The Awakening
This was published in the South Beach Bulletin July 13, 2K, a now defunct paper. I loved it so much I kept a copy. I just wish I knew who the author was so I could add their name. As far as I’m concerned this will go down in history as a classic piece of emotional art to be appreciated throughout the ages. I know you will enjoy and relate to it. Happy reading.
A time comes in your life when you finally get it.
When in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out…ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears, and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening. You realize that it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that He is not Prince Charming, and you are not Cinderella (or vice versa) and that in the real world there aren’t always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of “happy ever after” must begin with you and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect, and that not everyone will always love, appreciate, or approve of who, or what you are…. And that’s OKAY. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. And you learn the importance of living and championing yourself, and in the process, a sense of newfound confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop bitching and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn’t do for you) and you learn that the thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean, or mean what they say, and that not everyone will always be there for you, and that it’s not always about you. So you learn to stand on your own, and take care of yourself, and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers, and you begin to accept people as they are, and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties, and in the process, a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the crap you’ve been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, and how much you should weigh, and what you should wear, and where you should shop, and what you should drive, how and where you should live, and what you should do for a living, who you should sleep with, and who you should marry, and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children, or what you owe your parents.
You learn to open up new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing, and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with, and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.
You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.
You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not your job to save the world, and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say “NO”. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry, and that martyrs get burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love. Romantic love and family love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away.
You learn not to project your needs or you feelings onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of a man on your arm or the child that bears your name.
You learn to look at relationships as they really are, and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change so it is with love…. And you learn that you don’t have the right to demand love on your terms just to make you happy.
And you learn that alone does not mean lonely… you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 4, or a perfect 10, and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head, and agonizing over how you “STACK UP”. You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OKAY…. that it is your right to want things, and to ask for the things that you want… that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.
You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness sensitivity and respect, and you won’t settle for less. And, you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with his touch. And in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect.
And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water, and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for, and that wishing for something to happen is different than working for, and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it’s OKAY to risk asking for help.
You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time. FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fear; because, you know that whatever happens you can handle it, and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes, bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn that God isn’t punishing you, or failing to answer your prayers. It’s just life happening.
And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state… the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected, or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and start building bridges instead of walls.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about; a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself, and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself, and to never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.
Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.
Labels: Borrowed from Others
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Carrot Cakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1/4 cup currants
Lemon Glaze:
1 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juicezest from
1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or almond slices, for garnish
Serves 4 Preheat the toaster oven to 325° F.
To make the cake:
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, and buttermilk. Blend the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir just until mixed. Add the carrots, pineapple, coconut, nuts, and currants, and stir just until mixed in. Divide the batter among 4 mini Bundt cake pans (or smaller individual sized pans). Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
To make the lemon glaze:
While the cakes are baking, mix the powdered sugar lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Cover a cake rack with a tea towel or foil. When the cakes have finished baking, remove them from the toaster oven and allow them to cool in their pans. When they have cooled, pop them out of the pans and set them on the prepared rack. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cakes. Allow the glaze to harden, about 5 minutes, then serve topped with the walnuts.
Labels: Recipes
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Are Women Flawed?
This is amazing for boosting woman’s spirits; I had to pass it on. Valentines day is coming gentlemen; you might want to remember these things.
One Flaw In Women
Women have strengths that amaze men.
We bear hardships and carry burdens, but hold happiness, love and joy.
We smile when they want to scream, and sing when we want to cry.
We cry when they are happy and laugh when we’re nervous.
We fight for what we believe in, and stand up to injustice.
We don't take "no" for an answer when we believe there is a better solution.
We go without so their family can have.
We’ll go to the doctor with a frightened friend, and love unconditionally.
We cry when our children excel and cheer when friends get awards.
We are happy when we hear about a births or weddings.
Our hearts break when a friend dies, and grieves at the loss of a family member, yet we’re strong when we think there’s no strength left.
We know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
We women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
We'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much we care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning; because we bring joy, hope and love.
We have compassion and ideas, and give moral support to our families and friends.
