Happy birthday dear +Anna Robertson Davis

my dear friend, Anna celebrates her birthday today and there is a lot about Anna, that makes her special and rather lovable. Anna is among the most kind-hearted persons I know, she is generous, wicked smart, creative, engaging and a huge nerd! (well, actually she is tiny but I am probably not supposed to mention that). Anna is also a wonderful artist with a very unique style that continues to blow me away everytime I see another piece of her art (In fact, I own a piece, my precious)  Ahem, where was I? Right, here, so go on, take a look: http://annardart.com/

But, there is another side to Anna, one the revels in debauchery, high tea, frilly clothing, cakes and cookies, tasty morsels. The side, that lets her ascent the skies in her airship, dressed up in the most shockingly frivolous attire and assuming a different name, Admiral Selma Kingston-Peckham! please note that the image chosen below was selected randomly and does not bear any resembles to a slightly intoxicated steampunk airship captain

Now, of course, there is more to this and hopefully we will learn more one day. But let me just say that there a quite a snarky and naughty streak, all well hidden behind an adorable British accent.

So, raise your tea cups with me, nibble on your scones and let us celebrate +Anna Robertson Davis  birthday together.

Interesting fact, Anna also writes poetry. It has been said, that her poetry makes Vogons weep. Many Bothans died to bring us this information and you have been warned, read on at your own peril!

Faith is an old captain.

but if she won't, someone else will chop the wood
while dolphins tweeted the depths of the cloud
Cows are evil, ducks are good

Woe, those unfortunate to keep the scones from her.
Desolation, life, and endurance
Cucumber sandwiches and a proper tea
All pirates desire small, dead tunas.

Happy birthday my dearest Anna hugs 

PS: Spoilers! 

#HappyBirthdayAnnaRobertsonDavis  
#PirateSteampunkDay  

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For those willing and able to help 

Edit from the OP: 

The  +American Red Cross  will also be around Oklahoma with Feed Sites and Emergency Aid stations. More info here: http://goo.gl/dWGba

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American Red Cross for OKC

The +American Red Cross is still accepting blood, platelet and monetary donations at this time for the people affected by the recent tornado in Oklahoma and has offered some fantastic incentives.

To show our appreciation for your lifesaving efforts, donors who present to give during the time periods below will be entered into a raffle to win an American Express gift card *

Memorial Day — May 23 to May 31 — Win 1 of 5 $1,000 gift cards!
Independence Day — July1 to July 15 — Win 1 of 5 $3,000 gift cards!
Labor Day — August 26 to September 9 — Win 1 of 5 $1,000 gift cards!

*Promotional rules apply. For full rules and regulations visit: redcrossblood.org/summerrulesandregs

If you recently made a blood donation, or if you have already scheduled an appointment to donate blood, please accept our thanks on behalf of the patients whose lives you may have touched. If you have been told previously by the American Red Cross or another blood center that you should never donate blood, please disregard this message.

Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.

For more details on these giveaways and to make your next appointment to donate visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

No time better than the present to save a life and help others.

#oklahoma   #redcross  

Woe is me - in many, many different forms

For the lovers of obscure lingo, you will find this to be a delightful source of information. 




Via +Jyoti Dahiya and found by Kiril Minanov (whom I cannot tag) in a private share, hence the public new post. 

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Looking for food related plussers and pages to add? 

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This Cooking & Foodie circle is a new one! If you want to be added, follow the simple steps!
add this circle (I can't include you otherwise)
plus this post
share this post publicly
leave a comment you want to be added!

#katherinevucicevicsharedcircle #foodies #sharedcircles #circleshare  

Love Hurts First Aid

Melanie Chernock, created this nifty set of first response essentials for a broken heart ( I do not have have to insert a wink here, right?) Too bad it is not for sale. 

_Love Hurts was created based on an assignment to make an activity book. I thought it would be more interesting to make a sort of activity kit instead. From there, I came up with the concept of Love Hurts: A first aid kit for a broken heart. Initially, I knew that I did not want to make a kit of sadness and wanted to approach the product with a sense of humor. Love Hurts contains all of the essentials for going through a rough breakup such as dark chocolate, vodka, bubble bath soap, a candle with matches, candy hearts, a mix CD, and, if all else fails, tissues. All of the products come neatly packaged in a compact kit. Unfortunately, the kit is not yet available to purchase. If anyone is interested in producing it, please get in touch! _

See more of her work here: www.melaniechernock.com

Blackadder - why you should start

Do you enjoy black humour, sarcasm, witty dialogue or utter nonsense? Brilliant  welcome to the world of Blackadder. What truly made Rowan Atkinson famous, was surely this show. Not the rather, well, simpler Mr. Bean. You will also see a lot of familiar faces throughout the seasons;  Hugh Laurie (Dr. House) or Stephen Fry to name but two.  That said, grab a servant to rest your feet, a potato and if I may say so, Sir Your Moustache Is Lovely.

You ride a horse rather less well than another horse would. Your brain would make a grain of sand look large and ungainly and the part of you that can't be mentioned, I am reliably informed by women around the court, wouldn't be worth mentioning even if it could be.

Watch all episodes. online, on Dailymotion: http://goo.gl/qhurm

#H201306220700   

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This 

sorry, but someone failed at GUI design 101. Unless you are trying to drive us nuts or just have posts that say "lol". 

+Google+ We are providing feedback of course, now we can hope that someone listens. It is actually easier to use Google+ on mobile right now. 

Hey <_<  Wait, ... 

via +Halfdan Reschat 

PS: I had to scroll, in this composer window.. this is ridiculous. 

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I mean, really.
It makes it so fun to chase a comment box.

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I thought it was known, please mind this when using hashtags to make posts searchable. 

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Did Google Plus Search change its algorithm for looking up posts by hashtags?

Just before, as I looked up posts associated with the #sundayclassics tag, posts without that hashtag showed up also. Although subject related (in this case 'classical music'), that's not what I expected (nor hoped for), actually. Searches with other hashtags confirmed this behaviour.

Not having noticed this before, I guess this might've been introduced along with the most recent #googleplusupdate .

Edit: Excellent tip from +Dirk Reul added:
Remove the leading hash character from your seach term may do the trick!

For my slightly OCD friends

Have a moment of Zen :)

via +Lucia Segura in a limited post (hence the new share)

Ballroom Luminoso

I adore these pieces, form and light combined with skill and an eye for beauty on multiple layers. 

is a series of six brilliantly lit, color changing chandeliers. Drawing from the formal elegance of the freeway underpass and the cultural currents of the surrounding neighborhoods, the piece transforms a forgotten space into one that connects the community.

Each globe contains a custom-designed LED light fixture, which casts sharply detailed overlapping shadows. The chandeliers paint the underpass with complex color patterns and ethereal lighting thereby refashioning the space into a majestic ballroom-cum-shadow theater. Melding grandeur with a sense of neighborhood rejuvenation, the sculptures weld recycled bike parts into refined forms.

The installation can currently be seen in  San Antonio, Texas. 

Find out more about the installation: http://www.jbpublicart.com/portfolio/ballroom_luminoso

The portfolio of the artists: 
http://www.jbpublicart.com/



via thisiscolossal.com

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I know that more than a few people I know will appreciate this :p

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Having a serious Spock boner right now.

h/t +Rugger Ducky 

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Bazinga

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Coq au Vin on Roasted Garlic Potato Mash - Doing it French Style

Classic dishes are a favourite of mine. Some of the classics have been perfected over time and I enjoy the old time flavour this brings. This time, I went for a classic of the French cuisine; Coq au Vin, I did change it a bit to suit my own tastes and to use available ingredients, but the seemingly simple, yet complex layered flavours of dry red wine, vegetables and herbs, combined with garlic and the savoury bacon are just wonderful.

