Redefining Rockel

You know I never discuss female thermodynamics - Lou; Rescue Me

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Rockel Recipes

Untested Recipes (1)

All Recipes (6)

Peeps

Politics

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Fake News

Stuff

The Film of the Week

The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Stupid Fact of the Week

There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

31 October, 2007

Football Update

In international news, now that Brazil has snatched '14, England has it's eyes on '18. The last time England played host was in 1966 when they won it all. Of course they want to host again.

In American news, my home state is somewhat in the spotlight as Green Bay has opened to a 6-1 start. This has already proved to be a record-breaking season for Favre and if he can win this week in Kansas City, he will not only become the third Quarterback (behind P. Manning and T. Brady) to beat every team in the NFL at least once, but he will become the third Quarterback in as many weeks to do so. Crazy.

Also, the Badgers, after starting strong, have now fallen to 21st in the nation with a 3-2 record in the Big Ten (7-2 overall). However, there are some who are predicting an upset this weekend over number one (The) Ohio State. I'm not entirely confident they can pull that off, but I'll be watching just in case it happens. Plus, the odds makers are setting the spread at 15.5 (or higher)... I'll definitely take Wisconsin to beat that spread.

Departing from football, thanks for continuing to read and respond despite my rather seasonal posting tendencies. In the next day or so I hope to respond to some excellent comments receive on the Dr. Paul post.

Also, don't forget, if you have a signature recipe, a favorite recipe, or if you just happened to find a recipe while flipping through a magazine on the john, send it in and share with all the other hungry people out there.

posted by Rockel @ 12:44 PM 0 comments

30 October, 2007

For those of you who know who Trace Beaulieu is...

Joel Hodgsen has something big he'd like to tell you.

Titanic Big.

posted by Rockel @ 8:10 PM 1 comments

In Memoriam

posted by Rockel @ 8:01 PM 1 comments

Big News

Just Announced: Brazil to stage '14 World Cup.

Why is this "Big" News?

Basically because I don't feel like talking about any of the following:
- more closeted Republicans
- pots calling kettles black
- Jessicowen
- The Office... 2

I do care enough about the last one, apparently, to warrant a new poll, as the old one is a bit expired. (poll should be up shortly. Problem with the polling website)

So, (real) football is the name of the game (aka, post).

What effect does this news (pertaining to an event nearly seven years down the road) have, you ask?

Well, obviously there's the home field advantage. Six (6) countries have won the cup while hosting. Not a lot, you say? Let's remember that the Cup is only awarded once every 4 years. None of this ninny "here's a trophy and a whole bunch of rings, see you next year" crap. No. You gotta wait for it. 4 years. So, how many Cups have been won since the game's inception? 18. That's right. An average of once out of every three times the Cup has been held, it has gone home with the home country. Not too shabby.

And beyond that, countries that would otherwise have no shot seem to place higher than expected when hosting. Korea Republic's highest finish was 4th place when Korea/Japan hosted in 2002. The only time England placed higher than 4th was when they won the Cup in England 1966. Chile's only top 4 finish was 3rd at home in 1962. Even Sweden, yeah Sweden, made it to the final match (their only appearance) while hosting in '58. And, of course, the inaugural event itself, Uruguay 1930, went to Uruguay (their first of two) over Argentina.

Now, I needn't tell any of you (hopefully), that Brazil has always had a top-notch team. They have won the Cup 5 times (most of any country), and have placed in the top 4 at the World Cup 10 times (2nd only to Germany [11]). So it isn't as if they need a home field (/pitch) advantage. But the way Argentina and Germany have been playing lately, I don't think they'll mind having it. Of course this all a ways away, and a lot can change. Stay tuned for more updates during the next seven years.

Here are some more interesting World Cup tidbits:
- Brazil will join Germany, Italy, France, and Mexico as the only countries to host the Cup twice. Except for Mexico (whose team has never placed in the top 4), each of the countries won the Cup one of the two times they hosted. Brazil lost to Uruguay in the final match the first time they hosted, Brazil 1950, and had to win all five of their titles "on the road." So it seems they are due to win in 2014.
- Brazil is one of only two countries (the other, Italy) to win the Cup twice in a row: defeating Sweden in Sweden 1958, and defeating Czechoslovakia in Chile 1962 (Italy def. Czechoslovakia in Italy 1934, and def. Hungary in France 1938).
- Germany and the Netherlands are the only two countries to finish Runner-Up (lose the final match) twice in a row: the Netherlands losing to Germany in Germany 1974, and to Argentina in Argentina 1978; Germany losing to Italy in Spain 1982, and to Argentina in Mexico 1986.
- Germany and Argentina are the only two teams to play each other in the final match twice in a row: Argentina def. Germany in Mexico 1986, and Germany def. Argentina in Italy 1990.
- Brazil has won the Cup more times than any other country (5: 2002, 1994, 1970, 1962, 1958)
- Germany has finished Runner-Up more times than any other country (4: 2002, 1986, 1982, 1966)
- Germany has finished Third more times than any other country (3: 2006, 1970, 1934)
- Uruguay and Yugoslavia have finished Fourth more than any other country (2)
- As for the USA? They have indeed finished in the top 4. Once. At the inaugural event in Uruguay 1930 the United States finished 3rd.

posted by Rockel @ 11:04 AM 0 comments

29 October, 2007

Rule 16

Hollywood used to make Musicals. A lot of them. So many, in fact, that there was a special category for them at the Oscars. What is now referred to as "Best Original Musical," was once "Best Original Song Score."

