Funny News: Italys World Slow Day

Woman in Genoa, Italy, receives citation from cheeky Slow Warden for walking too fast on World Slow Day

From Denny: The Italians want us to slow down and stop to smell the roses - at least for one day. Yesterday they celebrated World Slow Day where everyone slows down the pace of their day and quit rushing around. The special day went by so fast I think they need to extend the celebration to a full week.

In Rome the city offered all kinds of goodies to entice the people, from free public transportation to slamming poetry contests. They even offered free exercise in the form of free yoga and Tai Chi lessons. Being true to the "holiday," the local police handed out mock fines for pedestrians walking too fast.

Who started this fun holiday? World Slow Day began in 2007 as the brain child of Bruno Contigiani, age 62, who is President of the Art of Living Slowly Association. The whole point of this special day is to get people to live at a normal natural speed. He promotes the Association's "14 Commandments" like getting up five minutes earlier to start your day with a leisurely breakfast. He also suggests to make traffic jams a celebration by striking up conversations with fellow stranded motorists.

Other cities in Italy who participated in the event:

Caltanissetta: They offered free transportation on Monday and commuters were gifted with free copies of the "14 Commandments."

Milan and Genoa: These guys were far more cheeky and direct in promoting the holiday celebration. They decided to deputize "Slow Wardens" to chastise pedestrians who were walking too fast and issue them a mock citation. Pedestrians were also cited for taking too direct a route to their destination as well. Makes you wonder if the Slow Wardens went about their day following people to their destinations, clipboard in hand, and determined if the pedestrian was in need of a reprimand for living life too fast or too efficiently. After all, the whole point of World Slow Day is to slow down and savor the journey.

Benevento: They held a competition for the best Haiku poem that best described the day. Guys, haiku is short. You should have asked for a Shakespeare style soliloquy in poetry form. Now that would have been a slow journey - and witty!

Treviso and Palermo: offered free Tai Chi and yoga lessons.

In public parks all around Italy there were offered free Tai Chi and yoga lessons to help people relax and enjoy the special day. "Let's take this one day to stop and think about all the things we miss out on while we're rushing through our lives," Contigiani said.

Turns out that World Slow Day is now honored in 90 cities in 11 countries, including New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. It's linked to the Slow Food Movement.


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Comics Point of View: Our Weird Politicians

From Denny: Every Monday at The Social Poets I post the latest roundup from the late night show comics. This week was brutal for Congressman Eric Massa. He was lampooned from all sides. Tiger Woods got off easy this week.

See Cartoons by Cartoon by R.J. Matson - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Excerpt of the quips from David Letterman:

We had a lousy audience last night. You couldn't tell if they were laughing at the jokes or if they were being tickled by New York Congressman Massa.

He admits to groping, fondling, and tickling. And I'm thinking, well, why isn't this guy governor of New York?

Massa goes on the Glenn Beck show and he says that he was having a birthday party tickling his staff. And he said one guy couldn't breathe, he was tickling him so hard. And then Dick Cheney said, 'Well, we should have done that at Gitmo.'

So now this Congressman Eric Massa is claiming that he was bullied in a gym by Rahm Emanuel. The President's guy is bullying him in a gym, naked. And I know you are thinking to yourselves, 'Well gee, thanks a lot, Dave, for searing that image into our brains because that's something we'll carry for a long time right there.'

He admits to groping, fondling, and tickling. And I'm thinking, well, why isn't this guy governor of New York?






Here is a sampling from comic Jerry Seinfeld on his take on just who "Really?!" is this guy called Massa. The messy weird news from politician Massa just keeps on giving to the comics:






*** To view the entire hilarious rocking good post that includes lots of funny quips from Letterman, Leno, Kimmel, Fallon, video clips from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart lampooning the GOP and Fox News, go here.


*** Happy Saint Patrick's Day! THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, 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!

Gorgeous Whiskey Chocolate Brownies

Whiskey Chocolate Brownies Photo by FotoosVanRobin @ flickr

From Denny: While preparing a post for my photography blog I stumbled across this awesome chocolate photo. Well, guess what, a double bonus: it had a recipe! How great is that! :) If you require a measurements exchange link, there is one at the top of this blog. I went ahead and recorded the conversions for your convenience. But if you ever need the links, remember they are here on this blog.