Please note that this does involved quite a few steps one day in advance, but I enjoy the meticulous approach to this dish :)


Ingredients

Coq au Vin
10-15 Shallots
3-4 chicken thighs and legs, or 1 or a whole chicken, cut into pieces
200g / 7 ounces of thick bacon, cubed
4 tablespoons water
500g / 18 ounces of Swiss brown mushroom,
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, warm
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ice cold
2 (750 ml) bottles Pinot Noir (or any other French, dry red wine)
1 white onion, quartered
3 stalks celery, quartered
5 medium carrots, quartered
3 cloves garlic, cut into fine slices
1 heaped tablespoon of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
500 ml / 2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup Cognac
2-3 sprigs of rosemary

Potato mash
6 Floury potatoes, large, peeled, rinsed and diced
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
5-6 cloves of garlic (still in the head of garlic)
80g / 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
200ml / 3/4 cup full fat milk

Saute Pan or a medium sized casserole
Doufeu or a Dutch Oven

Mise en Place

The day before

Peel the carrots and cut into thick pieces.
Wash and clean the celery, cut into quarters.Remove the ends.
Open the wine bottles, set aside.
Clean and quarter the mushrooms.
To easily peel the shallots, cut the root end of the shallots and blanch them in boiling water for one minute, drain and cool down with cold water. Let cool off, then you can simply press the shallots out of the skin. Set aside to dry.
Peel and clean the garlic, cut into thin slices, set aside.
Peel and quarter the regular onion (not the shallots)

Heat a Saute Pan or a medium sized casserole to medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of water and the cubed, thick bacon. Keep cooking until the water is gone, then the bacon will start to brown nicely and all over. Remove the cubes once they have the desired level of crispness. Let them dry on a piece of paper towel, set aside.

If there is only little fat left, add a bit of fat and then add the shallots, season with salt and let them get lightly golden brown, tossing them. Remove and set aside with the bacon.

Wash and dry the chicken parts carefully, season with sea salt and brown them in the pan from all sides until golden, add a bit of fat if needed. Only brown 2 -3 pieces at a time to keep them from cooking. Remove and place the chicken parts in a large Doufeu or a Dutch Oven. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and the normal onion.

Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and saute the mushrooms until they are golden, remove and set aside together with the bacon and shallots. Keep all three in fridge until the next day.

There should be little to no fat left in the pan. Now use the cognac to deglaze the pan, keep scraping with a spatula until all the brown residue is dissolved. Add the tomato paste and a swig of red wine, mix and pour over the chicken and vegetables in the dutch oven.

Now add the chicken stock and all of the wine except for 1/2 a cup, until the chicken is just covered. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight. Do not season with salt yet.

The second day

Remove the Dutch Oven with the chicken from the fridge at least two hours before cooking to let it get to room temperature

Clean and peel the potatoes  cut into even sized pieces and place into salted water with a bay leaf. Set aside. Grate the Parmesan, set aside.

Trim the end off a head of garlic, place root site down on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle olive oil, fold up into a tight package and set aside.

Preparation

Pre-heat your oven to 160 C / 325 F. Add the rosemary to the chicken and place it in the oven for about two hours, letting it simmer gently, covered.

Place the garlic package into the oven as well, for about 20-30 minutes. Remove and set aside.

When the chicken is done, remove it from the Dutch Oven, cover it and the vegetables and place them in the oven to keep them warm.

Put the dutch oven uncovered on your stove and bring it to medium high heat, reduce the liquid to about 1/3 of the original volume. Then add the bacon, mushrooms and shallots. Reduce heat and cook covered at low heat for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes until they are tender, drain the water and keep them in the pot. Mash the potatoes, season with nutmeg and butter. Then add the parmesan and the wonderfully soft garlic that you press out of the skin into the mash. Mash and add milk as needed until you have your desired texture. Season with salt and fresh black pepper.

Taste the sauce, the bacon should have added more than enough salt to the sauce now. Add a teaspoon of green mustard and a healthy swig of red wine, season to taste with pepper. Do not let it boil again, add a few pieces of ice cold butter and keep stirring to give your sauce that lovely shine. Add the chicken back into the sauce to let it get hot again.

Arrange on pre-heated plates and serve with a Pinot Noir.

Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

Or follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes  in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

#foodporn  

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Sunday morning music

via +Rory Triscuit :)

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The Dark Game of Hobbit Knight Thrones

A violinist's brilliant tribute to the best film scores of this decade. This'll give you goosebumps. Plug-in your headphones and enjoy the ride.

#thedarkknight   #thehobbit   #gameofthrones  

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Well then, hand picked circles are still my weapon of choice to look for people I can add other than just meeting them

Take a look at what our favourite ginger and self rescuing princess has come up with :)

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Circles Everywhere!

Over the past couple of days I have been shared in some really awesome circles.  It reminded me how long it's been since I shared one of my own.  And with all the new people around, I figured it might be helpful.  

These 200 lovely plussers were chosen by google's magic as being the most relevant to me (minus a few pages and the people who don't use G+).  I went through them and can assure you that these are all top notch characters (well, mostly :p).  They definitely make google+ the amazing place that it is.  Just, be prepared for shenanigans.  

If you were notified, you are in the circle.  I don't ever notify, so hopefully you guys don't mind this one.

Trek Wars

I love these Star Wars and Trek mashup cookies :) 

Tribble-Chewbacca is genius! 

via 
http://www.klickitatstreet.com/2013/05/boldly-go-and-may-fourth-be-with-you.html

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Take a pick :)
It is a diverse mix of people so you will find all kinds of content and personalities in here. Btw, clicking on "Add people" opens the old menu that will let you see the circle. Like "View Circle" used to 

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Star Stuff Circle
"We are all connected: To each other, biologically; To the earth, chemically; To the rest of the Universe, atomically."  - Neil Degrasse Tyson

...And through G+, algorithmically. Thanks for the relevance. If you're new to G+, this is a pretty good circle if you want to liven up your stream or you're in the mood to pop a blood vessel or two. IJS. Have a happy Friday.

#sharedcircles   #publicsharedcircles   

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I love this recipe, the flavours sound delightful and will you just look at the colours?

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Korean Sticky, Sweet, and Spicy Chicken Legs

http://chowdivine.com/korean-sticky-sweet-and-spicy-chicken-legs

One of my favorite dishes of all time :)

#recipe   #dairyfree   #korean   #chicken   

#foodfriday curated by +Natty Netsuwan +D. DeMonteverde +Jenn Oliver and +Moon Lee

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Good news, thank you +Yonatan Zunger

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Clear, Unambiguous Statement About the Missing Posts
+Yonatan Zunger has stepped in and made this clear and unambiguous statement about the issue with missing posts that so many of us have been experiencing in recent weeks.

(Source: plus.google.com/103697368260407276883/posts/bDj7QsPEurA)

Rosemary Potato Pizza with sweet Onions and Feta - Earthy delights

Because I have to atone for my food-fail of the weekend, I wanted to make something quick and easy that I can also eat tomorrow. A pizza dough can be made many way, I went for the really easy one described here: http://goo.gl/kktwG enough for about 1 baking try if rolled out thinly.

The topping is catering to my personal tastes, I love feta, red onions, Rosemary and potatoes. Combining them with a bit of Ricotta, freshly ground black pepper and extra virgin olive oil, creates a simple yet delightful dish bringing the mediterranean into my dreary and overcast German day.

This will easily feed 3 grownups :)

Ingredients

(without pizza dough)
150 g / 2/3 cup of Ricotta cheese
3-4 waxy potatoes
300 g / 2 cups of feta cheese
3-4 red onions or a mix of sweet onions and red onions, medium sized
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Fresh ground pepper
Extra native olive oil

Mise en place

Prepare the pizza dough, roll out into a rectangular shape (cut to fit you want, place it on a matching sheet of baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 220 C / 428 F, heat the baking tray in the oven.

Clean and peel the potatoes, using  a use a mandoline or an adjustable-blade slicer to cut really thin slices. (You can now blanche the the slices for about 4 minutes in salt water, rinse and dry them off on kitchen towels, this is optional however and was not required for me).

Peel and cut the onions into thick chunks, making sure not that they are not too thin, will keep them from drying out and burning.

Wash and dry the sprigs of rosemary, remove the rosemary leaves.

Preparation

Place the rectangle of pizza dough on the piece of baking paper. Spread the Ricotta on the dough, season with a bit of salt and generously with black pepper. Place the thin slices of potato on top of the ricotta layer side by side with a small overlap. Crumble the feta on top of the potatoes, add the rosemary. Spread the onions slices all over the feta and sprinkle generously with a good olive oil.

Place the pizza using the baking paper on the hot baking tray in the lower part of your oven , bake for about 30 minutes. If the potatoes are not done by then, reduce the temperature to 2/3 thirds and keep baking until the potatoes are done.

Season again with fresh pepper and a bit of olive oil, serve hot or cold.

Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

Or follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes  in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

#foodporn  

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This 

I could not share while at work but this, is spot on and it drives me nuts. I can barely use Google+, miss out on posts of people I truly care about and while I get Google's desire to enhance their services, using a proprietary algorithm I have no control over to select what I see even in my circles view not just the main stream, simply will not do. 

