SUFFERIN' SUCCOTASH!!!

The market today was HORRIBLE!!! What was suppose to go down went up and vice versa! Peehhhh!! Yuk! All it did was give me more time to do laundry and pack for Vegas! It should be nice and fun spending New Year's eve in Vegas with the lights and the noise and people from all over the country and world visiting! I was also able to chat with my mom about my great grandmother's 100th birthday. Yeah she is still alive but not really here anymore - she stares into a space that we can't see. It's sad - she has long desired to pass away and be with her son, husband and dog. So the celebration seemed unnecessary she was there physically but not there in life - she didn't smile, moved or even nodded.
It's like being in a walking coma! Weww... i would rather die than have no taste for life or desire to be here... Many years ago, she wondered why she was still alive and why God had not taken her away.... i don't know ... It's sad to say but i wish he did or would take her.
On a better note...
Remember Sylvester the cat?
Ahhh.. Good old tenacious Sylvester who forever chases Tweedy the 'tasty meal' which he never catches!
Tom reminded me of that famous sentence he always says" Sufferin' Succotash!"
just the sound of that is hysterical to me! You can hear him lisping in frustration!
I miss watching cartoons and laughing @ those funny characters! The music was always so appropriate and taken from such great classical pieces! I shall watch more cartoons!!! Besides, much of the humor was for adults!

loss of connection

Wouah! I didn't realize how the loss of cable could become a dramatic event! Woke up @ 6:30 am to get ready for trading @ 7:30 - and i could not get threw to the internet, picked up the phone to call the cable company and NO PHONE!!! After calling with my cell phone it took 2 hours for them to fix it - i was going mad - is Nasdaq going up? S&P 500 going down? What is happening!??!!!??!! Thank God i was somewhat prepared and i had already put my trades (sales) in so one trading got done automatically during the morning hours.
Am I a typical American? Googling every chance i get, abandoning making a New Year's resolution (not to get disappointed), desiring overnight delivery (and for free), opting investments to return @ least 10% in a week, digital photos, blogs and ebooks.... i could go on and on.... We have become a nation of instant gratification! I already love shortcuts, have little patience and hate dealing with sales people - so you can imagine that life through the internet is heaven for me!
I wonder what my grandchildren, if i have any, world will be like....Will there be such a place called work for the majority of people? I imagine people attending Sunday morning church from the warm beds!
It could be wonderful to do everything from home yet what about socializing?
Humans need to socialize, interact and touch.
Maybe we'll throw more parties and take more vacations?
Hopefully i will be around to see more progress - because i sure enjoy how far we've come so far!

Red Sunsets over Phoenix

Why does the red color appear at the horizon during sunset?

The red colour in the sky at sunset (and sunrise) is due to an effect called Raleigh scattering. There is a similar form of scattering called Mie scattering which is responsible for the white color of clouds.

Particles in our atmosphere that are approximately the same size as the wavelength of visible light cause the white light from the sun to scatter and split into individual components. Oxygen and Nitrogen (the main components of our atmosphere) scatter violet and blue light due to their small size. This is why the sky appears to be blue in the day time, especially at midday when the Sun is closest to us.

During sunrise and sunset the distance that the light has to travel from the Sun to an observer is at its greatest. This means the a large amount of blue and violet light has been scattered so the light that is received by an observer is mostly of a longer wavelength and therefore appears to be red.

Freakonomics!

This book is for anyone who wants to know a bit more about life - the answers of real world issues, but done in a logical yet insightful way. The author and Economist (Stephen J Dubner and Steven D Levitt) explore the world of patterns, founding theories with these little sequences. It's an amazing book and i highly recommended. It is not written in a difficult way but a humorous and personal manner. This man deserves all the good fortune and awards he gets!

PRX

Made some wonderful profits with PRX (PAR pharmaceutical) this company develops, manufactures and markets generic pharmaceuticals through its principal subsidiary, Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. Through its FineTech subsidiary, Par also develops and utilizes synthetic chemical processes to design and develop intermediate ingredients used in the production of finished products for the pharmaceutical industry. I wonder if they got their name because of the insurances' policy to "Prior Authorization Request" or did they mean - par - of equal importance or quality or maybe the founders were into golf?? Anyway this high volatility stock shooted up last friday with over 100% profit - quite a deal! Merry Xmas from PAR!

