Families Go GONZO!

"The family you come from isn't as important as the family you're going to have."
- Ring Lardner

It's Gonzo Carnival time again.

Yes, on 16 March...

Families Go GONZO!

Dustin at Happiness Is Better is hosting the Gonzo Family Carnival and entries are being accepted now.

The theme of eligible posts is, of course, families and we expect the entries will be as diverse as families are. For example, posts might deal with...

---(-)-> What "family" means to you
---(-)-> Memories of your childhood
---(-)-> Your parents or other relatives
---(-)-> Your marriage(s)
---(-)-> Your child(ren)
---(-)-> Adoption
---(-)-> Political issues that impact families
---(-)-> Home schooling

That, we think, will give you plenty of flexibility to select a post you can submit.

A post is eligible regardless of when it was published. There's no need to write a new post for it to be eligible for the carnival.

The Rules for this carnival include...

---(-)-> Entries accepted from blogs only.
---(-)-> Only English language posts will be accepted.
---(-)-> No more than one post per blog.
---(-)-> No posts with titles that include profanity or pictures of a sexual nature.
---(-)-> No posts that are advertisements.

If you have any questions about the posts that qualify or the rules write a comment and you'll get a response here. That way anyone else who has the same question will also get the answer.

Submit your entry to Dustin, email: happinessisbetter@gmail.com.

Include...

---(-)-> Your name as you would want it to appear in the post
---(-)-> The name of your blog
---(-)-> Your blog URL
---(-)-> The title of your post
---(-)-> The post URL

For Your Success, as always, is the sponsor of The Gonzo Blog Carnival Series.

The deadline for entries to the Blogospherian Picnic is Friday, 11:59 p.m., 13 March, 2009.

Viva Las Vegas

When Barack Obama outdistanced John McCain by more than 10 points in Nevada I scored a free trip to Las Vegas.

I collected on that bet this month.

TheSpecialOne and I spent a long week in Sin City, both to celebrate Valentine's Day and to get an early start on my birthday. One of the benefits of having a 29 February birthday you could say.


Had McCain/Palin taken Nevada my Republican friend {aka The Professor} who gloated over Hillary Clinton's upset win in the Democratic primary would have spent a week at La Alegría. Instead we set up shop at the Bellagio and did our part to stimulate the economy for President Obama.


TheSpecialOne loved the Chihuly ceiling at the Bellagio. So much so that I bought her a new camera while we were in Vegas. Note the photo credit: Photographs by TheSpecialOne.


I made a point of not losing any more at the gaming tables than I'd won on Obama/Biden in Nevada.

TheSpecialOne did her part as well. She left the money I won on Obama/Biden in New York here...


What would a trip to Vegas in February be without a few rounds of golf? In a word, unthinkable. I got out with The Professor while TheSpecialOne went shopping. {Did I mention stimulating the economy?}


The Professor agreed to allow me to shoot his photograph as long as I didn't divulge our scores. Let's just say there wasn't a whole lot of the course that we didn't see.

Viva Las Vegas!

@Kilroy60 Twitter Updates

Today's Twitter Updates...

Kilroy60

Shot 115 playing best ball. Now playing the 19th hole with The Redhead. Ho Ho 5 hours ago from twitterrific

No surprise they consider this their signature hole. http://twitpic.com/24z7x 3:29 p.m. from twitterrific

Having sausage sandwiches with grilled peppers and Heinekens at the turn. I don't think I've missed hitting one tree on front 9. 3:27 p.m. from twitterrific

Picking up nitrous oxide cartridges and rolling papers. 1:03 p.m. from twitterrific

I'm blowing this popsicle stand. 12:41 p.m. from twitterrific

Taking a xanax and sitting in on a conference call. 10:41 a.m. from twitterrific

@Machione Yes, I'm still in need of a host. I think the date is 23rd. If you can do it shoot me an email and I'll get back to you. 10:35 a.m. from the web

RT @ScottGiorgini Tip for a + 09: Mentor somebody and be mentored by somebody 10:34 a.m. from the web

