Top 5 Single Vacations

In this summer travel guide for singles, cheap summer vacations can be attractive the wallet. Singles already have saved since they do not have to accommodate the financial needs of others. From single beds instead of
 queen size to a quaint room instead of a large one, being single pays off at times. Here are five great cheap summer vacations for singles.

Has Your Cheap Summer Vacation Ship Come In?

If you can tolerate floating on a boat, these single cruise vacation packages may be right down your alley of cheap summer singles vacations. VacationsToGo.com offers single-only voyages throughout the year, and summer is no different, except nicer in weather. With a singles theme, the idea of looking for love, and the polite atmosphere, this love boat may be unforgettable. Don't let this ship pass you by. But what being on American land interests you more?

Son, the liberty is in the air!

For the patriots at heart, taking a trip to Washington D.C. can be an educational experience for two, but what if you are single? Romance between Republicans and Democrats can be steamy at times, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. And wouldn't it just be something if you ran across someone that shared your beliefs surrounding our government today? An added bonus to your adventure.

Singles On The Go offers just what it states, “singles-to-go”. No, it's not a fast food of temptations, no, it's not for sexual purposes. Singles On The Go is primarily used for dating purposes, a tool to search for singles clubs or singles events in the D.C. area. The other best thing about D.C. would be the historical government buildings, monuments, and other grand patriotic features that you can share with your singles-to-go date. Single vacations can be politically correct when sharing a moment with someone that shares your political interests.

Fight or Flight

Catia

In “Whose God Do We Trust”?

“Under God”~ once upon a time, we pledged allegance to the flag of the United States of America. The words, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all spilled out of out of our young mouths in a
 chorus of pride. It was potent back then…in the fifties. It meant we believed in us, the US as a nation. It meant we were patriots. We believed in every word back then, at least I did. When I said, one nation, under god, I didn't mean George Bush's God…I didn't even know about him back then. It didn't mean the Pope's God or my Aunt Dixies Baptist God or my Uncle Friday's no god at all. To me, it meant you were free to have any ole God~ you were free to decide, like my Uncle Friday, that there was no god at all….but that somehow we were all bound together by a belief in goodness that the idea of god gave us. We were free to adore, worship, speak or not speak of our religion and beliefs and that “under god” meant that whatever god we chose was a part of our fabric here in the US. It meant a good thing..to me, Aunt Dixie, Uncle Friday and every one I knew back then. Even Uncle Friday said “under god” and proudly offered his pledge to this United States of America. It meant that any one of us, from the farmers kid to the big business execs kid could grow up to be President. It really did mean that to me. I believed it all, every word and even tho there were days when I mumbled each word , this was my country and my pledge and it made me proud.

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As Christmas approaches, most of us are planning a major holiday meal, particularly if there is going to be a big family gathering.

There is, of course, the traditional expectation of turkey or ham, with all the trimmings we all remember from our childhood. The fact is, though, that there are folks who want to step away from that tradition to offer
 different fare at their holiday table. I spoke to a good friend of mine just recently who said she plans on serving her family a large seafood meal this season. That got me to give some consideration to making some changes as well, especially after hearing my husband complain about how he is still “all turkied-out” from Thanksgiving.

Having lived in Virginia for many years before moving out west, I regularly ate seafood, but, until now, never thought about serving it for a holiday meal. When you get set in a pattern, it's hard to break. I'm open to change, though, and may be adding seafood to my menu this season.

If you also think a seafood meal would be a good alternative to what you customarily prepare for the holidays, here are some recipes passed down to me that you may want to take a look at:

Crab Lasagne

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. lasagne noodles
2 c. crabmeat
2 c. shrimp soup
8-oz. package of cream cheese
2 c. cottage cheese
1 egg
1 medium chopped onion
1 thin-sliced tomato
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. basil
Shredded cheddar cheese

What to do:

Boil salted water, cook lasagne noodles for about 15 minutes. After draining the noodles, cover them with cold water. In a separate dish, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese, egg, onion, salt, pepper and basil. Heat soup and crabmeat in a saucepan. Drain lasagne noodles and place one layer of the noodles in a buttered casserole dish, then layer that with 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture. Next add the soup and crab mixture, but all in a single layer. Follow that with another layer of noodles, followed by the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Put the sliced tomatoes on top and bake casserole in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes. Take out to add a layer of shredded cheddar cheese, then put the casserole back in the oven to cook for 30-40 minutes.