Yes, that's right. "Now referred to." It still exists. It unfortunately has not been given out since "Purple Rain" won "Best Original Song Score" back in '84, due to the fact that there aren't enough Musicals produced per year to meet the following qualifier:

"The category of Original Musical (III) may be activated only by special
request of the Music Branch Executive Committee to the Board of Governors in a
year when the field of eligible submissions is determined to be of sufficient
quantity and quality to justify award competition."
[taken from Rule 16 - Special Rules for the Music Awards]

With the sudden upswing of Musicals in the past several years, I've figured it was only a (short) matter of time before we would see this award as part of the official ceremony again.

And this year, I thought it could be the year.

Yes, I'm already looking toward February, rifling through the several hundred movies that have already premiered or will likely premier before the end of the calendar year, selecting what I believe to be the Oscar contenders.

And during my rifling I noticed a few more Musicals than I recalled over the year:

- Sweeney Todd
- Across the Universe
- Hairspray
- Once
- Music and Lyrics
- Feel the Noise

(say what you will about the last two, they meet the definition of "Musical")
6 Contenders, I thought. Surely that must be enough. Surely you could find 3-4 worthy nominations from there. My hopes just ran away with themselves thinking this would be the year.

But then I remembered that the award was not given out for Best Musical, hence why in past years films such as "Chicago" weren't eligible. The award is for Best Original Musical. And so, with the field of eligible films now cut to half of what I assumed, and with my hopes now dashed into a million pieces, I shall have to wait until next year to see if that is the year when Hollywood discovers a small piece of Originality and the (Original) Musical returns in full force.

Here's hoping.

posted by Rockel @ 3:02 PM 0 comments

AP: Blackwater guards given immunity in Iraq killings

"The Associated Press is reporting that the State Department promised Blackwater bodyguards immunity in its investigation of last month's killing of 17 Iraqi civilians."

"No comment from Blackwater, the State Department, Justice Department or the FBI."

No comment from Rockel.

story taken from here

posted by Rockel @ 3:00 PM 0 comments

Whatcha Gonna Do?

Bad Boys 3 managed to put together a few votes at the end there to avoid a shutout. But now it is my unfortunate pleasure to inform you that I just updated the "big board" in one of the execs offices here at Rockelcom Worldwide, during which I added, under the heading of "July 15, 2008," the title:

Starship Troopers: Marauder

Now here's the disturbing thing (for those of you not already disturbed)... The visual fx-heavy original "Starship Troopers" ran up a Production budget of $100 million. With an extra $25 million for Prints and Ads budgeting, this thing barely recouped, thanks only to a decent showing overseas and on DVD, as it pulled in less than $55 million in domestic Box Office receipts.

So, all in all, they eventually made back the entire budget and then maybe a mil. or two, but it was close. Definitely not the thing you'd bank on pressing a sequel to. Yet they did. What was the budget for Starship Troopers 2, you ask? 50 mil? 30 mil? 10?

No. No. No.

7

$7 million. Direct to video, where it completely flopped, obtaining an average of a one-star rating from the five people who actually watched it. Yet it warranted a sequel?

Anyone care to guess the budget on 3?

Well, following the same pattern... 100 - 7 - X.... the budget should either be $-86 million, or $500 grand. Right?

$20 Million! And although I have yet to see the letters DTV (direct to video) attached to this project, I also haven't seen a Theatrical Release date (July 15, 2008 - the date on the "big board" is the [tentative] DVD street date), so unless they decided not to market this one at all and it just appears in theatres in the next couple weeks, get ready for a $20 Million direct to video release of a second sequel. I just don't get it.

Alright. Game over. There you have it. Bad Boys wins. Although pretty much everyone involved with Bad Boys 1 & 2 has expressed an interest in rolling on a third, any type of actual production is still "Rumored" at best.

So if you were one of the two people to vote for Bad Boys 3, give yourself a pat on the back. Or, if you were the person who voted for it twice, give yourself two pats on the back.

Until next time.

posted by Rockel @ 11:41 AM 0 comments

28 October, 2007

Dr. Paul: Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Republican Party

For those of you who don't know, I'm a huge fan of Ron Paul (as are some of you, apparently). For those of you who didn't know, now you do.

Dr. Paul has confirmed what I have felt (though have probably been unable to articulate clearly) for some time: When it comes to politics at the federal level I am conservative to an extreme degree.