So, please report it to Google if you feel the same. I also highly recommend going through +Eve A post to get a good feel of the scope of the discussion.  

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Good morning, all!

First of all my apologies for having notified you. Let me explain:

I have been noticing for a while now that I don't see as many posts as I should see, given that I have 415 people in my circles. I checked this this morning. I saw the same ol' posts that I had plussed hours ago after maybe 5 new posts. Given that G+ is the home of people from all over the world where in every hour at least someone is awake and posting on G+, there should be a high influx of new posts every minute or so.

I went to the profiles of some of you and noticed there that, depending on how prolific a poster you are, I only saw every 3rd to 5th post of you, and as the circles are sorted by relevancy (not mine obviously), the profiles I have checked out so far are only the ones of the people on the top of my biggest circle. I will continue to visit your profiles, each and every one, because I noticed that if I 'interact' on your posts, I get more of it. So if I plus, say, 10 of your posts I should have you all back, shouldn't I?

In the beginning, I thought that some of you have turned away from me because I wasn't interacting with you and I saw less interaction of you on my posts. Given that it is the same for everyone, I now know that it isn't the case that you turned away. It is neither the case for me that I turned away from you.

Now, I'm a pretty standard user of G+, i.e. I am not a pro photographer or blogger or marketer that depends on the presence on G+. Imagine how it must be for those actually trying to make money from their presence on G+ or fight for a worthy cause! The new algorithm, or whatever it is, sucks and kills the G+ joy.

Hell, I am missing you all - loads. I hope that with my endeavor to visit your profiles and plus posts I get you back. 

Have a wonderful day :D

No food post this weekend due to own stupidity

Checking not only once, but twice that you have all the ingredients. Only to realise that in fact you are missing other vital ingredients that you cannot substitute and you just cannot buy on a Sunday in Germany because shops are closed and those cannot be had at a gas station makes me just want to.. gah! 

I will make a food post this week to make up for it. Now, I will go and pout. 
I feel like there should be a series of pictures with signs like for the dog shaming, only .. for cooking. <_<

#sosorry   #yesIshouldknowbetter   #sorryrosenocaketoday  

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That's a lovely idea,

I'm always on the fence when it comes to 'real' women or men statements. But showing little girls that they can be whatever they want to be, show them that the future belongs to all children and not just boys, is an important and wonderful thing.

There is more than being a Disney princess, but on some
days it is okay to be one. Just know that you don't need a prince to rescue you.

Thank you +Kyla Myers <3

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Love this idea!

h/t +Gloria Bass 

Happy birthday dear +Mara Mascaro

Let it be known, that today is the day of happy returns for 
+Mara Mascaro. Join me in wishing Mara a happy birthday. 

So, why exactly, is Mara such a wonderful friend? Well, why not start with her big heart? Her generosity when it comes to bringing a smile to others. Mara goes out of her way, to spread love all over the world. Touches so many hearts and always manages to surprise me. We can talk about movies, shows, wine, games, photography and all kinds of things. But what I most like about Mara, is the she is simply who she is, she does not pretend to be anything but herself and that, is all of what Mara is, is wonderful. 

Happy birthday my dear friend, this is but a prelude, the real gift may still take a while as the little house elfs are not really up to speed and it takes a while to travel to Milan from the UK. Have a wonderful birthday, laugh, eat lots of cake (.. <_< if there is any.. ), drink wonderful wine, cuddle your cat, enjoy your day and be happy. You are cherished and beloved and I wish you all the best for the future <3 

#happybirthdaymara  

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Hangout with Jim Butcher 

For those, like myself, that could not attend as it aired.

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Here is the edited video of the Hangout with Jim Butcher.

We spend a half-hour discussing his Dresden Files series. I made it through most of the questions submitted by the community. If you have time to watch it, please feel free to let me know what you think.

Next week: Chuck Wendig!

The largest ice-caves in the world

I showed these yesterday to +Andrea Evans because she will be going to Austria soon, I figured why not share this with all of you. If you are in Austria near Salzburg, I truly consider this to a place you have to visit to see the wonders of this formation: 

Cave formation:

The Eisriesenwelt is a labyrinth of caves with a total length of over 40 km. As is the case with all caves, their formation spans a long period of time. The first cracks and crevices in the limestone appeared during the elevation of the mountains approx. 100 million years ago and over the course of thousands of years became more developed and extended as a result of chemical reactions and water erosion. Caves in the alps are still developing, although in many cases the process of drying out has limited their development.

Ice in the caves:

There are various ways in which cave ice can form. The Eisriesenwelt is a dynamic cave, meaning that the corridors and the crevices connect lower lying entrances to higher openings hence making it possible for draughts of air to circulate – similar to the effect in a chimney. Depending upon the outside temperature, it is either warmer or cooler inside the mountain and this causes the air to circulate upwards or downwards. In winter, when the air inside the mountain is warmer than outside, cold air streams into the mountain and reduces the temperature of the lower areas of the caves to below freezing point. In spring the meltwater seeps through the cracks in the rock and when it reaches the colder lower areas of the caves it freezes and turns slowly into the wonderful ice formations visible inside the caves.

Find more infos here: 
http://goo.gl/DQppX

Images are from the homepage of the ice caves

Yes, this was the 80s, this is also the trailer to the Far Cry 3 expansion: Blood Dragon

the sheer epic level of 80's tropes in this is beyond belief. Watch in 240p full screen for the full 80's experience. Well, or 720p because it will hurt slightly less. Also, also, Flying sharks with laser eyes !!! 

Oscillate

This, is beautiful. Simply stunning, watch it in the dark, possibly with headphones. I could have watched for quite a while longer. 

 Daniel Sierra created this piece for this thesis. 

"Oscillate" is the title of my thesis animation done at the MFA Computer Art program in the School of Visual Arts located in New York City.

My goal with "Oscillate" was to visualize waveform patterns that evolve from the fundamental sine wave to more complex patterns, creating a mesmerizing audio-visual experience in which sight and sound work in unison to capture the viewer's attention."


Read more about it on: 
http://dbsierra.com/Work/Oscillate/

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Nothing to add, +Luis Roca says it all  :)

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The Vein / Magma
Direction & Art Direction by Dvein
Full credits on the videos page:
https://vimeo.com/64542506

Humanity and paint as one grand landscape. This is a sensationally well executed music video. If you're looking for a little kick of inspiration for a day of drawing and painting… watch. :)

Check out the making of: https://vimeo.com/65546038

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I think.. this could come in handy..

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I might hand these out to people as awards at work.

Saturday morning feels

Oh my god, this makes to much sense now.. and is actually a really good song. 
But, who did let the dogs out? What happened to them? I am so conflicted and torn apart now. 

musings on a Saturday morning

Just how gullible am I? Did I really just buy crisps just because the women are carrying pigs? Will I actually try these ? Should I? 

Brigands, Nerds and Dread Pirates

+Chet Phillips created these beautiful pieces based on the quotes of beloved characters from movies and tv. 

+Scott Cramer shared the one about one of my all time favourite movies, The Princess Bride  (go read the novel as well!), yet, there is more! 

You can find the entire set on Chet's blog: http://chetart.com/blog/
and you can actually buy these and more, in his shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChetArt

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This is a reminder for those interested, keep the date :) 

EDIT:
If you cannot make it: Here is the link for the YouTube page where the interviews will be available later on. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/jlwardx

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For those of you who don't know, I run another community called Urban Fantasy Fans. That community is not a writing community. It's for fans. That being said, I did want to let all of you folks know about some upcoming interviews I'll be doing for that community.

Upcoming Interviews for Urban Fantasy Fans Community

Thursday May 9th at 9 PM (Eastern) we will be talking to Jim Butcher.

Thursday May 16th at 9 PM (Eastern) we will be talking to Chuck Wendig.

Thursday June 6th at 7 PM (Eastern) we will be talking to Kevin Hearne.

If you're not a member of the Urban Fantasy Fans community, you can still join. Here's a link to the community page: http://goo.gl/ouudw

Also, I do want to let you folks know that I'm going to try to get some of these folks to do interviews for this community too.

Sunken Apple Cake

It doesn't really get a lot simpler than this. Then again, some of the best things in life, are simple things. I craved cake today, I had apples so I made a quick and simple cake I enjoyed when I was a wee lad back in the days.

