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Apr. 13th, 2009 @ 12:43 am Mom's apple pie illegal at Pennsylvania potlucks
Current Location: 22043
Churches squealing on other churches to the PA health inspector over pies? It wasn't you, was it [info]timcub? *grins*


http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/10/moms-apple-pie-illegal-at-pennsylvania-potlucks/?icid=main|main|dl7|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2F10%2Fmoms-apple-pie-illegal-at-pennsylvania-potlucks%2F

Mom's apple pie illegal at Pennsylvania potlucks
Tom Barlow
Apr 10th 2009 at 1:00PM

Pity the poor health department inspector; no-one notices him until people come down with food poisoning. It should come as no surprise, then, that they snap sometimes and go overboard . They really went overboard at a Catholic Church dinner in Rochester, PA when they declared the home-made pies donated by parishioners to serve at the Lenten fish-fry illegal.

The inspector pointed out that a state law requires that any food served at a facility that hosts more than three food events a year has to be prepared in a state-inspected kitchen. The inevitable uproar has sparked calls for a change in the law. Meanwhile other churches continue to serve these pirate pies. The most disturbing part of this story, though, is
the report that churches are now squealing on one another to the state, not a very ecumenical way to act during the season of Lent.

State health regulations covering home-prepared foods aren't uncommon. For example, Ohio offers a home bakery license for $10 a year, pending an inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Food Safety people. However, few health departments normally take the time and headache to bust church dinners and the like for minor transgressions. Since this inspector's boss told the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that the department had cited only one church since 2006, I have to believe that this inspector must have had an agenda. Perhaps he had been chewed out at work earlier that day for lax enforcement, or was fighting a losing battle with his waistline.

Either way, requiring even an inexpensive license and inspection is enough to convince some home-bakers to quit donating their pies for fundraisers. And that would be a shame, because the world can always use more good pies.
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Mar. 3rd, 2009 @ 03:33 pm Ask the Ham!
Current Location: 22304
Current Mood: Bored
Current Music: Juanes - La Camisa Negra (Robbie Rivera Juicy Mix)
Since I'm currently bored to tears at work, I'll hop on the bandwagon and see if anyone else wants to join me.

Pose any question you'd like to direct to me, and I'll provide you with a response.

Multiple questions? Sure - come on down!

Questions posted via LJ will not be screened - if you have a private question for me, shoot me an e-mail at hirsutedude @ yahoo dot com.

Depending on the nature of each query, I reserve the right to respond privately to the questioner.
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Feb. 24th, 2009 @ 02:40 pm Happy Pancake Day!!
Current Location: 22304
Current Mood: Hungry
Current Music: Solange - Sandcastle Disco
http://www.kansas.com/topstories/story/710325.html

BY BECCY TANNER
The Wichita Eagle

A Wichita State University student is the new winner of today's International Pancake Day Race.

Tasha Gallegos, whose hometown is Liberal, ran the race in a record 57.9 seconds. She bested England's winner Jane Hughes, who set a new record time across the ocean at 62 seconds. The event marks Shrove Tuesday in the towns of Liberal, Kan., and Olney in Buckinghamshire, England.

This is the 60th time the communities have competed for the claim of having the fastest pancake flippers.

So far, Liberal leads with 34 wins over Olney's 25.

Last year's winner of the International Pancake Day Race was Amanda Curtis, 18, a senior at Liberal High School. Curtis had a time of 1 minute, 6.3 seconds.

According to legend, Olney Pancake Race began on Shrove Tuesday in 1445. When U.S. magazine Time did a feature on the Olney race in 1950, Liberal challenged the town to a friendly trans-Atlantic competition. It has been a rivalry since, and the event has turned into a four-day celebration in Liberal.

Olney's temperatures are in the mid-40s; while Liberal's have top 60 degrees by noon.

The balmy temperatures drew record crowds to Liberal, located in the far corner of southwestern Kansas.

"People are in shirt sleeves and light jackets. It's great!" said Jo Ann Combs, executive secretary for the International Pancake Day Race.

Gallegos was one of 16 runners in the Liberal race; Hughes was one of 24.

The pancake celebration also drew the attention of other races and events.

One of the participants in the Shrove Tuesday Last Chance Race was an 81-year-old woman who won the first Liberal race in 1950. Billie Warden carried the same skillet and wore the same apron she wore in the 1950 race. Warden walked to complete the race.