Normally I would feel the need to defend this somehow, or justify it, given my "liberal" stances in the past. However, since most of Dr. Paul's support is currently coming from more "liberal" sources, such as former registered democrats, left-leaning television programs like "Real Time with Bill Maher," and left-leaning websites like Crooks and Liars (crooksandliars.com), it probably isn't terribly shocking to most of you that he has my support.

To be sure, Dr. Paul is appealing. Refusing many of the "perks" associated with a D.C. position and treating it as a public service rather than a fast-track to power and/or lucrative retirement is certainly a breath of fresh air to many citizens sickened by the level of politic-ing and corruption in our government "of/by/for the people."

He is a genuine person who appeals to the common man, not because he attempts to speak like the common man or relate to him/her by discussing his humble upbringing (I mean, he's a doctor, for crying out loud. That's one of the big ones, right? Doctor, Lawyer,... something else), but because he honestly and diligently applies himself and his resources to truly helping the common man, whether it be with his vote in congress or with his private medical practice.

He is also appealing as a Presidential candidate. He is "well-seasoned" in years and experience in public service, he has served in the military, and (now that W has forever lowered the bar for Presidential public speaking) is a more than competent orator. To be sure he is one of the most intelligent candidates running, as well as the most ethical, honest, and consistent (as much as I would love to never hear the words "flip-flop" again, it must be noted that his voting record is nearly impeccable).

So what, then, is the problem? The problem is that he's appealing.

With all this talk of how great he is, it's easy to overlook his actual position on... well, anything, really.

Again, let me say that I am a huge fan. I agree almost 100% with Dr. Paul's political positions.

But that doesn't change the fact that...
...He is running as a Republican who:
- Has voted AGAINST a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage and does not support legislation to counteract the "homosexual agenda."
- Is AGAINST the death penalty.
- Is seen as "weak on terror" because he voted AGAINST the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act, voted AGAINST making the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act permanent, voted AGAINST allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant, and let's not forget...
- ...is the ONLY candidate who would withdraw our troops from Iraq, beginning immediately.

Now, one would think that with the current Republican President's approval rating sinking to roughly one quarter of the population, and support for the war dwindling down to nearly the same, the one candidate running on a platform of withdrawal would be faring better. However, with "tuffness on terror" remaining near (if not at) the top of the Republican voting points, it really isn't any surprise that Dr. Paul is gaining support from former/current Democrats. Especially with each of the Democratic candidates slowly loosening his/her stance on the war to the point where if it continues, I'd be more worried about a Democrat invading Iran, just to "prove how tough" they are on terror.

But even with the "liberal" support, registered democrats seem more than happy to vote for Hillary R-C as she continues to dominate the polls, garnering near 50% support even with 7 (?) candidates still in the running.

And eventually, the liberals supporting Dr. Paul will realize that he:
- voted AGAINST allowing human embryonic stem cell research.
- is AGAINST affirmative action.
- voted FOR banning gay adoptions in D.C., and of course...
- ...would seek to return the U.S. Federal Government to performing ONLY the tasks for which the U.S. Constitution explicitly gives it power.

Again, I am for nearly everything that Dr. Paul stands for. Even so, I fully understand that were he elected President he would merely be the head of one branch of government and would still, barring any drastic shift that I don't think anyone is predicting, have a Democratic-controlled congress at his side. Therefore, these "extreme" ideas of a Government reduced to post-roads and national defense (exaggeration) would not be something he could pull off with the snap of his fingers. Although, given how much W has been able to expand the reach of Executive Power, I can't say I'd blame people for being cautious.

So, that's my spiel on Paul. Thanks to Bethany for provoking it. And, as a result, I have changed my mind.

If you're a registered Republican, vote Paul. Or, if you don't, don't vote Rudy (or, if you do, don't tell me).

If you're a registered Democrat, vote Colbert (write-in outside SC).

[sources for Ron Paul info]
ronpaul2008.com
ontheissues.org

posted by Rockel @ 6:26 PM 3 comments

Anti-Seafood Jambalaya

recipe taken from the interwebs

(6 servings)

2 tablespoons oil
3/4 lb smoked garlic sausage, sliced
3/4 lb boneless chicken, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
salt
cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 (10 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
1 (14 3/4 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 scallions, sliced

+ In a soup pot, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add sausage and chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mix to a large bowl.

+ In the same pot, heat remaining oil and add celery, onion, and bell pepper. Cook about 5 minutes.
+ Add bay leaves, garlic, thyme, salt and cayenne pepper, cook 2 minutes longer.

+ Return sausage mix to the pot, add uncooked rice, broth, and tomatoes. Bring mix to a boil and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Cook until rice is tender about 10 minutes longer and remove bay leaves.

+ Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

Rockel's NOTES:
~ I doubled this recipe and it just fit into a 6qt. stock pot (to give you an idea of what size pot you'll need).
~ I found a couple of the can sizes didn't align with what I was finding at the store. I used 2 (since I doubled it) 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes and roughly two and a half (again, double recipe) 14 oz. cans Chicken Broth.
~ I also used half smoked turkey sausage and half beef sausage since they were on sale. Delicious.
~ There are no measurements for the salt and cayenne pepper which upset me a bit. I'm a huge fan of cayenne pepper, but didn't want to overdo it so I played it pretty cautiously (especially since I was doubling it and anything I added already looked massive) and the flavor of the end product suffered for it. It's still really great, I just wish (since the spice is what makes a good Jambalaya) they would have been more specific (this is why it's only getting three stars).

Labels: ***, recipes

posted by Rockel @ 6:09 PM 0 comments

Minions!

Show love.

That is all.

posted by Rockel @ 6:08 PM 0 comments

26 October, 2007

Politics

Oh, man. What a time we live in, eh?

It's sad to think that a Federal Agency designed to aid in disaster/emergency situations can pull a totally shyster-y move like holding a rigged "press" "conference," in the midst of a swarm of devastating forest fires, and my reactions is, basically: "eh."

It's sad to think that our beloved President wishes to expand an ill-conceived, poorly-run, unnecessary war (that we're losing) and move it into another country. No, not Terror:Iran. Drugs:Mexico.

But since we're talking about Iran, and apparently we are now, it's nice to know that public enemy no. 1 has allegedly taken up residency there. As if we needed to give the morons with their finger on the button another reason to take this idiotic war across that border. (Yes, that one is Terror:Iraq[/Iran])

Oh, well. The Democrats have a plan. Keep Bush distracted by sending him stuff to veto over and over again, like SCHIP. One of the other Matt's has an excellent post concerning, specifically, SCHIP and, more broadly, the Government redistribution of wealth that is quite excellent and speaks clearly and to the point how I feel the Government should handle (that being not at all) the redistribution of wealth. However, I must be honest in that when I heard Bush planned to veto the Dem's SCHIP expansion bill and the Dem's went ahead and sent it to him anyway, I was absolutely amazed. I don't know that I want to say it was pride, but I think it almost was. And when I heard that they were going to attempt to do whatever they could to override the veto, I got even more excited. And now that they're pushing on, and actually leveraging what power they have to attempt to get their views passed through, I'm pretty much floored. Remember, mind you, that I am fully opposed to the SCHIP expansion (along with most of the policies) of the Democrats. However, something I find, not only much more detestable, but much more destructive to this union is the willingness of those in power (aka, Bush and the neo-conservatives at his side) to take full advantage and to steamroll anyone of a weaker position, who will not stand up for him/herself, by way of fear, political leverage, or any other means. It's about time we saw a little check and balance (even if this is one point where I think the Democrats are horribly wrong), and it's nice to see the "opposition party" coming up with spine enough to play political hardball with a man and a party that has basically gotten his/its way the past several years.

Whether or not history hails this administration as the one that prevented (or at least delayed, I suppose) World War 3, I think it is also sad to note (this is a very "sad" post) that history, though it may brand him/it as "the worst" president/administration in United States history (as it has to several others before, and will, most likely, again), will fail to recall just how dishonest he/they were in everything from how investigations were carried out, to how press conferences were handled, to how wars were started, to how people were hired/fired, to how everything had the stink of a cover-up on it to where you had to question whether or not they were truly that incompetent, truly that guilty, or truly just went that far out of the way to make themselves appear that guilty.

Looking ahead to next year and the changing of the guard, I find it absolutely unbelievable that the one republican candidate that actually adheres to conservative principles (extreme degree though they may be), is the one (amongst, what? 10 freakin' candidates) called out by the "conservative" party themselves as not fitting with the party politics; that the actor with virtually no "stage presence" is still a viable candidate; that the strongest republican candidate is running on his performance on one day in one city, albeit most residents of that one city would not vote for him based on that one day's performance.

And where the Red team has a handful of candidates pretty much tied up for first place at this stage in the race, the Blue team has all but handed the baton to the former first lady. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan. It's not because she's a woman, but because I just get tired of how relevant and funny she constantly tries to be (and I've just about had it with the first husband jokes). Obama and Edwards both have (different) strengths that I think would be good for this country, but, barring anything drastic in the next several months, it doesn't look like they'll be able to give her much of a fight. At this point I think she need only fear Gore.

Woof.

Vote Colbert.

posted by Rockel @ 1:41 PM 2 comments

Holy Crap! (I mean, "Dammit!")

What's Red Forman doing on "24"?
Season(/Day) 7 Trailer

Speaking of 24. Oh, look. A Movie.

posted by Rockel @ 10:24 AM 0 comments

Southeast Asian Curried Vegetable Stew

contributed by Wanderingshadow. As appears in "Joy of Cooking."