It is wonderful warm or cold, with coffee or tee, with a dash of whipped cream or like I enjoy it, with a bit of icing sugar on top. I have greatly reduced the sugar compared to the old recipe I got from my grandma.

Ingredients

2-3 Elstar apples (tart and suited for baking)
150g / 2/3 cup of caster sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
120g / 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 medium eggs, separated
250 g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
150 ml /  3/4 whole fat milk
Icing sugar

Make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C  degrees and spray a 10-cup spring form
with non-stick cooking spray or grease and flour. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add
the yolks, mix again until combined. Beat the egg whites separately until stiff.

Using a sieve, add the dry ingredients and keep pouring the milk as well, in to the mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed just until combined, make sure that the batter is not too dry. Add more milk if required scraping down the sides as necessary. Carefully fold the egg whites into the prepared batter, mix well. Pour batter into greased spring form.

Gently tap the filled spring form on the counter a few times, this will make the air bubbles/pockets rise up and and level the surface.

Peel the apples, cut in half, remove the cores and score the upper side with a fork. Place slices on top of the batter, gently pushing them in a little bit. The cake will rise around them, no worries.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes until lightly golden brown, remove from the oven. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, remove the spring form and let it cool down for a while. Add icing sugar on top and enjoy. 


Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

#foodporn  

If you follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes  in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

The Rocky Horror Big Bang Show

The cast of The Big Bang Theory at a Alzheimer's benefit as the cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show

FTW!

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It's easy and for a good cause :) why not? Thank you +Tiffany Henry

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2013 BEARMAN CHARITY CHALLENGE STARTS TODAY

For every new G+ follower I net till the end of May, I will donate $1 to charity.

Click the link for additional ways to get me to donate money: http://beartoons.com/2013/04/30/bearman-cartoons-charity-challenge-2013/

I donate money for your actions This is the fourth year I have done this. I will donate MY money (up to $1500) when people do different things including following me on G+, Blogging about the challenge, cartoonists including me in their regular strip, adding me to your blog roll, etc.

Plus anyone that donates money in honor of Bearman Cartoons to http://crayons2computers.org, I will match that donation up to $500.

I don't usually ask people to share my posts, but this one will help spread the word on some great causes I am supporting including:

Cincinnati FreeStore Foodbank: http://www.freestorefoodbank.org/
Brandon C Gromada Head and Neck Cancer Foundation http://www.gromadacancerfndn.org/
Crayons to Computers: http://www.crayons2computers.org/

Challenge will run till the end of May. Thanks for all your engagement and support.

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Watch this, right now!

I would like to add this never worked for me. Not, that I tried or something.. <_<

>_>


h/t +Barbi Kangaroo 

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Oh. my. god. This made me laugh so hard!

Sexy Pool Party

Happy Birthday +Lacerant Plainer

I'm not saying it's aliens, but it's aliens!


Okay probably not, but this was just too much fun to pass up on.
Have a great day, my friend!



#HappyAlienDayLacerantPlainer

#lpsamazinganimalfacts

Happy Birthday +Lacerant Plainer

It has been coming for a while now.

our dear friend, +Lacerant Plainer celebrates his birthday today. We know him as the writer of really good flash fiction, (http://www.lacerantplainer.com/) and as one of the people here on Google+, that loves to bring science and news thereof to all of us. Always a gentle fellow and a good sport, a connoisseur of all things geeky and always supportive, fun and in general, just a good alien.

 Please help us and wish him a wonderful birthday, with lots of brilliant new ideas, inspirations and laughter on this joyous day.

 Have a great day, do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the number of birthday wishes (just kidding, I hope you will be totally overwhelmed and that you will love every second of it).

 Especially in his capacity as a writer of fiction, I find myself reminded of this quote:

 "There's no real objection to escapism, in the right places... We all want to escape occasionally. But science fiction is often very far from escapism, in fact you might say that science fiction is escape into reality... It's a fiction which does concern itself with real issues: the origin of man; our future. In fact I can't think of any form of literature which is more concerned with real issues, reality."
        - Arthur C Clarke

#HappyAlienDayLacerantPlainer

#lpsamazinganimalfacts

Here we are, you are trending my friend :) 
Happy birthday again , +Chris Mallory ! 

#HappyBugsDayChrisMallory  

Happy Birthday +Chris Mallory

Let it be known that today is the birthday of Chris, photographer of all things insectoid and general super nice person extraordinaire! If you don't know Chris, get to know him! As him about Llamas and Cheese! Take a look at the beautiful creatures he so diligently photographs and passionately talks about.

 I hope you will have a wonderful day, Chris. May you always find yourself in the place you want to be in your life. Oh and you might also meet the Beetles in the next days.. if you have not already :D

#HappyBugsDayChrisMallory

Ménage à trois of Fruity Delights - three kinds of Sorbet

Warm and beautiful weather this week prompted me to dust off my ice cream maker and during a conversation with +Carrie Canup, Raspberry and Champagne sorbet came up, so why not? But why stop there? I enjoy all kinds of berries, so I selected complementary yet distinct flavours to create a delightful mix of tangy, fresh, sweet and creamy sorbets. You can easily adjust amounts to make as little or as much as you want. I only created equal amounts for two kinds of sorbet, the blueberry one was only a small portion because I could not find enough high quality blueberries (or frozen ones) when I was shopping, but I will include the full recipe I came up with. I also used Crémant instead of Champagne, frankly there is little difference in my book other than it being a name that can only be used when it is created in the Champagne. A good Crémant is easily the equal of most Champagnes. Sorbets are among the easiest desserts you can create but they also very versatile and can be changed as you see fit and like.

Without further ado, enjoy the dish of the week.

Note: if you use frozen fruit, you need to soak it in the hot syrup or let them thaw. I will include examples for all variants.Making three different sorbets also takes quite a bit of time if you include the cooling down of the ingredients and and churning in the ice cream maker followed by the final freezing of the sorbet. Mind you, you can eat the sorbet right away but it is better if is completely frozen. I also don't use beaten egg whites, which is also an option to create smoother sorbets.

Ingredients

Raspberry Crémant Sorbet

300 ml / 1 1/4 cups Champagne or sparkling wine (I used Crémant)
60 ml / 1/4 cup water
100 g / 1/2 cup caster sugar
300g / 2 cups raspberries, frozen (a small handful of fresh ones for nibbling and garnish)

Blackberry Crémant Sorbet

300 ml / 1 1/4 cups Champagne or sparkling wine (I used Crémant)
60 ml / 1/4 cup water
100 g / 1/2 cup caster sugar
300g / 2 cups blackberries, fresh (set a few aside for garnish)

Blueberry Yoghurt Sorbet

300 g / 2 cups of blueberries, fresh (set a few aside for garnish)
1/4 teapoon of organic lemon zest, fine grated
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
25 g / 3 tablespoons of icing sugar
70 g / ¼ cup of greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of white wine (optional)

You will also need to following:

Immersion blender or regular blender
A fine mesh sieve
A soft spatula
Ice cream maker


Mise en Place and Preparation

Raspberry Crémant Sorbet

Add Crémant, water, and sugar in a medium pot. bring to a boil and turn the heat off and put it aside.Add the frozen raspberries and let it rest, covered, for about 10 minutes (until the raspberries are thawed).

Pour the mix into a matching container to use with the immersion blender or into a blender. Blend until smooth. Then pour the mix through a fine mesh sieve, using a soft spatula to separate the seeds from the liquid. Let the liquid cool in the fridge until thoroughly chilled (4 hours up to 24 hours if you want to). Process in your ice cream maker as described in the manual of your particular device. Make sure to freeze the sorbet in the freezer afterwards to ensure that it is frozen through.

Blackberry Crémant Sorbet

Add water and sugar in a medium pot. bring to a boil and turn the heat off and put the syrup aside to let it cool down.

Blend the blackberries using the immersion blender or a blender.Add the white wine. Blend until smooth. Then pour the mix through a fine mesh sieve, using a soft spatula to separate the seeds from the puree.

Mix the puree and the syrup, pour in the the Crémant and let cool in the fridge until thoroughly chilled (4 hours up to 24 hours if you want to). Process in your ice cream maker as described in the manual of your particular device.

Blueberry Yoghurt Sorbet

Add blueberries, lemon juice, zest and icing sugar and blend until smooth. You can strain it through a sieve afterwards if you want to but I found it to be smooth enough to process as it is. Add the greek yoghurt and the white wine and blend again. Let it cool in the fridge until thoroughly chilled (4 hours up to 24 hours if you want to). Process in your ice cream maker as described in the manual of your particular device.