We have vital things to say and everything to give.
However! If there is a flaw in women, it is this….
We often forget our own worth.
Labels: Crochet
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Dr Weil's Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry
Here's a Tofu recipe from Dr. Weil I'm going to try. I thought you'd like to try it too.
Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu
8 cups sliced vegetables (we suggest yellow onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, celery, broccoli, asparagus, mung-bean sprouts, bamboo shoots)
1 tablespoon canola oil 2 cups cooked rice Sauce:
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup natural soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon corn starch
Instructions:
1. Slice the tofu in 1/2 inch slices. Press between layered paper towels or clean kitchen towels to dry well. Cut slices into 1 inch cubes. Arrange on a plate with prepared vegetables, separated by variety.
2. Combine sauce ingredients except for cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix cornstarch with just enough cold water to dissolve in a custard cup or teacup (you'll use less than 2 tsp water.) Add to sauce, stir well and set aside.
3. Preheat a wok or large skillet. Add the canola oil and vegetables (add the sturdier vegetables first, adding the more tender ones like bean sprouts later) and cook over medium high heat until just crisp tender, stirring constantly.
4. Add the tofu and stir very carefully until the tofu is heated. Stir sauce and pour around edge of wok. Stir vegetables around in sauce as it thickens. Remove from heat as soon as sauce is thickened and serve over rice.
Nutritional Information Per serving:
351 calories 11 g total fat (1 g sat)0 mg cholesterol 49 g carbohydrate15 g protein 6 g fiber750 mg sodium
Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.Labels: Recipes
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Chicken & Eggplant Soup
I've been down sick since Thursday evening so wanted something quick easy and good to eat that wouldn't upset my diet, I'm diabetic, and wouldn't upset my stomach, tired of running to the John barfing.
SO...
I made this the other night and love it. It was an experiment using eggplant in soup. I don't know why I never did it before it's great! Probably because I never had a half of an eggplant and nothing else that looked good, to a sicky, in the fridge. So here's my discovery. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Chicken eggplant soup
Use the wings neck back strap, giblets and thighs from a whole chicken. You could use more but this was what I had left form another meal of chicken I roasted on the rotisserie. These parts were still raw and I wanted to use them before they went bad.
In a soup pot add everything at once.
The chicken pieces can be cut into smaller pieces if you like; I just left them so I'd have some chunks in my bowl besides the eggplant and celery.
About 2-3 quarts water
Chicken pieces
1 small eggplant cut into chunks skin on. (Cut thick slices then cut slices in half and those into large chunks)
4 stocks celery cut into about 2 inch chunks
1 small onion chunked
Add pinch basil, oregano, red chilies and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Let simmer until meat falls off the bones.
If you want to mess with picking out the bones and shredding the chicken throughout, it's up to you. I just dished it up and picked the bones that were easy to get out; the rest I left there.
This is another good soup that is good cold too.
Simple, easy and good; that's the order of business right now.
Motivation, like bathing must be applied daily, and right now my motivation is running on autopilot. God I hate being ill.
Labels: Recipes
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Final Warning! Take God's Word Seriously
I’m currently reading the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible that is the written text from the scrolls found at Qumran, Wadi Murabba’at, Aahal Hever, Masada and Wadi Seiyal. And I’m comparing it to text from the Masretic text (the traditional Hebrew Bible), the Samaritan Pentateuch (the edition of the Hebrew Bible used by Samaritan) and the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible).
I find by comparing this Bible to my Jerusalem Bible there are occasional spots where the translator either didn’t know the correct word to use because there was no word to translate from or to on language to another, so I’m given both and can interpret for myself what God was saying to and through these ancient peoples.
For example Exodus 7: 1through 3:
I’ll leave blank the spots where the Qumran scroll has missing text.
Q Version EX 7:1-3 (1)”And_______said to Moses, “See I have made you as a God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be__________. (2) You shall speak all that I command you, and Aaron your brother shall speak to ______________ the children of Isr______. (3) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, _________ my ______ ns _____my wonders in the la__ d of Egypt.”
