Poems From A Spiritual Heart: Peace Upon The Land

Poems From A Spiritual Heart: Peace Upon The Land - A Memorial Day poem to honor ourselves. All of us need to work together to pressure world governments for Peace.  It's past due time for the violence to end in modern societies.

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Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 19 Sept 2010

*** Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, science news, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.





From Denny: Am I'm busy playing "catch up" with all these posts in draft form - after 10 days off line, changing internet providers. :) Hope everyone had a great weekend!


The Social Poets:

Economy, World Politics, BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out what the cartoonists think this week about the American economy, world and American politics and villainous BP's oil spill aftermath.

Waking The Day poem - Libations Friday 17 Sept 2010 - When the day - and I - awaken, present in the moment.

Obamas Popularity, Polls Roundup of American Opinion - 16 Sept 2010 - Check out this week's polling of Americans from the President's approval rating, tax cuts, anti-Muslim feelings to frustration with our politicians.

Good Move, Mr. Prez: Safeguarding The Gulf on Oil Production - Today the President took new measures to watch dog the oil and gas industry, increasing the safety of our environment.

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 14 Sept 2010 - Catch up on the latest comedic musings and amusements from Colbert, Stewart and late night show jokes, funny video clips and newest cartoons before they post for the week at other sites.

Funny Video: Stewart Mocks Gov. Jan Brewer Fiasco, Wonders Why Dems Are Lame - One of the best political critics around, Jon Stewart wonders why the Democrats just can't seem to win against inept lying Republicans.

Funny Video: Colbert Mocks Beck On His Restore Honor Rally - Only Colbert has the truthful tongue to whiplash Glenn Beck's bizarre arrogance with just the right touch of comedic art and campy irreverence.

Funny Video: Letterman and Olbermann Laugh at Republican 2012 Contenders - and Beck - Letterman and Olbermann suggest unlikely crazy Republican possibilities for the 2012 Presidential season.

Funny Video: Letterman Teases Obama For Frequent Vacations - Irreverent comic Letterman chides both Tiger Woods and Prez Obama for their ideas of relaxation.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Mocks Florida Pastor Behind Planned Koran Bonfire - Comic Jon Stewart wasted no time in analyzing the Burn a Koran Day incident that had the entire world in an uproar from every religious corner.

Who Will Be Prez Obamas Next Chief of Staff? - Check out the leading contenders who can make or break the Democratic agenda.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 12 Sept 2010 - Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.







Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


7 Thoughtful Quotes About The Future - Enjoy these reflections upon how we think about our future.

A Healing Spiritual Poem: Waking The Day - Spiritual symbolism is all around us in our daily life, ready to help heal and balance.







Dennys Funny Quotes:


22 Funny Situational Hunh?! Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out the funny twisted minds of cartoonists as they envision various life situations.

Republican Tea Party of the Devil: Meet Satanist Christine ODonnell - Tea Party Delaware Senate nominee admits to practicing witchcraft and Satanism.








Visual Insights:


Koran Book Burning, September 11th Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out what the nation's cartoonists had to say about the Burn a Koran Day call from a Florida pastor who eventually backed down from his threat.

Dennys Photo Gallery: Our Mysterious Moon - The moon continues to fascinate humanity - and creative photographers.







Dennys Food and Recipes:


5 Easy Game Day Recipes For A Barbecue - Simple crowd pleasing recipes, easy to make, for your successful tailgating on game day weekends.

Cake Tuesday: Lemon Cheese-Filled Cake - Check out what heavenly confection you can do with a simple cake mix.







The Soul Calendar:


Mapping Our Complex Brains: Human Connectome Project - Fascinating new project mapping the complex circuitry of our brains.


*** Coffee photo by Quoquo @ flickr



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Those Funny Mothers Day Quotes and Trivia

From Denny: Check out the sampling from one of many funny posts just in time to enjoy for Mothers Day! From the latest Mothers Day cartoons to funny facts about Mothers Day traditions around the world to funny quotes from mothers and about mothering to laugh out loud "how you know you are a mother when..."