1 T. Veggie Oil
1 1/2 cumin seeds*
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1-1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded
1 t. ground turmeric
2 T. water
1-14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c. stock (chicken or veggie, depending on preference)
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾" cubes
3 c. broccoli stems and florets
1-10 1/2 oz package firm tofu, or 8 oz tempeh, cut into ¾" cubes
1 tomato
3 T. lime juice
2 T. water
2 T. all purpose flour
1/2 -1 t. chili paste**
salt and ground black pepper
lots of hot rice/cous-cous/quinoa/grain of choice
fresh cilantro and chopped cashews***

- Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes.
- Process in a food processor/blender: onion, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, turmeric, and water. Add this to the cumin seeds and cook over med-low heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in: coconut milk, stock, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 8 minutes.
- Stir in broccoli and tofu/tempeh. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Add and bring to a boil: the tomato.
- Combine and stir in: lime juice, water, and flour. Boil, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chili paste, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Hot grain of choice on a serving platter/indiv plates, stew stuff over that, and then top with cilantro and cashews, or not, depending on preference.

Wanderingshadow's NOTES:
* I used ground cumin cause I didn't have the seeds. It worked.
** I don't know what chili paste is…I don't think I actually added this…
*** I didn't use either of these, and it worked out
+ I'm sure this could be meat-ified if desired...I bet you could add shredded cooked chicken (salt-pepper 2 skinless boneless breasts, fry in some oil about 5ish minutes a side before starting anything else) at the end. In fact, I think I did that...it was tasty.

Labels: recipes, untested

posted by Rockel @ 9:38 AM 0 comments

25 October, 2007

Red, White, and Blah

(sorry, but the titles that got passed over were "Two Non Brunettes," and "Reese-less Pieces," so be thankful)

That's right. Coming next year (direct to video), sans the-former-Mrs.-Phillippe, is "Legally Blondes" (aka "Legally Blonde 3"), which is "Currently filming in Los Angeles and Malibu through November." [source]

"Uh-oh," you say. "Malibu? Isn't that where the big fire is?" Fear not, concerned reader. Although IMDb is an excellent source of information, it is nothing compared to yours truly, who happens to know that the filming out west is actually taking place north of Malibu (closer to Calabasas), in an area that should (all things remaining roughly as they are) remain well out of the way of the blaze, at the old King Gillette Ranch.

Yes, that Gillette.

"Razor baron King Camp Gillette bought the property in 1926."*
- No, he wasn't really a king. King was his first name. Yes, his given name. He was a baron, though. A razor baron.

"Gillette commissioned leading Los Angeles architect Wallace Neff to build him a 'paradise on earth, California style.'"*
- Xanadu, anyone?

"MGM movie director Clarence Brown (Anna Karenina, National Velvet) bought the property in 1930, following Gillette's death. Brown built a private airstrip for elaborate MGM 'fly-in parties' that were attended by such luminaries as Clark Gable and Greta Garbo."*
- Party at my place. BYOP (Bring your own plane)

"In 1952, the director sold the ranch to Bob and Delores Hope,..."*
- Nice

"...who promptly donated it to the Claretian Order of the Catholic Church."*
- Had enough yet? No?

"In 1978 the site was purchased by Elizabeth Clare Prophet's the Church Universal and Triumphant,..."*
- It's pretty difficult to become Universal without being Triumphant. Believe me, I know.

"...which in turn sold it to Soka University of America in 1986."*
- Soka U.! Wasn't that one of the top party schools last year? No?

"In April 2005, the site became a haven for all living things in perpetuity,..."*
- Ohhmmmmmmmmmmm. Zennnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

"...when it was bought as public parkland by a partnership consisting of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), the National Park Service, California State Parks,..."*
- ...a subsidiary of AOL/Time Warner.

"...as well as..."*
- Are you kidding me?

"...a number of other state and local agencies and some private contributions. King Gillette Ranch opened to the public in June of 2007. "*
- "Opened to the public" (read: feel free to shoot your movies/t.v. series here)

Alright, enough of that. There you have it. The history of the Gillette Ranch.

Down to the final two in the poll:
Bad Boys 3
Starship Troopers 3

Will it be an upset? Could Bad Boys 3 walk away with the title, having yet to score a single vote? Or will it be the third in the sci-fi series (they made a second?) began oh-so-long-ago by razzie winner Paul Verhoven?

Tune in next time to find out. Same Rockel time. Same Rockel channel.

*[source]

posted by Rockel @ 12:18 PM 0 comments

24 October, 2007

Yummy

Last night I cooked up a nice, big pot of Wanderingshadow's Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew.

(Afterwords, I opened up a nice, big can of whoop ass on John in some Monopoly)

Let me tell you. Delicious. I'm currently enjoying a scrumptious reheated bowl on my lunch break. Too good. Too good. I've left a comment on the recipe post detailing my thoughts/changes.

Thanks again to Wanderingshadow, and definitely give this recipe a try.

posted by Rockel @ 1:25 PM 2 comments

23 October, 2007

Best. Acting.