Note: The Jerusalem Bible is a complete translation of The Holy Bible from the Peshitta, the authorized Bible of the Church of the East, the translation of the Old and New Testaments into English of all the Christians who have used Syriac as their language of prayer and worship for many centuries. Appropriately based on the Greek Septuagint of the Old Testament and on the Latin Bible of Jerome, which also includes the Aramaic translation used by Christians from the earliest times.
The Jerusalem version of EX 7:1-3 (1) And the Lord said to Moses, See I have made you a god to Pharaoh ((1) given you power over Pharaoh) and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. (2) You shall speak all that I command you; and your brother shall speak to Pharaoh that he send the children of Israel out of his land. (3) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.”
Now there are only two places in these verses that show any differences, but my interpretation is this: Notice in the Qumran version (1) I have made you as a
God to Pharaoh; and in the Jerusalem version. (1) See I have made you a
god to Pharaoh ( (1) given you power over Pharaoh).
First: When
God is capitalized it means The God, The One and only God. So this verse from the Qumran version is saying __________ (Something or Someone; the unknown that has the power to give power) has made Moses the same as the One and Only God to Pharaoh.
Yet the modern translations/translators have changed this text to mean: God has made Moses a lesser
god to Pharaoh and even give explanation in the footnote of giving Moses power over Pharaoh.
Does this mean they have changed the text? Put in their personal interpretive meanings? Or was this simply a human error when writing? They both give Moses power over Pharaoh but to what degree? That is where we have to get involved for ourselves.
Just suppose the Mighty Spirit of God, The Creator God, that One and Only God gave Moses equal power to Himself (and I use the male gender only because I don’t know if God has a sex. This is simply a throwback of when I was taught English and I’m comfortable with it; if you aren’t put whatever sex you prefer in here; suit yourself, for now I’m using the male gender.) So this All Powerful God gives equal power to Moses.
Why wouldn’t Moses’ words be all powerful? Why would Moses need anyone to speak to Pharaoh for him? Why wouldn’t Pharaoh have to do what Moses said, if he was a God over Pharaoh? I think that is probably why translators changed the word God to god and added the footnote. Maybe something was lost in history that would explain the God to Pharaoh.
Knowing the beliefs of the Egyptians, perhaps Moses
was considered a higher god than Pharaoh at that time, so to show that, the word was capitalized.
It is interesting though that rarely do I find any variations in the Bible. Which proves to me, all the scribes who have written the inspired word of God from ancient times to today take God’s words very seriously.
This is probably due to these final verses in the Bible.
Revelations 22: 18-21
“I testify to every man who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book (19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his portion from the tree of life and from the holy city and from the things which are written in this book. (20) He who testifies these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen Come, Lord Jesus. (21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, all you holy ones. Amen.
Labels: Art, Faith
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Blessings in the Darkness
“An horror of great darkness fell upon him.” Gen 15:12
January 16, 2006 evening @ 8 pm the power went out. The storm caused trees to fall across power lines and blew the transformer, cutting power and phone service to the entire area.
“Buried with Him…that…. Even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Rom 6:4
But because I know God is leading me, I didn’t worry, but trusted Him and praised Him for the opportunity He presented even in that seemingly emergency state. “Lord, I thank you for blessing me.”
“When He was alone, the twelve…. Asked of Him…” Mark 4:10
During my time in the darkness I discovered a peace that could only be God. I know this sounds crazy but I found my camera that had been missing for over a month.Now just in explanation: It isn’t like I hadn’t searched the entire apartment for the camera: I had. I had dug into every nook and cranny and every drawer. My camera was missing from my apartment. Yet – in the dark – while searching for light to light some candles – My hand was placed upon my camera, in it’s case, in a drawer.That was the moment I knew God was there with me telling me everything would be all right. That surprise was just His way of letting me know to be happy in spite of the darkness.
“When they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.” Mark 4:34
As a result of my relaxing and enjoying the blackout, God was able to get through to me without outside influences getting in my way. I was relaxed and receptive; praising Him for His kindness and generosity to me.Because of the blackout I was shown I would be needed to prepare for the day that is coming, when I will be needed to be prepared. Then I’ll be able to help others who haven’t been able to hear or see the warning signs. I had asked to serve.