Among Warden's competition this year was her 52-year-old daughter Alicia Bird as well as 1964 Pancake Day Race winner Grace Riggs.
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Jan. 12th, 2009 @ 03:20 pm (no subject)
Current Location: 22304
Current Music: Sarah McLeod - White Horse (Whelan and Discala Mix)
Hmmmmm, since [info]huggybeardc asked for our 2008 lists...

Music: Are these the "best" songs of 2008, musically speaking? Far from it, given that the majority of the music I listen to is featured on dance airplay radio. But they do get me to increase the volume while driving and generally put me in a good move and groove, sometimes even eliciting extremely bad singing from my lungs and vocal cords. Why 15 songs? At about four minutes a pop, 15 songs equate to one hour of driving.


Ham's Top 15 "Turn Up The Volume While Driving" Songs of 2008
15. Kreesha Turner - Don't Call Me Baby
14. Rihanna - Disturbia
13. AnnaGrace - You Make Me Feel
12. Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
11. Brandy - Right Here (Departed)
10. Michelle Williams - Hello Heartbreak
9. Alex Gaudino feat. Shena McSween-Winchester - Watch Out
8. Sarah McLeod - White Horse (Whelan and Discala Mix)
7. Lucas Prata feat. George Lamond - Something About You
6. Booty Luv - Some Kinda Rush
5. Ne-Yo - Closer (Stonebridge Edit)
4. Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis - Just Dance
3. Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil' Wayne - Let It Rock
2. Bellatrax feat. Sophia May - I Can't Help Myself (Sunfreakz Edit)
1. Ida Corr vs. Fedde Le Grand - Let Me Think About It

NB: I likely would have included Calabria 2008 by Enur feat. Natasja Saad in the lower echelon of this list, but given that Target used it in an TV ad featuring dueling decorating dorm-mates, I had to recuse the tune lest it seem that I'm favouring one of my employers. In addition, [info]huggybeardc hates the song. LOL!


Best Movies of 2008:
- In order to make an adequate comparison, it would have required me seeing more than 5 movies in theatres during the year. That did not occur.


Five Entities that can "Suck It and Disappear" as a result of their appearance, performance, and/or actions in 2008:

Maverick - Only James Garner and the 1970's Ford compact sports car can sport this name.

Brett Favre - Why not try Detroit next?

Capital One/Chevy Chase Bank - Three months of tests and interviews, and all I get is a PFO e-mail less than a day after the last set of interviews, which were over four hours in length?

Verizon Wireless - Charge me $19.99/MB for my mobile phone's web service after mysteriously removing it from my plan when I added more monthly minutes of usage?

Air Canada - Change my flight time to Nova Scotia without notification, in spite of having provided you three phone numbers and two e-mail addresses to contact me in such an event?
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Nov. 13th, 2008 @ 10:30 am Small town wedding reception
Current Location: 22304
Current Mood: Amused, but not surprised
Current Music: Elmer Bernstein - "Magnificent 7" Theme
Oakhill is a small community a short fifteen minute drive away from my hometown of Lunenburg, NS, and, like many small communities, it has a volunteer fire department and a corresponding fire hall which serves as host to many public and private functions. Yesterday morning, the Oakhill fire hall itself caught on fire, with the damage confined to the kitchen area.

In addition to providing a bit of irony ("It's a building," said Fire Capt. Greg Welsh, and can catch fire just like any other.), it created a bit of panic for Laura Weagle, who is scheduled to use the fire hall for her wedding reception this coming Saturday. Unable to secure an alternate location, she was assured the fire hall would be ready for her 5:00 PM reception with the use of ventilation fans and smoke-eating spray.

But wouldn't the lack of a kitchen pose a problem for the preparation and serving of food at a wedding reception?

"The kitchen is not usable, but Ms. Weagle said she is having the reception catered by Kentucky Fried Chicken so that won't be an issue."

KFC for a wedding reception - small town wedding indeed.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1089996.html
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Nov. 6th, 2008 @ 10:14 am In lieu of a proper update...
Current Location: 22304
Current Mood: Stuffed up
Current Music: Carl Orff - "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana
... let's have an automated system provide you with minor insight into my life, or lack thereof.

fun quiz for myspace profile and blog

Lets101 Quizzes - Myspace Quizzes For Fun

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Oct. 24th, 2008 @ 10:05 pm Doesn't look like Maude or Dorothy...
Current Location: 22043
Maryland Terps Offensive Lineman: #71 - Bearthur Johnson, 6'6", 350 lb

Seriously? Bearthur Johnson?

