remembering the television shows of days gone by.

not really that long ago but still a few years back and many of you

likely haven't seen some of the best series that once were.

in the 80s we watched things like:

HUNTER - Fred Dryer was brilliant as a detective in L.A.

after the violence was reduced the rating rose - how do you figure?

Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner may not have

been exactly believable as a team in secret agent

work but they were a lot of fun to watch in:

Scarecrow and Mrs. King.

Before he was Ducky in NCIS David McCallum had quite a career

and was in several successful series on television in both the

UK and USA - my favourite was this with Joanna Lumley:

Sapphire and Steel

walking the plank be old fashioned water boarding.

My sister - The Dread Pirate Buffy -

the meanest wench on the ocean.

and I mean like totally.

Here am I the Dread Pirate Jimmy

the most feared chef on the seven seas.

and our Dread Pirate Mommy

who taught us all we know.

Yun Fat Chow - is happy to not be in this crew.

Inigo Montoya ,,,,,,,,,isn't a pirate but I just couldn' leave him out.

In my online pirates game I do have friends who use these names.

they go by Dread Pirate Buffy, Dread Pirate Mommy and Dread Pirate Jimmy.

There is also Buttercup and on Inigo MontoyaVezzini and Fezzick.

the entire cast is in the game at least once withmany duplications

and variations on the main characters.

despite the theme of the game being Pirates of the Caribbean.

Princess Bride is hands down the most popular pirate movie ever,

at least according to the number of film names that have been copied.

I some games I haven't finishedbut I couldn't resist the last Steam sale.

75% off the Deus Ex collection was just too darn temping.

Deus Ex:GOTY, Deus Ex: Invisible War, Deus Ex: Human Revolution

and a pile of DLC to go with them.

I also picked UP Depths of Peril - a single player RPG/Dungeon Crawler

and also one that has a unique name: Divine Divinity

makes you think of candy doesn't it?

Divine Divinity really is pretty good open world RPG that was developed

in Belgium - this may account for the name.

how will the SPL manage and this means there will no longer

be an Old Firm !!!!

I had never considered it possible that the Glasgow Rangers FC

would just not be there one day any more than I thought it possible

that the New York Yankess, or Toronto Maple Leafs, or Melbourne Demons,

or South Sydney Rabbitohs, or Esteghlal Tehran would not be around

to play another season.

and it is unthinkable that there will not be an old firm.

- it is a tradition to cheer on either Celtic or the Rangers and has been

since before baseball was invented.

I just can't believe that the Rangers will not return - I don't think

the people of Glasgow, Scotland or the U.K. will allow anything less.

Hell I'm not a British citizen and I stand with them.

in order to avoid argument I am not going to mention which side

of the Celtic v Ranger debate on which I stand.

neither is my favourite football squad and as for religion.

one of my parents is Catholic and the other is protestant.

for those of you who are unfamliar with the Old Firm

Celtic supporters are Catholic and Ranger fans are protestant.

Left-footer or Papist vs Billy Boy or Hun.

there simply is too much history to let this die out

The Blues

1.Most Blues tunes begin with: "Woke up this morning..."

2. "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick

something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman,

"who only got two teeth" or, "the meanest face in town."

3. The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it.
Then find something that rhymes... sort of:
"Got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman
with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and she weigh 500 pound."

4. The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, -- ain't no way out.

5.Blues cars: Chevy, Ford, and broken-down old trucks.
Blues don't ride around in Volvos, German Cars, SUVs or a British luxury car.

you can't sing the blues in a Beemer or a Jag.

Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train.

Jet aircraft, motor pools, and public transportation ain't even in the running.

Walkin' is a major part in the blues lifestyle. So is fixin' to die.

6. Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet.

teenage angst is a problem but the frustration from

school and hormones doesn't qualify as The Blues.

Adults singthe Blues.

In the Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get

the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.

7. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place

in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is just clinical depression.

Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues.

You cannot have the blues in any place that don't get no rain.

8. You can't have no Blues in an office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong.

Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.

9. Good places for the Blues:
a. highway
b. jailhouse
c. empty bed
d. bottom of a whiskey glass

Bad places for the Blues:
a. Nordstrom's
b. gallery openings
c. Ivy League institutions
d. golf courses
e. resort hotels

10. Do you have the right to sing the Blues?
Yes, if:
a. you're older than dirt
b. you're blind
c. you shot a man in Memphis
d. you can't be satisfied

No, if:
a. you have all your teeth
b. you were once blind but now can see
c. the man in Memphis lived
d. you have a 401K or trust fund

11. Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck.

Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could.

Ugly, poor, white people also got a leg up on the blues.

12. If you ask for water and your darlin' give you kerosine, it's the Blues.
Other acceptable Blues beverages are:
a. cheap wine
b. whiskey or bourbon
c. muddy water
d. nasty black coffee

The following are NOT Blues beverages:
a. Perrier
b. Chardonnay
c. Wine Cooler
d. Slim Fast
e. Diet Coke

13. If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues death.
Gettin' stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another good Blues way to die.

So are the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a
broken-down cot -- especially if there are maggots or bedbugs.

You can't have a Blues death if you die during a golf or tennis match or
while getting liposuction.

14. Some Blues names for women:
a. Sadie
b. Big Mama
c. Bessie
d. Georgia
e. Caledonia

15. Some Blues namesfor men:

a. Joe
b. Willie
c. Otis
d. Rufus
e. Leroy

16. Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Jennifer, Tiffany, Brooke,
Brittany and Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they
shoot in Memphis.

17.No matter how tragic your life is, if you own a
computer, you cannot sing the blues!

In the Confessional

One Sunday, a priest asked one of the church janitor if he would cover his

Confession shift for him he said it was easy, since he had a sin list inside

the booth which listed both sins and penance. The janitor agreed and took

the booth early on Sunday morning. Soon people showed up.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have committed adultery.

Adultery, eh? the janitor said. You sly devil. That'll be three Hail Marys, plus five bucks.

Thank you, Father. Another person came into the booth.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have embezzled money from work.

Embezzlement, eh? Naughty, naughty. Thatll be 5 Hail Marys, plus fourteen bucks.

Thank you, Father. This was easy, the janitor thought. Another person came into the booth.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have committed the sin of oral sex.

Oral sex, huh? He looked at the list, but didnt see oral .sex there. So, he excused

himself to look for help. He found an alter boy hanging out on the steps of the church.

Excuse me, the janitor said. What does Father Matthew give for oral .sex?

Well, said the boy, usually a couple cookies, but sometimes a Snickers.

Heart Attacks

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks

than the British or Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

LIFTS

An American visiting in England asked at the hotel for the elevator.

The porter looked a bit confused but smiled when he realized what the man wanted.

"You must mean the lift," he said.
"No," the American responded. "If I ask for the elevator I mean the elevator."
"Well," the porter answered, "over here we call them lifts."
"Now you listen," the American said rather irritated,"

someone in America invented the elevator."
"Oh, right you are, sir," the porter said in a polite tone,"

but someone here in England invented the language."

Statistically 12 out of 10 Russians voted for Vladimir Putin.

Does anyone else really want Amanda Knox to move In with Justin Beiber?

description of the photos for anyone who can't see them:

1. texting...
Mom 10:35 PM
Diane, what are all these bags full of clothes in the living room?

Stuff I wanna give to the Salvation Army. I'll come move them later on.

We live in Michigan. I don't know what folks here are going to do with stripper clothes.

Drop them off at a brothel, maybe then they'll get worn.

Moommmeh 9:25 PM

What's doing young slut? I'm just chillin at ma crib if da homies (aka your nan and aunt)

you should pop round and crank it wif us. Txt me back ya hussy!! ily and **** xxxxxxxx

You're drunk mom...

And whhaaatttt??!!

2. demotivational poster.
the back side of a girl in a bikini has 50c butt grab written in black marker.
the caption is "seems legit"

3. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss
Causes massive recall.

4. picture of a cute little girl leaning over her school desk and work book flipping the middle finger.

Iranian, Syrian, and Sudanese online gamers are hit by the new American sanctions.

Battlenet finally was forced to close their games due to restrictions imposted by the United States.

There are workarounds via Italy and Turkey to the European servers but there are also rumours

that the Iranian government is blocking online games.

It is not only Battlenet - Guildwars at least is also verified closed and probably many other popular games.

I hope our politicians are proud - they can't touch the governments but they successfully stopped

the Iranian and Syrian gamers - haven't heard anyone bragging about putting an end to those

dang gamers in a campaign speech yet

I always uncheck babylon when I download an update to an adobe

or use some other software that has that Babylon virus attached.

well on at least one of those times Bablyon piggybacked its way to

my PC anyhow. I uninstalled it and it is off of Maxthon, Chrome,

and Internet Explorer but even when I deleted it with the tools in

Firefox that damn thing still keeps showing up as the first window.

and takes over as the search engine.

there was a long time I only used Firefox - i'm heppy to have found

other browsers that do the job just as well.

