DRYER CORD 30A/6′/3W/O Review

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30A 250V ; 12/48; UL LISTED ; 6 FT

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PETRA

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 27, 2009 08:05:02

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egyszer (nem olyan regen) mutatott a Petra nekem egy orat es azt irta hogy belezugott. ez volt az. en meg elhataroztam hogy tolem fogja megkapni karacsonyra!

…az elobb rendeltem meg

egesz nap azon gondolkodtam hogy hogyan adom neki, hogy csomagoljam be, irjak-e valamit, ha igen akkor mit… meg nem talaltam ki semmi jot, de majd megirom ha igen.

Petra

Petra, cinceladas fueron tus montañas de piedra multicolor,
y de tus montañas surgieron columnas,
escalinatas, viviendas, bancos, templos, panaderías.
En ti los siglos reverberan en el sol ardiente.
En ti la noche suena con aullidos de chacales.
En ti los aerolitos caen como serpentinas en un cementerio.
Tu Palacio de Justicia es una tumba.
Cada una de tus casas
perforaradas en los colores es una tumba.
Petra, eres un cráneo de piedra abierto al azul caliente.
Petra, eres semejante a la tumba de la muerte.
Tus aposentos, tus cocinas, tus columnas, tus estatuas
siguen muriendose en tu imantada intemperie.
(Viajero, si vas a Petra,
cuidate de la muerte.)

En Petra está muerto el tiempo.

Petra, cinzeladas foram tuas montanhas de pedra multicor,
e de tuas montanhas surgiram colunas,
escadarias, vivendas, bancos, templos, padarias.
Em ti os séculos reverberam no sol ardente.
Em ti a noite soa com uivos de chacais.
Em ti os aerólitos caem como serpentinas em um cemitério.
Teu Palácio da Justiça é uma tumba.
Cada uma de tuas casas
perfuraradas nas cores é uma tumba.
Petra, és um crânio de pedra aberto ao azul escaldante.
Petra, és semelhante à tumba da morte.
Teus aposentos, tuas cozinhas, tuas colunas, tuas estátuas
continuam a morrer em tua imantada intempérie.
(Viajante, se vais a Pietra,
cuida-te da morte.)

Em Petra está morto o tempo.

Do livro De Otras Geografías, em Los Colores Ocultos. Caracas: Monte Avila Editores, 1985

Ler mais Gerbasi aqui.

Tradução e ilustração: C. de A.

It is every person’s dream to reach and step foot on the land most holy to them. For Muslims they have Mecca…The Hindus the Indus River…and most of all, Jerusalem for the Jews and Christians. It’s been awhile since I last step foot on Israel and I was back again recently to assist a group with their pilgrimage. Like what we usually do when we escort groups, we make sure everything is in place to make their trip more meaningful. The usual route I take begins in Egypt, and then Israel and lastly Turkey. A more orderly fashion if you read and walk thru the Bible. But on my last trip, it was Jordan, Israel and lastly, Egypt. When I first came to Jordan, I thought it was just another Arab country filled with sand. I was wrong the moment I saw the sand and rock city of Petra (now part of the 7 new wonders of the world). You will be in awe looking at the facade (which reminds me of Transformers 2: Revenge of the fallen).  The valleys and plains in that country is really incomparable to any place. Israel was said to be “land of milk and honey”. When you get there, you would understand why. Can you imagine a land in the middle of the desert where you could see plants flourishing, animals grazing and people lives as if they were your next door neighbor. Should you be amazed in its modern structures and the technology they have harnessed, how much more for the old city of Jerusalem. If South Africa is the cradle of the civilizations, Jerusalem is the heart of all pilgrimage. Housing major religions (Muslims, Jews, Orthodox Christians, etc) in a walled city no bigger than the Vatican, it is almost as if you were living inside the Bible. Part of the trip is going to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered (Dan Brown must’ve been here and gotten hold of the scrolls). For those who could take the challenge, climbing Egypt’s Mt. Sinai is one of the greatest. The top is a haven for photographers especially with their DSLRs. A vantage point whether it is Sunrise, noon or Sunset. The oohhs and aahhhs doesn’t stop there and continues with the Pyramids and Sphinx. For the finale, a Nile River cruise with buffet dinner topped with belly dancers and music. You may hear stories of these sort a dozen time but experiencing it right there is beyond joy! Most of all, a pilgrimage or a trip to the Holy Land is not just for those people who are almost knocking on Heaven’s door or just around the eve of their lives, it is a trip for the young ones and young at heart. You don’t need to be spiritually inclined or a deep to the bone sinner to be invited to the Holy city. The Holy Land is inviting everyone to be there. Who knows what’s in store for you in that place.

-Troy A.

Hier, dans la Presse, un article de la section voyage, signé Caroline Rodgers  mentionnait Petra dans les Dix endroits menacés par le tourisme de masse.L’article se retrouve également sur son blogue Une Journaliste à bicyclette

@ Lise Giguère - Al Khazneh, le plus connu des tombeaux royal de Petra

Je me suis aussitôt sentie immensément triste pour ce joyau de la Jordanie et du même coup, j’ai ressenti comme un immense privilège d’avoir pu passer quelques heures dans cette cité rose en ruine que beaucoup d’historiens et d’archéologues classent parmi les plus importantes merveilles de l’Antiquité.

