Animal Kingdom, Weapons of Choice, -and- Clean Your Plate

Animal Kingdom - puppies save lost 3-year-old from freezing
Weapons of Choice - ban on loaded firearms in national parks lifted
Clean Your Plate - restaurant charges 3% surcharge for wasted food

On this day in history: December 9, 1997 - Actor Christian Slater sentenced to 90 days in jail for battery and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested August 11 after a cocaine and heroin binge ending with him assaulting an officer.

Born on this day in history: December 9, 1934 - Dame Judi Dench (1934 - ) Born in York, England, actress Judi Dench made her stage debut as Ophelia in "Hamlet" (1957). A member of the Old Vic Company (1957?61), she became one of Britain's most distinguished classical actresses, as well as a popular film and TV performer. She played M in several James Bond movies.

Scripture of the Day: Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. — Romans 12:9

Video of the Day: The World’s Most Effective Speed Bump – submitted by Jeffrey

Pub Toom Baumarkt (fun Dos-d'âne)
by _006-serie-TS_

Here is Laura's granddaughter, Parker. She is growing so quickly that soon she will be 6' tall and driving! Click to enlarge.

Recommended Sites:
David Louis Harter Photography - a showcase for the photography of David Louis Harter

When your hut is on fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?"

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

The Moral of This Story:

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we should not lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God

Creatures of the Night, Real Estate Slump, -and- Take the Money and Run

Creatures of the Night - 38 dead after being bitten by vampire bats
Real Estate Slump - man pays record $750 million for Riviera villa
Take the Money and Run - cash grab on 10 freeway creates hazardous situation

On this day in history: August 11, 1997 - Responding to reports of a domestic disturbance at the L'Elysee condominiums in West Los Angeles, LAPD officers encounter Christian Slater "swinging his arms and yelling incoherently" in the building stairwell. The movie actor reveals to police that "the Germans are coming and they will kill us." He also mentions that he has been awake for most of two days, and the last thing he remembers is "snorting a couple of lines of cocaine this morning." When officers attempt to put him in handcuffs, Slater knocks one of them to the floor and makes an unsuccessful grab for the cop's weapon. His punishment? 59 days in jail.

Born on this day in history: August 11, 1921 - Alex Haley (1921–92) Born in Ithaca, New York, and raised in Tennessee, writer Alex Haley was a journalist in the U.S. Coast Guard (1939–59). His acclaimed work, "Roots: The Saga of an American Family" (1976, Pulitzer), became a phenomenally successful TV mini-series in 1977.

Scripture of the Day: And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. - Romans 8:11

Video of the Day: Iron Chef Sushi Battle 5/5 - Judgment and Final Score

Regardless of how bad things seem, there is always someone having a worse day! Click to enlarge.

For dinner Saturday, I grilled New York strip steaks and vegetables. I marinated two huge New York strip steaks, halved yellow squash, halved red bell pepper, and whole white mushrooms in extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, Tony Chachere's More Spice, Italian seasoning, and lemon pepper seasoning for six hours in a zip-lock bag. Laura turned the bag each hour. I grilled the steaks and vegetables over a high flame—producing a nice char on the outside of the steaks and vegetables and maintaining a rare center on the steaks. At the table, Laura used teriyaki sauce as a dip for her steak. I used wasabi paste as a condiment for my steak. It was a delightful meal.

Sunday—following the early service at Harvest Christian Center—I shopped and bought some beautiful pork loin chops, Ruffles potato chips, bacon and cheese dip, and the ingredients to make salsa. I spent a bit over two hours producing an enormous batch of salsa, using two bunches of green onions (chopped), four center stalks of celery (thinly sliced), a large white onion (diced), half a bunch of cilantro (whole leaves, stems removed), 8 large Jalapeños (diced), 3 large habaneros (diced), 24 large Roma tomatoes (diced), fresh lime juice, Gebhardt's chili powder, Tony Chachere's More Spice, ground cumin, ground black pepper, and sea salt.

We played Scrabble and snacked on chips, dip, and salsa. It was a tasty snack.

For dinner, I made a pot of red beans. I simmered red beans, Gebhardt's chili powder, and a quantity of fresh salsa. I grilled three large pork loin chops over a high flame—spraying with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar every few minutes. When the chops were nicely charred on the exterior, I turned off the flame under them and continued to grill over indirect heat. I brushed the chops with a glaze made from catsup, molasses, brown sugar, Tony Chachere's Louisiana hot sauce, lime juice, Gebhardt's chili powder, and crushed red peppers. After 10 minutes, I turned the chops and applied the glaze to the side which had been facing the grill. Ten minutes later, I took everything to the table, and we enjoyed a festive meal.