Blue Ribbon's Excellent Matzo Ball Soup

Posted by Caroline Russock, March 25, 2010 at 2:15 PM

[Photographs: Caroline Russock]

During Jewish holidays when I was growing up, Matzo Ball Soup was always the number one topic of conservation. Coming from a family that wasn't too concerned with food on an basis, I found it strange that everyone automatically turned into a critic when the soup was served. First the soup itself was discussed: Too salty? Not flavorful enough? Or perhaps there was a little too much dill?

After dissecting the soup, it was time to about the matzo balls. One of my grandmothers made golfball-sized matzo balls that were dense and sunk to the bottom of the bowl, while my other grandmother's were softball sized, so light that they fell apart in your spoon. I enjoyed them both, since choosing between them would be like picking a favorite grandmother.

But it's been a while since I have had a bowl of grandmother-made matzo ball soup and with Passover coming up I figured it was time that I made a batch of my own. I chose the recipe from Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook, the eagerly anticipated cookbook from Bruce and Eric Bromberg, the masterminds behind the Blue Ribbon family of restaurants in New York.

Their recipe starts with a flavorful stock made of a whole chicken cooked with plenty of aromatics. Once the chicken is cooked through, it's taken out and the meat is stripped from the bones. The bones are placed back in the stock and cooked for an additional hour. The stock is left to cool overnight so that a layer of chicken fat, or schmaltz, forms on the surface.

The Bromberg Brother's matzo balls contain two secret weapons for ultimate matzo ball deliciousness: schmaltz and seltzer water. The seltzer water lightens the matzo balls and the chicken fat gives them astonishing flavor. Since the matzo balls are cooked in water instead of chicken broth they retain a flavor of their own instead of just soaking up the stock.

Is Blue Ribbon's matzo ball soup superior than either of my grandmother's? I'd rather not say. What I will say is that it lived up to the title of “excellent”—the stock was beautifully flavored, and the matzo balls were the best weight and density and tasted of chicken fat in the best possibly way.

Blue Ribbon's Excellent Matzo Ball Soup

- serves 6 to 8-

Adapted from Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook by Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg.

Ingredients

Chicken Broth

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
5 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs of fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves

Matzo Balls

4 large eggs
1 cup matzo meal
2 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered chicken far reserved from making broth) or duck fat
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup seltzer water
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 1 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Procedure

1. To make the broth: Rub the chicken with salt inside and out. Let rest on a plate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Rinse very well under cold running water and then pat dry with paper towels.

2. Put the chicken in a stockpot and add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, them skim off any foam that rises to the top. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, parsley, dill, peppercorns, and bay leaves, and return the liquid to a boil. Skim again.

3. Reduce the heat and let simmer uncovered until the chicken is cooked, about 45 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a massive bowl and, when cool enough to handle, take the meat off the bones (reserve the meat for another purpose). Return the bones to the pot and simmer for 1 hour more. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, discarding the solids. Cool the broth slightly, then refrigerate until cold, overnight or up to 3 days.

4. Using a slotted spoon, skim off the solidified chicken fat from the broth. Save for making matzo balls or another purpose.

5. To make the matzo balls: In a huge bowl, stir together the eggs, matzo meal, schmaltz, salt, and baking powder. Add the seltzer and use a rubber spatula to mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

6. Fill a large, wide pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Fill a small bowl with cold water and have nearby to keep your hands clean and wet. Working gently, without pressing, use clean, wet hands to form 1/2-inch-round matzo balls. As they are formed, drop them into the boiling water. When all of the matzo balls are formed, cover the pot with a round of parchment paper to keep them submerged (or partially cover the pot with a lid if you have parchment paper) and simmer very gently (don't let the water boil again) until cooked through and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon, and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. If not using that day, let cool to room temperature, then store the matzo balls in a single layer in an airtight container filled with cooled cooking liquid to cover for up to 2 days.

7. To serve, gently reheat the matzo balls in a pot filled with matzo ball cooking liquid or fresh water to cover (when the water comes to a simmer, taste a matzo ball to see if it's hot enough, and either use immediately or continue to simmer until warmed to taste).

8. In a separate pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the carrot rounds and simmer until soft, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the dill.

9. Ladle the broth into individual serving bowls. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the warmed matzo balls into the soup and serve piping hot.

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Farmers Squawk Back At Chicken Cruelty Videos

The Humane Society of the United Says has released some damning footage of egg farms, but farmers' organizations are firing back, claiming the group wants “to remove meat from our dinner tables and eventually — pets from our families.”