Je me souviens encore avoir marché sous le chaud soleil de la Jordanie, dans ce long corridor de murailles qu’empruntaient autrefois les caravaniers

@ Lise Giguère- On s'y rend à pied, à dos de chameau ou à dos d'âne

pour tout à coup voir surgir, à travers la faille des rochers, le Al Khazneh, le plus connu des tombeaux royal de Petra qui ressemble à un palais !

@ Lise Giguère - L'apparition du palais entre la faille des murailles laisse sans voix

Malgré les «vendeurs du temple», des larmes d’émotion ont brouillé ma vue et, depuis, il m’est arrivé souvent de louer Indiana Jones et la dernière croisade, simplement pour la fin qui a été filmée sur le site de Petra, pour voir et revoir cette image inoubliable.

@Lise Giguère - Le Al Khazneh,

En quittant le site, avant de reprendre la route, je me souviens avoir fait un arrêt pour admirer de loin cette montagne plate sur laquelle, m’a-t-on dit, on célébrait autrefois des sacrifices rituels.

@ Lise Giguère - Au milieu de la photo, voyez le large plateau. C'est là-dessus qu'auraient eu lieu les sacrifices.

Troublée par ce lieu chargé d’histoire et de splendeur, c’est en silence que j’ai fait la route inverse. Seul le passage dans le Wadi Rum, le désert dans lequel a été tourné le film Lawrence d’Arabie réussit à me sortir momentanément de ma torpeur.

@ Lise Giguère - Le Wadi Rum

Selon l’article de Caroline Rodgers, l’an dernier, le gouvernement jordanien a averti que le nombre croissant de touristes menaçait ce site , classé dans le Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 1985. Elle ajoute que 3 000 visiteurs s’y rendent chaque jour alors que les infrastructures sont prévues pour 2 000 personnes.

Voici d’autres  images

@ Lise Giguère

@ Lise Giguère - Eh oui, on y vend des gogosses et l'on se sert du nom d'Indiana Jones.

@ Lise Giguère - Quelle merveille cette cité rose

@ Lise Giguère

La nuova Kia Sorento 2010 è ora disponibile presso il  concessionario Petra S.r.l. di viale certosa.

“SEMPRE PIU’ SORENTO “
Linea filante e slanciata, moderni propulsori potenti e puliti, versalitità negli spazi interni e sicurezza garantita.
Ecco la nuova sintesi di Sorento, rinata per consolidare il suo ruolo da protagonista nel panorama delle SUV di successo.

Segui la sua anima e riscoprite il piacere di viaggiare, CLICCA QUI, per sapere i prezzi,  per porre le tue domande e per saperne di più sulla Nuova Kia Sorento.

Matteo Partenope

RANGE CORD 50a/4′/4w/C- Review

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CLOSED EYELET; 50A 250V; UL LISTED ISO 9002 CERTIFIED BULK PACKED; 1/12; 4 FT

RANGE CORD 50a/4′/4w/C- Specifications

PETRA

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 23, 2009 02:15:03

HP MediaSmart Server EX495

“But I’m all tied up on the inside, and no one knows quite what I’ve got. And I know that on the outside what I used to be I’m not…anymore.”-Don McLean

My 3rd semester of college is officially and finally over. It was a bumpy road to the end, but by God’s faithfulness I’ve survived. But now, as I launch into my second Thanksgiving/Christmas break of my college career, yet another hurdle awaits me on the horizon like the winter sun. I’ve decided that for my 4th semester of college I’ll stay at home and take online classes while trying to work more. It seems wise enough. I should save at least $2,000. There are plenty of opportunities..plenty of areas to grow and mature in..

But I keep thinking, am I crazy or stupid or both?? I’ve never been homeschooled in my life, can I expect to do it now? What are the chances of success with that? Although the dye has been cast, I can still reverse mostly everything. I can always change my mind and revert back to being on campus. But it all depends on how much i make over the break. I think alot of what tears me in this decision making is being away from my church in Louisville for so long and also living at home for so long again. Louisville is still fresh and exciting to me. But here, there are too many memories… good memories, and those are the hardest to run from.

“And now I’m at another crossroads and I don’t know which way to go. My steps are ordered and I know I’ll find the way when Your Word lights the path and I obey.”-Petra

1. GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Ini adalah dinding atau tembok dengan lebar 10 kaki dan tinggi 20 kaki yang dirancang oleh kaisar China Chin Chiu Wo (Shih Huang Ti). Maksud pembangunan tembok yang panjang banget ini untuk menangkal serbuan mongol. Seperti kita tahu dari sejarah, bangsa Mongol dikenal suka sekali menjelajah dan menaklukkan daerah baru dengan alasan yang kurang begitu jelas dipandang dari kacamata Bent. Walaupun bangsa Mongol ini suka dibilang barbar, nyatanya bangsa China yang berbudaya tinggi dan punya wilayah segede itu gak cukup pede kalo harus menghadapi serangan mereka. Jadilah tembok raksasa itu dibangun walau harus mengorbankan tenaga dan juga nyawa ribuan pekerjanya. Proyek ambisius itu memang gak main-main, bangsa China menyelesaikannya dalam kurun waktu 4000 tahun! Kebayang deh kalo dibangun di masa sekarang, tuh tembok gak bakalan eksis karena banyak LSM dan aktivis HAM sekaligus serikat pekerja yang akan menghambat rencana pembangunannya kecuali kalo pemerintah China mau membayar mahal plus tunjangan dan asuransi kerja.