Since Saint Patrick's Day is tomorrow, how about using some of that whiskey in the house for some delightful brownies? Enjoy!


Whiskey Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

For the cake:

250 g/9 oz butter, chopped
200 g/ chopped dark chocolate
375 g/13 oz caster (superfine) sugar
125 ml/1/2 cup whiskey
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
185 g/6.5 oz plain flour
60 g/2.1 self-raising flour
40 g/1.4 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons whiskey, extra

For the chocolate glaze:

80 ml/1/3 cup cream
90 g/3.3 oz dark chocolate

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 160ºC./320 degree F. Grease a 20 cm/8-inch square tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Dissolve the instant coffee powder in 125 ml/1/2 cup hot water and put with the butter, chocolate, sugar and whiskey in a saucepan that you can hang in another pan with boiling water to heat au bain marie. Just be patient for everything to melt. It will melt by itself and it will become a beautifully consistent, thick sauce.

Sieve the plain flour, self-raising flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture onto the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Whisk in the eggs. Pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Pour the extra whiskey over the hot cooked cake. Leave in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack placed over a baking tray to cool completely.

For the chocolate glaze, put the cream and the chocolate in the small saucepan and heat over another pan with boiling water au-bain-marie. Again, just be patient it will melt by itself. Stir until a nice, consistent chocolate sauce. Then set aside to cool and thicken a little. Spread the glaze over the cake, allowing it to drizzle over the sides. Leave to set.

Or do what I did, I sliced the cake it cubes and dipped those into the glaze.

From: "Tempted" by Murdoch books / "Zalig Zoet" by Terra Lannoo.

Photographer's notes: it really was a lot, half the recipe would have been enough. I added a little bit of lavender to the glazing which was almost undetectable but nice. Next time I'll sprinkle it with salted thyme or what is it that you sometimes find in pralines these days?


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Chef Mario Batalis 3 Saltimbocca Recipe Variations

From Denny: We like Mario Batali at our house. He is always enthusiastic about whatever he does and he does it well because he has a high personal standard of excellence. He is also more user friendly than most chefs, possessing an abundance of people skills. Mario is a natural as a teacher of great food.

He spent a lot of time exploring his ancestors' Italy, learning the language and the regional foods. He traveled, sampled and even worked for some small Italian kitchens just to learn the very old traditional recipes. Here he shares with us a very simple dish that is both a succulent and elegant meal fine enough to serve to guests for that special occasion.

Take a look at the variations you can do with this dish. Also, did you know that sage is great for easing toxin headaches? As winter ends, it's a good idea to include some sage into your diet as your body begins to naturally detox from the winter season. Chef Batali talks a bit about Italian culture and the language in the origin of the recipe's name. For a guy who received his original degree in Economics, he sure is bubbling over with information on just one recipe!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Saltimbocca alla Romana

From: Chef Mario Batali

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 8 pork cutlets (about 2 ounces each)
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 8 slices prosciutto di Parma
• Flour for dusting
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Lemon wedges


DIRECTIONS

Using a meat mallet, pound each pork slice to about 1/8-inch thick. Place 1 sage leaf and 1 slice of prosciutto on each pork cutlet and fold over to form a sandwich, with the meat inside the prosciutto. Pound lightly with the meat mallet, then secure with toothpicks.

In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat until it foams and subsides. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the cutlets lightly in the flour. Add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a boil, stirring with wooden spoon to dislodge the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Return the cutlets to the pan just to reheat, then transfer to plates, pour the sauce over, and serve immediately, with lemon wedges.





Scallopa al Pizzaiolo

From: Chef Mario Batali

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound pork loin, cut into 4 pieces 1/2-inch thick
• 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 2 cups basic tomato sauce
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 rounds of 2 inches each
• 2 bunches fresh oregano leaves, stems removed, to yield 1 cup


DIRECTIONS

In a shallow bowl, mix flour with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge pork pieces in flour mixture and set aside. In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Shake excess flour from meat and place pieces in pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove pork pieces and pour out oil.

Add 1/2 cup water to pan and deglaze, scraping lightly with a wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Replace pork in pan and coat with sauce. Place 2 pieces fresh mozzarella over each piece of pork and place pan in oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove pan from oven.