He is preparing me to do, just that.Thank you precious Spirit Father!
Labels: Art, Faith
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Where were you when the lights went Out?
Last night (January 16, 2006) around 8:00 pm a tree fell across some power lines into a transformer and cut all power in this area. BOOM!
Ever hear a transformer go out? Sparks fry the wires and the lines dance with electricity. Flames jump on the wires and it looks like fire crackers are going off.Now add to that high winds and rain.Boy! Aren't you glad you aren’t a line person for an electric company? I am. I believe I'd rather have any other job at that particular time. We discovered this morning they were worried about surrounding trees catching on fire. Note: Gossip put the transformer on the hill up behind my apartment and the tree that fell, I was told, could have rolled down the hill knocking down more trees onto our parking lot and onto our cars which would have blocked ingress and egress from this complex. Fire trucks would have a bitch of a time putting out a fire in that instance.
The only thing that might have helped them was the fact we've had 33 days of rain. BUT! In actuality I read the paper today ( January 19th, 2006) and it was reported a 70-foot Hemlock fell across lines on 1st street toward the local market on 1st and Willapa Ave. So the small town gossip hotline was just a city block off when talking about the local disaster.
That night I was completely unaware of the potential fire danger. ---- I prayed before I fell asleep, "Lord, Thank you for blessing me." Boy did he ever bless us all!I was stumbling around in the dark trying to find some candles and some means of lighting them. I quit smoking 12 years ago, so I don’t have matches or lighters around in abundance. Once that obstacle was overcome I decided to take a nice hot bath before the water turned cold; thanks God for leaving us with water; at least we still have a means of flushing.I rather enjoyed my candle lit bath. No phone to pester me, no neighborhood music blaring, no loud stomping and playing of kids up too late, no one running up and down the stairs to apartments, no lights shining in the bedroom windows. Nope, it was nice and quiet and peaceful after the BOOM! But I noticed how much our lives revolve around electric now days. There are stacks of music, and movies for entertainment, refrigerators and freezers that preserve stores of food, lights, locks and heat to keep us warm and safe. Alarms to warn us and wake us. We've become too dependent upon electricity.So I took that little blessing as a sign to get my camping equipment back in order.
- I need to purchase a camp stove that will run on canned fuel capable of being used safely in/out-doors.
- I need more candles and batteries and a wind-up clock.
- I need to remember to keep bags of ice in the freezers to help keep what food stuff I have in them save from getting below safe temperatures which would cause me to loose all the back up food I have.
- I need to have some back up water supply on a shelf; in case the water goes out.
I hope this little incident will help you to think out what you might need for your own comfort and survival.God bless you all as we were blessed that night when the power went out. It could have been a REALLY BAD disaster, instead it was only a temporary inconvenience.
Labels: Editorial Comment
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Roasted Acorn Squash & Carrot Soup
Serves 6 Preheat the oven to 375°F
2 small butternut squash (3 # seeded and halved)
4 carrots, peeled & cut into ½ “ pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 (T) tablespoon unsalted butter
1 (T) tablespoon light brown sugar
4 (C) cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 (C) cup water
1/2 (t) teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of: cayenne pepper & hot paprika
2 (T) tablespoons fresh chives, for garnish
Put squash halves; cut side up in a large roasting pan and distribute the carrots and onions around them. Dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Pour 1 ( C ) broth over the vegetables. Salt & pepper to taste. Cover with foil and bake till squash is tender. Let cool in the pan until cool enough to handle.
Scoop squash flesh from the skins and transfer to a large soup pot. Discard skins.
Add carrots, onions, and any pan juices, water and the remaining 3 (C) broth into the soup pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium stir in ginger and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender or food processor; purée until smooth then return to the soup pot.
Processing in batches will make it easier to handle. You may want to reserve some pieces to chop and add to the creamed soup for eye appeal and something to chew.
