Song of the Day: Forever by Kenny Loggins

Song of the Day: Personal Jesus by Marilyn Manson

Song of the Day: Du Hast by Rammstein

I LOVE this song!

Song of the Day: Detroit Rock City by KISS

Today is my nephew's birthday and he loves KISS. This is for him!

Mistrial in Phil Spector trial - Prosecutor plans to retry him

Phil Spector

Mistrial declared in Phil Spector murder case
Mistrial Declared in Phil Spector Murder Case
LA Times Phil Spector Blog
Court TV

Recipes: Char-Broiled Steak with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce and Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Peas and Shallots

looks yummy huh?


Char-Broiled Steak with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

Hoisin sauce is a versatile ingredient worth having on hand for quick meals. Use it as the lone seasoning when broiling or grilling meats or fish, or mix it with other flavorings in dressings, marinades or toppings.

1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 lb. beef sirloin or top round steak, sliced (1/2 inch thick)**
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

1. In small bowl, stir together hoisin sauce, peanut butter and vinegar until smooth; reserve 1/3 cup for dipping sauce.

2. Heat broiler. Thread steak onto 4 (10-inch) metal skewers; place on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with half of the remaining hoisin sauce mixture. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare or until of desired doneness, turning once and brushing with sauce halfway through.

3. Serve sprinkled with peanuts. Pass reserved hoisin sauce mixture for dipping.

TIPS *Hoisin sauce is a thick, sweet, reddish-brown sauce made with soybeans, chiles, garlic, vinegar and spices. You can find it in Asian markets or in the Asian section of your grocery store.
**For easier slicing, place meat in freezer 30 minutes before slicing.

4 servings

PER SERVING: 350 calories, 18 g total fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 31.5 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 60 mg cholesterol, 710 mg sodium, 3 g fiber



Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Peas and Shallots


This room-temperature pasta is easy to make and satisfying to eat, especially when the weather is hot. A generous amount of basil imbues it with summer-fresh flavor.

1 lb. angel hair pasta
1 cup fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 oz.) grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, divided
1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped seeded tomato (1 large)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; add peas and corn during last 1 minute of cooking. Drain; place in large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup of the cheese. Add to drained pasta; toss. Top with reserved 1/4 cup cheese.

6 servings

PER SERVING: 510 calories, 16 g total fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 20 g protein, 73 g carbohydrate, 15 mg cholesterol, 735 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

And the Michael Vick story just keeps going and going and ...

Tuesday, Michael Vick, as well as his co-defendants, was indicted on State charges for the dogfighting scandal.

The Surry County grand jury brought two charges against Vick: one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights. Each is a felony charge that could result in a five-year prison term

These charges are in addition to the federal charges that he already pled guilty to (sentencing on those charges are scheduled for Dec. 10). Of course, both sides have something to say:

Vick's lawyers said they will "aggressively" work to make sure "that he is not held accountable for the same conduct twice." "We are disappointed that these charges were filed in Surry County, since it is the same conduct covered by the federal indictment for which Mr. Vick has already accepted full responsibility and pleaded guilty to in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia," his lead attorney, Billy Martin, said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon.

and then:

(Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald) Poindexter said he pursued the case because "crimes that were not prosecuted were committed in Surry County." But he would not say whether his prosecutors put Vick's federal court admission that he killed dogs before the grand jury.

Well, if that did not ruin his day, he seemed to forget that doing drugs will not make his life better. Now he has tested positive for marijuana.

Because of the result, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson placed special conditions on Vick's release, including restricting him to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and ordering him to submit to random drug testing.Vick was placed under pretrial release supervision by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal in July. His restrictions included refraining from use or unlawful possession of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances.Hudson's order on Wednesday also requires Vick to participate in inpatient or outpatient substance therapy and mental health counseling, if the pretrial services officer or supervising officer deem it appropriate. Vick must pay for the treatment.

And now another twist has surfaced in all of this. There appears to possibly be a murder thrown into all of this. This blog has an interesting story about it. In April, Roy "Bud" Melton was shot to death execution style at his North Carolina home. During the investigation, evidence of ties to Bad Newz Kennels surfaced, along with dogs, equipment and documentation. This blog also has another interesting story about this, about "who" the murder victim could be.

Maybe people will one day learn to take pet ownership a bit more seriously, huh?

Vick indicted on state dogfighting charges
Vick charged with torturing, killing dogs in Virginia indictment
Vick Fails Drug Test, Confined To Home
Vick's Woes
More troubles: Vick positive for marijuana
Michael Vick Tests Positive for Marijuana
Campaign to Sack Michael Vick - an interesting blog - seems to keep up very well with all of the news
Vick dogfighting ring investigated for murder ties
New Leads to Murder Mystery that Connects Vick to N.C. Dog Fighting

Rex out, Brian in: Bears finally change starting Quarterback!

Lovie Smith announced this morning, after a disastrous game against Dallas on Sunday, that Brian Griese will replace Rex Grossman. FINALLY! After all, Rex has become quite the joke in the NFL and amongst fans. He has received many new fun nicknames recently:

Interceptasaurus Rex
Fumbleasaurus Rex
Turnoverauras Rex
Wrecks Grossman

And I am sure there are others, many not fit to print here. Anyway, the problem I see is that Rex can be a good quarterback. When he plays well, he is great. After all, he was the NFC Player of the month for September 2006. But since then, nothing. Nada. He has just gone downhill. Maybe all of that went to his head. I have to admit, I am tired of hearing that with Rex they kept winning and went to the Super Bowl. It was NOT because of him that this happened. It was our defense. If there was a valuable player for us, it was Devin Hester or Brian Urlacher. Now they produced. There is Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, and many others that produce. Cedric Benson appears to be doing well also. But Rex is going in the opposite direction. He may have been a good player once, but something seems to have turned that around for him. I hope he gets his mojo back. But we cannot wait for it anymore. Not if we want to get back to winning. Go to the playoffs. And stop being the joke of the league we have become. Sorry Rex, but we need this change.

Griese replaces Grossman as starting quarterback
Bears Officially Name Griese Top Quarterback
Bears bench Grossman in favor of Griese
Bears' backup plan far from foolproof
Griese's steady hand right one to play
Player Roster: Brian Griese

Song of the Day: Can't Find My Way Home by House of Lords

Song of the Day: Stranded by Tangier

Song of the Day: Walks Like A Woman by Baton Rouge