2. THE GREAT PYRAMID

Piramid Khu-Fu (Cheops) mempunyai sisi 770 kaki dan tinggi 481 kaki. 2,3 juta balok batu diangkut dan disusun untuk membangunnya. Kalo kamu ke Mesir mampir deh ke Piramid, pasti baru terasa betapa besarnya bangunan itu. Jangan cuma liat di TV yang bikin tuh pyramid keliatan segede tumpeng mini doang. Sama seperti kebanyakan bangunan raksasa dari masa lalu lainnya, pyramid dibangun dengan tetesan keringat dan darah para pekerja yang konon gak dibayar. Ini yang bikin Lefty ogah berwisata ke sana, selain karena katanya itu adalah monument ‘kebiadaban manusia atas manusia lain’ juga pastinya karena Lefty gak punya duit buat ongkos ke luar negeri.

3. PETRA

Petra adalah sebuah situs arkeologi di Arabah, Jordania. Terletak di lereng gunung Hor di sebuah basin di antara pegunungan yang membentuk panggul timur Arabah (Wadi Araba), lembah besar yang melewati danau Laut Mati sampai teluk Aqaba. Petra terkenal karena arsitektur batunya, yaitu menyulap gunung karang jadi istana dan pemukiman. Kaum Nabatea membangunnya sebagai ibu kota mereka sekitar 100 tahun sebelum masehi. Tadinya situs ini tidak diketahui sampai seorang penjelajah asal Swiss, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, menemukannya dan memperkenalkan Petra ke dunia barat. Dalam tradisi Arab, Petra merupakan titik dimana Nabi Musa memukul sebuah batu dengan tongkatnya dan airpun keluar. Di sini pula Nabi Harun dimakamkan, yaitu di gunung Hor yang kini dikenal sebagai Jabal Harun.

4. BOROBUDUR

Candi terpopuler ini pernah masuk 7 keajaiban dunia dan kemudian dikeluarin begitu aja dengan alasan yang agak dibuat-buat, menurut saya. Bangunan candi yang terletak di Magelang, Jawa Tengah, ini menyerupai gunung mahameru atau semesta versi Hindu-Buddha. Diperkirakan Borobudur dibangun sekitar tahun 800-an masehi oleh raja Sriwijaya Samaratungga dari wangsa Syailendra. Pembangunan Borobudur konon memakan waktu setengah abad, bandingkan dengan yang dilakukan Bandung Bondowoso dalam membuat seribu candi yang katanya cuma butuh waktu semalam! Wah, rekor dunia tuh, bedah rumah aja gak cukup waktu segitu! Karena itu Borobudur baru selesai dibangun pada generasi berikutnya, yaitu pada masa puteri dari Samaratungga, Ratu Pramudawardhani.

5. ANGKOR WAT

Angkor Wat adalah suatu metropolis yang di dalamnya terdapat bangunan istana, rumah-rumah umum dan lebih dari 100 kuil. Angkor Wat dibangun sejak jaman Khmer Jayavarman (abad ke-8) selama 600 tahun. Sebagaimana candi Borobudur, Angkor Wat dibangun mengikuti pola ‘peta’ gunung Mahameru. (Tentang gunung Mahameru, baca artikel NASI TUMPENG SIMBOL GUNUNG MAHAMERU). Angkor Wat merepresentasikan salah satu pencapaian arsitektur yang menakjubkan dan juga bertahan lama. Dari Angkor raja-raja Khmer menguasai wilayah yang sangat luas yang menjangkau mulai dari Vietnam, Cina sampai ke teluk Benggala. Tadinya ‘istana’ ini gak diketahui keberadaannya, kemudian pada tahun 1860 Henry Mahout, seorang eksplorer asal Prancis, menemukannya di tengah hutan. Sejak saat itu Angkor Wat pun terkenal di seluruh dunia.

6. PANAMA CANAL

Kanal ini panjangnya 51 mil. Menghubungkan samudera atlantik dan pasifik. Karena tanahnya berbukit-bukit dan banyak pegunungan, terusan ini dibuat menjadi elevator air. Pencetus pembuatan kanal ini adalah Ferdinand de Lesseps (1879) dari Prancis. Tahu kan siapa dia? Bagi kamu yang suka pelajaran sejarah pasti kenal nama ini, ya, dia adalah pembuat terusan Suez di Mesir.

7. TAJ MAHAL

Ini adalah bangunan favorit Emo. Hampir semua cewek menyukai kisah cinta yang tragis di balik pembuatan monument ini, dan berharap pasangan mereka mau berbuat sama seperti Shah Jehan (hehe, ini matre namanya). Taj Mahal dibangun oleh Shah Jehan dari India pada abad ke-17 di Agra untuk istrinya Mumtaz Mahal. Selama 19 tahun masa perkawinannya sang istri melahirkan 14 anak. Pada tahun 1631 saat melahirkan anak ke 15, ia wafat. Raja patah hati dan membangun Taj Mahal yang memerlukan 17 tahun untuk membangunnya. Pada 1658 raja tersingkir oleh Aran Azibe puteranya sendiri dan dipenjarakan. Kelakuan anak ini sebaiknya jangan kamu tiru ya! Setelah 7 tahun dipenjara ia wafat dan dimakamkan di Taj Mahal bersama istrinya.