Once the sorbets are frozen through, you will have to remove them about 10 to 20 minutes before serving them from the freezer in order to allow them to thaw enough to be scoop them.

Garnish with the fresh fruit and some lemon zest, or a bit of mint. Enjoy these fresh delights any time of the day because, really, we do not need a reason to indulge in this :)

Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

Or follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

#foodporn  

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If you can add advice or share your experience, please comment on the original post to help a friend of ours :)

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Attention, Peoples of the Internet!

A question came up about work visas for the US, recently, and we would like to know, for those of you who have gone through the visa process personally:
How easy/difficult was it?
Were there any particular snags that you could give guidance for avoiding?
Any hints and tips?

Thank you for your help!

Also, if you have experience with visas for countries OTHER than the US, I'd most likely be interested in hearing your experiences as well, though it won't be as immediately relevant.

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How to stop cats from peeing in your garden forever

Foolproof, really, like for real. <_<


This is so funny! Thank you +Dryade Geo <3

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Craig Turner as finally released a sequel to how to get rid of cats peeing in your yard!!!

Brilliant stuff - worth the watch to the hysterical laughing by viewer at the end.

Mwhahahaha

I see your bacon +Carrie Canup and I raise you fresh strawberries with whipped cream

#dirkwhipshisfluffyearsbackansforth

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Well then, I know know, Communities blabla. But the idea is to look at a hand picked group of people and choose who you would like to add. Instead of seeing the posts of 20000 people rushing by :) So, take a look, or don't but I would seriously recommend taking a look :P

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Sensational SF Circle

Rejuvenation of the Sci-Fi circle sharing

Sci-FI Community link here : http://bit.ly/14PmI2V

Cleaned up the circles and only included people actually interested or posting about SF. Have removed a number of profiles and pages with a leaner, more focused laser-like pinpointing on Science Fiction.

Why should you add them? They are awesome - they support the SF initiative and are genuinely interested in Science Fiction.

Reshare and Add for spreading the love

#scifi #scififans #scififriday #scifichat #scifiwatcher #sciencefiction #sciencefictionandfantasy #sciencefictiontelevision #sciencefictionmovies #sf #scifichannel #circle #circles #circlesharing #circleshare #circleoftheday #circleplus #public #publiccircles #publiccirclesproject #publicsharedcircles #reshare #reshared #reshareday #resharetags #sharedcircles #sharedpubliccircles #sharedcircleoftheday #sharewithyou #sharing #sharingcircle #sharingmeansthankyou #topcircles #sciencerules #sciencefiction #scifi #scififans  

Helicopter taking off again

in HD :) 

somehow I feel like a twelve year old because this amuses me to no end! 

so, this just happened...

a rescue helicopter of the German ministry of internal affairs just landed in front of my office building. Someone met up with a German police car and was taken away. 

Right, back to work and oh, it is still there. Apparently it is waiting for them to come back. 

btw the effect that the camera is recording less frames per second than the frequency of the rotor blades makes it look, like they are actually slower as they descend and then seem to speed up as they slow down. 

We accept the love we think we deserve

I just watched The Perks of being a Wallflower One of those movies that doesn't work by being flashy, it's a beautiful little piece that surely resonates with most of us on some level. We were all young once after all. Though, some things never change.

If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.

Asparagus on Sauce Béarnaise wrapped in Jamón Serrano  with Chicken Saltimbocca

After a short timeout (you did notice, right?) due to a defective stove, I am back in action. The time for asparagus has finally arrived. I personally prefer the green variant that is grown above ground to the white one that is grown below It is more versatile and aromatic in my eyes. That said, what to do with it? I also saw that my sage plant has grown enormously so I figured why not combine two classics in a melange of taste and texture. Mixing the wonderful sage aroma with crisp Spanish ham and top it off with beautiful vegetables, wrapped in savoury ham and rounded out with Bearnaise sauce that will not only hopefully tickle your fancy, but also delight your tastebuds.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Chicken Saltimbocca

2 medium sized chicken breasts without skin
8 fresh Sage leaves
4 rashers of Serrano ham (thin, you can also use Parma if you want)
75 ml / 1/3 cup of Marsala wine
Clarified butter

Asparagus

500g / 1 bunch of green asparagus
4 small or 1 large carrots
4 rashers of Serrano ham (thin, you can also use Parma if you want)
Flat leaf parsley

Sauce Béarnaise (non traditional)

2 egg yolks (medium)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
black pepper freshly ground
170g / 1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon créme fraîche

Immersion blender
1 Pan with heat-resistant handle

Mise en Place

Pre-heat your oven to 90 degrees Celsius ( 194 F)

Wash and peel the carrots, cut into stick, set aside

Wash the  asparagus under cool running water. Trim away the bottom 1/3 of the stalk. If you bend the asparagus it will naturally snap at the point where it goes from tender to tough (which is usually about 1/3 of the stalk).

Wash and dry the chicken breast. Using a sharp knife cut a pocket into each breast, take the chicken breasts, place them between two sheets of plastic and tenderize the meat to get an   even thickness.

Season the inside lightly with salt and place two Sage leaves inside. Wrap one rasher of Serrano around the breast and place a Sage leaf on top, wrap the other rasher around, they should stick nicely if you press firmly, if not, secure with a toothpick.

Prepare a pot with salted, boiling water. Cook the the asparagus and carrot sticks for about 5 minutes, drain and cool down in cold water. Set aside after drying them off.

Create two bundles of asparagus and carrot stick, wrapped with the Serrano and place in a greased baking dish of appropriate size.

Melt the butter, bring to a boil. turn off heat,Separate two medium sized eggs, keep the yolks. Add the yolk along with the creme fraiche, lemon juice and a pinch of salt into a high and narrow container  mix with the immersion blender until smooth. Now add the melted butter slowly and keep mixing with the blender until you have a smooth emulsion. Add the tarragon leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Do not blend too long or it will separate again. Voila, a quick and tasty variant on the classic sauce.

Wash and chop the parsley. Set aside

Preparation

We will first prepare the chicken, then the vegetables.

Heat some clarified butter in the pan to medium-high temperature and cook for about 2 minutes per side, deglaze with the Marsala, cut the remaining two sage leaves into pieces and add to the pan.and put it into the oven for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, place the chicken on a plate, cover it and let it rest.

Increase the temperature to about 175 C / 350 F. Pour half of the sauce over the vegetables and keep the rest hot. Place the asparagus in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, turn on the grill to gratinate the sauce. Remove from the oven, season with fresh pepper.

Arrange on a plate with the chicken, add the parsley and some of the hot sauce. Enjoy with a glass of white wine or of the Marsala.

Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

Or follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

#foodporn  

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Oh this is fun! 

via +Patty Rose 

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900 years of music in 4.5 minutes!

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This 
Thank you +Dede Craig King 

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Caveat lector
1. Apophenia - the spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness of unrelated phenomena.
2. Pareidolia - a type of illusion or misperception involving a vague or obscure stimulus being perceived as something clear and distinct.
3. Post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this therefore because of this) fallacy is based upon the mistaken notion that simply because one thing happens after another, the first event was a cause of the second event. Post hoc reasoning is the basis for many superstitions and erroneous beliefs.

Crowd sourcing investigations and trials by media are dangerous. Today them, tomorrow you.

Then they came for the mocha skinned dudes, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a mocha skinned dude. Then they came for me.

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For all those that need an honest and kind voice, listen and watch. This may open your eyes and change your perspective. 

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I saw this ad by Dove today and it reminded me of this piece I wrote some time ago. I like to read it every once in a while to remind me to be kind to myself.

------------------------------------------------------

The Words Inside My Head

I find myself writing little of actual content lately. My mind stretching before me like a huge blank canvas. I used to write. I used to write words worth reading. Some funny, some sad. I'd sprinkle them about liberally, a glittering array of sparkly gems.

They were shiny, my words, and I had a pocket full of them.

My hands slip idly into my pockets but find them empty. I shake my head, confused. Now where could I have left them?

Did you ever notice how we have words in our head? Words that are afraid of the light? Mean spirited little things we tell ourselves and then hide in the corners of our mind where no one can refute them. They skitter away like shadows when the light approaches. "You're fat." "You're ugly." "He/She doesn't love you." They prey on you when you're weak. Be forewarned and don't you let them.

Or perhaps that's just me?

