Month: February 2011

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it all starts with speaking freely

FIRE President talks informally at Cal Poly on the need and the value of free discussion, open minds and free speech in American Universities.

It all starts with the ability to speak freely and openly on the issues of the day. To much progress and ultimately happiness has been lost throughout history by those who crush the ability of others to speak in order to protect their views. Convert to my way of thinking  or die is not a new concept but an ancient one.

Last night, FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) President Greg Lukianoff discussed what free speech was and what it wasn’t. He regaled the audience with unfortunate stories of students that suffered serious abuse at the hands of administrators and it was unpleasant to hear. The most pointed reminder he gave was to remind us that these were all people expressing their right to speak and their lives could have been ruined without outside intervention.

Greg Lukianoff reminded us that although there are NOW more than a dozen GREEN light free speech schools when once there were none, there are still a couple thousand public colleges and universities that are failing to live up to the rights set forth in our Constitution.

Cal Poly has come a long way from the RED light school it once was and it was often commented that they were given their own attorney for a reason, but that is slowly changing. Today, they are a Yellow Light school and with just a slight more movement they could be GREEN.

It should be ‘easy been Green.’

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forget wikileaks because nbc leaks is funnier

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ojXV26_YAc&NR=1[/youtube]

To be fair, the internet, email and rudimentary websites had only been around a few years (4) when Catie Couric was attempting to describe the internet; however, she should have known more, much much more . Back in San Luis Obispo, we had only been accessing our email from home starting in early 1992.  And does anyone remember  Prodigy?  Prodigy was one of the early web service provider that opened the door for many others.  Soon, the more adventurous were learning basic computer languages then HTML and finally building their own sites.

Our daughter  Karen had started her first website in 1995 as an unofficial  Val Kilmer fan site which evolved though her athletic, academic and professional experiences. In high school, it was a great way for college coaches to see what she was doing without breaking any of those vaunted NCAA rules!

Going back a little farther, I also remember in the very early 80’s that a computer ‘upgrade’ required knowledge and use of a soldering iron. Do you remember the first innovative 5 1/4 floppy, and daisy wheel printers? The ‘typewritter’ was on the way out! Imagine my surprise when computer alterations and up grades became plug and play! We are very spoiled today with advances in technology and the abundance of information.

However, the NBC video brings home a tragic truth about how far behind many formerly great institutions  have dropped since their once great leadership roles. It’s not only the traditional media that has fallen woefully behind, but also many academic institutions in responding to and understanding new media applications and the changing realities and expectations governing our world.

Although I will resist making any comments like “NBC News saw a huge increase in it’s audience with the vintage leaked footage on Youtube“…. it reminds me how really long ago that I had any reason to watch ABC, CBS or NBC…. and I am really not alone. The target audience of these stations is getting older and older. It’s not just demographic changes but lack of content that is killing the old ways.

BTW, I would like to thank the poor  NBC employee who was fired over the leak and I wish them well… however, any PR professional worth anything could have given them advice on how to handle this better and … maybe …make it a plus… but NBC is very old school and they have forgotten  that the world has changed, offering information to the public has become competitive and what you do privately ( as in firing employees) will be seen by all quicker than you can say YouTube.

Roger Freberg

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marinades and tenderizing meats can make all the difference

When Laura and I were married at the old age of 20, our budget was very tight and we bought meat in bulk and often the most economical. As an athlete I needed the protein, so any cut of meat would serve the purpose but it would be nice if it was tender and flavorful. Cheap and flavorful, was that really asking too much? My grandmother was fond of tenderizers and marinades, so armed with this knowledge, we always were able to turn a tough piece of meat into something nice, juicy and tender.

Lamb dishes are fondly viewed in different parts of the world. We are very fond of Mutton Stew and Greek Moussaka! I am very interested in making a Lamb curried dish…. so many to choose!

the tenderizer continuum
Matching he right tenderizer for the right piece of meat makes all the difference!

As a young couple, the meat we bought was very tough and consequently we spent most of our time using Enzyme tenderizers , like Adolf’s. However, almost any ‘chemical’ tenderizer will work given enough time. The enzyme tenderizers turn tough meats like game, lamb, mutton and goat into something marvelous.

Two types of enzyme tenderizers. Adolf's is made from the skin of Papaya and McCormicks comes from pineapple.

Here are three popular fruits used for chemical tenderizing:

PAPAYA: the active ingredient is Papain and comes from the green skin of the plant. You can use Adolf’s meat tenderizer or make your own from a Papaya! It has been said that the indigenous of Pre-Columbian Mexico discovered that meat could be tenderized if it was first wrapped in the leaves of the Papaya plant.

PINEAPPLE: contains Bromelain  that can be found in many parts of the Pineapple. You can buy McCormick’s or make it yourself. However, you have to use a fresh pineapple as the process of canning pineapple destroys much of the enzymes. Enzymes are heat sensitive.

KIWI FRUIT: contains Actinidin. This is a more expensive, but fun, tenderizer.

Mechanical Tenderizing:

As the name implies, Mechanical tenderizing is simply beating a piece of meat with one of many of the tools designed for this task. Usually, the hammer-like tool will be surrounded with a variety of spikes with the largest for the toughest cuts. Also available are needle like tools that help to increase the depth that the chemical tenderizers and marinade can reach.

Low Temperature:

The real key to cooking tough meat is to cook for a long time at a low temperature. Tough meats need to be covered as not to dry out and many perfect stews are made in this manner.

IS THE MEAT REALLY TOUGH… DO IT ALL!

Mutton is usually something that requires both a chemical and a mechanical tenderizing… even if you are going to grill it!

Roger

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be creative in stuffing a bell pepper

Almost any leftover dish containing rice makes an excellent stuffying for a bell pepper! CLICK on the picture for a step-by-step guide and recipe.

There are many things that you can stuff a bell pepper and make it wonderful! I have used left over Paella, Seafood Gumbo ( a little extra rice for thickening), Smorvis and a more traditional meat and rice combination.

Anyway, you make it and it’s wonderful. BTW, if there are left overs, I wrap them individually in plastic wrap, freeze them and the reconstitute easily in a microwave later on!

Oh yes, and they are relatively nice portion controlled item for those watching their waistlines!

Roger

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guess what’s for dinner on the start of the year of the rabbit?

One of Karla's favorite meals is rabbit and she wanted to start the Chinese 'Year of the Rabbit

Much fun can be had by being a patient person this year:

Horoscope 2011, forecast for the 2011 year of the white Rabbit

The coming 2011 year of the metal Rabbit is around the corner. It is not the size of this animal that makes sense for the whole year, but its inner nature. It looks like we’ve got quite sophisticated period with gracious manners and sensitivity. This 2011 year of the white Rabbit your may pin hopes on your sense of intuition. But don’t be impatient or be in harry, in 2011 year of the Rabbit without concentration you will fail.

Roger