Evar.

posted by Rockel @ 4:30 PM 0 comments

FIRE!

I know you're all dreadfully worried about me (and perhaps even John), so I've put together this little map thingy, thanks to GoogleMaps:

As you can (sort of) see...

- Downtown L.A. is off to the lower right

- Our apartment is the Green Dot at the top center (in Van Nuys)

- Culver City (where I work) is near the lower center (underlined in a light blue)

- Santa Monica and Beverly Hills (where JC interns) are north and west of Culver (underlined in sort of a pink-ish color), and

- the Fire is off to the West in and around Malibu (the, yes, red and orange spray paint [God bless MSPaint])

So, no real danger for us or pretty much anyone else. The big bad fire killing people, closing down highways, and making the national news is way down in San Diego county. This one is just forcing rich celebs to evacuate to their secondary homes.

In other updates, for those of you (aka, Doyle) who missed the bit about Recipes, there is now a link over there to the left under "Topics" (it's the only topic at the moment) that you can click on and check out all the wonderful recipes I will be posting in the coming weeks/months/etc. If you'd like to submit one of your own to share, feel free to email, post, or comment it and I'll definitely put it up for all to see. I'll even make it and tell you what I think of it (provided "authentic truffles," or "Beluga caviar" aren't key ingredients).

Also, the poll has been updated to include only the current contenders. You can also vote as many times as you like now.

posted by Rockel @ 1:37 PM 1 comments

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

contributed by Wanderingshadow. As appears in "Joy of Cooking."

- 1/4 c. peanut oil*
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeno or Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packed T. minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ “ pieces
- 1/3 c. tomato paste**
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 small zucchini (1” in diameter) trimmed and sliced
- 1/2 c. peanut butter, chunky or smooth, preferably unsalted***

+ Heat oil, then add the onion and peppers, and cook until veggies are tender but not brown, + about 7-10 minutes.
+ Add garlic and ginger, cook another 2-3 minutes.
+ Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes, cook ~ 1 minute.
+ Add sweet potatoes, tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste.
+ Add enough water to barely cover the veggies and mix well.
+ Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 mins, stirring occasionally.
(if you wanted to add meat, during this time would be where you cook your 12 oz ground beef or turkey in 1 t. oil, then set it aside till the 45 mins is up, then add.)
+ Add the zucchini**** and cook another 15 mins.
+ Stir 1 c. of the stewing liquid into the peanut butter in a separate bowl until smooth, then add to the pot. Mix well and cook another 15 minutes.
+ Season with Black pepper and salt to taste.
+ Serve with hot rice or couscous. Quinoa would work really well too.

Wanderingshadow's Notes:
* I used Canola. I bet peanut would help, but whatever. It was tasty with canola
** I just used 1 whole can. It may be ½ c. instead of 1/3. I can live with that.
*** Chunky is the way to go. Then you get little bits of peanuts, and that’s cool. Whole Foods has unsalted PB. I bet other places do as well, but Whole Foods is awesome.
**** I added a squash as well. It worked. I bet other tasty veggies would too…thinking eggplant, maybe some other stuff…

Labels: ****, recipes

posted by Rockel @ 10:53 AM 1 comments

22 October, 2007

[H]Offspring

During production of "Snakes on a Plane," the production team jokingly referred to their upcoming B-movie as "Anacondas 3," perhaps referencing the quality of film they believed they were making as well as the unlikelihood of someone producing a sequel to the god-awful "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (aka "Anaconda[s] 2").

While they may have been correct in their assessment of the quality of their film, they were completely wrong in assuming that no one would resurrect this horrible film series.

I am pleased to announce that not only will "Anacondas: Offspring" (aka "Anaconda[s] 3") be making its debut on video store shelves in late July 2008 (tentative), but also you will have the pleasure of looking forward to an as-of-yet-untitled sequel ("Anaconda[s] 4") soon after.

Yes. You read that correctly. Now are you ready? Because it's about to get good.

The reason for the title of this post is that the word on the street is that the leading male actor signed on for both of these new sequels is none other than the German sensation... (anyone?)

David Hasselhoff.

Now. Good news/bad news here. He's signed on for both sequels, meaning he won't die in the first one (unless his presence in the 4th is simply for flashback or other ghostly purposes, which I doubt), so my advice to everyone is skip the 3rd but definitely rent the 4th to see if Mr. Hoff bites it at the expense of a large snake. Should be fun to watch.

Ok. So, there you have it. "Anaconda(s) 3." Actual upcoming movie. One more loser out of the way, and the remaining three are:

- Bad Boys 3
- Legally Blonde 3
- Starship Troopers 3

posted by Rockel @ 9:25 AM 5 comments

21 October, 2007

Mom's Seafood Pasta Salad for a Crowd

Alright, this isn't my mom's seafood pasta salad for a crowd, that's just the name of the dish as listed on the internets here.