As I grow older I've come to recognize these words. When I'm feeling brave I pluck them out from the corners and thrust them into the light of day where they wiggle uncomfortably. Jaw set, hands on hips, I say these words out loud. If they have no substance they disappear with a loud pop while I laugh boldly at them. For they have no power in the light. Occasionally, they take root and hold on with stubborn determination, forcing me to re-evaluate them. Like Peter Pan's shadow they taunt me and I am forced into a game of cat and mouse.

Why is it that the good words don't stand out as much as the bad words? Why can't we search through our memory banks and find all the positive words people have said to us, about us, in our lifetime?

Some thoughts +John Palmer once shared, that stuck with me:

_"If you love yourself, as dearly as you might love a child who earnestly and happily tries to be nice to you, you should accept your limitations and faults, as easily as you'd accept the limitations and faults of that child.

And, as angry as you'd be at a nasty critic who'd hurt the feelings of children who are doing their best, I think you should be that angry at the internal critics who'd do the same thing to you.

I hope, the next time I hear the self-critic starting up, I'll be as ready to protect myself from unwarranted nastiness as I would be ready to protect another. I hope the same holds for everyone who reads this, who has their own nasty self-critic."_

Alison Brie - I am officially smitten with her 

Also, her Tard the cat face is bang on! 

Happy birthday Charlie

Sleep well and enjoy your birthday, Charlie. Many people think of you on this day. 

#HappyBirthdayCharlieTheGeek  

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All hail the Hypno-Cake for +Charlie Hoover 's birthday

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Dark Chocolate Carrot Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese and Cognac Frosting and Coconut Crumble

So I married two recipes together and came up with the following Recipe.  

___________________________

Preheat Oven to 350F (or if you are like me, set it for 365-370F and keep an eye on your external guage to make sure that you are maintaining approximately that temperature).  Grease 2 9inch cake pans.

Cake Ingredients:

A (wet)
½ Cup of Light Brown Sugar
½ Cup of White Granulated Sugar
3 large eggs
(beat for a minute and add)
1 stick/ ½  Cup of butter, melted
½ Cup of Canola Oil
(beat for about 4 additional minutes)

B (dry)
⅓ Cup Chopped walnuts
2 Cups of flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
⅛ tsp of Ground Cloves
¼ Cup of Dark Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (Ghiradelli makes a nice one)

C (other)
3 Cups of grated carrot (packed tightly)
8-12 oz of crushed pineapple (I only found “chunks) so I mashed them with the tines of a fork and squeezed them through a strainer)
2 TBSP of Cognac (I used Remy Marten)

Combine A and B then fold in C.  Put your goop evenly divided between both pans.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  (it took me about 28 for the toothpick to come up clean)

Allow to cool 10 minutes, then pop out of pans and allow to continue cooling on a rack.

Drop oven temp to around 300F (not exact, keep an eye on it)

Chop up approximately ¾ Cup of walnuts to 2 Cups of coconut.  Spread across a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake until golden, stirring the mixture occasionally for even browning.  Remove when mostly golden brown and allow to cool.

Frosting:

Brown 1 Cup or 2 Sticks of Butter.
Allow to cool (or if you are an idiot and forget because you are tired, like me, stay tuned for those instructions) and add to 8 oz package of cream cheese.
Beat really well until creamy.
Add ½ cup of Unsweeted Dark Baking Chocolate.
Add 3-4 cups of Confectioners Sugar (I used closer to 3 cups)
Add 2 TBSP of Cognac and 1TSP of Vanilla Extract.

Now if you were an idiot, and didn’t let it cool, once combined, it may be a bit soupy.  Stick it in the fridge for about a half an hour to let the oils cool and bind back up.  

Smear the Frosting on the top of one layer of cake, add the next and smear even more over the top and sides.  Add the crumble to the out.

Cut and Eat

_______________


Evaluation:  Its phenomenal, moist, carroty, but also chocolatey.  Its a chocolate dipped carrot! (and there is even some in the background off to the left).

#HappyBirthdayCharlieTheGeek #foodporn

Happy Birthday +Charlie Hoover

Ask the birthday geek a question! Happy birthday Charlie

We are still not finished, +Charlie Hoover !  

 *Question*:

If you could date a historical or fictional person, who would it be and what would you do?

#HappyBirthdayCharlieTheGeek  
#AskTheGeekAQuestionDay  



PS: Yes.. I may have snuck Clara in there for myself.. but there is a perfectly valid reason for that <_<

Ask the birthday geek a question! Happy birthday Charlie

We are not finished, +Charlie Hoover :P

 *Question*:

What did you want to be, when you were a child?




#HappyBirthdayCharlieTheGeek  
#AskTheGeekAQuestionDay  

Happy birthday +Charlie Hoover

the time has come to celebrate the birthday of one of our own, Charlie Hoover is not only a geek par excellence. He is invested in helping the targets of bullying, science and kinds of geekery. Add to that he is always willing to jump in when someone is looking for help.

As he usually does each each evening, Charlie asks the Geek Question of the Day, now what if on this day. Charlie gets to answer our questions?

Btw feel free to join in

Yes, Carlie loves this, really

No that is a smile on his face, yes, even with the locked jaw.

Honestly, they can be weird too!

No, that is a banana and not a question.

Squirrel!

Question:

What’s a song you secretly LOVE to blast && belt out when you're alone?




#HappyBirthdayCharlieTheGeek  
#AskTheGeekAQuestionDay  

Probably one of the better sources for updates, the Boston PD is looking for videos from the finish line too. 

This post by +Christopher Burgess contains the contact information. 
https://plus.google.com/116418120999128229651/posts/ZHeHfkkGh9x

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For those looking for people they know

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We have launched Person Finder to help people caught in the explosions in Boston. Learn more.

http://google.org/personfinder/2013-boston-explosions

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If you always wanted to ask Jim Butcher a question, this is your chance. Please comment on the original post. 

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Hangout with Jim Butcher

I've been dying to announce this for weeks.

On Thursday, April 25th, at 9 PM Eastern, we'll be having a hangout with Jim Butcher. Jim is the author of the Dresden Files series. The hangout will last for about a half hour.

I need some questions to ask him. Can you folks help me out?

These should be questions about his work-- not about writing. Please leave your question as a comment on this post.

Thanks!

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For those in the Boston area looking to donate blood. 

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If you're in #Boston and want to donate blood, here's info for the Red Cross Blood Donation Center: http://bit.ly/12g0Hqo   #BostonMarathon   

Added my profile to the gglpls.com! #139339
http://www.gglpls.com/

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what is going to happen with your google data after you die?

This is a real issue for some people and I'm glad Google understands the need for this service. What are your thoughts?

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Today, we’re launching a new feature that makes it easy to tell Google what you want done with your digital assets when you die or can no longer use your account. It's not a topic anybody likes thinking about, but making plans for what happens after you’re gone is really important for the people you leave behind. The feature is called Inactive Account Manager and you’ll find it on your Google Account settings page. You can tell us what to do with your Gmail messages and data from several other Google services if your account becomes inactive for any reason. Read on for more.

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.. They know me

via +Terry McNeil 

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Temptations ....

http://pinterest.com/pin/117656608987364731/

Virtual 360 degree view on a Auroa Borealis 

via +Libbie Lala 

This is gorgeous! 

lovecraftactually

With this, I shall bid you all good night. Another wonderful piece by *DrFaustusAU*

http://drfaustusau.deviantart.com/

I want this place, who wants to move in with me and why should I choose you?

 I'll cook  :P

Loft 24-7, designed by Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Asociados, is located in São Paulo, Brazil.

The home exists as much on the outside as on the inside, blurring the boundaries of the house with the use of ponds and trees placed in key locations. The modern design loft spreads on a 250 sqm / 2700 sqf area in the shape of a large bungalow open to the natural surroundings. The idea behind the project is to make the internal living space one with nature by using open rooms, natural materials and daylight.

h/t +Carrie Canup 

http://www.fernandamarques.com.br/

Game of Thrones and Calvin and Hobbes mashup

Dawwww I mean, in a vicious and deadly yet kind of adorable way :)

Tyrion and Bronn :)

Reverse Procrastination

Yes, we've all bad these days when we wanted to have fun and just waste time but then ended up being super productive.

We probably should not complain >_>

Via http://www.shoeboxblog.com/?p=33286

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Well.. no one can say that I am not doing nice things for them on Easter. I mean look at those eggs! 

<_<

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Beware the After Easter Bunny!