8. COLOSSEUM

Inilah amphitheater atau gedung pertunjukan kolosal masa lalu, tempat para gladiator bertanding. Terletak di Roma, Italia, gedung ini dibangun oleh kaisar Vespasian dan diselesaikan oleh anaknya, Titus. Colosseum dibangun sekitar tahun 70-82 masehi dengan tinggi 48 m, panjang 188 m, lebar 156 m. Luas seluruh bangunan sekitar 2.5 hektar membuat Colosseum terlihat begitu besar dan luas. Arenanya terbuat dari kayu berukuran 86 m x 54 m, dan tertutup oleh pasir. Konon pasir itu berguna untuk menyerap darah supaya tidak menggenang. Stadium ini memang bukan lambang sportifitas. Sebaliknya lebih mirip pertunjukan kekejaman bagi penduduk roma kuno yang haus darah. Bagaimana suasana semacam itu, kamu bisa lihat dan bayangkan sendiri dengan menonton film Gladiator yang dibintangi Russel Crowe, walaupun menurut pengamatan Bent di film itu Colosseum jadi kelihatan kecil.

9. MOUNT RUSHMORE

Bagi kamu yang belum tau mount Rushmore, coba deh baca komik Naruto. Di desa Konoha ada sebuah gunung yang dipahat wajah 4 hokage, nah gambar di komik itu terinspirasi tampilan Mount Rushmore. Terletak di South Dakota, ‘gunung’ yang menampilkan wajah 4 presiden AS: George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Ted Roosevelt dan Thomas Jefferson ini dibangun oleh Gutzom Borglum pada 1924 di tebing batu Black Hill. Jangan kira ia memahatnya cuma pake alat yang buat ngukir patung pada pelajaran seni rupa di sekolah, pak Borglum ini memahatnya dibantu pake dinamit. Kalo gak gitu pasti gak bakal kelar sampe 7 generasi. Gutzom Borglum sendiri wafat pada 1941 sebelum karyanya selesai. Lalu anaknya Lincoln yang meneruskan proyek bapaknya itu. Pernah satu kali Amadeus berencana bikin proyek semacam itu di tebing batu kapur di sebuah wilayah (yang sebaiknya gak usah disebutkan tepatnya di mana), tapi belum juga proposal sampe di tangan Pemda, ia didemo ratusan penduduk setempat!

10. TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

Trans-Siberian Railway memang cuma jalur kereta, tapi bukan jalur kereta biasa. Inilah jalur kereta terpanjang (Moskow-Beijing) yang pertama dibuat di dunia. Jalur ini seringkali dihubungkan dengan kereta Rusia antar benua yang menghubungkan ratusan kota besar maupun kecil di sebagian Eropa dan Asia yang masuk ke wilayah Rusia. Panjangnya 6000 mil, melewati ribuan mil wilayah Mongolia. Untuk menyelesaikan perjalanan melalui Trans Siberian memakan waktu beberapa hari dan melewati tujuh zona waktu. Pencetus pembuatan rel ini adalah Tsar Alexander III dan puteranya, Tsar Nicholas II. Dibangun pada 1891 dan selesai pada tahun 1916. Bagi yang suka perjalanan jauh via kereta dengan layanan satu kali jalan, ini adalah pilihan yang tepat. Kamu bisa menginap di kereta (suatu hal yang jarang dilakukan) selama beberapa hari sambil menikmati pemandangan berbagai kota dari Eropa sampe Asia. Bagi yang moody lebih baik pake pesawat saja, karena perjalanannya bisa bikin kamu mati kebosanan.

Adeline, Eleanor, Amelia, Theodora, Beatrix, Sidony, Madeleine, Clementine, Henrietta, Ione, Lila, Delphia, Adele, Adela, Dora, Vera, Evelyn, Greta, Ingrid, Fern, Opal, Finola, Olive, Lyra, Willa, Angeline, Petra, Mina, Pearl, Mehitabel, Ellen, Keisha, Thora, Lucinda, Ramona, Naomi, June, Sarai, Thea, Evanthia, Thomasina, Tilda, Mirabella, Iole.

What do you think of these? which do you like? dislike and why? which could you see on a child born in the next couple of years?

As I beat several cups of cream into whipped cream this week I found myself wondering, not for the first time, about how people make culinary leaps of logic.  It doesn’t take all that much imagination to turn really heavy cream into whipped cream.  Really heavy cream practically whips itself, and only a little bit more agitation will turn it into butter, and I can see how it might have accidentally happened the first time.  Egg whites, on the other hand, are a lot less obvious.  Who decided to stand around and beat those vigorously until they turned into a meringue the first time around?  It takes a lot of beating to take egg whites from something that’s kind of slimy to something that’s fluffy and white, and I can’t say that I think it’s a logical transition.