Seriously? Bearthur as a given name?

http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/johnson_bearthur00.html
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Oct. 24th, 2008 @ 12:39 pm For metro DC fans of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa:
Current Location: 22304
Current Mood: Calm
Current Music: Chris Cornell feat. Timbaland - Scream
Meet Ina Garten as she signs her new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Sur La Table
Pentagon Row
1101 South Joyce Street
Arlington, Virginia 22202
703.414.3580

Books will be available to pre-purchase in the store starting Tuesday, October 28.
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Oct. 15th, 2008 @ 09:32 pm Whatever Martha!
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Amused
Current Music: Booty Luv - Some Kinda Rush
How did I manage to miss this show? Aired on the "Fine Living" network, it features Alexis Stewart (Martha's daughter) and her friend Jennifer viewing old clips of Martha's past television segments and commenting bitchily, cattily, and sarcastically about them. Alexis especially enjoys referencing how horrible her childhood really was, such as how Martha never let Alexis make crisped rice squares as a child (this was noted while Martha was making a batch of them modified with Fruit Loops and Captain Crunch).

At the end of the 9:00 - 9:30 PM episode this evening, Jennifer and Alexis had an extended commentary about booty calls. Definitely not Martha, indeed. *grins*
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Oct. 1st, 2008 @ 10:42 pm Brief musings
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Horny
Current Music: Estelle - American Boy (Soulseekerz Radio Edit)
1. I've misheard the lyrics to the current release from the Pussycat Dolls, "When I Grow Up"

Actual words from the chorus:
When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have groupies

What I interpreted:
When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have boobies.

Well, it might be the ambition of some girls (and future tranny boys) to have boobies when they grow up.

2. Beating an HOV violation citation in traffic court is extremely satisfying, especially since it was based on a technicality (the officer recorded the incorrect date on the report). The judge dismissed the charges, granting me the benefit of the doubt, but did deliver a stern lecture on the evils of driving on I-66 during HOV hours. Hey, I'll take a lecture over a $187.00 fee any day ($125 fine plus $62.00 court fee).

3. Have been working a temporary position with a broadband satellite firm in Herndon, VA. Given a significant end-of-Q3 deadline for the firm, I ended up working the past 21 days straight, including from 7 AM to 12 midnight the past nine of them. While me working again is a good thing, the extensive hours have left little time for, um, gratification. Given the lack of any likely prospects on the horizon, I suspect I'll be taking matters into hand with some good old porn instead. Any suggestions on any particularly stimulating recent releases?
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Aug. 1st, 2008 @ 06:04 pm "Farewell To Nova Scotia"
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Homesick
Current Music: Stan Rogers - Farewell To Nova Scotia


Yes, dreary is traditionally pronounced drear-RYE in the context of this song.
A view of the harbour of my hometown, Lunenburg, appears for ten seconds at the 1:41 mark.

Aerial view of Old Town Lunenburg, its harbour, and First Peninsula in the background at the top of the photograph. The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is found in the center extreme left side of the image, while Lunenburg Academy can be seen in the top left.

Brief video highlighting Lunenburg's history and architecture.
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Jun. 15th, 2008 @ 12:14 pm The Women - 1939 AND 2008
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Anticipatory
Last night, Brendan and I sat down to watch "The Women", the 1939 film about the lives of New York City society women and how their malicious gossip and catty games fuel their existence. We had recorded the film on our DVR earlier this year (TCM aired it as part of a Joan Crawford birthday extravaganza in late March) but didn't get around to viewing the movie until last night - it seemed an appropriate activity to conduct during DC Pride. :-) Given the all-female cast (including the animals), strong characters, and continual flying verbal barbs, it's no surprise why it has become a favourite of gay men. Although I haven't found substantive proof, I suspect it's where the term "Mary" originated as an identifier for gay men. I'm sure I missed quite a bit during the viewing due to the fast-flowing dialogue, so I'll have to watch it a few more times to pick up more of the nuances - it won't be a hardship!

What might be a hardship, though, is the upcoming remake of the film, due out in September or October of this year and produced by Diane English (of "Murphy Brown" fame) and Mick Jagger(!). Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, and Eva Mendes reprise the roles of Mary (Norma Shearer), Sylvia (Rosalind Russell), and Crystal (Joan Crawford), and other performers include Bette Midler, Candice Bergen, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Carrie Fisher and Cloris Leachman. Given what I've seen of the trailer (http://www.thewomenthemovie.com/), I don't think it will hold a candle to the original, but I'd still rather see it than be forced to sit through the "Sex and The City" movie.