INGREDIENTS
1 (32 ounce) package dried small pasta shells
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing
1/2 (16 ounce) bottle thousand island dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 (6 ounce) cans water packed tuna, drained and flaked
2 (6 ounce) cans tiny shrimp, drained

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, celery and green onions. Mix in French dressing, thousand island dressing and mayonnaise. Fold in tuna and shrimp. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.

Labels: **, recipes

posted by Rockel @ 7:43 PM 1 comments

20 October, 2007

Lone Justice

"After cleaning up his hometown, Nick (Kevin Sorbo) retires as county sheriff and heads to Dallas where he hopes to start a new life with an FBI Agent and her twelve-year old daughter. Just being 'the boyfriend' is tough enough for Nick. When a ruthless drug lord targets several key witnesses to a Federal case, Nick finds himself in the middle of a war with nobody to trust. This time Nick is on their turf and he is pitted against a ferocious army of gang bangers. Nick's brand of country justice just doesn't seem to cut it on the rough city streets but he will stop at nothing to protect his own. "*

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you:

Walking Tall: Lone Justice, the sequel to "Walking Tall: The Payback", the sequel to "Walking Tall" (the remake).... or in other words...

Walking Tall 3

That's right. It IS currently in production (actually, it IS currently in my apartment [Sony title... free copy...]), which means it is NOT the correct answer to the poll at left.

Possible winners remaining:
Anacondas 3
Bad Boys 3
Legally Blonde 3
Starship Troopers 3

Which one is NOT currently in some phase of production?
Stay tuned for more results.....

*[source]

posted by Rockel @ 11:42 AM 0 comments

19 October, 2007

Iraqi gov. finally growing a pair of brass ones?

In a response to the notion of the United States establishing permanent military bases in Iraq, Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, recently "sent a message" to Vice President Dick Cheney, stating that “The people of Iraq, the Parliament, the Council of Representative and the government of Iraq, all say no, big fat no, N, O, No military bases for Iraq because we believe that is in direct encroachment to our sovereignty, and we don’t need it.”
[source]

Granted, the current administration has gone on record stating that "There is no particular U.S. desire to have a permanent presence in Iraq," [from video at same source] but I think we all know how far I (read: 76% of America) trust this administration.

Is the Iraqi government finally standing (or beginning to stand) up for themselves? Will they actually have the cajones to tell America to shove off if it comes to that? Will this administration just replace the Iraqi government before it comes to that? Is the national security advisor just blowing smoke?

Endnote:
Blogging world, look out. The Rockel is back, and apparently in full force. Now that I've stepped back up to the monitor, Matt has picked up his keyboard again and is posting wildly, desperately seeking 200 career posts.
Plus, Matt has come out of what some considered blog retirement to sign with a brand new blog site. No more blogger for him.
Anyway. You've now been updated. Show love.

posted by Rockel @ 9:52 AM 3 comments

18 October, 2007

R.I.P.

Joey Bishop (second from right) died of "multiple causes" yesterday at 89. He was the final surviving member of the above-pictured "Rat Pack." So crank up the Pack tunes in memory.

And, although the Rat Pack may be gone, I'd just like to remind you all that...

...The Pack are Back.

posted by Rockel @ 2:27 PM 1 comments

14 October, 2007

The Abode

202. Hey, that's us! Nice paint on the railing.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Let's step inside.

Alright. A sexy man cooking in the kitchen, coke bottle on the floor, and... hey, what's that to the left? A fireplace?

Oh, you know it, complete with tiny t.v., vacuum cleaner, and shiny-backed running shoes.

Ooh, a door to an outdoor porch...thing... let's step outside.

Nice courtyard action. Ok, kinda cold, let's go back inside.

Hey, where'd the sexy man go? I bet he snuck off to the back of the apartment. Let's go down the hallway.

Thermostat. Living like kings. Alright, let's check the bathroom.

Nope. Nothing here but some head and shoulders. What was further down the hall?

The Rockel Bedroom. He doesn't appear to be here. Although he could be hiding in that massive closet. Let's check out more of that awesome bed.

Made and everything. Complete with Wal-Mart lamp.

But where does the Cathey hang out, you ask? Well hold on... cuz there's more:

The master suite. with room for a mini-bookshelf...

Queen size bed, and...

Desk and chair. Plus all the convenience of yet another bathroom:

Yeah, baby. That's "The Neverending Story" on the counter, for those of you playing along at home.

Thanks for stopping by. Come again.

Rockel
202

photos by Cathey. Copyright 2007

posted by Rockel @ 12:17 AM 3 comments

13 October, 2007

Chicken Madras

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

- 4 Chicken Breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 large Onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 (14oz) can Tomato Puree
- 2 tsp. ground Cayenne Pepper
- 3 tsp. Garam Masala
- 1 tsp. ground Cumin
- 1 tsp. ground Turmeric
- 8 Cardommon Pods
- 1/2 tsp. ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground Coriander
- juice of 1/2 a Lemon

Directions:

+ In a large frying pan that has a lid, pour a liberal amount of cooking oil and set on a burner on medium heat. Add the Onions to the oil and cook until they start to brown slightly.