Most foods are not mysterious and I can more or less imagine how people figured out that they’re edible.  Fruits and vegetables – check out what the local wildlife is eating and what they’re staying well away from.  Meats and seafoods – you figure that most things can be eaten and they generally taste better when they’re cooked.  From there it’s a short leap to searing, stewing and deep frying (because everything’s better when it’s deep fried).  Even for some not immediately obvious foods I can imagine a narrative in which someone discovers them by chance.  Popcorn was clearly invented when someone inadvertently dropped some dried corn kernels in a fire, and five minutes later things exploded out of the hearth and voila! popcorn.

But what about the foods that are much less obvious?  I want to know who the first person was to look at an artichoke and think, ‘I bet if I steam that and then pull off all the outer leaves that the tips of the inner leaves will be really tasty (especially if I dip them in some clarified butter or hollandaise), and then if I pull off this hairy totally inedible thing, what’s underneath will be delicious’.  Because really, the edible parts of an artichoke are scanty and hard to find.

I wonder who first looked at a chestnut and thought, hmm I think if I roast that it’ll be full of nutty goodness (I’m guessing the cutting slits in it before you roast it happened after the first couple of chestnuts exploded out of the fire)?  Who was the first person to experiment with cooking rhubarb and realize that while the leaves are poisonous that the stalks are really tasty (and for extra bonus points, not deadly) if you cook them with a bucket of sugar?  For that matter who was the first person desperate enough to find out that while durian fruit smells like rotting meat it’s actually (apparently) quite tasty if you can just get past the smell?

Morrocan-style Roasted Chicken
Corn Pudding
Green Beans

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Moroccan-style Roasted Chicken

Recipe previously given:  Paean to Summer Vegetables

Corn Pudding

Recipe previously given: Corn Pudding and Other Gateway Drugs

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
(serves 12, and could serve more easily because this is kind of deadly)

My office labors under the delusion that I’m some kind of health nut.  This is mostly because I eat yogurt from breakfast every day and oatmeal for lunch.  They don’t realize that I think that bacon is a major food group, and that there’s very little that can’t be improved with a splash of sherry and a dash of heavy cream.  I brought in the leftovers of the trifle to work and was greeted with a bemused round of, ‘you eat dessert?’.  I eat dessert.  I even occasionally make dessert.  I’m just picky about where I spend my calories.  This, for the record, is worth the calories.

Gingerbread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
½ cup mild molasses (not robust or blackstrap)
¾ cup buttermilk (not powdered)
½ cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.  Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.  Line pan with foil, leaving an overhang at both ends, then butter foil.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Beat in egg until blended, then beat in molasses and buttermilk.  At low speed, mix in flour mixture until smooth, then add hot water and beat 1 minute (batter may look curdled).

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool in pan.

Using foil as an aid, transfer gingerbread to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife.

Pumpkin Mousse
1 (¼ oz) envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chilled heavy cream
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute.  Bring to a simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved.  Whisk together gelatin mixture, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl until combined well.

Beat cream with vanilla using cleaned beaters until it holds soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly.

Note:  When you’re folding whipped cream or egg whites into a much denser base – pumpkin, melted chocolate, what have you –  stir about ¼ of the whipped cream/egg whites into the base to lighten it and then fold the rest in.  It’ll work much better.

Whipped Cream
1 ½  cups chilled heavy cream
3 Tsbp granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Beat cream with sugar and vanilla using mixer until it holds soft peaks.

Assembly
Put half of gingerbread cubes in trifle bowl.  Top with half of pumpkin mousse, then half of whipped cream.  Repeat layering once more with all of remaining gingerbread, mousse, and cream.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Trifle, without top layer of whipped cream, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled; whip half of cream just before serving.

Note:  I don’t have an appropriately sized glass bowl, and since half the fun of trifle is seeing all the layers, I did mine in wine glasses for individual servings.

The Ruins of the Nabatean civilization reached a world famous status after appearing in the Indiana Jones Movie The last crusader and also recently voted one of the new seven wonders of the world. Located in the Arabah desert in southern Jordan this ancient city is an impressive archeological achievement with buildings like the Treasury carved into the mountain slopes.

Getting there from neighboring Israel is an easy task specially after the peace treaty signed in 1994 and a enjoyable trip through the desert. I departed with a good friend of mine in evening from Hertzelia to Eilat. For that we had to take a minibus to Tel Aviv main bus terminal and there a bus to Eilat.

The port city of Eilat is the southern most point of Israel on the banks of the Red Sea, from her you can literally see Jordan and Egypt. The city is quite small and the waterfront is covered by massive 5 stars hotels and resorts. To get to Eilat is a simple but long ride or an expensive plane ride. Israel is a very small country and its relatively easy to move from point A to point B with the local government busses called Egged. The main terminal in Tel Aviv is called “Tagana a merkasit” and there are Egged and private lines operating.

The terminal is a quite busy place, with a shopping mall in the first 2 floors and with tight security operating at all times. As in all Israel but here in particular you must be really careful of never leaving your bags unattended and be cooperative with all security matters, bags and people are checked at all entrance points to the terminal. Eilat busses depart from the last platform on the 4th floor you can either buy the ticket to the driver or in the window located at the center of the building in the 4th floor. its recommendable to buy some snacks and water before boarding since the ride can be long, dry and tiring.

