The Stones, Otis Redding, Ronnie James Dio - Arts and Music News 17 May 2010

Rockin' guitar by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: The latest news is that the old news has resurfaced and become new news. :) What's classic and good gets a second hit at the bat. Artists The Stones, Otis Redding and Kris Kristofferson are re-releasing old hits and albums. Kristofferson features the famous Janis Joplin hit song, "Me and Bobby McGee." The Stones, well, are The Stones forever. Once a fan always a fan like The Deadheads. Sounds like the new album version did not mess too much with the core of who they are musically. Love 'em or hate 'em they are still rockin' on as old men.

Now artist Otis Redding has always been a fav with me because he never ruined his voice like rockers do. Early in his career he realized and utilized the human voice as an instrument. Can you imagine what was going on inside his head as he experimented musically with this revelation? Would have loved to see him write all those goings on down on paper.

And to the heavy metal fans there is the passing of Ronnie James Dio. Did you know his voice was never professionally trained? Yet his was a powerful voice and oh, so melodic. It was most unusual to develop to that level without training. He passed away after a bout with stomach cancer.

Included here is one of Otis Redding's songs, "Satisfaction," and a couple of clips to enjoy Ronnie James Dio one last time.


Old Music Gets A New Life: Reissues From The '60s And '70s (NPR)

...the re-release of albums from The Rolling Stones, Kris Kristofferson and Otis Redding. The first, long considered a masterpiece in the world of rock 'n' roll, is Exile on Main Street... The new version of Exile on Main Street pays homage to the original, but leaves the mixes and the essence of the album alone. There's still chaos, but at its core, it's the same..

Kris Kristofferson is also issuing a new release of his collection from the late '60s, Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends... The release includes his iconic song "Me and Bobby McGee," made famous by Janis Joplin...

Finally, Otis Redding's Live on the Sunset Strip compiles live performances from the legendary L.A. club the Whisky A Go-Go, originally released in 1966. At 24, Redding epitomized the idea of the human voice as instrument...





Ronnie James Dio: Remembering A Vocal Cannon (NPR)

Ronnie James Dio was a voice of triumph in the pits of heavy metal's bitterness and depravity. An untrained vocalist, Dio possessed a melodic and powerful voice; as much a siren as it was a clarion call of heavy-metal fantasy. After a six-month struggle with stomach cancer, Dio died Sunday morning. He was 67.









*** For more posts like this please visit Dennys Art Sanctuary!






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Check Out 2 Funny Posts 2 Get U Thru the Work Week

British Petroleum giving "face" to President Obama about paying for their oil spill


From Denny: Check out some funnies and hike on over to one of my other blogs, The Social Poets, for some mid-work week fun!


Funny Volcano and Weather Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day 19 May 2010 - Funny volcano and weather quotes, jokes, political cartoons and funny video all designed to make you laugh til your boss fires you for "excessive merriment."

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 17 May 2010 - Chock full of funny video clips from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and Betty White on SNL as well as the late night show jokes and quips.


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Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs - 16 May 2010

Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr


From Denny: This sure has been quite the week with the drama unfolding out in the Gulf of Mexico with the BP oil spill off my Louisiana coast. The cartoonists have had great fun lampooning the various lies and finger pointing from the CEOs involved. The better news is that BP is finally making a bit of headway on corralling some of the oil for clean up, siphoning it into a tanker.

Some headway is better than nothing and at least it has slowed down the rate of gushing oil and natural gas for the moment. Definitely better than using an atomic bomb to blow up the well like the crazy Russians suggested. There's a plan. Nuke the Gulf of Mexico and irradiate the ocean waters for the next thousand years. Fortunately, BP and the government are contemplating lesser crazy options.

As a result of the oil spill there are countless great political cartoons and funny videos by the likes of Colbert to enjoy. And Betty White was the toast of late night TV on SNL after turning in some hilarious performances. She then proceeded to go out all night carousing with the SNL cast after the show. She's almost 89 years old and there's no time to waste for having fun! :)






The Social Poets:


BP Oil Spill Funny Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Love Gift Poem - Libations Friday 14 May 2010

3 Funny Videos: Hilarious Betty White On SNL, Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party

Funny Wall Street Quotes and Jokes, Stewart Lampoons Wall Street - Cheeky Quote Day 12 May 2010

One Million Homeowners Walked Away: Can It Kill Our Economy?