+ Add the Garlic, ground Cayenne Pepper, and Garam Masala and stir for 2-3 minutes.

+ Add the ground Cumin, ground Turmeric, ground Ginger, and ground Coriander and stir in for about 30 seconds.

+ Add the Chicken and stir until the chicken is cooked through.

+ Dilute the Tomato Puree down 1:1 with water and add the seeds from the 8 Cardommon pods. Add this mixture to the frying pan and stir.

+ Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (if the sauce starts to stick to the pan add some water)

+ Remove the lid and squeeze the juice of half a Lemon into the pan along with a pinch of salt, stir and let simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

+ Serve.

ROCKEL's notes:

~ This thing has got a pretty awesome kick, so be ready for it.
~ If you think you have too much Onion, it's just right.
~ The only ingredients that will be tough to find are the Garam Masala and Cardammon Pods, which can be found at an Indian Market or Spice Shop.
~ Finding ground Cardammon can be slightly easier, though it will lead to a less authentic taste. Substitute 1/8-1/4 tsp. ground Cardammon for the Cardammon seeds.
~ Fresh Ginger is (obviously) the way to go, but if I'm in a pinch, I'll get the crap in a jar.
~ The directions call for you to completely cook the chicken and then let it sit in the hot sauce for about 45 minutes. This can lead to overcooked, tough chicken, which is no good. What I like to do is sear the chicken in a separate pan before I add it to the mix and then immediately add the tomato puree mixture and simmer for 30 minutes. The searing helps keep the chicken moist, and the ensuing 45 minutes of simmering ensure the chicken is cooked completely, though still edible.
~ After the 30-minute simmer session, when I'm squeezing in the Lemon juice, I like to pour in a little Coconut milk, too. It gives you a creamier sauce, while still remaining authentic, and confuses your taste buds cuz they're like "ooh, creamy goodness," then, "holy crap, whoo, it's still hot." Good stuff.
~ Enjoy.

Labels: ****, recipes

posted by Rockel @ 7:14 PM 0 comments

12 October, 2007

Casual Friday

Good stuff. End of the week. Jeans and a T-shirt. Not bad at all.

As always, I make no promises, but I think I'm going to try jumping back on to this regular posting thing. Stay tuned to find out how well that goes.

Alright, so... weekend approaches. Anybody doing anything exciting? I know I'll be getting down on some laundry. That may be as wild as it gets out here on this coast.

As many of you may know, I'm a huge fan of cooking. I've gotten into the habit of cooking a casserole or two (or similar) on the weekends, putting them in the refrigerator, and whammy - lunches to take along to work all week. So if anybody out there has any stellar recipes that I should try out, email them to me or post them in the comment field so as to share with all the readers out there.

On the note of readers, I do realize that the two month hiatus diminished my steady base, so until I win all of you back and take over all your recipes, I shall share with you what I'm cooking as I go along. This weekend I think I'm gonna do some chicken curry, if I can locate the recipe... and a store nearby the homestead that sells garam masala. So, with any luck tomorrow's post will be: Rockel's Awesome Chicken Madras.

Much love and something made of ice.
Rockel

posted by Rockel @ 4:49 PM 0 comments

10 October, 2007

Second Post From Work

Ok, so I'm back for a brief moment as I'm 30 minutes away from the end of the work day, but figured a short post beat no post at all, so here it is...

Life:
Good. Same old same old. Breath-air; drink-water; eat-food; sleep-when possible.

Work:
Still temping as this gig looks to be pretty well guaranteed to be around for another several weeks. Still have some resumes floating around. Should (hopefully) be hearing back this from a pretty well-accomplished Production Designer looking for an Assistant later this week/next week.

Apartment:
New one. With a new roomie: The Cathey. Pics as soon as Cathey can load them onto the interwebs.

Interwebs:
Just got it hooked up in the new Apt. No more stealing.

Chris Martin:
Recently voted worst lyricist of all time. Prize = being featured this week on Redefining Rockel (Lyrics of the Week, at right)

Illegitimate Children:
Still none.

Movies:
"Across the Universe" is now in Theatres. It's excellent. If you like the Beatles, Julie Taymor, Joe Cocker, Bono, Evan Rachel Wood, and/or Eddie Izzard there's something for you. The soundtrack is amazing, definitely get it. The single-disc version is available now, the 2-disc "deluxe" (thank you very much) version comes out at the end of this month.

New poll off to the left of the page. Yes, all (but one) of those are going to be made and released in the (near) future unless someone has a serious change of heart/wallet.

Trailer is out for Sweeney Todd (Film of the Week, at left). Looks like they used a bit of B-roll from Edward Scissorhands. Oh well. It's Depp and Burton, so I'll be seeing it.

Ok, that's all the time for now. I'll be back with more.
More sooner than later.

posted by Rockel @ 5:29 PM 0 comments

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