See Cartoons by Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Check this out on the way to facts about Mothers Day:

So when do they think the first celebrations of a Mother's Day were honored? As with so many traditions it goes back to ancient Greece where that culture celebrated the Mother of the Gods, Rhea. Their version of the perfect mother received gifts of cakes made with the sweetest honey, lovely flowers and drinks at dawn. Sounds pretty good to me. Make my drink a Margarita on the rocks with Silver Patron Tequila - though I'm not so sure alcoholic drinks were on that Mother's Day menu. :)

Well, we all know you can't talk "ancient" without bringing up the ancient Egyptians into the conversation. They honored the glorious goddess Isis because she was celebrated as the Mother of the Pharaohs - and we all know it's good PR to talk good about the government when getting your head cut off is at stake.

Speaking of an ancient culture, the Chinese are rather sentimental about how they celebrate motherhood. The tradition with them is that their family name often begins with the character for the word "mother." It's the way they like to honor their ancestral mothers who brought their line into this world.





You Know You Are Really A Mom When...

* You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child's favorite toy and made them cry.

* You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.

* You mastered the art of placing food on a plate without anything touching.

* Your child insists that you read "Once upon a Potty" out loud in the lobby of the doctor's office and you do it.





My Mother Taught Me...

To Value A Job Well Done: If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.

Time Travel: If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!

Logic: Because I said so, that's why.


*** Make sure to pay a visit to The Mother Post for the full post and all the funny links from several other Mothers Day posts to enjoy:

Funny Mothers Day Quotes and Trivia - Cheeky Quote Day 28 Apr 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Winter Brunch: Norweigan Potato Pancake with Bacon, Swiss Cheese Sauce

From Denny: A simple hearty easy-to-do meal to get you through a cold rainy day or snowy day on the ski slopes! It's also yet another clever - and tasty - way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Norwegian potato pancake with poached eggs, Jalrsberg cheese sauce, and cranberry relish



From: Chef Zane Holmquist



Serves: 6-8 portions



INGREDIENTS



Norwegian potato pancake



• 4 Idaho potatoes (par-boiled, peeled and grated)

• 1/2 small yellow onion

• 4 bacon strips (cooked and diced)

• 1 egg white

• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon fresh chives (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon fresh Italian parsley (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground fresh black pepper



Jarlsberg cheese sauce



• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• 2 teaspoon corn starch

• 4 teaspoon cold water

• 2 cups Jarlsberg cheese (grated)

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 pinch ground nutmeg



Cranberry relish



• 1 1/2 cups whole fresh cranberries

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• Zest of 1/2 orange

• 1 pinch kosher salt



Poached eggs



• One egg per person

• 2 quarts water

• 2 tablespoons vinegar



DIRECTIONS



Norwegian potato pancake



1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 12 minutes; cool to room temperature, peel and grate.



2. Peel and dice onion.



3. Cook bacon and dice. Onions and bacon should be diced to equal sizes.



4. Combine potatoes, onion and bacon.



5. Whip egg whites until foamy; fold into potato mixture.



6. Mix flour, chives, parsley, salt and pepper into potato combination. Be sure not to overwork; the potatoes should keep their grated texture.



7. Scoop potato mixture onto lightly oiled pancake griddle with 2 ounce ice cream scoop and cook until lightly browned on both sides; approximately 3-4 minutes per side.







Jarlsberg cheese sauce



1. Bring cream and milk to a simmer.



2. Mix corn starch and water together to make a slurry.



3. Add corn starch slurry to simmering milk and cream. (You must bring the cream to a boil, to activate the corn starch.)



4. Slowly add in grated Jarlsberg cheese, continually stirring until a smooth sauce-like consistency. (Use caution; the cheese sauce can burn easily)



5. Add salt, white pepper and nutmeg.



6. Keep sauce warm until ready to serve.







Cranberry relish



1. Mix cranberries, sugar, orange zest and salt together in a bowl.



2. Place in a thick-bottom saucepan; bring to a low simmer.



3. Stirring occasionally, cook for 12 minutes, or until the mixture is a jam-like consistency.







Poached eggs



Poach one egg per person in 2 quarts of water with 2 tablespoons of vinegar, until desired doneness. Place poached egg on potato pancake. Add 2-3 tablespoons of cheese sauce over the egg.



Garnish plate with 1 large tablespoon of cranberry relish. Finish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. The tart cranberry relish lightens the intense flavor of the Jarlsberg cheese. The dish’s primary component is the potato cake. This is a perfect Sunday brunch dish.