Now lets talk about food....Safeway had some catfish on sale, so i decided to buy (too many) and now i have to come up with variations for our weekday dinners.
Now what's great about catfish is that it is scaleless, it was first found in the fresh waters of North American circa 1612 and named Catfish because characteristically it has whiskerlike barbels making him look like a cat!

This time i marinated for ~ 1 hour the catfish (4) in mayo and blackened fish spices - pan fried them a bit on each side and placed them in a baking dish. While these filets were marinating, i made a sauce composed of mushrooms (1 1/2 cup) sauteed in butter, added 1 cup of sliced green onions and parsley (1/2 cup). When this starts to cook, add small shrimps and cook for about 1 minute. Empty your pan/cast iron pot and deglaze it a 1/4 cup of cognac then add your heavy cream blending well, salt and pepper then readd the shrimps into sauce. You will then pour this melange onto your catfish into baking dish. When your guests arrive / when you are ready to eat - place it in the preheated oven (350) for about 10 - 15 minutes (check if the fish is done by cutting into the thickest middle part of it). DELICIOUS! To accompany this i made french style string beans. Cube 1 large onion and sautee in olive oil until soft and brown, add 3 minced gloves of garlic. When fragrent add 1 small can of tomato paste and cumin, pepper and salt. mix well then add 1 frozen bag of French style string beans. Voila! Done!
Now all you need is a nice bottle of white wine (like a nice chardonnay or a pinot grigio), light up a nice candle and you have a succulent meal to eat, relax, chat and end your day.

Visionary

John Diebold died today @ the age of 79. The father of automation... And eventually computerization in businesses such as banks, hospitals and firms. He was so ahead of his time that because of his 'modern' ideas he was fired 3 times!
I admire brave men like him, believing in progress and trying so hard to make others see what he envisioned at whatever cost. What would our world be without electronic banking and electronic statistics in hospitals?

Ok - now on a personal note,
I made a catfish chowder today with old potatoes and 'old' but still good milk. Here is the recipe:
In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Saute 2 cups of onions, 1 cup of mushrooms and 2 celery stalks (cut in small pieces) in butter until tender.
Add 2 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of potatoes; simmer for 15 minutes.
Add fish (i used catfish but you can use talapia), and simmer another 10 minutes.
Season to taste with Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper (or any spices such as cayenne, oregano and fish seasoning). Mix together clam juice and flour until smooth; stir into soup. Add 2 cups of whole milk, bring back to a boil and taste. Adjust seasoning to taste, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to give it that creamy taste (you can add bacon on top too). Remove from heat and serve.

Jesus' last name?

During the time of Jesus, people did not have last names, Jesus full name spoken in Hebrew would be 'Yeshua bar Yosef', or Jesus son of Joseph. So where does Christ come from? And what does it mean?
I looked this up and found that CHRIST really means MESSIAH.
'Christ' is an anglicized form of the Greek word Christos (Matthew 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 the word "Christ" appears 555 times in 522 verses) Christos has the same meaning as the Hebrew 'mashiyach {maw-shee-akh} ' which is rendered 'messiah' in the king James and most other translations. It means 'the Anointed One and or his Anointing'.

