Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Buttermilk Cornbread Muffin Recipe Courtesy of The American Diabetes Association

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and soda. Combine eggs, buttermilk, honey, and oil; add slowly to the dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Pour into non-stick muffin cups, making them about two-thirds full.
Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely.

The Black And Tan Coon Hound



Black and Tan Coonhound Dog Breed Introduction
The Black and Tan Coonhound dog breed was developed in the United States to hunt raccoons, just as its name would imply. The Black and Tan Coonhound breed's a versatile hunting skills make it both a trail and tree hunting breed. Black and Tan Coonhounds can even work in any season of the year and over rough terrain. Black and Tans have even hunted "big game" such as mountain lions and bears.

Here are the characteristics of the Black and Tan Coonhound breed as determined by the American Kennel Club's published breed standard.

Black and Tan Coonhound's Behavior
Recommended for: hunting, outdoors

Cooonhound breeds are known as outgoing and friendly. Coonhounds can work closely with other hounds and people. Though a powerful hunting breed, a coonhound dog does not usually show aggression. They have a loud, baying bark, according to Wikipedia.

Remember that breed only provides a general clue as to any individual dog's actual behavior. Make sure to get to know dogs well before bringing them into your home.

The Black and Tan Coonhound's Physical Characteristics
Size: Males 25-27 inches; females 23- 25 inches
Coat: short, dense
Color: dark black with tan markings
Eyes: hazel to dark brown, rounded
Ears: "extend naturally well beyond the tip of the nose," in the words of the American Kennel Club's breed standard
Nose: well open, black
Tail: strong, with base slightly below level of backline


The Black and Tan Coonhound's Origins and History
Here are some historical facts on the Black and Tan Coonhound breed according to Wikipedia.

Country/Region of Origin: United States

Original purpose: hunting raccoon

Historical notes: The Black and Tan Coonhound breed is the only one of the six varieties of Coonhound to be recognized in the Hound Group by the American Kennel Club. The Redbone Coonhound and the Plott Hound have now also been recognized, though in the Miscellaneous Class. The other coonhound varieties are Bluetick, English, and Treeing Walker.

Challenge Of The Super-Duper Friends


Challenge Of The Super-Duper Friends

The Celtic Tale Of Cerridwen, Gwion and Taliesin

Cerridwen was originally worshipped by the people of Wales. It is told that she lived on an island, in the middle of Lake Tegid, named after her husband, with her two children, a beautiful daughter, Creidwy, and a very ugly son, Afagdu. To compensate her son for his unfortunate appearance, Cerridwen brewed a magical formula, known as "greal", (is this where the word Grail came from, I wonder?) which would make Afagdu the most brilliant and inspired of men. For a year and a day, she kept six herbs simmering in her magical cauldron, known as "Amen", under the constant care of a boy named Gwion.

One day, while Gwion was stirring the cauldron, a few drops of the bubbling liquid spattered on his hand. Unthinkingly, and in pain, Gwion, sucked his burned hand, and, suddenly, he could hear everything in the world, and understood all the secrets of the past and future. With his newly enchanted foresight, Gwion knew how angry Cerridwen would be when she found he had acquired the inspiration meant for her son.

He ran away, but Cerridwen pursued him. Gwion changed into a hare, and Cerridwen chased him as a greyhound; he changed into a fish, and Cerridwen pursued him as an otter; he became a bird, and she flew after him as a hawk; finally, he changed into a grain of corn, and Cerridwen, triumphant, changed into a hen, and ate him.

When Cerridwen resumed her human form, she conceived Gwion in her womb, and, nine months later, gave birth to an infant son, whom she, in disgust, threw into the water of a rushing stream. He was rescued by a Prince, and grew into the great Celtic bard, Taliesin.

Random Factoid and Random Quote

Celery has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for at least 3000 years.



"March brings breezes loud and shrill, stirs the dancing daffodil."
Sara Colenridge

LSD inventor dies

Albert Hofmann, the father of the mind-altering drug LSD whose medical discovery grew into a notorious "problem child," died April 28,2008. He was 102.
Hofmann died of a heart attack at his home in Basel, according to Rick Doblin, president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, in a statement posted on the association's website.