Happy DC Pride, everyone!!
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Jun. 10th, 2008 @ 03:34 pm As seen on [info]osobaboso's journal
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Hot!!
Current Music: Lady GaGa feat. Colby O'Donis - Just Dance
You are in a mall when the zombies attack. You have:

1. One weapon.
2. One song blasting on the speakers.
3. One famous person to fight alongside you.


Ans 1: Since it's what I'm most comfortable using, my big bitching meat cleaver. (I'd use the chainsaw my father insisted I learn how to use at age 10, but with fuel prices these days...)

Ans 2: To match my typical seething nature with occasional outbursts, I'd opt for "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette.

Ans 3: Anthony Hopkins - anyone who can portray a character that can maim, dismember, and kill without so much as breaking a sweat or experiencing a rise in blood pressure would be handy. One just needs to remember to be polite to him and offer quid pro quo information - he feeds on the free-range rude.
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Apr. 26th, 2008 @ 12:38 am Did you know...
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Amused
Current Music: Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand - Let Me Think About It
... that when you and your stoner posse of nine show up at 9:40 PM for a 9:40 PM showing of "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" on its opening night, and you discover you and your stoner posse of nine won't be able to all sit together since the theatre is already full and there aren't any available blocks of ten open seats, then that situation is "the suck"?

Overheard at the AMC Theatres in Tysons Corner, VA earlier this evening.
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Mar. 16th, 2008 @ 04:15 pm Stand up and cheer for old Acadia!!
Current Location: Windsor, ON
Current Mood: Excited
Current Music: CIS Basketball on The Score
I'm visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and niece for the weekend in Detroit/Windsor. It also happens to be my niece's 3rd birthday today, and the Canadian men's curling championship match (the Brier final) airs tonight at 6:30 PM. Right now, though, I'm watching the Canadian University men's basketball championship match.

My alma mater, Acadia University, lost the Atlantic men's basketball final a week ago, but were awarded a wildcard entry to the Final 8 Canadian championship tournament after being ranked #2 in the last coach's poll of the season. Seeded number 5, the Acadia Axemen defeated the 4 seed, the Rouge Et Or of Laval University of Quebec City Friday night, 85-77. Yesterday, they were up against the number 1 seed, 5-time defending Canadian champion Carleton University of Ottawa, who were 32-0 on the season heading into the game. Acadia pulled off the upset, managing to beat Carleton Ravens 82-80 in 2 overtimes. Awesome game!!

Today, Acadia meets the 7 seed, the Badgers of Brock University of St. Catharines, ON. At the half, Acadia leads 31-21. Go Axemen!! It's been 20 years since Acadia reached the championship match, and 31 years since they last won the title, in 1977 - long overdue if they end up winning!

UPDATE: *sigh* After giving their all last night, Acadia came up short in the final two quarters, losing 64-61 to Brock in the final. Maybe next year. :-)
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Feb. 21st, 2008 @ 10:25 am HUUUURRRRAAYYYYY!!! HURRRAAYYY HAAARRDDD!!!
Current Location: 22043
Current Music: David Guetta feat. Cozi - Baby When The Light
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/080211/topstories/curling_curling_rockstar_boss

Bon Jovi, the Boss closet curlers

Sex, drugs, guitars - and curling?

The Toronto Star reported Monday that NBC has acquired exclusive rights to launch 10 episodes of a proposed television show called Rockstar Curling.

Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, apparently closet curlers, are among the megastar rockers being courted to host it.

Citing unnamed sources, the Star said the two rock stars are among a group of entertainment types who rent arena time on occasion to pick up brooms instead of guitars.

Organizers are trying to negotiate a deal to get one of them involved in the proposed show, possibly as a host.

the series winners could wind up with a berth at the U.S. championships and perhaps at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

The concept was developed in partnership with a New York-based sports marketing firm, mktpartners, the newspaper said.

"The sport of curling is clutter-free compared to mainstream American sports sponsorship," Colin Campbell, Canadian president of mktpartners, told the Star. "Rockstar Curling is an excellent opportunity for brands to capture the attention of consumers, leading up to the Olympics."