At this stage the soup can be served or covered and refrigerated for up to a month. When ready to serve: bring soup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat stirring well. You may like to add some fresh cooked carrot and butternut squash pieces if you have puréed all the soup pot contents. Add seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garnish with chives and a pat of butter.
This is an excellent soup for any meal. I haven’t tried it cold yet, but it’s nummy warm with open-faced eggplant sandwiches.
Labels: Recipes
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Cuervo Cookies
1 cup of water 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt 1 cup of brown sugar Lemon juice
4 large eggs 1 cup nuts 2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila Sample the Cuervo to check quality.
Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.
At this point it'sbest to make sure the Cuervo is still OK, try another cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuckin the cup of dried fruit, Pick the frigging fruit off floor. Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just! pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cuervo to check for
tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain
your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the
cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the
window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.Labels: Recipes
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Brittny's Home Made Teddy Bear
This is the second Teddy Bear I've made with this kind of specialty yarn.
It turned out so good I think I'm going to make them for the Union Gospel Mission for next Christmas. But first I have to find the darned yarn.
There are more shots of it on my granddaughter's site. check out the photo album link if you want to see them... Oh and you cn see Brittny there too. LOL
Photo album
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Vegetable and Tofu Stir Fry
Here's a recipe from Dr. Weil I'm going to try. I thought maybe you'd like to try it too. Ingredients:1 pound firm tofu 8 cups sliced vegetables (we suggest yellow onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, celery, broccoli, asparagus, mung-bean sprouts, bamboo shoots) 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 cups cooked rice
Sauce: 1/4 cup dry sherry 1/4 cup natural soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer) 2 cloves garlic, pressed 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon corn starch
Instructions:1. Slice the tofu in 1/2-inch slices. Press between layered paper towels or clean kitchen towels to dry well. Cut slices into 1-inch cubes. Arrange on a plate with prepared vegetables, separated by variety.
2. Combine sauce ingredients except for cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix cornstarch with just enough cold water to dissolve in a custard cup or teacup (you'll use less than 2 tsp water.) Add to sauce, stir well and set aside.
3. Preheat a wok or large skillet. Add the canola oil and vegetables (add the sturdier vegetables first, adding the more tender ones like bean sprouts later) and cook over medium high heat until just crisp tender, stirring constantly.
4. Add the tofu and stir very carefully until the tofu is heated. Stir sauce and pour around edge of wok. Stir vegetables around in sauce as it thickens. Remove from heat as soon as sauce is thickened and serve over rice.
Nutritional Information: Per serving:351 calories11 g total fat (1 g sat)0 mg cholesterol49 g carbohydrate15 g protein6 g fiber750 mg sodium
Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.
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Go to the *Blog: Primary source: Sen. Rockefeller's 2003 letter on Domestic Spying.
Feel like debating these? Lets have a real talk about freedom and fighting for what’s right. No bullshit, for real…our futures are at stake here; we can’t just sit back and let this stuff go on or we wind up like old Communist USSR, Mussolini’s Italy, or Hitler’s Germany. Ever hear about them? If we don’t learn from history, it repeats itself.The following are comments made on the Democrat Party WebsiteWhoa Truthmonger, posting a dozen times, all of them half witted don't prove a thing. What law was broken, you ask???U.S. Constitution - Amendment 4 - Search and seizureThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.That part of the US Constitution was broken. There is a law, FISA, that allows the President to order speedy surveillance; The court can issue the warrants after the wire tapping, but someone must still go under oath, and Bush didn't want to abide by the US Constitution and have FBI agents under oath. The question is why didn't the administration want to have our FBI agents seeking warrants?Because either Bush hates our Constitution, or in the testimony to the court other illegal acts would be uncovered.Posted by JohnNei on December 20, 2005 at 12:42 AMOkay, let me get recent events straight:In 2003, at a time of great national crisis and wide scale justified fear, President Bush got us into a war based upon his statements that Saddam had WMDs and close ties to al Quaeda -- which would be, in combination, a wholly unacceptable situation, particularly after 9/11. These were the primary justifications for the invasion of Iraq. Those accusations turned out to be totally bogus, which even Bush now finally admits. In other words, Bush played us for suckers, using lies to play upon our fears and get the war he wanted. Thousands of our soldiers, and tens of thousands of Iraqis have died due to Bush's lies.