Stars and Stripes, Internet Itch, -and- EEK!

Stars and Stripes - vet faces lawsuit for displaying American flag
Internet Itch - group wants public Wi-Fi banned, claims allergy
EEK! - FAO Schwarz shoppers spot real mice among pricey toys

On this day in history: May 27, 1993 - Five are killed and 37 wounded when a Fiat Fiorino explodes outside the Uffizi museum in Florence, Italy.

Born on this day in history: May 27, 1923 - Henry Kissinger (1923 - ) Born in Fuerth, Germany, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (1971–6) gained national attention with his first book, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy (1957). He was an adviser to Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, and served as Secretary of State in the Nixon and Ford administrations.

Scripture of the Day: After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. - Luke 5:27

Video of the Day: Defective - Awesome Robot Animation

A cop's worst nightmare! Click to enlarge.

Thundershowers forecast! Thundershowers are forecast for today! Yikes! The weather over the Memorial Day weekend was not particularly warm, and wind plagued much of the weekend, but it appears that the weather is quickly worsening today!

Thursday, I made pasta with marinara sauce. I sautéed ground sirloin, diced white onion, sliced white mushrooms, and minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. I seasoned with Tony Chachere's More Spice, ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning. When this was fully cooked, I added a jar of Classico Tomato and Basil marinara sauce. Laura cooked a package of Barilla Thick Spaghetti until al dente and incorporated into the sauce. At the table, we added DiGiorno Parmesan cheese and crushed red peppers. It was wonderful.

Friday evening, we had a Red Baron Special Deluxe pizza. I chopped a large Jalapeño pepper, and Laura scattered this atop the pizza prior to baking it. It was delightful.

We grilled top sirloin steaks and giant shrimp on Saturday. I marinated the shrimp in extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, Tony Chachere's More Spice, and lime juice. Laura put a spicy dry rub on the steaks. I grilled the steaks and shrimp. It was an excellent meal.

Sunday, I marinated Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breasts in extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Tony Chachere's More Spice, ground black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, and lime juice. I grilled the chicken, using indirect heat, for an hour—turning and brushing with the marinade every 15 minutes. I seasoned a head of cauliflower and a head of peeled garlic with Tony Chachere's More Spice and ground black pepper and steamed in the microwave for eight minutes. Laura added I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese and mashed. It was a delightful meal.

We had intended to toss a large rack of baby back ribs onto the grill yesterday, but we were both lazy and decided to postpone this until next weekend. We enjoyed leftover pasta with marinara sauce.

On Saturday, we watched "The Guardian" on Blu-ray. [Appointed to teach at an elite Coast Guard school, legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) is compelled to skillfully train and inspire cocky upstart Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher). Applying unorthodox coaching methods, Ben helps the young hotshot build his strength -- and character -- in this powerful tale of courage and endurance of the human spirit from director Andrew Davis.] We enjoyed this movie a good deal. We were surprisingly impressed with Ashton Kutcher's acting. Kevin Costner, as always, was excellent. It is a very powerful movie. I highly recommend it to all.

Yesterday, we watched "War" on Blu-ray. [FBI agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) is out for revenge when his partner is killed and all clues point to the mysterious assassin Rogue (Jet Li). But when Rogue turns up years later to take care of some unfinished business, he triggers a violent clash of rival gangs. Will the truth come out before it's too late? When the dust settles, who will remain standing? Directed by Philip G. Atwell, this taut action thriller also stars John Lone.] This movie is really exciting, and the chase scenes and special effects are first rate. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys action/adventure movies.

We watched "Invincible" on Blu-ray yesterday. [Average Joe and devoted Philadelphia Eagles fan Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) manages to land a spot on his favorite NFL team in open tryouts. He's just lost his wife and his job as a substitute teacher, but by impressing the coach and winning a place on the field, Papale turns a terrible year into a winner in this inspiring film (based on a true story) from the producers of the similar, baseball-themed The Rookie.] This is an amazingly powerful movie that is based on a true story. Mark Wahlberg turns in an excellent performance, the story is wonderful, and the action scenes are extremely well done. I am not a football fan (Laura is), but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie nonetheless. I highly recommend it.

We watched the first half of "The Andromeda Strain" last evening. [Based on the bestselling book from Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park), and from executive producers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott comes a four-hour miniseries adaptation of The Andromeda Strain. The story follows a team of scientists investigating a deadly disease from an alien world that threatens to destroy mankind. Directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Mikael Saloman (Cinematographer on Backdraft, The Abyss), and featuring a cast which includes: Benjamin Bratt (“Law & Order”), Christa Miller (“Scrubs”), Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”), Ricky Schroder (“NYPD Blue”), Andrew Braugher (“Homicide: Life on the Streets”), Christa Miller (“Scrubs”), Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost”), and Viola Davis (“Traveler”).] It was very good—particularly for a made-for-television movie. We are eager to see the conclusion this evening.