Brave New Schools - teacher roughs up special-ed student, resigns
Never Too Old - 109-year-old woman gets first passport
Homeland Insecurity - official sneaks fake bomb past TIA security
On this day in history: January 29, 1919 - Prohibition begins, and with it the rise of organized crime.
Born on this day in history: January 29, 1885 - Huddie William Ledbetter (Leadbelly) (1885-1949) Musician, born near Morringsport, Louisiana, USA. A legendary singer and guitarist, he was raised near Shreveport, LA, worked on farms in Texas, and began performing in Dallas, TX as a protégé of Blind Lemon Jefferson in the 1910s. (Leadbelly got his nickname because of his deep bass voice.) In 1917 he was sentenced to prison on a murder conviction; eight years later he literally sang a plea of mercy to the Texas governor and was pardoned. In 1930 he was sentenced to 10 years for wounding a group of men with a knife, and in 1934 he composed a song for the Louisiana governor. With the intervention of the folklorists John and Alan Lomax, he won a reprieve in 1935. Over the next year, he travelled with John Lomax and recorded hundreds of songs that formed a cornerstone of the Library of Congress folklore archives. In 1938 he moved permanently to New York City where he recorded for Columbia Records and became a celebrated figure in literary and political circles. His best-known songs include "Irene, Good Night," "Rock Island Line," and "Midnight Special."
Scripture of the Day: Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes." - Deuteronomy 1:29-30
Video of the Day: Subaru DC Mountain Lab 1.5 - submitted by Frank
Here is a crop of an available-light photograph of my cat, Zeus, taken with my new Nikon D3 DSLR. This lens was a Nikkor 24-120mm at 120mm. Click to enlarge.
No frost today! It is not warmer today; it is drier, however, and there was no frost on Mr. Nitro's windshield this morning. The frost has a great psychological effect—making it seem much colder than it is. The lack of frost has the opposite effect.
Laura and I always vote using absentee ballots. I have completed my ballot, and Laura shall complete hers this evening. They shall go out in tomorrow's mail.
For dinner last evening, I grilled chicken breasts and steamed cauliflower. I dry-rubbed four large Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breasts with Tony Chachere's More Spice seasoning and ground black pepper. I sprayed the chicken breasts with olive oil Pam and placed (sprayed-side down) on the indoor grill. I covered the chicken breasts with a tent of aluminum foil. After ten minutes, I sprayed the tops of the chicken breasts and turned them. I repeated this procedure twice. I separated the florets from a head of cauliflower, placed in a covered casserole dish, and seasoned with Tony Chachere's More Spice seasoning. I placed two tablespoons of water in the bottom of the casserole dish and cooked the cauliflower on high for three minutes in the microwave. Laura declared it was the most delicious food that had emerged from the indoor grill to date. It was delightful. The two leftover chicken breasts shall be shredded and used to make burritos Thursday.