RT @Kuanyin "Perseverance is not a long race. It is many short races, one after the other." Walter Elliot 10:33 a.m. from the web

@anja Do you have time to host a blog carnival in March? I don't have a date nailed down yet. 10:31 a.m. from the web

@brendoman Did you check out those sites I sent over? I'll have a look at Digg and see what I can do. 10:26 a.m. from the web

@jonathanfields I'll send over the information I picked up at the conference. 10:23 a.m. from the web

@chrisbrogan It looks like I can be in Boston the first week of March. How does your schedule look? 10:21 a.m. from the web

@guykawasaki I have a list for you, but won't be back to The Writer's Nook until tomorrow. Look for it arond lunch time. 10:17 a.m. from the web

Meeting with a client to plan a new product rollout and related website launch. 8:30 a.m. from twitterrific

Taking TheSpecialOne out for breakfast. 6:37 a.m. from tweetdeck

Good morning @weblaunches. Have you connected with @WebWizard ? 6:34 a.m. from tweetdeck

@Scobleizer I use both TweetDeck and Twhirl, but mostly TweetDeck. 6:30 a.m. from tweetdeck

@yokoono Have you been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex yet? I'm looking to do that has part of my b-day celebration. See you there? 6:28 a.m. from tweetdeck

@KarlRove You were in rare form on Fox News yesterday. Should be in Manhattan end of month. Send me a DM inre: lunch we discussed. 6:26 a.m. from tweetdeck

@dannybrown What's up this morning, fella? What's the latest, greatest news on http://12for12k.org ? I'm posting a button for you. 6:25a.m. from tweetdeck

@unmarketing If you can give me a call later this evening I'll have that for you. 6:23 a.m. from tweetdeck

@golfmastermind I shuffled my schedule so I can get out for 18 this afternoon. 1st time out this year. 6:21 a.m. from tweetdeck

RT @Deepak_Chopra Discover your own discontent, and be grateful, for without divine discontent there would be no creative force 6:19 a.m. from tweetdeck

Breaking up some BC Bud and drinking Johnnie Walker Blue Label. 6:15 a.m. from tweetdeck

Good morning, Twitterville. What's shaking? 6:13 a.m. from tweetdeck

Foodies Go Gonzo!

The next Gonzo Blog Carnival is perfect for anyone whose passionate about food, whether you produce it, cook or just love to eat.

Yes, on 26 February Cooking With Kimberly, will host a...


It's the Foodies Go GONZO! Carnival.

Entries are being accepted now.

Posts, related to food, that qualify for entry, regardless of publication date, include those with the following themes...

---(-)-> Farming
---(-)-> Vegetable Gardens or Orchards
---(-)-> Your Favorite Food
---(-)-> How To Cook
---(-)-> Recipes
---(-)-> Restaurants

That, we think, should provide enough flexibility so that anyone with an interest in food should be able to participate.

The Rules for this carnival include...

---(-)-> Entries accepted from blogs only.
---(-)-> Only English language posts will be accepted.
---(-)-> No more than one post per blog.
---(-)-> No posts with titles that include profanity or pictures of a sexual nature.
---(-)-> No posts that are advertisements.

If you have any questions about the posts that qualify or the rules write a comment and you'll get a response there. That way anyone else who has the same question will also get the answer.

Submit your entry to Kimberly, email: foodcarnival@cookingwithkimberly.com

Include...

---(-)-> Your name as you would want it to appear in the post
---(-)-> The name of your blog
---(-)-> Your blog URL
---(-)-> The title of your post
---(-)-> The post URL

For Your Success, as always, is the sponsor of The Gonzo Blog Carnival Series.

The deadline for entries to the Blogospherian Picnic is Monday, 11:59 p.m., 23 February, 2009.

A Chocolate Pistachio Bundt Cake For Super Bowl XLIII

I wanted two things on Super Bowl Sunday, a victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Chocolate Pistachio Bunt Cake. As it turned out, I got both.


This is how you make the Chocolate Pistachio Bundt Cake....