The Uncertain Peace

Tom and I went to LA this weekend - it sure is a long drive from Phoenix! As we were on I10 he spotted an old plane in the distance - i was amazed on his ability to recognize an OLD WAR plane?!? Not that i doubt Tom's knowledge on many subjects but he spent most of his life secluded from war, studying medicine and he seemed to have had just enough time for current events and his passion for music.
As we got closer to the flying object, i also noticed the large star on its belly and the rustic look of the plane, including the bubble cockpit and the dark aluminum body. This was obviously a wonderfully well kept old airplane flying in the Arizona sky.
I correlated his knowledge of warplanes with toys and stories told of heroic men dying for their country's freedom in our history books and our playgrounds.
I would like to think we would want to avoid war @ any costs and therefore to avoid wars we might need to start having little boys play with toys that do not reflect violence and bloodshed, instead we are breeding fighters with guns, toy soldiers, warplanes etc....
Or is it just an answer to a need, a desire.... Are the toy companies making what sells and ignoring their social responsibilities? The government does have some control when it becomes too much of a threat such as the black handguns they were selling for less than 10 dollars. These were such wonderful replicas that they were forced to sell them in bright colors to avoid people using them for hold ups and the guns be mistaken for real ones!
mmmhhh... i guess there will always be fanatics, dictators and people that want to control others by force and terror, it is the nature of the beast... So we need to protect ourselves against the 'deceased' while rearing our young ones with desires to fight wars and be heroic... Even the in most harmonious of childhoods. Is that really the answer?
Can we socially mold our children to be loving, peaceful and charitable citizens? I think so - because every little bit helps... But the truth is, nurturing our young ones to bring peace to this world will not encourage them to join our nation's armed services... So who would be fighting for us in times of need?

CHIMICHURI

(This picture is for my sweet Terry - she loves cows!)
Steaks, I enjoy eating flank steak - weird piece of meat (easier to find than skirt steak which I like even better) They are both from the same area between the ribs and hip. The skirt steak though is the diaphragm muscle so if not cooked properly it can be tough. So grill it and serve it with chimichuri sauce.

CHIMICHURI
Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bunch parsley, minced
1/3 C vinegar, red wine
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon salt
¾ C olive oil

Method
Add first set of ingredients and blend together in a food processor. (i prefer not to puch the paprika - i don't remember the original one tasting of paprika and so omitted it plus i really enjoy the green color!)
Remove to a bowl. Stir in oil. Let stand for at least ½ hour. Serve with grilled meats.

The first time i ate this was in an Argentinean restaurant in Jackson Heights New York. By the time the waitress delivered my steak i had eaten the chimichuri 'dressing' with the warm bread they served!

Coconut Chocolate bars

(This is Sophie the mean old lady on my lap in the car travelling to LA)

Ok so yesterday I was way too drunk to write anything down and therefore I pasted some lyrics....
I am truly becoming baked out - overbaked! I even ran out of sugar (5lbs bag just went into so many goodies).
I have decided to add a recipe to help anyone in need of a sweet tooth answer (they make nice gifts too).

COCONUT CHOCOLATE BARS
1 1/2 cups of Graham cracker crumbs (its one individual package crushed in a food processor)
1 can of condensed milk
1/2 - 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups of flaked coconut

Preheat oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees Celsius) Grease a 9 inch square baking pan or any other pan you have (just remember you do not want them too thin or too thick).
In a large bowl, mix together ALL the ingredients until well blended. Press dough evenly into prepared pan.
Cook for 30 minutes (the top will be brown-blonde).
I suggests you do not take it out of the pan until COMPLETELY COOLED - and even better to put it in the refrigerator to harden it a little for better cutting. Then you can cut into bars or squares. You can make a variation by adding nuts too or substituting the chocolate with berries.

It's that simple!

plenty - Sarah Mclachlan

Everyone needs to let go and release the past to go into the future.....

i looked into your eyes
they told me plenty i already knew
you never felt a thing
so soon forgotten all that you do
in more than words i tried to tell you
the more i tried i failed

i would not let myself believe that you might stray
and i would stand by you no matter what they'd say
i'd thought i'd be with you until my dying day
until my dying day

i used to think my life
was often empty a lonely space to fill
you hurt me more than i ever could have imagined
you made my world stand still
and in that stillness there was a freedom
i never felt before

i would not let myself believe that you might stray
and i would stand by you no matter what they'd say
i'd thought i'd be with you until my dying day
until my dying day

Angel cookies

So i am trying to make cookies, sweet bars and fruit cakes for xmas to give out....mmhh.. i started today by cleaning my oven squeaky clean which was a task in itself! Then i made these delicious cranberry oat bars and dropped an entire tray on the floor! :( i nearly cried - i hope Tom like cranberries because he is going to have to eat this mess! I can always mix it in a bowl and call it a cobbler and serve with ice cream - i guess he would never know....
Decorating the cookies should be a lot of fun - i just need to chill out after the booboo i made!
We spend my birthday in Laughlin and went to eat @ this great steak house! It was a really nice evening as always. Then off we went to Flagstaff - visited Meteor crater and stayed in this lovely bed and breakfast with an old huge divine bathtub.