According to the video above (shot undercover at Iowa farms, and extremely difficult to watch), many chickens suffer gruesome injuries when being moved from cage to cage, or get stuck in the wires of big battery cages and are trampled to death. P.J. Huffstutter of the LA Times writes that in addition to releasing the footage, the Humane Society is reaching out to kids in 4-H to them humane farming practices. The group has also bought stock in food companies to influence them to make more animal-friendly decisions, convincing Wendy's, IHOP, and Wal-Mart to switch to cage-free eggs. But farmers aren't happy that the interference, and they accuse the Humane Society of far more nefarious goals. Kansas Farm President Steve Baccus writes, “HSUS seeks to remove meat from our dinner tables, leather goods from our closets, animals from zoos and circuses and eventually — pets from our families.” He also says the group is “a powerful, well-funded activist organization pursuing what most reasonable observers would consider an extreme anti-animal agenda.”

But Baccus's words seem alarmist, given that the Humane Society's position is basically pretty moderate. The organization's president Wayne Pacelle Wednesday, “We're not asking for an end to the confinements of animals in buildings. We're asking they not be crammed into cages and crates barely bigger than their bodies.” The Humane Society is not PETA — they do not run billboards of naked women, or ask that we all go vegan. And, perhaps as a result of their more modest approach, they have had major successes — Huffstutter mentions California's Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (Prop. 2), which will ban restrictive cages for calves, hens, and sows. So farmers may be right to fear the Humane Society, insofar as changing their practices might make things difficult for them for a while. But far from being “anti-animal,” these changes will be good for livestock, and for humans who care about treating them well.

Egg-Farm Video Is Latest Salvo In Humane Society's Animal-Rights Campaign
Shocking Egg-Farm Film Reignites Animal Debate

Send an email to Anna North, the author of this post, at annanorth@jezebel.com.

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25 Comments to “Skateboard Trick Tips: How To Ollie”

1. TechDeck332 Says:
   

   March 17th, 2010 at 2:57 am

   thanks dude

2. JencyRose21 Says:
   

   March 17th, 2010 at 9:11 am

   @SkateYasha dude, i have problems at my ollie, when I pop the tail, and try to glide my foot up, my board doesn’t even lift? so what’s the problem?

3. MarrziThePimp Says:
   

   March 17th, 2010 at 9:42 am

   Yer I’m the same as JencyRose21. The board doesn’t lift and i look like an idiot because I’m in the air but my board ain’t!!

4. CheesJo Says:
   

   March 17th, 2010 at 2:02 pm

   @MarrziThePimp
   @JencyRose21
   the board isn’t airborne cause you’re not just supposed to pop the board with your back foot, you also have to jump while popping the board. when you jump and you back foot leaves the board, you give it space to lift off the floor. if the foot pops and stays on the board then it can’t lift.

5. whywuduc4r3 Says:
   

   March 17th, 2010 at 9:04 pm

   same

6. ZachZackBros Says:
   

   March 17th, 2010 at 10:31 pm

   The usual

7. xXDragonMushroomXx Says:
   

   March 18th, 2010 at 3:02 am

   i have the same shoes

8. Stoja987 Says:
   

   March 18th, 2010 at 8:00 am

   I have been trying to ollie for days. I can snap. not so good at sliding. but I can’t get my back leg up any tips

9. 123dame123 Says:
   

   March 18th, 2010 at 11:23 pm

   k kool

10. MrSecondhorseman Says:
    

    March 18th, 2010 at 11:51 pm

    THIS VIDEO IS HILARIOUS

11. FireworksGameplayPro Says:
    

    March 19th, 2010 at 1:24 am

    i tried it it worked well but i broke my skateboard when i put my foot too far back when i landed XD

12. Buzi333 Says:
    

    March 19th, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Alright let me get this straight… Popping is jumping with all your weight on your back foot right?

13. bioshock607 Says:
    

    March 19th, 2010 at 8:17 pm

    dude i want your dog

14. XPsYcHoDaRkNeSsX Says:
    

    March 19th, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    how is my footing gonna be if im goofy footed?

15. yourfacemeetsmyfist Says:
    

    March 19th, 2010 at 11:04 pm

    @Stoja987
    if u want watch my vids

16. Mjolkmaestro Says:
    

    March 19th, 2010 at 11:13 pm

    Great video!!

17. MyChemRomanceG Says:
    

    March 20th, 2010 at 6:27 am

    ive been trying so hard to do one but i just cant!!the last time i tried i fell and ripped my new jeans!!:(
    im so jelous of the boys who can do it!!

18. GezStickman Says:
    

    March 20th, 2010 at 7:02 am

    the same, with your front foot in the middle/ (to near front bolts) of the board and back foot on the tail.