Video: The Case For Walking Away From Your Mortgage

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 10 May 2010

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Conservative Preacher and His Rentboy

Funny Video: Stewart Slams Media, BP, And Hypocritical Politicians For Oil Spill Response

Funny Video: 2010 White House Correspondents Dinner with Prez Obama

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

Dennys Global Politics:


World Economy Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Russians Say Nuke BP Oil Spill, Hordes Leaving Facebook, Big Business Cheats, Obamas Tax Reform - News Headlines 13 May 2010

BP Found Cheating, Auto Dealers Sleazing Public, Voters Oust Porkers, Haiti Charities Stingy - News Headlines 12 May 2010

Hedge Fund Short Selling Caused Market Dive, Cameron New Brit PM, Govt Changes Approach to Oil Oversight - News Headlines 11 May 2010

Woman Chosen 4 Supreme Court, BP Sprays Chemicals into Oil Spill, Obscene Exec Perks - News Headlines 10 May 2010




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


3 Quotes: Have You Validated Yourself Recently?

3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World

Are You Stuck in Life Not Knowing Where to Go Next?

Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?

Mothers Day Quote: The Funny Stages of Motherhood

4 Special Quotes to Anchor Your Dreams




Food Blogs:


Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

Sweet Breakfasts: Caramel Pecan Buns, Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

See Cartoons by Cartoon by J.D. Crowe - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

Humor blogs:


Funny Video: Colbert On BP Oil Containment - No One Knows What The Flock They're Doing

Funny Video: Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party Hypocrisy

Funny Video: Betty White On SNL Monologue

Funny Video: Betty White, SNL Golden Girls Lampoon Lawrence Welk Show

Funny Video: Cover Up Your Sex Scandal With A New Batch Of Euphemisms

Terrorism and Times Square, Immmigration Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010




Visual Insights photo blog:


Supreme Court Nominee Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Dennys Funny Photo Gallery: The Nose Knows




The Healing Waters and The Soul Calendar:


Injuries During Sex, Miracle Baby, Bad Drug Ad Snitches Wanted - Health News Stories - 14 May 2010

Funny Wall Street Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010



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Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

From Denny: On one of my visual coffee breaks I found the most beautiful garden views. From Japanese garden landscapes to intimate closeups to Zen styled photoshopped there is something joyful and meditative for everyone to enjoy! I especially like the key hole views where you peer into a walled garden...




Garden Gate in Shanghai, China by d'n'c @ flickr






Curled fern leaf by backbackphotography @ flickr






Cute garden lizard by williamcho @ flickr






"Flutterby" Butterfly on clover blossom by tanakawho @ flickr






Humorous English garden sculpture by Crinklecrankle.com @ flickr






Le jardin provençaux de Pierre Bergé by hortulus @ flickr






Rain bucket with lotus blossom by backpackphotography @ flickr






Waterfall in Japanese garden by backpackphotography @ flickr






Red garden clogs by nadine nadeau @ flickr






Rusted Garden Gate by MyArtfulLife @ flickr






Kylemore Abbey garden door by slideshow bob @ flickr






Entry into walled garden by recursion_see_recursion @ flickr






Magic garden by Randy Son Of Robert @ flickr






Zen garden photoshop by h.koppdelaney @ flickr






Colorful Rock Garden by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr





A beautiful blooming walk by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr


*** Be sure to pay a visit to all these photographers to see what else they offer! Just click on the links beneath their photos.

*** For more photo posts like this please visit Visual Insights!


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3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World

From Denny: Lately, the way the economy has been shifting continually under our feet, never knowing what to expect from month to month, it's a good idea to cultivate a positive attitude. After all, what does a negative attitude get us beyond a moment of acting like a safety valve to blow off frustration and anger?

The problem comes when we stay stuck in anger and frustration. When Life seems to be constantly coming at you - and you know darned well it isn't Lady Karma paying a visit but you have to deal with it anyway - catch your balance by giving yourself and your loved ones around you a refocus.

It's important for us not to react to situations but rather step back, slow down, think and then, after pondering for a while, even a few days, to then act. And when you do act, act in progressive stages, a slow step at a time and observe how the situation presents itself.

As you slow down the resolution of the issue you will be able to clearly see which step is the best to take and which step to succeed that one. Eventually, you work your way through the problem or situation. It seems to be in our American DNA that we want instant gratification and instant one step solutions to complex problems. Well, Life just doesn't work that way or they wouldn't call it "spiritual testing." :)

What's also important for our refocus is to remember we didn't come into this world just to pay bills but rather to impact our world in a positive light. In order to successfully fulfill ourselves we need to quit allowing others to keep our emotions in a tail spin like the tail wagging the dog.