While I was away last week, the doshare app crashed so your pre-Easter mash-up is now your post-Easter mash-up featuring the one and only Mister +Dirk Reul! ;-)

#gplususermashup #Easter #EasterBunny

Mediterranean Shoulder of Lamb with Lemon Butter Carrots and Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

Not celebrating Easter, does not mean I won't follow some traditions so, I went and got lamb for this week's dish. I wanted to go for lamb shanks but ended up with boneless shoulder of lamb instead. Oh well, I can make that work too. Mind you, when it is deboned, the meat is more like a flat piece of meat than a typical roast. So if you want a pretty roast, go for shanks with the bone. This combines wonderful mediterranean flavours with tender and moist lamb and the sweet, buttery carrots and the tartness of lemons to create a beautiful dish that will make you crave every single bite and want for more. For the full experience,  pick one of the soft cloves of garlic and spread it on your cut of meat and experience pure bliss.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1.5 kg / 3 lb of boneless shoulder of lamb
2 tablespoons of fennel seeds
2 organic lemons
3 twigs of rosemary
1 head of garlic
200g / 7 oz shallots
1 kg / 35 oz of waxy potatoes
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 -3 tablespoons of brown butter or clarified butter
A good handful of carrots with tops
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of mustard
2 cups of red wine (Use stock of your choice as an alternative)
Kitchen yarn
Salt
Pepper

Mortar and Pestle
Casserole dish of appropriate size


Mise en Place

Remove the lamb at least one best two hours before cooking from the fridge.
Preheat oven to 180C / 356 F (no convection)

Wash the lamb, dry it off, set aside. Wash the lemons with hot water, set aside.

Remove the zest of one lemon, cut the lemon in half and juice it, set aside.
Wash and dry the rosemary. Plug the needles off. Set aside.

Peel the cloves of garlic and the shallots. Half or even quarter them. Set aside.

Wash the potatoes (peel them if you want to). Cut them into medium sized pieces, as even as possible. Set aside.

Clean the carrots and leave a bit of green at the top. Halve them, thicker ones should be quartered, again, to ensure even size and thickness.

Put the fennel seeds, the zest of one lemon, 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper into the mortar and grind them to a fine paste. Add the lemon juice, a tablespoon of olive oil and create a paste. Tie the lamb shoulder into form using the kitchen yarn to ensure even cooking. Rub the seasoning all over the lamb, set into the casserole.

Mix the potatoes, the garlic and shallots with some olive oil and salt. Make sure everything is lightly covered in oil.

Place the mix on the bottom of the casserole, place the lamb on top.
Remove the zest from the second lemon, juice it and set aside.

Preparation

Place the casserole into the lower third of the oven. Cook for 75 minutes (25 minutes per 500g / 1 lb of lamb). Add about 1 cup of red wine over time to the potatoes over the cooking time.

About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the second cup of wine to the potatoes.

About 15 minutes before the meat is done, heat the brown butter / clarified butter in a heavy pan to medium low heat. Add the zest and some juice. Then add the carrots and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar.

About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time of the lamb, mix the honey and mustard and baste the roast with the mix, do not let burn. 

Remove the meat from the casserole set it aside covered to let it rest, you can put into the still warm oven, make sure it remains covered and the temperature is just high enough to keep the meat warm. . Pour the liquids from the casserole into a pot through a strainer Now you should remove the excess fat from the liquids, I use a gravy separator for that.  Once you have done that, heat the liquid to a simmer and let it reduce by about 2/3, then season to taste with salt and pepper.Add a few small pieces of ice cold butter and 1 to 2 tablespoons of corn starch dissolved in cold water to thicken it to your liking. Keep warm. (You can also add lamb stock if you have it and let that reduce as well).

Serve with a strong red wine, like a Pinot Noir. This wine is known for being earthy supple and silky.  It has gorgeous dried cherry aromas and I like to use it when making lamb. The thin sweet and savoury crust on the meat combines beautifully with the other flavours, making this a real treat. 


Bon Appétit

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Run you clever boy and remember



>_>
Can you ask me that question again

Love it!

Raspberry Braid

I haven't posted something sweet for a while, why not something that is traditional in Germany, but with a little twist. Yeast braids are often eaten around Easter in a lot of different variants. This one is my take on the traditional yeast braid combined with the sweet tang of raspberries the slight crunch of pistachios. This one is not overly sweet and goes beautifully with coffee or tea. Obviously  I also need to practise braiding dough, because that did not exactly turn out the way I wanted. If you lack that skill as I do when it comes to braiding, no worries, it will still taste great. Have a great weekend :) 

Ingredients

Dough
100 g / 4 oz of butter
3.85 cups / 500 g of cake flour (type 550)
2 packages of instant dry yeast
75g /  1/3 cup sugar  tablespoons of caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 medium size whole eggs
225 ml /8 fl oz / 1 cup whole fat milk
400 g / 14 oz raspberries (frozen or fresh)
60 g / 1/2 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons of apricot jam

Mise en Place

Weigh and measure all ingredients, make sure they are at room temperature and the room is draft free.

Preparation

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl by sifting the flour and the dry yeast into to the bowl. Add the other dry ingredients, the eggs, butter and using a electric whisk with dough hooks, combine into a smooth dough while adding the milk. If the dough is too sticky, slowly add more flour and knead it in using your hands on a floured surface until it no longer sticks to your fingers.

The dough then needs to be lightly dusted with flour and should rest covered in the bowl in a warm place without draft for about one hour. It should double in size during that time.

Take the wad of dough, knead again thoroughly and using a rolling pin, form into a rectangle on a surface lightly dusted with flour until it is about 50 cm / 20 inches in length and  25 cm / 10 inches width.


Set a few raspberries and about 1 tablespoon of the pistachio aside for garnish. 

Forming the braid

Cut into three pieces, lengthwise. Put the raspberries and pistachio at the inner side of each rectangle and fold them in, creating ropes of dough. Make to pinch the ends together.

Line ropes side-by-side on floured surface or directly on a piece of baking paper.

With the three ropes lined up, begin the braid at the center of the ropes. Braid loosely from center to end. Grab the center of the right strand and cross it over the middle strand, drop it in the center. The right strand is now your middle strand.

Grab your left strand and cross it over the middle strand. The left strand becomes your middle strand. Repeat the first steps (right strand to middle, left strand to middle) until you have braided to the very end. Pinch the three strands together at the end. Turn it around. Repeat the final steps (left strand to middle, right strand to middle) until your are done. Pinch the ends of the loose strands together. Form into a circle.

Baking

Now transfer the round braid to your sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and cover with a kitchen towel, Let it rise for another 30 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 180 C / 356 F (no convection).

Place the braid in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, make sure not to burn it, lower temp if needed. Once the cake as a nice golden crust. It should be done. Remove from the oven. Heat the  apricot jam until liquid and use a basting brush to apply jam to the surfaces, sprinkle the remaining pistachios onto to still sticky and warm jam and let it cool down on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. You can enjoy this warm or cold, garnish with raspberries.

Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

Or follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes  in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

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So, +Carrie Canup +Damian Sanchez +Jenn Cordova did a good one on me and +Jennie Guzman teased me...

Now I need a Whisky phew

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maybe NSFW for some

I am laughing so hard now :P 

Winter is coming.. in my pants..
Let's get Stark.. naked together

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#GameOfThrones   #Sex   #Romance  

Game Of Thrones Pickup Lines

The House of Reul - We Own The Noms

Ingredients are gathered, and now my time begins. It shall not end until my cake is done. I shall take no tofu, hold no low quality pots, use no ready-made sauces. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall cook and bake at my post. I am the spatula in the darkness. I am the cook in the kitchen. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the coffee that wakes the sleepers, the bacon that strengthens the realms of all I pledge my stove and honour to the Cake's Watch, for this night and all nights to come.

Right, after this is it, my final attempt to come up with my own version of Game of Thrones inspired house emblem that does not use the generator provided by HBO. So, now that you are sick of seeing my attempts, I shall it quits for today. You have all been lovely :) 

Special thanks go out to +Mezza May +Melissa Bryan +Carrie Canup and +Clare Cosgrove :) 

House Reul - second try

Hmm okay this will take more work than I thought, I like the more plain style better but I am also open to suggestions :) 

+Melissa Bryan +Jake Kern What do you think?