Chrome and Maxthon - I still use IE some times - it is like an old friend.

had a bonk when I submitted my blog but it didn't to anything other than

surprise me and delay things.

I checked and things went through which made me happy because I

didn't save a copy and would have lost ...nothing worth worrying about here anyhow

Before the day of Eid, during the last few days of Ramadan, each Muslim family gives a determined amount as a donation to the poor. This donation is of actual food -- rice, barley, dates, rice, etc. -- to ensure that the needy can have a holiday meal and participate in the celebration. This donation is known assadaqah al-fitr(charity of fast-breaking).

On the day of Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning in outdoor locations or mosques to perform theEid prayer.

This consists of a sermon followed by a short congregational prayer.

After the Eid prayer, Muslims usually scatter to visit various family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday. These activities traditionally continue for three days. In Muslim countries, the 3-day period is an official government/school holiday.

Many Muslims also pay a visit to the graveyards, a custom known as "ziyarat al-qubur".

Muslims recite the Takbir which is a prayer glorifying the almighty.

The Takbir:

Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber
La ila-ha ill-lal-lah
Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber
Wa-lilahill hamd.

(English Translation )

Allah is great, Allah is great.
There is no deity but Allah
Allah is great, Allah is great
And all praises are for Allah).

here is the answer to a question many have asked:

Does Allah mean God?

I hope this helps us to understand each other a little bit as the festival starts and the great fast ends.

Bharat Mata

Today when India celebrates it 65th Independence Day, the entire country is signing songs of patriotism.

There might be corruption and a lot of unwanted elements in the country, but on this day people of India

want to forget all that and celebrate freedom.

Karan Johar says, Independence Day to me means freedom that is pegged with a lot of responsibility. All of us are responsible for our actions and its these actions that help us contribute towards the overall progress of our country. I hope that in some form big or small - I am able to spread the message of love and togetherness.

I have decided to celebrate the independence of the great Indian nation.

If I were to delve into the politics of the creation of the state I would need to write a book and many have already been published about both Ghandi and Bose and the details of their contentious relationship.

It would be my contention that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was the true patriot and his usage of the axis powers was only because they were the enemy of his enemy and not because they were really his friends as he did find out when they broke most of the promised that were made to him.

His life was a continuing effort on behalf of Mother India/Bharat Mata and to avoid partition which was why he did everything he could to fight the British and fell out with Ghandi.

Netaji and Gandhiji

Both Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. They were loved by the masses and feared by the Raj. But between themselves, these two icons of India's freedom movement shared a rather frosty relationship and history is replete with instances of trenchant differences between them.

The Azad Hind - Indian National Army and their brave but doomed fight have been all but forgotten.

However that is wrong when they and other martyrs such asNetaji Bose are in a direct line from National heroes such as Sardar Bhagat Singh

It was a long struggle for freedom and they all had their part and should be remembered.

especially on this day.

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

Three photos for those who have trouble with them:

1 - a depiction of Bharat Mata - the traditional Mother India standing with a Lion over a Map of India.

2 - a photo of Subhas Chandra Bose from the 40s (I believe in the Andaman Islands).

3 - a photo of Bhagat Singh

in 2010 and 2011 I started playing World of Warcraft once again after a break of several years.

I am not writing this to talk about how much I enjoyed the game, although it was fun at first.

especially playing encountering some of the great people from Gamespot in the world of Azeroth.

Alli and Robin in particular -Allicrombie and RMBGamerGirl are two I saw quite a bit of.

I was with the same guild as Robin for a time, she is an expert in the medieval era which applies to WoW.

and anyone who knows Alli at all will know thatshe is a lot of fun and also knows her game.

I now have had it with Blizzard and the World of Warcraft game.

as if it isn't bad enough the game has gradually been dumbed down to a ridiculous level which I finally came to realize one day when I was out alone with a level 63 holy priest and took on a level 65 elite solo.!!

With a character that was geared towards fighting that might just be possible but a holy priest is primarily a healer and I have his talent geared towards healing a group not fighting.

I did also have a shadow priest that can kick butt but this guy should not have been able to stand against an elite that was two levels higher in the 60s.

the final straw though was when my account got hacked and when Blizzard wrote me and said it was recovered in full I was told I could have it back after I faxed them two current and valid picture I.D.

I have a California I.D. that expired in 2004 and one that has an expiration date if "INDEF." but it was issued by the Air Force in 1980.