His death was confirmed to The Associated Press by Doris Stuker, a clerk in the village of Burg im Leimental, where Hofmann moved following his retirement in 1971.

Hofmann's hallucinogen inspired — and arguably corrupted — millions in the 1960's hippy generation. For decades after LSD was banned in the late 1960s, Hofmann defended his invention.

"I produced the substance as a medicine. ... It's not my fault if people abused it," he once said.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Indians | Harvard | Basel | Cary Grant | Novartis | Anita | Timothy Leary | Sandoz | Burg | Hofmann | Delysid | Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies | Rick Doblin
The Swiss chemist discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25 in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of a fungus found on wheat and other grains at the Sandoz pharmaceuticals firm in Basel.

He became the first human guinea pig of the drug when a tiny amount of the substance seeped on to his finger during a repeat of the laboratory experiment on April 16, 1943.

"I had to leave work for home because I was suddenly hit by a sudden feeling of unease and mild dizziness," he subsequently wrote in a memo to company bosses.

"Everything I saw was distorted as in a warped mirror," he said, describing his bicycle ride home. "I had the impression I was rooted to the spot. But my assistant told me we were actually going very fast."

Upon reaching home, Hofmann began experiencing what he called a "vision."

"What I was thinking appeared in colors and in pictures," he told Swiss television network SF DRS for a program marking his 100th birthday two years ago. "It lasted for a couple of hours and then it disappeared."

Three days later, Hofmann experimented with a larger dose. The result was a horror trip.

"The substance which I wanted to experiment with took over me. I was filled with an overwhelming fear that I would go crazy. I was transported to a different world, a different time," Hofmann wrote.

There was no answer at Hofmann's home on Tuesday and a person who answered the phone at Novartis, a former employer, said the company had no knowledge of his death.

Hofmann and his scientific colleagues hoped that LSD would make an important contribution to psychiatric research. The drug exaggerated inner problems and conflicts and thus it was hoped that it might be used to recognize and treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia.

For a time, Sandoz sold LSD 25 under the name Delysid, encouraging doctors to try it themselves. It was one of the strongest drugs in medicine — with just one gram enough to drug an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people for 12 hours.

Hofmann discovered the drug had a similar chemical structure to psychedelic mushrooms and herbs used in religious ceremonies by Mexican Indians.

LSD was elevated to international fame in the late 1950s and 1960s thanks to Harvard professor Timothy Leary who embraced the drug under the slogan "turn on, tune in, drop out." The film star Cary Grant and numerous rock musicians extolled its virtues in achieving true self discovery and enlightenment.

But away from the psychedelic trips and flower children, horror stories emerged about people going on murder sprees or jumping out of windows while hallucinating. Heavy users suffered permanent psychological damage.

The U.S. government banned LSD in 1966 and other countries followed suit.

Hofmann maintained this was unfair, arguing that the drug was not addictive. He repeatedly maintained the ban should be lifted to allow LSD to be used in medical research.

He himself took the drug — purportedly on an occasional basis and out of scientific interest — for several decades.

"LSD can help open your eyes," he once said. "But there are other ways — meditation, dance, music, fasting."

Even so, the self described "father" of LSD readily agreed that the drug was dangerous if in the wrong hands. This was reflected by the title of his 1979 book: "LSD — my problem child."

Hofmann retired from Sandoz in 1971. He devoted his time to travel, writing and lectures — which often reflected his growing interest with philosophy and religious questions.

He lived in a small picturesque village outside of Basel in the Swiss Jura mountains, a stone's throw from the French border, and remained active until his early 90s.

Hofmann is survived by two of his four children. He was predeceased by his wife Anita.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.

Special Thanks toUSA Today

TeeHee SNL

Julie Death Scene in Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Food Fight: Abridged American Warfare



An abridged history of American-centric warfare, from WWII to present day, told through the foods of the countries in conflict.

For A List Of Battles Portrayed See:Food Fight Battles

For The Official Country Cheat Sheet see:Food Fight Countries