Today i received the most beautiful roses - they stand so straight and red - i really like having flowers in a home.

China Chili

Tonight we ate @ china chili and the good news is they will stay in business till February! This restaurant is big kicked out by the city to build this light rail in the MIDDLE of the road travelling on the street!!! How is that going to solve traffic? Even IF people do use it (which i doubt looking at the extinct amtrack station of phoenix) it will surely cause more traffic since it has to follow the lights (the number of accidents in Phoenix @ intersections is astronomical) while loading and unloading passengers along the way.
Now why didn't they build it high up? i am still trying to figure that out - it's not as if we had earthquakes here....

I am making money with my puts on this crazy market!!! @ least i was smart and did a couple of straddles to help with the falls!

It's late - got run tomorrow morning so nighty night ...

googlefoogleboogle

I forecasted this downfall but without me being in the ride - what an idiot! Never got off the train and now it's traveling so fast - I don't want to get off .....
Optimism might not be the best thing in trading options.... It's like the gambler that spends all his earnings @ a slot machine thinking HE might get the jackpot!!!!

I am learning lots of good lessons.. Good ones that will be scarred in my brain FOREVER! (well I hope) Google though has become an infatuation that I can't shake off - I've loved the company, the concepts and their entrepreneurship explosion since it first appeared and now it has bloomed and I have made descent income from it....

Enough for now - I am tired right now - off to bed into all the google clouds ; )

Chilly night

Let's not start talking about Google today - disaster :( plunged into the depth of depletion.... ewwhhh.... i need to go buy some antacid!!!
Tonight i made a Soup with ground beef, corn, peas, onions and tomatoes with warm homemade corn bread! It was quite delectable! My honey always eats with joy and is so easy to satisfy! Weeeelllll except when i made the frangipane pear tart - let's just say it wasn't his favorite... So i wont make it again.
I ordered grocery online for my Christmas bake off - i have enough flour and confectioners sugar to open a bakery! I thought giving cookies and cakes for the office would be a nice gesture. I downloaded all types of cutout, press out cookie recipes - i absolutely LOVE reading the comments and reviews of all types of cooks having their 2 sense and sharing their experience in the kitchen - what i realized was that there will always be a couple of people who just bake disastrously or can't follow instructions and their comments are always defying the recipe... They must wonder why is everyone else comments so wonderful?
I asked Tom to bring over some soup and bread to my neighbor - i am trying to have him eat other things beside pop tarts while his long time girlfriend is away for so many months. His rule in receiving my humble gifts is no mushrooms no cheese - for a French person that can be quite a challenge!
My birthday is coming up and my mom send me the most beautiful dainty pair of tangling earrings - they are really stunning! I also received some lingerie which i love and need. As for Tom he bought me my so useful blackberry phone - which makes me feel very grown up!
I hope my dad's calls me - i often wish we were closer him and i. Mom makes up for it though and so does Al her boyfriend.
I did receive a very unexpected gift - the most beautiful sleekest black ipod with video features - it has so much memory that it holds ALL of my photos and music on it! Sometimes your friends from long ago never forget you .... That's a rare trait - which i don't really have... i forget just like my dad.

Cheers!

Today Google took a plunge i sure wasn't a happy camper! My optimistic attitude "tomorrow will be better" helps. Sophie the cranky cat slept all day in the sun rays without a worry... She was tired from the weekend trip to Tuscon where she roamed around and attracted all the cats from the complex....
Jotted down a Raspberry cordial recipe from a napkin that i got from Mrs. Davis, an elderly woman i met in Los Angeles at a Thanksgiving get together. I hope it works when i make it... it could explode into red lava all over leaking from my cupboards. It's too late for me to offer it as xmas gifts - the fermentation alone takes months! Next year will be a fine year...