I hadn't payed for a new Calif ID Card because I take the bus or metro and everyone accepts the ID Card without looking at the date.

I can get a new ID card but that is only one - I shall have to tell Blizzard to 'take a hike' i can live without that game.

too much hassle for the amount of enjoyment I receive from WoW.

Decorations and festivies are part of Ramadan.

THE MEANING OF RAMADAN

Ramadan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. There are as many meanings of Ramadan as there are Muslims.
The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is as a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God.

Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.
As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate, and learning thankfulness and appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.

at the market preparing for Ramadan.

While voluntary fasting is recommended for Muslims, during Ramadan fasting becomes obligatory. Sick people, travelers, and women in certain conditions are exempted from the fast but must make it up as they are able. Perhaps fasting in Ramadan is the most widely practiced of all the Muslim forms of worship.

with 40 degree(101) temperatures, power and water shortages and jihadists in control some areas expect a tough Ramadan even with help from food supplied by the Red Cross/Red Crescent.

The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. During the daylight hours -- Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking, and marital sex. The usual practice is to have suhoor (prefast meal) before dawn and break the fast with iftar after sunset.

shopping for Fanous

Since Ramadan is a special time, Muslims in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month.
It is a common practice for Muslims to break their fast at sunset with dates, following the custom of Prophet Muhammad. This is followed by the sunset prayer, which is followed by dinner. Since Ramadan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats dinner at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to share in the Ramadan evening meal.

Some Muslims find that they eat less for dinner during Ramadan than at other times due to stomach contraction. However, as a rule, most Muslims experience little fatigue during the day since the body becomes used to the altered routine during the first week of Ramadan.

I found last year that I actually gained weight during Ramadan probably due to having more sweets during the holy month and intend to be more careful this time.

Little boy in Gaza gazing at ice cream that he can't have during the day.

A young man celebrating with a sparkler.

Assalamualaikum to everyone and Ramadan Mubarak

Do you think Mom is an American word for Mum and that the latter

is the correct spelling in England?

Think again. The word Mom is widely used in the Midlands.

"Mom and Mommy are old-English words, words that are stilled used in

Birmingham and most parts of the West Midlands, we all use the term Mom

and Mommy never Mum or Mummy, as here the correct spelling is Mom and

Mommy has been for hundreds and hundreds of years, when people from

the West Midlands went to America all those years ago they took our

correct spelling with them, hence they use Mom and Mommy and we

still do in the West Midlands. Here in the West Midlands the words Mum

and Mummy are frowned upon as they look and sound wrong, thankfully

our local schools teach our correct spelling of Mom and Mommy and the

kids still come home with handmade cards with out correct Mom and

Mommy Spelling on.

I believe parts of Scotland use the Mom and Mommy term too, as I have

relatives there and whenever I visit them, they and the people I visit or

see use the term Mom too, however I'm not sure how widespread its use is.

We in Birmingham and the West Midlands get annoyed when people wrongly

think we are using American words, when the word Mom and Mommy aren't

American they were British to start with, it's just unlike the West Midlands

other areas changed their spelling."

This is an entry in Project Britain.

a collection of websites devoted to the people and culture of the U.K.

I tend to believe the theory that mum, mom and mam originated as different

spellings of the same word.

Having relatives in Yorkshre I found this article fascinating

Growing old is inevitable - growing up is optional.

Kim Jong Il left North Korea to his son.

That's like your dad giving you a car, after he's crashed it into a tree,

with a body in the back seat and drugs in the glove compartment.

Listened to a Beethoven piece & a Ke$ha song yesterday.

Which one is deaf again?

REAL vampires don't pee their pants!!!

It took a couple of days for relief to get to Iceland after the volcano

eruption. It wasn't that it was that hard to reach the place, but it

was nearly impossible to input "Eyjafjallajökull" in the sat nav.

and Finstown and Kirkwall will be familiar to those who

have played the video game "The Bard's Tale"

one of those under rated gems with a great sense of humour.

Not to mention Cary Elwes playing the part of The Bard.

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

description of photos if you have problems.

1. a bloke walking among huge mounds at a salt factory.

captions reads:

Charlie Sheen making sure he has enough for the weekend.

2. Advantages of being colourblind.

a drawing of a guy holding a mistached Rubik's cube while

saying "I did it!"

3. REAL vampires don't pee their pants.

(Thanks Hina I didn't know I had it wrong)

Robert Pattinson, the actor who plays Edward Cullen in Twilight is

walking in a parking lot with a huge wet stain on his crotch.