We are spiritual people living in a physical world not the other way around. We have more power to address our circumstances if we only take the time to listen inwardly to our spiritual heart that contains all the wisdom of the ages and the universe.

To finish our refocus when Life presses in make sure to add Hope to the list. Hope keeps our attitude from falling off a cliff into despair. It's also a reminder that just as our situation changed for the negative or chaotic it will change again into the positive and the peaceful - if only we will focus upon that good thought. In no time Life will greet us with our positive focus as if to say, "I don't know what you were stressing about. See? You knew what to do all along and everything worked out right."


Quotes


* We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world. - Woodrow Wilson

* We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance. - Benjamin Disraeli

* Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit. - Norman Vincent Peale



*** For more spiritual thoughts please visit Beautiful Illustrated Quotations!

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Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

From Denny: Who doesn't love brownies? If more people fought wars with brownies instead of bullets there would be no squabbles worth fighting! :)

Here's a recipe I ran across in our local newspaper when they were doing a cookbook review on a Food and Wine cookbook that features the best recipes from many recently published cookbooks. This recipe really loads you up on chocolate: semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, mini-chocolate chips and then toffee chips. Whew! A serious download of chocolate and intense flavor. Sounds like pure Heaven.

Remember to stick with unsalted butter as the chocolate chips already have some salt in them - and eggs have natural salt in them too. Trust the recipe; you don't need to add any more salt.

There's also a link to my Amazon store where you can purchase the book at a discounted rate. Never pay retail is my motto! :)




From: “The Art and Soul of Baking” by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet

From Amazon review:

2009 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner! Nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.

Sur La Table teamed with pastry chef and baking teacher Cindy Mushet to bring you the ultimate guide to baking. Beautiful photographs and more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes lead you into a world of alluring aromas and light, flaky pastries. Illustrated asides take you step by step through important techniques, from carmelizing sugar to working with croissant dough. Plus, you'll find invaluable information on over 100 ingredients and 50 baker's tools. A true pleasure for anyone who loves to bake.

Each selection of the Gourmet Cookbook Club is handpicked and road-tested by the editors of Gourmet magazine, so readers can cook with confidence, knowing the recipes really do deliver. Online at Gourmet Book Club you can find videos of the authors demonstrating recipes, share your thoughts on the cookbooks in the forums, and learn more about each book's topic.

BENEFITS:

* The ultimate book for bakers.

* Professional tips and tricks are made easy for the home baker.

* Step-by-step techniques of baking.

* 100 photographs, 250 foolproof recipes and variations, and information on over 100 popular baking ingredients and over 50 pieces of baking equipment.






Check out this recipe from the cookbook:


Triple Chocolate-Toffee Brownies


Ingredients:

6 ozs. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
1 cup toffee bits
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the edges.

2. In a medium glass bowl, microwave semisweet and un-sweetened chocolates at high power in 30-second intervals until melted, about 2 minutes. In small bowl, whisk flour with baking powder and salt.

3. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Beat in the milk and vanilla at low speed. Beat in the flour mixture, then beat in 2/3 of the toffee bits and the minichocolate chips until evenly distributed.

4. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

5. Set brownies on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownie out of the pan; cut into squares and serve.


Make ahead: Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Authors’ note: Toffee bits are available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets, but you can also crush up a toffee bar for this recipe (even a chocolate-covered one will work.)



*** For more chocolate recipes like this please visit Romancing The Chocolate!


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Funny Video: Hilarious SNL Host Betty White

Photo by tansan @ flickr


From Denny: As an actress and comedian, who knew you could be blessed with popularity in your old age? Betty White is enjoying her tenure at Saturday Nite Live and on funny TV ads. Though I've never watched her Golden Girls TV show reruns or the original, whenever I have seen her in interview or previews our house laughed so much we couldn't believe it came out of her mouth. The woman knows how to deliver a funny line.

SNL gave her the spotlight for the monologue and she put on her Betty White comedy track shoes and ran with it. She is almost 89 years old and still going strong. She also went out carousing and drinking all night long with the SNL cast after the show. Like what does she have to lose? She's pushing 90 and she might as well enjoy the time she has left on the planet. :)

In her monologue she referenced the Facebook campaign and basically ripped on Facebook as a total time waster with a "who the hell is facebook?" cheeky grinned comment. "In my day, seeing pictures of people's vacations, was considered a punishment." She's still right about that one. :)






Here's Betty White and Tina Fey together in a census sketch. Betty plays the role of crazy resident. Of course, she nailed it with her usual deft comedic panache.






*** For more funny videos like this please visit:

Dennys Funny Quotes

Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd


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