A picture says a thousand words - a preview of Sunday's Packers/Bears NFC Championship Game

Thin Mints, peanut butter patties, lemonades, caramel delights with that crunchy coconut on top......You know you'll regret it if you miss it!! Contact either of my daughters for immediate service!. :- Lisa

Lisa is with the girls on a scouting field trip to PETCO. The girls are earning their PET CARE badge.

Zuppa Toscana - Danny's version

If you've been following me on Facebook (or reading my regurgitated FB updates here) than you know I've recently taken an interest in cooking. Right now I prepare dinner six nights out of seven. That's not as impressive as it might sound. After all, Lisa made dinner 365 days a year for much of our marriage. 

 Recently I made a big pot of Zuppa Toscana, a potato soup that's part of Olive Garden's menu. I found and followed a copycat recipe available here, but I did make some changes. 

 Here's the original ingredient list: 1 lb. Italian Sausage 2 large Russet potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices 1 large Onion, chopped 1/2 can Bacon Bits 2 cloves garlic minced 2 C. Kale or Swiss chard chopped 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Chicken Broth 1 qt. Water 1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream The recipe called for the potatoes, broth, water and garlic to be placed on medium heat until the potatoes were cooked. At that point the meat would be added and the soup left to simmer ten minutes. Then the kale and whipping cream is added, and the soup is heated and served. 

Ok. First off I cooked a batch big enough for my family, which meant doubling up the ingredients. I personalized it by using ground Italian sausage, 1/2# of which was a spicer variety. I substituted half and half for 2/3rds of the whipping cream, used low sodium broth for 1/3 the total, added fresh diced fennel, and added a bit more garlic than called for in the original recipe.

It was marvelous, but all hands agreed the soup was short on potato. Despite a broth friendly crowd, I had to boil additional potatoes and add them to the mix the next day. Like I said, it was marvelous. It's definitely added to our family repertoire. Try it yourself.

Junie

 

Devil & Buried

We just finished 'Devil', a movie created (but not directed) by M. Night Shyamalan. It's about 5 strangers stuck in an elevator. Sadly for 4 of the passengers, the 5th is the Devil. I expected cheese and instead found a suspenseful, entertaining horror film that was a teensy-bit short on the actual horror. {applause}

We also watched "Buried" w/ Ryan Reynolds, a film about a civilian contractor kidnapped & buried alive in Iraq. I think it would have made a suspenseful novel, but as a movie . . . well, to quote Lisa "it's about a guy in a box talking on the phone for two hours".

Some reviews - and written just for Slapinions!

When we started the DVD of The Killer Inside Me, Lisa asked what I considered the definition of film noir. "It's a crime movie," I said, "But dark and tragic. There's no real good guys, and it usually ends pretty bad for all the characters."

After the movie (which she loved) Lisa turned to me and said "Yup, that's noir all right."

I already mentioned Lisa loved the film, which stars Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Warren Beatty and Jessica Alba. As for me, I very much enjoyed the first and last third of the film but felt the middle sagged and lost my attention. Still, a very good flick.

Oh, and phoeey to actors who say their jobs aren't cushy. The guy got to roll around naked with Hudson and Alba and was paid for the privilege. I should be so lucky.

Speaking of noir, The Social Network fits the bill, even if it didn't involve a crime (or, if you side with some folks, merely a white-collar crime). It was dark - in tone, in setting, in the filmwork and soundtrack - and there were precious few good guys in sight. I don't know how much of it is true, and I don't care; it was a great, great film. I hope it wins the Oscar.



The film did inspire me to read the book on which it was based, The Accidental Billionares - The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich.



As a read it's quick, juicy, and entertaining. As journalism . . . blech. It's no suprise the people who agreed to an interview are treated kindly, while those who refused are crucified. I don't pretend to know where the unadulterated truth lies, but I'm reasonably certain this opinionated work is nowhere close to the mark.

* * *

The Town is a tale of robbery and violence in Boston's Charlestown. Ben Affleck, who both starred in and directed the film, did a fine job. Some of the action sequences were the best I've seen in years, and Lisa and I both give the movie a big thumbs up.



The same night we watched The Town and The Social Network, we also rented Renee Zellweger's Case 39, a horror film of the Demon Seed variety. To our surprise, the film was pretty damn good. Not a mad night for movies, eh?



Alas, Mr. Woodcock did not win our favor. It's a fun concept that was executed very poorly. Characters acted at odds with themsleves and with reality. Apologize? APOLOGOIZE??? To a sadistic, child abusing madman? Yeah, uh, NO. A waste of time. Crap.



Continuing our string of TV via Netflix, we've finished Season Five of Top Chef (NY). I disagree with giving Hosea the crown. Sure, he was my favorite and he aced the final, but overall Steffan was the better chef. Oh, well.