4. standing beside a road sign on the A966 is a lady.

the Arrow to the town Twa.tt is pointing towards her.

the arrow towards Finstown and Kirkwall is pointing north.

both Finstown and Kirkwall are in the game 'Bard's Tale'

I won't post pictures of half nude girls and I try to keep my

jokes from being too risque.

the Terms of Use have changed but I haven't.

the outlook you have is a state of mind and a way of thinking.

So however they change the rules I probably won't.

I don't believe in crudity or rude behavior and that limits the

MMOs that i play which is why i prefer the Disney games.

if I ever go over the line in a blog it is by accident or because I

made an error in judgement not because I intentionally tried

to show poor taste which sometimes everyone will have a

problem seeing a clear demarkation of the difference between

funny and and humour isn't the same to everyone just as spelling

and language differs between our nations.

I have noticed..

Too many of the comedians these days are crude or downright vulgar

rather than humerousand it seems like they make that choice intentionally.

Lenny Bruce and George Carlin are two that popularized vulgarity but they

could also be funny.

Russell Brand is one I don't understand why he is considered a comedian.

he is just vulgar and obnoxious the same with Sarah Silverman.

of course she flamed out fairly quickly and is gone I hope the same will

happen with Brand as I have yet to talk to anyone who thinks he is funny.

I did not mention any other names I consider to be unfunny because I

know that many people like them.

here is one example.

I never thought one way or the other about Chris Rock until i watched:

Everybody Hates Chris - if that show is accurate i understand why a lot

of people don't like him.

He'd been playing outside with the other kids for a while when he came

into the house and asked her, "Grandma what's that called when two

people sleep in the same room and one is on top of the other?"

She was a little taken aback but she decided to tell him the truth.

"It's called sexual intercourse darling."

Little Tony said "Oh OK" and went back outside to play with the other kids.

A few minutes later he came back in and said angrily

"Grandma it isn't called sexual intercourse. It's called Bunk Beds.

And Jimmy's mum wants to talk to you."

The new Politically Correct Grand Theft Auto.

David Cameron met with Barack Obama today. They agreed that

if the Americans put the Queen on their stamps,

the British will keep their president on our jam jars.

All men are alike - even the mice only think of one thing!!!

I don't see why everyone says Barack Obama

is such an advocate for "change".

His 'Yes We Can' motto was being used years ago by Bob the Builder.

My University exams have just finished, im absolutely delighted that

now i can spend my days not going to lectures and drinking with friends....

Wait a minute.........

Jamie Oliver: "adding this freshly picked spring onion to the dish really

adds a special flavour, it's very hard to describe."

It makes it taste like onion, Jamie.

Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better.

(the Gap commercial - Howard Keel,Betty Hutton from the movie)

Definition of Irony:

Sharon Osborne judging talent.

Kim Jong il was a big movie fan and his favourite was Elizabeth Taylor,

ironic that he's also gone for a burton.

the new whorror movie - do you want to meet them in a dark alley?

He ruled his empire with an iron fist. He had, and probably still has,

masses of brainwashed followers who worshipped him like a god.

Some would call him a megalomaniac - but not to his face. They had a

strange sense of loyalty bred by his insular regime, hanging on to

obsolete technology, whatever the cost.

The world might be different without him,

but who's to say it'll beworse?

Steve Jobs will be missed.

56k photo descriptions:

1: politically correct grand theft auto

after an auto collision the two drivers meet and and the upper

left says "Press X to exchange insurance information"

2: All Men are alike even the mice

is a photo of a male mouse mounting the body of a girl mouse

who was caught in a mouse trap.

3: Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better

shows two military personnel in fatigues at the urinals.

one is a man and one is a woman she has a big smile.

4: The new whorror movie.

is a picture of not particularly attractive men in drag titled Ex-Men.

They Came. They saw. They laddered their tights.

Chipped nails and broke heels.

The French delicacy of escargot sounds rather exotic. However, when

some people find out that escargot means "snails", they lose a little

enthusiasm. Nonetheless, you can make a version of this Gallic classic

using common land snails found in your garden. Much of your success

in cooking garden escargot depends on preparing the snails properly for

eating. Cooked straight from your garden, snails may taste gritty and

unpleasant and could even contain nasty toxins. Traditionally, the

French serve escargot with a garlic butter melted into the snail

meat in the shell.

Step 1

Rinse the garden snails under a light flow of fresh water. Place the

snails in a clean wooden box with a lid and small ventilation holes.