Place pork on platter, surround with sauce, sprinkle with fresh oregano and serve.





Pork Saltimbocca

From: Chef Mario Batali

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pork loin, cut into 8 equal thin slices by your butcher
• 4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
• 8 sage leaves
• 4 tablespoons flour, seasoned with salt and pepper,
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sweet butter plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup marsala wine (sweet)
• 1/2 cup basic tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup basic chicken stock
• 1/4 pound domestic mushrooms, quartered
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup


DIRECTIONS

Lay 4 thin slices of pork on counter and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice prosciutto di Parma in center of each and 2 sage leaves over the prosciutto. Dust edges of 4 pieces with flour. Place 4 remaining pieces of pork over 4 on counter. Massage the edges together so they stick together and set aside.

Flour outsides and place into bread crumbs, patting so the crumbs adhere. In a 12- to 14-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons sweet butter until bubbling over medium heat. Place 4 pork "sandwiches" in pan and cook slowly until golden brown. Turn and cook other side the same. Remove pork carefully and set aside in warm place. Turn heat to high and add marsala, tomato sauce, chicken stock and domestic mushrooms. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add remaining sweet butter and 4 pork "sandwiches."

Simmer 10 minutes, add chopped parsley and serve.



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29 Post Roundup at Dennys Blogs 14 Mar 2010

From Denny: Remember me? You know, the woman who was pining away, waiting for Winter to leave and Spring to come? Yeah, well, the past two weeks here in south Louisiana the tree pollen blast has forced me to practically buy stock in the Kleenex brand of nose tissues. :) With all the fun Spring has sprung on my immune system I had to dial it back and was not able to write as many posts. You know that amusing but true proverbial saying of "Politics is so ugly; it's like making sausage"? Writing this past week has not been much prettier. Lucky you that you don't have blogger video cam! :)

I started keeping up with the news headlines over at Dennys Global Politics, partly to go back and write an opinion piece, partly just to see what's out there across the media spectrum. There are mainstream stories along with the obscure you might not have noticed. The stories are excerpted yet provided with links so you can read in more detail if you prefer.

There are many awesome recipes to enjoy, along with the food video tutorials. There are a few poems and spiritual thoughts to consider. There is a science post about just how much the Chilean earthquake affected the planet, pretty scary stuff. And, of course, my total favorites: lots of rocking good humor posts with funny videos I find while checking in with my social sites. What would life be without friends?



Cartoonists Cajun Whoop A$$ on Everyone - 40 Funny Political Cartoons - 13 Mar 2010

Dennys Popular Poems Roundup 12 Mar 2010

Photo History: 1st Lady Gowns, Michelle Obama Donates Hers

St. Patricks Day Funnies and History - Cheeky Quote Day 10 Mar 2010

Photography: 16 Beautiful Creative Angel Photos

Funny Late Night Comedy Roundup - 8 March 2010

48 Post Roundup: Dennys Blogs 7 Mar 2010




Chilean Earthquake Shortened Earths Day

Step Out into the Unknown with Ease

Shoes in Church poem

A Poem to Think About When You Dream

30 Funny Creative Animal Ads




5 Super Easy Chocolate Desserts: Only 5 Ingredients

Warm Gooey Cheese Fondue 4 Cold Nights

Martha Stewarts 4 Fast Spring Recipes

Unusual Outrageous New Food: Breast Milk Cheese

Chef Mario Batalis Easy 3 Pork Saltimbocca Recipes

Check Out Statistics 4 Real Cost of Fast Food vs. Whole

Chef Jamie Oliver Discovers American Kids Dont Know Veggies



Some of my choices from the day's news, excerpted and with links to full stories, some video clips:

News Headlines Roundup 12 Mar 2010

News Headlines Roundup 11 Mar 2010

News Headlines Roundup 10 Mar 2010

News Headlines Roundup 9 Mar 2010

News Headlines Roundup 8 Mar 2010





7 Funny Quips 10 Mar 2010

13 Funny Quips 9 Mar 2010

Funny Music Video: Hilarious Organized Mayhem

Funny Video: Look, Ma! Eating with No Paws But Real Hands!

Outrageous Funny Video: Procrastination



*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, 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!