A few weeks ago our friend Chris bought Michael Jackson's Michael. It's not a bad album, but to my ears it's too retro. Would MJ have put out an album with the same sound that he used twenty years ago? I don't think so. Then again, what the heck do I know? I will say, the first track 'Hold My Hand' is quite good.

Winter Junie

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 Convey Calm 

The Entrance Band

I stumbled across The Entrance Band on local station 4.3, which played the video of "Lookout" one fine evening. I was impressed by their hypnotic psychedelic/garage band sound. 18 years I'd have snatched up their albums with joy.

Enjoy.

 

Made an ass of myself this AM. On the flipside, when snow delayed me on the way to wrk I got the chance to listen to MLK's 'I have a dream' speech, in its entirety. on the radio in its entirety. As powerful as its rep, even 48 yrs on.

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 Begin to be now what you will be hereafter - William James

I'd give you my opinion of 'The A-Team', but I fear it was the vodka that made the flick even remotely watchable last night. Anyhow, Happy Birthday to Chris and Jaspare, and many more to them both.

The Four Stages of Cruelty by Keith Hollihan

I finished Keith Hollihan's 'The Four Stages of Cruelty', a novel about the CO's & inmates of a max security prison. It's a good story, & Hollihan is a talented stylist. IMO the bks biggest handicap is its cover, styled to look like the panels of a comic bk. It gives a completely wrong impression of the contents & I'm sure many people have walked on by it w/out a second thought.

Bam!

Tramon Williams' is gonna have to change his name to Gen. Sherman, 'cuz he done burned Atlanta!

My Day

For dinner I made a huge pot of Zuppa Toscana from a Olive Garden knock-off recipie I found online. I tweaked it by adding chopped fennel and using half and half in place of 2/3rds of the required heavy cream. Quite deeelish. Now Lis and the newly tattooed Chris are out celebrating the latter's bday w/ a mutual friend, & I'm sitting down for the Packers game.

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"Bad temper is an indication of a man's character; every man can be judged by the things which make him mad." Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Entourage's Tattoo

A friend just asked to borrow $ from me to get a tatoo on her foot. Correct me if I'm wrong, but we *have* met before right? Asking Dan Slapczynski to pay for a woman's foot to be marred is like asking the Pope to wizz on the Bible.

The tat in it's final location. Work by Zoe's Vicious Circle on Howard. 414 727-6366

ok I just watched a clip of a 5 year old being told to sit down and stop crying when someone wanted to tear off the paper (and hair) after she waxed her eyebrows. Really!? Let them know you think they are beautiful just the way they are. Just.the.way.they.are. Why is that so hard? - Lisa 

A Change in . . .Astrological Signs?

 Ok, so I'm a Virgo now instead of a Libra, anyone know the differences? - Lisa

From what I hear, everyone in the Western hemisphere (USA) stays the same, its because of a change in seasons over hundreds and hundreds of years so now there are 13 signs instead of 12... - Grandma Jeanne

Lisa on Gun Laws

To everyone who is calling for stricter gun laws in light of the tragedy in Tucson, may I offer this little tidbit: If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people fat. Remember: Hold the person accountable for their actions, not the means they chose to utilize!!! - Lisa

The 1st third of December, 2010

Dec 2nd

I love my Foreman grill.

Ginger came home from school bragging that she'd gotten mad & thrown a pencil, earning her a punishment from her teacher. Bragged I say - shit grin and all. I don't mind a little sass & a few bouts with the academic law; after all, I ain't aiming to raise Sandy Duncan, Jr. But lately Ginger's just plain THUG. I'll count my blessings if she doesn't have neck tats by seventh grade.

We just finished watching season 4 of Hell's Kitchen, and for the first time I think Ramsay picked the wrong winner. Christina was very impressive in guiding her brigade during the final service, but the kid couldn't run a station right up until the end. IMO, Petrozza got screwed.

Dec 3rd

Lebron [James] notched 38 pts against Clev yest. Did I mention he only played *3* quarters?? Good for him. Screw Cavs fans and their p**sy whining about his departure. The 'loyalty' in sports doesn't exist in reverse (they'd have traded/dumped him if need be), so why should he be held to a diff. standard? You are a professional, & a competitor. You follow the money, or you follow the ring, and you never apologize for either.

Ron Santo was the worst, most benignly incompetent broadcaster I can remember hearing (plus he was a Cub) but he seemed like a nice guy. RIP.

I've dealt w/ nightmares most of the year, including some doozies I recorded on my blog. Last night's takes the cake: a sex dream involving the residents of a nursing home, one of whom was my boss. Shudder.

Dec 5th

Finished Gordon Ramsay's autobio "Roasting in Hells Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection". Stylistically it's a bore, & you'll need Bing handy to look up all names he tosses at you w/out providing context. By the end he comes off as human and real - but since he isn't shy about airing other folks dirty laundry and naming names while doing it, still a bit of a douche.