*** For more about Norweigan-American culture, check out one of my friend's articles at HubPages: Rolling lefse for the holidays where she talks about what the holidays were like at her house.



*** Thanks for visiting! For more recipes check out Comfort Food From Louisiana!

How Senator Ted Kennedy Affected Your Life in America

From Denny: Did you know that Ted Kennedy passed over 300 bills during his tenure in the Senate? He also co-authored another 550!

“Ted Kennedy changed the circumstances of tens of millions of Americans,” VP Biden.

How did he affect our lives today? How does that translate into your everyday life that this generation may take for granted was always there?

Here are just a few examples that make life easier for so many to live well:

Wheelchair ramps: wheelchair access in public places; those are thanks to Ted Kennedy.

Minimum wage: you earn more thanks to Kennedy

Children’s Health Insurance: he went to bat for the most vulnerable members of our society – children

Kennedy was the driving force behind COBRA - for people in need of health insurance when just fired from a job.

He developed personal relationships with people like a 6 year old child suffering from diabetes who could have benefited from stem cell research. He didn’t just use her in front of the cameras for politics. She first wrote him a letter asking for his help on pushing for stem cell research; he read that letter on the Senate floor. For years he privately corresponded with Lauren Stanford, thanking her for her help and encouraging her in her fight with juvenile diabetes. The public never knew about that.

Christi Coombs, September 11th widow: Kennedy wrote her every year on the anniversary of her husband’s death. She recognized he truly did know what loss she was feeling as he had experienced so much loss in his life. The public never knew about that either.



Ted Kennedy at the Democratic Convention in 2008 - Photo (Mike Segar / Reuters)

Senator Kennedy, kicks off the Democratic Party's national convention Aug. 25, 2008, his was a performance that galvanized the audience, producing a roaring frenzy. The crowd cheered, then wiped away tears for several minutes, then cheered again. They knew Ted was thhe last living Kennedy brother.

He smiled and declared loudly, "My fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here." He was alluding to news reports hinting his doctors were hesitant to allow him to travel to the Denver convention.

The Senator continued, "Nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight. I have come here tonight to stand with you, to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama President of the United States."

Take a look at his long list of accomplishments that affect our lives to the postive!

The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act
The Fair Housing Act
No Child Left Behind Act
AMBER Alert Notification Systems Funding
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Meals on Wheels Act (elderly)
The Economic Opportunity Act
The Occupational Health and Safety Act
The National Community Health Center Program
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Bilingual Education Act
The Older American Community Service Employment Act
The Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
Title IX of the Education Amendments (female athletes)
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Civil Rights Commission Act Amendments
Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act
Comprehensive Crime Control Act
1985 Anti-Apartheid Act
Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans Act
The Handicapped Children’s Protection Act
The Fair Housing Act Amendments
The National Military Child Care Act
The 1980 Refuge Act
The Job Training Partnership Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1991
Summer Jobs for Youth Program
The Mammography Quality Standards Act
The National and Community Service Trust Act (created AmeriCorps)
The School-to-Work Opportunities Act
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Children’s Health Insurance Program
Work Incentives Improvement Act
The Minority Health and Disparities Research and Education Act
2002 Bioterrorism Preparedness Act
The Pediatric Graduate Medical Education Act
Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act
The Project Bioshield Act
The Family Opportunity Act
The Ryan White Care Act (for AIDS patients)
The Higher Education Opportunity Act
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act



In honor of Ted Kennedy, President Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill April 21, 2009.

The bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act strives to open up new service opportunities for millions of Americans, tripling the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years.

"I'm asking you to stand up and play your part," said the president. Kennedy championed the legislation with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Photo (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)


Senator "Ted" Kennedy changed history in America. He fought against racism and sexism. He championed the poor for equal opportunities for jobs, homes and being able to go to college.

Too many middle class Republican families who foolishly denounce Ted Kennedy do so without full knowledge of how he has benefited their lives. They have been the direct beneficiaries of his humanity.

Among many fights for the middle class, it was Ted Kennedy who fought hard to provide college grant money to middle income families, not just the poor. This generation owes a lot of their successful lifestyle to his endeavors to make America a better country and a better society. Let not his humanity fall on deaf ears to the next generation...


Barack Obama, Senator Ted Kennedy, Democrats, diabetes, Politics, September 11th, America