(Meantime, the administration has been in the awkward position of both denying the torture of terrorist suspects, and at the same time opposing Senator McCain's successful bill making such torture illegal.)Now this same Bush who told us those whoppers has admitted to authorizing years of spying by the NSA upon American citizens within our own borders, without judicial warrant and without legislative approval. He claims it is legal, and vows he'll keep on doing it, so there.Ominously, Bush blames the messenger, the New York Times, for letting the cat out of the bag about how he has been ravishing our Constitution. He calls Democrats and others in the Senate "defeatists" for calling for timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. Now the Senate has stopped the renewal of the so-called Patriot Act in light of these newly revealed spying abuses, infuriating Bush further.Bush has gone too far this time, and must be stopped at once. Our Constitution cannot be casually tossed aside by Presidential edict. Make no mistake: If this stands, it signals the beginning of the end of the balance of powers in our government, the end of our citizens' rights of privacy, and ultimately the end of our democracy.I never expected to have to say something that seems so outrageous, but Bush and his NeoCon backers have put our nation on the first step toward our nation being split into something like Fascism and Resistance factions. Only if action is taken immediately, can this trend toward dictatorship and inevitable rebellion be reversed.Posted by Timesurfer on December 20, 2005 at 01:50 AMEquating Bush with a Communist regime would really piss him off. There parallels are there, for sure, for sure. I get tired of them calling people with a sense of social responsibility "Commies". Any communist government you study has more parallels with the Bushies, than with any liberal or progressive ideas.Is he trying to copy the Chinese regime? Or maybe North Korea's "Dear Leader". (Get rid of the poor, let them exercise their right to starve to death.)As rabid anti-communists as the Republicans were during the Cold War, it would really get the far right's goat. (chuckle, chuckle, chuckle).I like it.
Posted by Butte on December 27, 2005 at 12:24 PM~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`If they were all that smart, would they be Republicans?If your idea of patriotism is goose-stepping along with the party of greed and corruption and telling everyone not to ask questions, then you sure as hell aren't in the habit of thinking. You are supposed to be nice to the cognitively challenged. But you don't have to believe their crap.
Posted by Butte on December 29, 2005 at 05:17 PMLets recap Bush's reign
+ One stolen election.+ China knocks down our spy plane, Geo W apologizes.+ Wasn't defending the Homeland, 3000 Americans killed in worst security lapse in US history.+ Failed to react quickly enough, perpetrators still on the loose.+ Politicized National defense, ran ugliest reelection campaign ever.+ Rejected 500 years of international law, invaded Iraq illegally.+ Failed to listen to military experts, had no plans in place to secure Iraq. Led to chaos, and present insurgency.+ Osama Bin Laden is now forgotten, but I doubt he has forgotten us.+ Economy is in the crapper, median incomes are down over 5 years, market indexes are down over 5 years, and Americans are running out of home equity to keep refinancing debts.
Posted by JohnNei on December 29, 2005 at 06:34 PMTruth Monger:
Bush is a corporate governing fascist who broke the law through three (3) types of FRAUD, in fact, to get appointed President. Now, Bush certainly could care less what laws he breaks.
Through control of both houses of Congress, it is Bush and his administration's intention to make legal all corporate corruption and all Bush and his administration's corruption of the law so all crooney corporate corruption as well as all of Bush's corruption will go unpunished. Bush and his croonies choose to treat corporate corruption like teen age juveniles; while holding to the strict letter of the law for the average Joe; so presenting his illegitimate fraudulent self as the true President of the United States; when, with the exception of fraud, Bush actually lost both elections. Don't you ever watch television? The story has been on television.
You will never hear the political truth in reference to the average person listening to the propaganda of the autocratic, Corporate Media Channels that represent the new Bush aristocracy.