Combine 1 box yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup water, 4 eggs and 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large bowl.


Mix in 1 1/2 box pistachio pudding mix.


Add 1/2 pint sour cream and blend to moisten.


Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.


Pour about 3/4 of the batter into a well greased bundt cake pan. If you're so inclined, as I was, this is the point where you add 1/4 ounce Moroccan blonde hash.


Add 3/4 cup chocolate syrup to remaining batter. Mix well. Pour over batter in pan.


Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour or until tooth pick comes out clean. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.


Next comes the icing....

Use remaining 1/2 box pudding to mix in with a can of Betty Crocker icing.


Add pistachios and chocolate chips to the icing.


Spread on cake. There you have it.

Good Morning, Republic of Korea!

It was 6 March, 2007 when I installed Site Meter here. This morning the counter rang up visit number 40,000.

The landmark visit came from a web search done in the Republic of Korea for: life changing experience which brought this result...

In the field of opportunity, it's plowin' time again..."
- Neil Young

Photograph by Kilroy_60

I do not make New Year's Resolutions. The reason is simple. The ONLY one I have ever been successful with is to No Longer Make New Year's Resolutions.

It is the time of year, though, when people are generally more likely to be reflective than at other times.

We are facing challenges.

As a nation we have "problematic" situations. Inside The Beltway, from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other, any perspective of reality seems to have been dismissed. Domestically the nation is divided well beyond the nightmare of red and blue states. Our international policy is fractured.

Families are struggling; in so many ways. People with the most positive attitude possible are challenged by the state of affairs that exist today. There is too much divisiveness; too much illness; too much of too many things with too little time.

So, what is there to do? Give up; and drink the Kool-Aid? I think not. Let me rephrase, fuck that. We can also not sit idly, willing to accept the status quo. Fuck that defeatist shit too.

To facilitate change, to achieve any large scale success we must start with ourselves. We must look within to determine how we can improve and move forward from that point.

I am taking the first step to change things. Will you join me? Here's how it works...

Write down three things that you will do in the next thirty days to change your life. Don't let anyone see it. Seal it in an envelope. Give it to someone who is important to you. Get it back in thirty days; see how you did. Immediately create another list of three things for yourself.

The post was written 2 December, 2005.

One of the best things about Site Meter is that it can provide a reminder of content which may be long forgotten that deserves to again see the light of day.

This is a good example.

To close, today, I'd like to spotlight one portion of that 2 December post...

Write down three things that you will do in the next thirty days to change your life. Don't let anyone see it. Seal it in an envelope. Give it to someone who is important to you. Get it back in thirty days; see how you did. Immediately create another list of three things for yourself.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Simply The Best, Better Than All The Rest

The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers, the Super Bowl XLIII Champions, are one of the best teams in the history of the National Football League.

...Pittsburgh chalked up a 12-4 regular season record while playing the toughest regular season schedule in the National Football League. Opponents had a combined winning percentage of .598 and ten games were played against teams that had a winning record in 2007.
...The Steelers defense was ranked #1 in the league.
...James Harrison was the National Football League's Defensive Player of the Year
...The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. The game ranks high on the list of best Super Bowls.


Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team in the National Football League to win six Super Bowls.

It's most fitting when you consider that owner Dan Rooney leads one of the best organizations in professional sports.


...Mike Tomlin, at 36 and in his second season as the Steelers Head Coach, became the youngest coach in the history of the Super Bowl.


...Ben Roethlisberger came into the game looking for redemption after a poor performance in Super Bowl XL. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and had one touchdown and one interception.


...Roethlisberger threw the winning touchdown pass to Wide Receiver Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds to play.


...Santonio Holmes, who had nine catches for 131 yards, became the sixth Wide Receiver to be name the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. Three have been Steelers, Holmes, Hines Ward in Super Bowl XL and Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X.


...James Harrison accounted for the longest play in Super Bowl history, he intercepted a pass and returned it 100 yards.


The Steelers Nation is sitting at the top of the sports world today.