St Adalbert's Alumni - I ran into Ms. Hutchinson yesterday at work, and she inquired about my classmates from '88. "Hello" to you all from her.

Dec 6th

I heard an actor say that in Season 5 of 'Big Love' Bill would get his 'comeuppance'. Aside from their archaic language choice, 'comeuppance' for what? For loving more than one person? *That's* his big evildoing? So, gay/straight/young/old/black/white marriage = A-OK, but oh Lawd, heaven above, don't you dare love more than your fair share or you're right up there with pedophiles and slavers. Once again, society is just anohter word for hypocrite.

‎'Karate Kid' is the rare remake that improves upon a classic. Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan were wonderful (esp Chan - it's hard to top Miyagi. Kudos) and both the story and the visuals benefited from the shifting the setting to China. I was *very* impressed, so much so that Mr. Cheap here actually allowed the rental to stay out another night. Gasp - I know! It was that good!

Great Onion headline: "Universe Admits to Wronging Area Man His Entire Life: 'Dave's Got a Right to Be Angry', says Cosmos"

RIP NFL legend Don Meredith

Dec 7th
In lieu of another season of HK on DVD, we started Season 5 of Top Chef. It's not as fun as HK & the endless product placement is repulsive, but it'll do. Now starting Survivor Vanatu.

RIP Elizabeth Edwards. I was impressed by your courage.

I just finished watching 'Inception', a film we tried and failed to see in the theater and so eagerly awaited on DVD. My verdict: I liked it, but I don't think it lived up to the hype. The idea sounds imaginative, but in reality (no pun intended) it all came off a little literal and rigid on screen, no? I think the visuals mask a failure in imagination that could have made a very good film into a masterpiece.

Dec 8th

Dan Ackroyd is on Jimmy Kimmel in the other room. What a lousy guest. Listen to this guy for a minute and you understand why his career has been in the shitter since Reagan's 2nd term. He doesn't come across as a jerk. He's just over animated and very loud, in a way that's less "Jim Carrey" than "boorish Uncle Stan at Thanksgiving".

It doesn't help that his whole interview was devoted to a) his work with UFO researchers... b) his family history with seances and spirit mediums (now available as a book written by his Dad!) and c) pimping a vodka he has a hand in creating.

It was all kind of sad.

I don't understand why every cell phone user isn't w/ Cricket. . No signed contracts, unlimited txt/talk/web for a great rate, coverage that's expanding all the time, free 411(!), & great phones. (The Blackberrry-esque phones we use are 2 of the best purchases I've made in yrs). Is it the urban 'stigma' of the brand? If so, OFW. Why pay $30 more a month for crap service and dubious charges w/ someone like Sprint?

Talk about life imitating art. I dreamt I was called to a high rise office builiding, all sterile steel & glass. Try as I might, I couldn't reach the top floors - the stairs were Penrose stairs, ala 'Inception', & the whole builidng was nothing but a ruse to keep me busy. There was more (an intentional disqualification in a tournament/contest, ending w/ violence) but it's the staircase that stands out in my memory.



Dec 9th

I needed a jump start outside Ginger's school. B4 my Good Samaritan could pull in an Arab guy parked 5ft from my front bumper. There was 20 ft of clear space in front of him, so I asked him politely to scoot up. "In five minutes," he said. "U wait.". My response included "You're a f-ing a-hole". Give the [edited] some credit tho' - rare is the stranger who would ignore my wishes when I'm that pissed off.

Dec 10th

The Doors Jim Morrison will be pardoned in Flordia, some 40 years after his death.

Finished '1939: Countdown to War' by Richard Overy. It's a very small book (124 pgs of text; in height/width it's not much bigger than a CD case), yet it manages to convey a large amount of information re: the outbreak of WWII. I learned a lot, which I'll pompously call surprising. In fact I may pick up a copy to add to my personal library, to supplement the volumes I have on the war itself.

One, and only one good moment yest: When it came time for Ginger to get off the bus I told LuLthe driver would only release the kid if you did a dance first. "Here let me show you," I said, "A one and a two . . ." and started a disco move on the porch. "DAD!," Lu yelled, and started physically shoving me inside. "Go away! You are such an embarrasment! Go! DAAAAADDDD!"

St Adalbert's alum: I ran into Sr. Kathleen today. She told me Sr. Virginia has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure, and is in very bad shape.

Watched 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed', a harsh but tidy British crime thriller that stars only 3 actors and takes place largely in one room. Alice Cred is brutally kidnapped & kept chained to a bed while her ransom is negotiated. Soon she begins a battle of wits, attempting to divide her captors and gain the upper hand. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't - with unpleasant results. Very well made.

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"I felt awestruck, affirmed in my belief that there were no bounds to ingenuity when it met the curve of need." - Keith Hollihan, 'The Four Stages of Cruelty'

A Compliment

I've been remiss on complimenting you on your piece about the Hoan Bridge. You are a wonderful writer. - Sandra G