Ensure the box contains no dirt or grit.

Step 2

Leave the snails for a few days without food. This helps to purge any grit

or nasty substances from their intestines. After three days, put in a few

fresh lettuce leaves or a small bunch of dill into the box. This improves

the flavor and helps purify the snails further for your plate.

Leave for two more days.

Step 3

Bring a pan of water to a high boil. Rinse each snail. Lower each clean

snail gently into the water, making sure that they're fully retracted into

their shells before cooking. Remove the snails after 15 seconds.

Step 4

Mix 8 tbsp. of butter with a clove of minced garlic in a bowl. Chop a

small bunch of parsley and stir into the garlic butter. Finely dice a large

shallot and add to the bowl. Sprinkle a little pepper into the mixture.

Step 5

Smear a teaspoon of the butter mixture onto the open part of each

snail shell. Arrange the snail shells round side-down on a broiler tray.

Keep the snails close together for balance. Use pieces of kitchen foil

to stabilize the escargot if you have lots of space in the pan.

Step 6

Turn the broiler to a medium heat. Cook the snails for three minutes.

Remove and check the butter and juices. The butter should be melted

into the snail hollow with juices bubbling up at the top.

Step 7

Serve your garden escargot together in a bowl. Drizzle some of the butter

and juices from the broiler tray over the snails, or melt additional garlic

butter and pour it over the top.

Tips and Warnings

Try adding a spoonful of mustard to the garlic butter for extra tang.

Cook smaller snails in a pan with the butter, garlic and a little white

wine vinegar.

Avoid gathering snails from areas that have been treated with chemical

treatments or pesticides. Use tongs to handle snails straight out of the

broiler; The shells may be very hot.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lbs. garden snails
• Wooden box
• Lettuce
• Medium pan
• Bowl
• 8 tbsp. of butter
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• Small bunch of parsley
• 1 large shallot
• Pepper
• Kitchen foil
• Broiler tray

References

• Escargot Passion: Preparation and Recipes
• "How to Cook Everything: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food";
• Mark Bittman and Alan Witschonke; 2008
• "The Complete Shade Gardener"; George Schenk; 2002

escargot like many things in this world is an acquired taste.

there have been a couple times I have seen Anthony Bourdain turn his

nose up at items of food that I just love so I guess there really is no

accountingfor taste.

More sad news for the fans of The Doctor.

over the last few years we have already lost The Brigadier.

Sir Alistair Gordon Lethrbridge-Stewart portrayed for 20 years

in Dr Who and the Sarah Jane Chronicles by Nicholas Courtney.

passed away last February at age 81.

Practically everyone's favourite companion:

Sarah Jane played by Elisabeth Sladen who also

reprised the part in the Sarah Jane Chronicles passed

away last April of cancer at age 63.

and now we have lost one of the first companions.

those of us who have watched Dr Who from the beginning

dearly miss Liz Shaw who appeared with the second Docter.

played by the Shakespearean actress Caroline John,

who has left us too early at the age of only 72.

my mum is older, still works and has

a younger boyfriend that can't keep up.

John Pertwee - what i loved most about this doctor...

was Bessie his car - useless to try and find the model.

not a cIassic although she looked like an antique.

it was a one of a kind kit car designed in the 1970s by Corgi

and made especially for the show.

Denmark upended The Netherlands in a One Nil match.

Russia thoroughly dominated Czech Republic with a four one crush.

and Germany and Portugal the supposedly strong sides had a snooze fest.

I expected Miroslave Klose and Lukas Podolski to be the difference. HA!

Podolski made one good run but it fizzled out and Salto Klose was on

the pitch but not with his usual presence.

Mario Gomes' header was the only score in a surprisingly lackluster

match. The Germans with seven Bayern Munich on the side perhaps

still recovering from the Champions League loss to Chelsea?

Can Spain take Italy - it will be a good match I wouldn't bet on it though.

and how about Croatia and Ireland - both have strong squads.

personally I select Spain and Croatia.

I'm not a football expert but have played fantasy football leagues.

I've played American, English and Australian fantasy football.

did best in Australian fantasty footy, finished second in the league.

also second place in fantasy baseball.

it takes too much time to play a fantasy league.

figuring who is going to be in the squad each game and following

all the stats for each player every damn game takes a lot of effort.

i enjoyed it though - when I took vacations each motel/hotel I stayed

at - no matter the country I found people who worked and stayed

at each place who were in a fantasy league and wanted to talk about

their teams and the sport.