Cosplay with music

Now this, this is bloody brilliant! They are also looking for suggestions which show to to next, so head over to YouTube and let them know in the comments. 

h/t +angelique b 

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Right, this is perfect. I needs, I wants!

via +Lauren Egan 

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Just under 48 hours to back this neat little kitchenware project called SNUG on Kickstarter:

http://kck.st/144CfWN

Seems so obvious, right? I'm constantly trying to figure out what to do with my utensils when I'm cooking...!

Since +Melissa Bryan did hers.. I gave it a first try. I feel there might be more..  

http://www.jointherealm.com/

The Wolverine - official, international Trailer

now, this could be lots of fun! 

Text copied from +Yoon-Mi Kim via +Carter Gibson 

Promote MarriageEquality  in honor of today's Supreme Court hearing

It's time to stand together, to show the United States that we are on the right side of history and to do it loudly. This image is making its way across the internet and for good reason SCOTUS is hearing arguments today that will the fate of LGBT people across the States and the world.

Show you're in support of marriage equality by sharing and making this your profile picture. Let's not let anyone not know what's happening today.

RESHARE:
boosting the signal :)

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HEY PLUSIANS!  I NEED YOUR HELP! :D
It has come to my attention that the esteemed +Rebecca Blain is working on a new project.  This is a fabulous adventure/romance set in her own world, and from what I've seen, it's going to be a rollercoaster ride of awesome.

Here's where you come in.

I suggested that she serialize this story, to which she guffawed and said "NO WAY".  But then she had a change of heart.  "MAYBE," she said, thawing slightly, "I will do it only if you can get 100 shares on a post about serializing this project."

She doesn't think it can be done.  Surely she underestimates the power of G+, my friends!  Rebecca cracks the whip over us, so maybe it's time we turn the tables, hmm??

Share this and encourage your friends to do so, too.  We only need a minimum of 100 shares, so this should be a cakewalk, right?

I'll even sweeten the deal, since I have nothing at stake here.  At 100 shares, I'll choose one of the 100 at random and will do an avatar drawing for them.  If we hit 150, I'll draw one of the characters for the story for Rebecca to use as she sees fit. If we hit 200, I'll do another random selection for a second avatar, and at 300, I'll draw another character for Rebecca.

WHO'S WITH ME??  PLUSIANS, GO!!!!

ETA: Remember to actually RESHARE, or you won't be in the running for free art (and it won't help our cause!) Fly, my pretties, flyyyyyy!

ETA the Second:  It seems that Rebecca has offered another prize--if we hit 500 (!!) then she'll toss in a prize pack from her Eye of God campaign!  Keep the shares going!!

#serial   #story   #writing   #coolstorybro   #freeart   #awesome

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Some people should never be forgotten 

via  +Michael Washington 

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What will you do today to make someone's life better?

Irena Sendler - Life in A Jar
http://www.irenasendler.com/

#truehero  

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*I have to admit.. I am excited.. *

<_<

I am such a nerd

Thank you +Melissa Bryan ! 

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An RPG Made Entirely In Excel!?!?!?!

There are no words for the amount of excitement that just came through me.  I don't know how many of you know this about me, but I adore spreadsheets.      Why?  I just do.  Don't judge me.  :p  Either way, this is deliciously right up my alley.  I will definitely be checking it out.  

Oh, and because this is so very shocking... Arenas.xlsm was created by an accountant...  I know...  *gasp*

Download: http://carywalkin.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/arena-xlsm-released/
Wiki: http://arenaxlsm.wikia.com/

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/25/arena-xlsm-is-an-rpg-made-entirely-in-excel/ #rpggaming   #excel  

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I Shared A Photo

I don't know much about the creators of this video but it's certainly spot on.

Once it's on the net it never goes away...

Make sure your kids understand that. Don't let them find out when it's too late... As someone who has to regularly give parents the news about what their kids are up to I know better than most how common sexting is and the damage it causes for folks of all ages... 

#survivethehate   #teens   #safety   #sexting   #bullying   #bullyingawareness   #antibullying   #exploitation  

It's been a while. easy A

I adore this movie, perfect delivery, well played, Emma Stone.
Did I mention Emma Stone?

Also, love the parents

http:/imdb.com/title/tt1282140/

Hang in there +Luis Roca , +Mellie B and of course +Wanda Howe


Now witness the cute of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL cute puppy!

#cutewars

#cutewars

Finals round against +Luis Roca +Wanda Howe and +Mellie B

You did say you like to see more cute butts in your Stream, right?

#cutewars we should huddle up, you know, because reasons

#cutewars have begun again you say? How interesting

I'm not sure that G+ is ready for another round of, so I dressed appropriately

#cutewars

+Luis Roca and +Mellie B

Neverwhere part one for free download

Grab it while it's up, this week only and then the second will be available

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/radioplay/ptw_20130322-1317a.mp3

I don't always post cat pictures, but when I do ...

I could not resist >_>
Don't judge me

Via GAS

Spinach Risotto topped with Goat Cheese and Maple Syrup Garlic Salmon

I haven't made fish for quite some time now. While there are certainly more exclusive types of fish than salmon, this simple way of preparing salmon has always appealed to me, combining the savoury soy sauce and garlic and the rich sweetness of maple syrup while still maintaining the distinct wonderful most and flaky texture of salmon that is cooked just right. The subtle flavour along with the smooth and creamy risotto that is topped up with the fresh soft goat cheese and the slight tang of lemon zest, will surely make this worth your time.

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients

Salmon
500 g / 18 oz of skinned salmon
1 medium sized clove of garlic
50 ml / 1/4 cup of soy sauce
50 ml /  1/4 cup of maple syrup

Risotto
250 ml / 1 cup pinot gris (German: Grauburgunder) a dry white wine
250g / 1 cup Carnaroli rice (risotto rice)
olive oil
1 large shallot
2 Tbs of butter
50 g / 1 half stick butter (Parmesan)
60 g Parmesan
2 glove of garlic
1 l / 4 cups of vegetable stock
150 g / 5 oz of fresh spinach

Mise en Place

At least one hour before the cooking, mix the marinade from the maple syrup, the soy sauce and the finely sliced clove of garlic. Put into a ziploc bag with the salmon and marinade it in the fridge for about 1 hour, turning it once. Remove from the fridge and let it warm up. Prepare a baking dish with
a cover of aluminium foil for the salmon.

Peel the shallot and the garlic and mince finely

Heat a Tbs of butter and some olive oil in a medium sized pot until it melts and keep it a medium low heat, add one fine chopped glove of garlic and grate fresh nutmeg in. Add the fresh spinach and cook it for about 5 minutes until it is wilted and the wonderful smell of garlic fills the air. Remove from the heat, let it cool and once cool, blend it to a smooth paste.

Bring the stock to a boil

Preheat the oven to around 180 C / 350 F

Preparation

In a medium sized cooking pot, gently heat about 1 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs of butter to very low heat, add the shallot and the garlic and cook them without browning for about 10 minutes until sweet and tender. In the meantime; pour the marinade and the salmon into the baking dish, cover with the aluminium foil. Put it into the oven.

The cooking time for the salmon depends on the thickness, between 15-25 minutes should do nicely though.  The salmon is done, when you press on it with the flat side of a knife and it parts in large flakes. Back to the risotto, after ten minutes, add the risotto rice and stir until translucent, after about 3 minutes of gentle stirring add the white wine, stir and wait until the liquid has been soaked up by the rice. Start adding the stock until the risotto is covered, stir occasionally and keep adding stock and stir from time to time.

Once the salmon is done, turn off the oven, pre-heat the plates in the oven and let the salmon rest for a few minutes.

Try the risotto after about 15 to 20 minutes, it is supposed to be soft on the outside and still have some bite in the middle all the while already being creamy. Turn off the heat once the desired texture has been reached and add the spinach, Parmesan and the rest of the butter . Stir and put the lid on the pot. Let it rest for about five minutes. Season with salt and fresh Pepper to your liking.


Arrange the salmon on the risotto, and using a fine grater, add lemon zest and also fresh pepper along with more freshly grated Parmesan and the crumbled goat cheese on top. Serve with a chilled white wine and enjoy this delicious meal.

Bon Appétit

Would you like to be notified about food posts? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to see my other recipes, check out the about part of my profile:http://goo.gl/bzgOa

Or follow the hashtag DReulWorthyRecipes  in the first comment, you'll get all my recipes in a stream, including pictures.

#foodporn  

It just might turn out to be one of those days

The unedited original can be found here: 
http://www.shoeboxblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/siren-song.jpg