to dust the outside of the storage container & frequently empty the holder to clean the inside as dust & crumbs can collect in the bottom.

Mosaic Web browser released:

Credited with populating the World Wide Web. (1993)

Pat Tillman killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan (2004):

Pat Tillman, who gave up his pro football career to enlist in the U.S. Army after the terrorist attacks of September 11, is killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. The news that Tillman, age 27, was mistakenly gunned down by his fellow Rangers, rather than enemy forces, was initially covered up by the U.S. military.

Patrick Daniel Tillman was born the oldest of three brothers on November 6, 1976, in San Jose, California. He played linebacker for Arizona State University, where during his senior year he was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. In 1998, Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. He became the team’s starting safety as well as one of its most popular players. In 2000, he broke the team record for tackles with 224. In May 2002, Tillman turned down a three-year, multi-million-dollar deal with the Cardinals and instead, prompted by the events of 9/11, joined the Army along with his brother Kevin, a minor-league baseball player. The Tillman brothers were assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington, and did tours in Iraq in 2003, followed by Afghanistan the next year.

On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was killed by gunfire while on patrol in a rugged area of eastern Afghanistan. The Army initially maintained that Tillman and his unit were ambushed by enemy forces. Tillman was praised as a national hero, awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals and posthumously promoted to corporal. Weeks later, Tillman’s family learned his death had been accidental. His parents publicly criticized the Army, saying they had been intentionally deceived by military officials who wanted to use their son as a patriotic poster boy. They believed their son’s death was initially covered up by military officials because it could’ve undermined support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A criminal investigation was eventually launched into the case and in 2007 the Army censured retired three-star general Philip Kensinger, who was in charge of special operations at the time of Tillman’s death, for lying to investigators and making other mistakes. “Memorandums of concern” were also sent to several brigadier generals and lower-ranking officers who the Army believed acted improperly in the case.

Size 12 is the latest trend for women.

Tabula rasa:

1: The mind in its hypothetical primary empty state before receiving outside impressions. 2: Something existing in its original pristine state.

Our newly built house, with it unpainted wall, is a tabula rasa awaiting our decorative touches.

Philosophers have been debating since the days of Aristotle whether babies are born with minds that are essentially blank slates. (Later, some psychologists joined the debate as well.) English-speakers have called that initial state of mental blankness "tabula rasa" (a term taken from a Latin phrase that translates as "smooth or erased tablet") since the 16th century, but it wasn't until British philosopher John Locke championed the concept in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding in 1690 that the term gained widespread popularity. In later years, a figurative sense of the word emerged, referring to something that exists in its original state & has yet to be altered by outside forces.

What 2 sports legends were featured on the first U.S. postage stamps honoring individual American athletes?

Golfer Bobby Jones and golfer/track-and-field star Babe Zaharias. Both were pictured on 18-cent stamps issued on September 22, 1981.

What's the resplendent quetzal—the Guatemalan national symbol?

When you can't save of get out of debt because you're being strangled by your house payment, you're what's called "house poor." This usually happens when your payment is 30-35% - or more - of your monthly take-home pay. That's why I recommend your mortgage payment be no more than about 25% of this figure.

Which even was started 1st, 2nd, & 3rd?

A. Modern Olympics

B. Wimbledon

C. World Cup