Busses leave every hour or so and its an average of 5 to 6 hours to get there although sometimes can take longer depending on transit conditions and the route the bus takes. They are all equipped with AC There are 2 main routes to get there but different bus numbers, including the 790 (direct bus), 390, 393 and 394. Additional busses leaved from Haifa, Jerusalem, Ashdod and Afula. The main road goes through the Negev desert, and passes by the dead sea, Dimona and Be’er Sheva. Advanced booking is available and recommended on summer times or weekends.

As we approached the city it became clearer that we were not going to be able to cross the border that day, it was getting dark and we were unsure about the operation times of the border. Also we had no idea of what could happen after we crossed. I started talking with some people in the bus to gather some information but no one seemed to know about the border. Suddenly a Woman kindly offered a space for  us to crash at her house until the next morning arguing that would be safer for us.

We both agreed happily knowing that the hearts of Israelis are always open for visitors, and actually once in the house we were amazed by their hospitality as they served us diner, coffee and even left us a whole room for us to sleep in a bed (we didn’t care to sleep in the floor either!). Next morning we got woke up and took a cab from her house to the border. There is no other means for transportation between border and the city. It was a 10 minute ride at that early time and when we arrive at the Arava border crossing we were almost alone.

The border crossing was pretty straight forward, we exited Israel with no hassle at all. After paying the exit fee of 90 shekels we got our passports stamped and carried on into a walkway of around 100 meters surrounded by barbed wire. I got the impression that we were under someone’s watch all the time (and it was probably true…). We arrived at the Jordanian side and got our luggage lightly checked we proceeded to get a stamp but we needed visas. The person working at the office was not there at the time and we had to wait for the officer around 20 minutes or so. Finally he arrived and stamped a total of 3 stamps, using a whole page for the entrance!

After this we left the terminal and found ourselves completely lost, the only thing after the gate was a taxi with a fat guy on it with a huge I-can-charge-you-any-price smile on his face, we negotiated a fair deal for a round trip and took of. Actually the white cab stopped a few minutes after leaving the border telling us that he could only take us up to that point and we needed to change cars to proceed. I noticed when I got down the cab a inscription on the door that said border taxi only or something like that so I relaxed until the other cab arrived.

Once on the second cab is a easy 3 hours ride through the arid desert to the town of Wadi Musa. This small town is pure hotels and mosques with its main activity being Petra’s base. We got dropped at a Hotel with an extremely cheap room 5 Dinar. It was still early so we decided not to wait and go straight to Petra, and it was worth it, we stayed until 8 and watched the sunset from the Monastery.

To go back the cab picked us up in the morning from the hotel as we agreed, after all we were going to pay for him only at the border. During the way back we fell in love with the desert so we decided to stop for a few hours in Wadi Rum, near the border with Saudi Arabia. It’s one of the most mystical places I have ever visited, and you could just stare at the vast emptiness for hours.

We got dropped at the border, were a Bedouin officer checked our bags and let us pass, not without playing with us a little bit asking if we had drugs in our bodies, not fun at all!! We got stamped out of Jordan and back to Israel, this border actually was very relaxed and empty but we got delayed because some Jordanians wanted to enter Israel with a lot a LOT of things including plants and animals, to which the border officials didn’t know what to do.

After entering Israel we walked all the way back to the Bus terminal, since there were no taxis at the border… it took us about an hour and we had just enough time to have a falafel and catch the last bus back to Tel Aviv.

mikor anyammal csetelek akkor sokszor ideges leszek mert olyanokat kerdez… tudom hogy nem akar rosszat es tenyleg tudni szeretne mindent de ez engem idegesit.

aztan rajottem hogy en ugyanilyen dolgokat kerdeztem a Petratol es most mar teljesen megertem hogy miert nem tetszett ez neki. nem tudom hogy ezt valaha olvasni fogja-e, de ha igen akkor kerlek ne haragudj es itt most megigerem hogy tobbet nem foglak ilyen dolgokkal farasztani (legalabbis azon leszek )

VALE LA PENA ESCUCHEAR LA VERSION ORIGINAL DEL CANTO DE ENTRADA, ESTA BUENISIMA.

ebedszunet van a melohelyen. mindjart vege de gondoltam irok kulonben elfelejtenem.

szoval meg 177 nap van hatra (irtam erre egy kis php kodot )

elkezdtem futni! tegnap reggel mivel elfelejtettem kitenni a lakbert, ezert este kellett elmennem bedobni pirinek a jussat. szoval gondoltam oda akar futhatok is! este 9 mult, a passage-on mentem, senki nem volt ott. picit hideg volt, igy ezekutan nem szajon at fogok lelegezni mert szetmegy a torkom.

egyebkent hogy legyen viccesresz is: ahogy mentem (igen, ott nem futottam mar) A haz fele, az ut masik oldalarol jott felem egy feka “yo brotha yo” felkialtassal es mikor raneztem majdnem osszefostam magam. ugy nezett ki mint valami brutalis orult gyilkos, a szemei majdnem kiestek a helyerol, kicsit kancsal is volt. egyaltalan nem baratsagos volt a kepe. penzt akart kerni en meg mondtam hogy “sorry man” es kicsit gyorsabban lepkedve tovabballtam (60 fontal a zsebemben)

utana vettem fel penzt es vettem buszberletet. majd hazaig megint futottam.

szerintem most jobban ment mint eddig (ez volt a 3. alkalom)

jah: tegnap petra kuldott egy linket. csak a linket, semmi mast. de orultem neki nagyon

Continuing with this series of public domain photos from the CIA World Factbook, this post moves into the Middle East. There are no photos on the country pages at the Factbook website for Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, and so there are none here.