19. 909abdulrehman Says:
    

    March 20th, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    mate how come when i Ollie my back two wheels don’t go up whys that but send my a message ok

20. KhanHamad Says:
    

    March 20th, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    skateboard may broke isn’t it?
    but this video is 5 star ,, Coz olie was high

21. jojojo503 Says:
    

    March 20th, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    i never knew thats what you where supposed to do with the pressure, i thought you snapped you back foot by your self, so this vid is great

22. DarkPinoySoulFilms Says:
    

    March 20th, 2010 at 10:20 pm

    1:11

23. leoisso1995 Says:
    

    March 21st, 2010 at 1:21 am

    THX, u helped me XD

24. JencyRose21 Says:
    

    March 21st, 2010 at 9:31 am

    @CheesJo thanks dude!

25. KhanHamad Says:
    

    March 21st, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    Same here/// my backwheels don’t go up only I can’t do further part

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Drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

Photographer, publisher and film director, Rankin established his reputation when he launched Dazed & Confused with his business partner Jefferson Hack in 1991.

London based fashion photographer Jessie Craig got into the industry in September 2008 after having edged her way in during her four years at art school. Her work has already been published by publications such as Clash, Dirrty Glam, Vanity Teen, Grazia UK, Contributor Magazine, PUSH IT, Magnificent Magazine, and Milk X Monthly. Last fall she was finalist in the Dazed & Confused Blog Awards, and recently she had some work featured on ELLE.com. She’s not stopping there, because this week she started getting the wheels in motion on a collaborative project that will feature some of London’s best new models of the season. She’s also putting together ideas for a cover shoot with an actress next month.

She’s inspired by paintings and films that have an escapist quality, as well as the subjects she shoots, and she describes her style as “comfortable with a dash of whatever my mood is that day.” All I know is that I love her work, and here’s a taste of it:

Check out the rest of her work here.

Built-in Bluetooth technology gives JVC's GZ-HM550 a number of interesting perks, including the ability to control it wirelessly via smartphone.

Oh, how oblivious you must have been to hobble through life without Bluetooth on your camcorder. Never controlling it remotely, wirelessly monitoring audio, or geotagging videos. Finally seeing the light? JVC has the camcorder for you.

On Friday, JVC unwrapped the Bluetooth-enabled GZ-HM550. As we hinted at above, the venerable wireless standard will give the camcorder a number of potentially superfluous – or useful – features. Perhaps most promising, users will be able to control the camera remotely with a smartphone, rather than buying a dedicated remote (which typically relies on inferior line-of-sight IR technology, as well). It will also work with Bluetooth headsets to either monitor sound or record it, effectively turning your vanilla-variety Bluetooth earpiece into improvised wireless lapel mic. Finally, connecting a Bluetooth GPS device will allow the camera to log coordinates to geotag your videos.

Aside from its whiz-bang wireless features, the GZ-HM550 shoots full 1080p video from a 10.62-megapixell CMOS sensor, offers 16x optical zoom, an LED light and flash for stills, 32GB of internal memory, plus an SD slot for additional storage. It can also handle time lapse photography, and comes with an auto record feature to start rolling when a person enters the view.

The GZ-HM550 will start selling immediately for $799.95.

The 19th-century photographs of William Henry Jackson, A.J. Russsell and Carleton Watkins have been more widely seen, and they probably have had more infuence on shaping our views of the region. But Eric Paddock, curator of photographer at the Denver Art Museum, believes O’Sullivan’s images more honestly reveal the region’s soul.

“On some level, O’Sullivan’s pictures offer an alternate way of seeing the American West,” Paddock said, “because O’Sullivan’s pictures are not picturesque. They’re not idealized. My opinion, and I think this an opinion some other people my share, is that O’Sullivan’s photographs ring a little more true with people who have actually dwelt in the Western landscape.”

An exhibition titled, “Framing the West: The Survey Photographs of Timothy O’Sullivan,” is on view through May 9 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. According to Paddock, it contains the largest assembly of the photographer’s images since the Centennial Exposition in Philhadelphia in 1876.

“So, for the photography nerds, it’s really a big deal,” the curator said.

Knowing Paddock’s longtime admiration and deep knowledge of O’Sullivan’s work, Toby Jurovics, curator of photography at the American Art Museum, invited Paddock to help shape his conception of the show.

In addition, Jurovics included some works in the exhibition of contemporary landscape photographers who have been influenced by O’Sullivan. Among them was Paddock, who besides being a curator is active making images of his own.

Paddock will moderate a panel of fellow photographers as part of an O’Sullivan symposium that will run from 2 to 7 p.m. April 9 at the American Art Museum. The event is free and open to the public.

People who cannot make it to Washington, D.C., to see the show can purchase the handsome accompanying catalog, which carries the same title. The 272-page book, which was published by Yale University Press, is available for $60.

Fine is not it ?

CheckSee|Look at} few home pictures i like.