But the democratic 9400 channels on DISH Satellite seek to get the unvarnished truth to the average person. Thank God for DISH-TV, especially FSTV (FREE SPEECH Television) and LINK TV.Posted by Martha on December 30, 2005 at 04:15 AMThese pretty much sum up all the arguments going on today. Now here’s another pile of shit that is starting to percolate with valid questions that need answering. It makes a lot of sense after the findings on the JFK murder, and the totally illegal Kent State shootings.
This is from Wimp.comhttp://www.wimp.com/doll/ http://www.wimp.com/bushconspiracy/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you’ve taken the time to read these and visit the wimp site video, by this time you should be irate fighting mad. If you’re not there’s no hope for you, because you haven’t been paying attention.
Any predictions?
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I have a Plan
News articles have said Bush's warrant less eavesdropping reportedly targeted between 500 and 1,000 people a year? The practice has been going on since before 9/11 2001. From what I’ve read the tally is closer to millions of innocent citizens who’s rights have been violated in the past half-century by one means or another. Bush just didn’t get warrants from the secretive Kangaroo court set up to give warrants for just that purpose. Looks to me like we need a major house cleaning in Washington. Let’s just begin at the top and continue on until all the fat cats, and paid cronies are cleaned out of the house and senate; then move on into our court system and restore our rights.
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Excerpt from Slate Magazine article:
Tinker, Tailor, Miner, Spy Why the NSA’s snooping is unprecedented in scale and scope. By Shane Harris and Tim Naftali Posted Tuesday, January 3, 2006, at 6:30 AM ET
The Times
reported that the companies have granted the NSA access to their all-important switches, the hubs through which colossal volumes of voice calls and data transmissions move every second. A former telecom executive told us that efforts to obtain call details go back to early 2001, predating the 9/11 attacks and the president's now celebrated secret executive order. The source, who asked not to be identified so as not to out his former company, reports that the NSA approached U.S. carriers and asked for their cooperation in a "data-mining" operation, which might eventually cull "millions" of individual calls and e-mails. Like the pressure applied to ITT a half-century ago!They have spied on (we have to assume innocence until proven guilty by a court of law) “3,000 to millions” of totally innocent American citizens.
Are their/your/my rights less important than the rest of the country’s innocent American citizens? Excerpt from Slate Magazine article:
Listening In and Naming Names The old tricks of the National Security Agency. By Patrick Radden Keefe Posted Tuesday, December 20, 2005, at 3:22 PM ET
The following year, as Washington began its full-court press for an invasion of Iraq, the NSA launched a surge of eavesdropping on delegates to the U.N. Security Council in New York. The operation was revealed when an English eavesdropper leaked an NSA e-mail requesting British assistance in the effort. It was a front-page story in Europe and around the world, but the American press didn't run with it, showing a level of deference to NSA secrecy matched only by Congress. Never mind that the eavesdropping took place in Manhattan and violated the General Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the Headquarters Agreement for the United Nations, and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, all of which the United States has signed.Our political parties are scratching their heads, not knowing what should be done to bring our troops home. I hear comments like it’s a no win situation. Sorry, but I’m an optimist and I still believe in our founders system of self-government, here in the United States of America.
I have a plan for them.
If we set our own political structure right, we can bring our troops home holding their/our heads high, and walk away from “
the war that should never have been”. We can once again be the shining example of Democracy in action. We will restore our citizenry’s faith and restore faith in our country by other Nations. We will show the world we aren’t heartless warmongers, and what is capable of happening in a truly Democratic Republic even when elected leaders jack their constituents around.
If we believe: - More in our founding beliefs than we do in partisanships.
- We must honor our heritage more than false loyalties to unworthy leaders.
- Our laws are for all our citizens to protect and to defend not just our soldiers.
- We have a moral duty to our children to insure and promote their futures.
- We will not tolerate unlawful spying on our own citizens.
Then the simple act of taking control of our own country can allow us to be proud and free once more.
Come on people, let’s bring our soldiers back from all over the world and put them to rebuilding, protecting and caring for our own ravaged country here at home.
Labels: Editorial Comment
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