Water towers, Kuwait.

Restored dhow (Arab sailing vessel) on display in Kuwait City.

The design of the Burj-al-Arab Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emiratres, is said to be based on the dhow’s sails.

Walls of the historic Bahrain Fortress

The Tree of Life, Bahrain, has survived for hundreds of years in the middle of the desert.

Jerusalem, Israel, at night viewed from the Mount of Olives.

Petra, Jordan

The Street of Facades in Petra, Jordan, is made up of 44 tombs.

Wadi Rum, the largest wadi or valley in Jordan.

Dead Sea, Jordan

Hookah (above) and head-dress (below) shops in Amman, Jordan

The Sinai Monastery of St. Catherine’s, Egypt

Feluccas (sailing boats) on the River Nile, Egypt.

The Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre at Giza, Egypt.

The Pyramid of Menkaure at Giza, Egypt. Smaller ones are his wives’.

Stair-step construction shown on corner of the Khafre pyramid. The Great Pyramid of Khufu appears in the distance. Giza Plateau, outside Cairo, Egypt.

The Pyramids of Khufu (left) and Khafre on the Giza Plateau, outside Cairo, Egypt.

Pyramids of the Kushite rulers at Meroe, Sudan

CIA World Factbook regional map of the Middle East

Maps  (left to right) showing the locations on the regional map above of Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Jordan

]]> http://jrunderdown.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/when-heaven-weeps/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:13:08 +0000 jrunderdown http://jrunderdown.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/when-heaven-weeps/

The past couple weeks I’ve been studying through Jeremiah 48. It lies in a section of prophecies against foreign nations (foreign to Israel,that is). Last week I learned that Moab’s judgment was brought on by their complacency and ease. They were located in a “safe” region, had become wealthy, and so never felt the pains of the world outside (sound familiar?). As a result of this safety, they grew prideful and God had had enough. He was going to step in and upset their waters. This week I was surprised by what I read.

Up until v.29 of the text you think Moab’s heading to hell without any remorse from heaven. And then v.30 and 31 present a turn: “I know his fury,” declares the LORD, “But it is futile; his idle boasts have accomplished nothing. Therefore I will wail for Moab, even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.” (italics added). God’s weeping continues into v.32 and returns in v.35-37 (v.36 being the key).

What’s the point? Some Calvinists, I think, believe that God delights in sending people to hell since it’s a part of His good pleasure (correct me if this is wrong). But is this really the case? What if God actually cares for sinners, you know, the predestined for hell type. I’m not saying I’m turning Armenian, I’d still say I’m a Calvinist, and I believe that God has predestined our destinies before the “foundations of the world.” But I want to bring this up to challenge the notion that God delights in sending some of His creation into eternal torment. Is it really a delight? What if He loathes it? What if it makes heaven weep to see so many fall into everlasting damnation.

So what? Am I just ranting against this Calvinist notion? Partially. But I believe there’s an application here for Christians as well. I think it’s a healthy reminder that God “so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” I also think that it’s healthy to remember that our sin breaks God’s heart. As Petra once sang, “you better think twice.”

Hoy quiero estrenar una sección semanal llamada “El corto…” en la que cada semana os presentaré un corto de menos de media hora de duración y  comentaré detalles sobre la obra, los actores, el director, la filmografía de estos… y demás. Empezamos.

El corto que he elegido para esta semana se llama “Allanamiento de Morada”, una obra filmada en 1998 y protagonizada por el malagueño Pepón Nieto, Petra Martínez y  un joven y casi desconocido Eduardo Noriega, bajó la dirección (y guión) de Mateo Gil, ganador de dos premios Goya, y con la música de Alejandro Amenábar.

Todo un Señor Corto cargado de humor y razón que obtuvo numerosos reconocimientos en más de 30 festivales y concursos ganando primeros, segundos y terceros premios, menciones especiales, premios al mejor actor y mejor actriz, al mejor guión y  premios del público, entre otros, durante los años 1998 y 1999. Un notable propulsor para las carreras, ya comenzadas con buen pie algunos años atrás, de todos ellos.

Aquí os lo dejo y luego lo comentamos:

Es un corto con una pequeña inversión en la que la actriz Petra Martínez, Rosa, sufre una de las situaciones más comunes de cualquier ciudad de España: Los vendedores a domicilio protagonizados por Eduardo Noriega y Pepón Nieto ambos casi desconocidos en esa fecha. Esta plaga, hoy en día menos virulenta, se presenta en casa de esta señora, bajo el nombre de la empresa Harte, para avisarle que es ganadora de un concurso. Ahí comienza la historia con un planteamiento claro y directo que mantiene la atención de espectador durante los 17 minutos que dura la obra a través de la tensión que nos transmite la decisión sobre la firma o no del contrato de venta y varios momentos de humor que le dan un toque más distendido en algunas escenas. Una perfecta simbiosis de humor y tensión que nos lleva hasta el final gracias a lo cotidiano del asunto.