Curling was a surprise hit for NBC during the last two Winter Olympics, once getting better ratings than an NHL playoff game at the same time the following day.

The show would begin with nationwide tryouts, continue with the 10 chosen contestants receiving six months of free training in Lake Placid, N.Y., and conclude with the Olympic trials in February 2009, according to the Star.
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Feb. 15th, 2008 @ 01:59 pm Valentine's Mailbox Redux
Current Location: 22043
Current Music: Faithless - Bombs
So let's take a looky-loo at the anonymous comments placed in my Valentine's post-box:

http://scotiabear.livejournal.com/29251.html#cutid1

6. lips like sugar, sugar kisses
- Song lyrics from Echo & The Bunnymen (and Seal, and Coldplay, and ...). It seems like this commenter is still stuck in the 80's. My lips are not made of sucrose, and unlike Canadian fashion, I'm not part of the "Me" Decade.

5. you had me at hello
- Hmmmmmmmm, Renee Zellweger's line from "Jerry Maguire". Oh, my surname is Maguire. Now I get it. *rolls eyes*

4. chocolate balls....mmmm
- Christ, am I ever going to live down the preparation of those damned chocolate covered peanut butter balls?

3. You remind me of Tim Curry
- Puzzling, very puzzling. Do I remind this person of Curry's role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (I knew those pictures as Hammy Faye Bakker would come back to haunt me), or do I evoke memories as a homicidal clown/spider, as the character Pennywise portrayed by Curry in Stephen King's "It"? Either way, it doesn't seem to be a positive association.

2. HOT HOT HOT!!!!!!!
- Buster Poindexter/David Johansen, I'm not.

1. Sprizen [sic] Sie in meine Öffnung
- To translate euphemistically, shoot/spray it in my opening. Moving on ....


Other than the interpretation of the Tim Curry comment, none of them seemed overly insulting. Pity. *grins*
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Feb. 13th, 2008 @ 01:37 pm Miscellany
Current Location: 22043
Current Music: Colton Ford feat. Cazwell - That's Me
A) On Monday evening after dining out with friends, the server made sure to remind our party to vote in the "Potomac Primaries" on Tuesday as we departed from the restaurant. Feeling mischievous, I replied, "I can't vote." I waited several seconds before adding, "I'm a felon!", with a big grin on my face. Seeing the flamboyant waiter's jaw drop (along with those of several other restaurant patrons), I quickly added, "No, no, just kidding. I'm just a Canadian." I've still yet to determine which identification drew more disgust from those involved, though I did overhear one female restaurant guest exclaim in a low voice, "Gee, THAT was awkward." LOL!!

B) TO GIVE AWAY - a Citizen bread machine, with all parts and the instruction manual. The loaf capacity is standard, one to one-and-one-half pounds. I simply don't use it (I prefer baking bread traditionally), and it is free for the taking by anyone in metro DC who wishes to come and claim it. Please respond to me directly at "scotiabear AT gmail dot com" if you would like the device - first response gets the appliance.

C) Former gay adult film star Colton Ford recently released the video for his latest single, "That's Me". Featuring gay rapper Cazwell, it was directed by photographer Joe Oppedisano. The song's not bad either - I suspect it will be remixed.

NSFW (not safe for work) - partial male nudity



I've got to say, he looks damned good for 45 years of age!
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Feb. 12th, 2008 @ 12:02 am Lemming alert!
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Groovin'
Current Music: Electric Sex - Danger! High Voltage
( Yet another Valentine Mailbox )

Lord knows, I could use the entertainment value from this. What better way to garner anonymous insults from various LJ users? LOL!
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Feb. 6th, 2008 @ 04:26 pm Pancake Day!!
Current Location: 22043
Current Mood: Amused
Current Music: Kelly Rowland - Daylight (feat. Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes)
Did anyone else celebrate Shrove Tuesday with the consumption of pancakes?

I ate some of mine with Nutella, and the remainder with maple syrup from Maplewood, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. Yum!!

In Shrove Tuesday sporting news...

42 year-old web designer Amanda Brear won the 2008 Pancake Day Race in Olney, England, covering the 415 yard course in 1 minute, 9 seconds. Her American counterpart, 18 year-old high school senior Amanda Curtis, won the Liberal, Kansas 415 yard race in 1 minute 6.1 seconds.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328406,00.html, and
http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=7826011

Race contestants are required to hold a frying pan containing a pancake, and must flip the pancake at least three times during the sprint. :-)
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