It's That Time Again

It starts this coming weekend! Yes, yes, yes. A little game called football. Oh boy!

I love to watch football, especially college football. The professionals are good, but college football is a game packed with emotion. College players are subject to instant mood swings. A bad play, especially on defense, and all of a sudden the team looks lousey. A good play on either offense or defense and they play like they are world champions.

That's what I like about college football. On any given Saturday in the United States the underdog can stomp the dickens out of the favored team. It doesn't happen often, but it happens enough to make the game fun to watch. Just ask Michigan.

Yep, football starts this coming weekend. Ready, set, hut, hut, hut....ouch that hurt! Oh but it's fun, let's do it again! If the game is on, don't even ask unless it's an emergency with unexplained blood. Gooooooo Teaaaaaam!

A New Cold War ?

Russia has been doing some serious saber rattling lately. I’m no expert on world affairs, but I do recognize the symptoms of a cold war. At this point, the cold war flu is in it’s infancy stage. Whether or not it matures and becomes contagious depends on a number of heads of states.

Russia has sided with Iran on the nuclear issue. Russia made a brief soirée into Georgia to show it can flex it’s muscles in the region. Let’s face it. Russia is king of the hill in it’s area. They could probably successfully take on several of their neighbors at once and still win.

I’m not privy to the inner workings of our Department of State, but I am somewhat taken back at their adolescent attitude toward Russia’s actions. Basically we told them they had to get out of Georgia or we would diplomatically embarrass them in front of the world.

Then the U.S., who has been working on the missile defense shield in eastern Europe, came to an agreement with Poland to allow some of the missiles to be sited there. In addition, the U.S. committed to providing Poland with other missiles which could be used for “defensive” purposes.

Does anyone remember when Russia wanted to place missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the U.S.? The U.S. response was swift and powerful. We convinced the Russians that we were willing to go to war to defend our country from such close proximity of enemy missiles.

The missiles we plan to put in Poland are just 115 miles from Russia. For years we have talked about the missile defense shield and for years the Russians have complained about the project.

Now Russia is threatening what amounts to military action if we proceed with placing missiles in Poland.

A cold war is not a very pleasant environment. In a cold war both sides have weapons pointed at each other. Defenses are on the highest stage of alert and all it takes is one itchy finger on a hair trigger to bring on Armageddon.

I hope we don’t let our foreign relations backslide to the era of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Let's cure this disease before it gets out of hand.

The Blah's

I've really had the blah's lately and don't know why. Well, I do and I don't. Don't ask me to explain.

I felt like I needed to post something to get the Chocolate Cake recipe off the front page. It's a very good cake if you are inclined to take the time to make it from scratch.

Work is both plus and minus these days. Got a lot on my mind and this darn election is not helping at all. At times my plate seems a bit lopsided and seldom on the plus side.

One thing is consistent in all this inconsistency, my wife loves me and shows it every day. I'm a lucky guy.

A long time ago, I learned about bio-rhythms. For a while I tracked my bio-rhythms on a daily basis. I just checked it again. I'm down in all three categories. Maybe that's the cause of the funk.

In case you're wondering, that's about as accurate as my horoscope. But, I do know airlines have used bio-rhythms to help schedule their pilots. So, maybe there really is something to it.

Hopefully it will get better soon.

Chocolate Cake Recipe

This takes a little time, but the reward is well worth it.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake (triple layer)

Ingredients Cake:
1 c. unsifted unsweetened cocoa
2 c. boiling water
2 ¾ c. sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
1 c. butter
2½ c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients Frosting:
1 six oz. package of semisweet chocolate pieces
½ c. light cream
1 c. butter
2½ c. unsifted confectioners’ sugar

Ingredients Filling:
1 c. heavy cream chilled
¼ cup unsifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 oz. seedless raspberry spreadable fruit

Directions: Cake

In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely.

Sift flour with soda, salt, and baking powder.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well and lightly flour three 9 by 1½ inch layer cake pans.

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light—about 5 minutes at high speed. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternating with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

Divide evenly into pans. Bake 25 to 30 minute, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Then remove to wire racks to complete cooling.

Directions: Frosting

In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter; stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Pour into pyrex glass bowl. With whisk, blend in
2½ c. confectioners’ sugar.

Set bowl over ice and beat until it holds shape. May require adding more confectioners’ sugar.

Directions: Filling

Whip cream with sugar and vanilla, refrigerate. Soften spreadable raspberry fruit.

Assembly:

Place a layer top side down. Spread with half of spreadable fruit. Then spread with half of cream. Place second layer, top side down. Spread with remainder of spreadable fruit and cream. Place top layer top side up.

Frost sides first, then top. If frosting is too thick, put in microwave for a few seconds to soften.

Yield: Enough for 10 to 12 people.

Signs of the Times

Recently I’ve noticed some unbelievable discounts on SUV’s. One dealer is offering $9,000 off, another $10,010 off and still another $12,000 off. I don’t know what kind of interest rate those discounted prices carry, but I bet you can get a great deal if you will just take that guzzler off the dealer’s hands.

It’s amazing that the big three American automakers have told Congress over and over that they would need 10-15 years to decrease their fleet gas mileage. They even had the rules set so cars built on a truck frame did not count in the total fleet mileage.

Now, like a miracle, our American big three are producing automobiles that are advertised to rival the foreign manufacturers in gas mileage. In fact the rush is on for the American big three to produce hybrid automobiles to try to catch up with the competition.

Before buying one of those American hybrids, you better check closely. Some only get two or three miles more per gallon than the non-hybrid models. Granted some American hybrids are well engineered but a whole lot are lacking in the best technology.

Still, it is unbelievable how fast the foot dragging American big three can rise to the occasion when the public demands it. And all these years we’ve been told it was near impossible. Maybe the next lesson will be how to make a profit.

Why Not?

Yes, we have laws that provide for handicapped access to public buildings. Yes we have laws to help handicapped people who suffered discrimination. We have codes that require sidewalks to be wheel chair accessible. All these things are good.

But what we don’t have is physically disabled people serving on policy making boards and commissions. For example, look at the State Board of Education. Having a physically handicapped person on the board would help educate others on the board and would go a long way in providing awareness of existing obstacles, not just physically, but also emotionally.

There are literally hundreds of boards on the State level where members are appointed by the Governor or some other public official. Boards like the Governor’s Commission on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Commission for Volunteer Service, the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women, The Mississippi Arts Commission, the Mississippi Humanities Council, Mississippi Library Commission, Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, Mississippi State Personnel Board, Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, and more.

Every Community and Junior College in the State has an appointed Board of Trustees. Every community has a Planning and Development Board, a Zoning Commission or Board, and an Architectural Review Board.

Banks and newspapers have citizens serving in some advisory capacities. Hospital volunteer organizations should be able to reach out to get disabled persons involved.

These are just a few of the boards, commissions, or organizations which could benefit from having a physically disabled person as a member. And by having such a member, they will become acutely aware of the needs and challenges facing our productive, tax paying citizens who just happen to have a physical disability.

Would it be an imposition to ask that one position on each of the boards and commissions be filled by a person with a physical disability?