Os dejo la Ficha:

• Guión y Dirección: Mateo Gil (Ganador de dos Goyas por “Mar Adentro” y  ”El Método”)
• Director de Fotografía: Angel Yebra
• Sonido: Ricardo Steinberg
• Música: Alejandro Amenábar (Ganador de un Oscar por “Mar Adentro”  y 10 Goyas por las películas “Mar Adentro”, “Tesis” y “Los Otros”)
• Montaje: Luís Villar
• Reparto: Pepón Nieto como Pablo, Eduardo Noriega como Simón y Petra Martínez como Rosa.

Variety is the spice of life, and a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.  These are both useful and true statements, and yet, when I go out for Thai food I always order the Pad Thai, and if I’m out to dinner and there’s duck or lamb on the menu that’s what I’ll be having – in the event that both duck and lamb are on offer I’ll order the one that comes with a fruit sauce.  Given a choice of desserts I’ll always pick the crème brulee, and in an ice cream parlor four times out of five I’ll get the mint chocolate chip ice cream.

On the one hand if there was a quiz show about my life, my eating habits would be an easy category for someone to ace because I’m both boring and consistent.  And, on the other hand, I order these things because I like them and because I don’t make them at home so my desire to change my habits is somewhat limited.  I firmly believe that if you go to a restaurant you should order something that you don’t make yourself.  The point of paying other people to cook for you is to eat food you can’t get at home – okay, and also so that you don’t have to do the dishes afterwards.  I never make duck, my roommate doesn’t really like lamb all that much (neither does most of Dinner), and blow torches scare me.  I do, however, keep clicking on recipes for Pad Thai and evaluating exactly how difficult it would be to find the requisite ingredients.  Possibly at some point in the future I’ll actually make Pad Thai myself and start looking at the rest of the menu in Thai restaurants.

Similarly there are ingredients that will always spark my interest in a recipe – ginger, garlic, dried fruit, cinnamon.  If you show me a recipe that combines all three and can be made in advance I can almost guarantee that I’ll print it out to try.  I ran across this recipe for a chicken tagine while I was idly clicking through the ‘Buzz Box’ on epicurious and it was like a meal designed specifically for me – garlic, ginger, cinnamon, dried apricots, marmalade and it gets better if you make it in advance and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Chicken Tagine with Apricots & Spiced Pine Nuts
Couscous
Curried Cauliflower
Broccoli

Chicken Tagine with Apricots & Spiced Pine Nuts
(serves 4 – I made a generous 1.5 times the recipe and fed 7 with no leftovers)

The sauce for this is very sweet – the dried apricots cook down to a jammy consistency and combine with the marmalade to make a thick gooey sauce.  Possibly it would be a little less sweet if you could find a really bitter marmalade to use, but I was using the standard store bought variety and that has a lot of sugar in it.  That being said, I don’t think it was a bad thing.  I served it with couscous cooked in chicken stock and with curried cauliflower to balance out the plate and I think the edge of sweet in the sauce worked nicely.

Tagine
3 lb assorted bone-in chicken parts (if using breasts, cut in half)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated peeled ginger
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp sweet paprika
Pinch of saffron threads (optional)
1 cup water
2 Tbsp blood-orange preserves or bitter-orange marmalade
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
1 thyme sprig
2 cilantro sprigs
6 dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

Pat chicken pieces dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.   Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then brown chicken breasts, skin sides down, without turning, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Cook shallots in butter (add extra olive oil if the pan looks dry) over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, and paprika and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

Add chicken with any juices from plate, saffron (if using), and ½ tsp salt to shallot mixture and turn chicken to coat. Add water and bring to a boil, covered, then cook at a bare simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Turn chicken and add orange preserves, cinnamon stick, thyme, cilantro sprigs, and apricots. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Remove the chicken from the pot and bring the sauce up to a boil.  Cook until it has reduced to about 1 cup/has reduced to a thick sauce.  Discard herb sprigs and cinnamon stick.  Return chicken to the pot and cook briefly to make sure everything is heated through.  Stir in chopped cilantro if using.

Arrange chicken on a plate and spoon sauce over it.  Sprinkle with spiced nuts.

Spiced Pine Nuts
½ Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp sweet paprika
Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then stir in pine nuts, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, until nuts are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully; they burn easily). Drain on paper towels.

Notes:

The original recipe called for cutting up a whole chicken and using the parts.  This is always more work than I want to go to.  I used bone-in chicken thighs and bone-in chicken breasts (cut in half).  I had a momentary blank when I was grocery shopping this weekend and forgot that dark meat always stands up to stewing better than white meat does, so next time I think I’d use all bone-in thighs.

I omitted the cilantro because nobody who comes to Dinner likes cilantro, least of all me.  Since the point of the chopped cilantro at the end is for color rather than flavor, I chopped some scallions and scattered them over the top when I served.

I used (unsalted) peanuts instead of pine nuts because one member of Dinner is allergic to nuts and poisoning a guest just seems tacky.

Incidentally, my fingernail beds are still bright yellow from working with the turmeric.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Recipe previously given:  Curry Dinner