American Post

Keith Green

2010-04-09T02:15:00.031+03:00

Μια προσευχή, μια ζωή, μια αφιέρωση...

Ο εβραϊκής καταγωγής Keith Green
από το Brooklyn της Νέας Υόρκης
πίστεψε στο Χριστό
και Τον υπηρέτησε
μέσα από τη μουσική του και τη ζωή του,
δίνοντας δωρεάν συναυλίες
και χαρίζοντας δίσκους του
στους ανθρώπους που τόσο αγάπησε
και θέλησε να ευαγγελίσει.

Ο ξαφνικός θάνατός του συγκλόνισε την Αμερική.

Σκοτώθηκε σε αεροπορικό δυστύχημα το 1982,
μαζί με δύο από τα παιδιά του,
πριν καν συμπληρώσει τα 29 του χρόνια.

Για όσους πιστεύουν,
βρίσκεται τώρα στην αγκαλιά του Χριστού
και συνεχίζει να τραγουδά,
με την αγνή του ψυχή,
όπως πάντα...

MAKE MY LIFE A PRAYER TO YOU

Make my life a prayer to You
I wanna do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers, no compromise

I wanna shine the light You gave
Through Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You're really there

Well I wanna thank You now
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me

I guess I'll have to trust
And just believe what You say
Oh You're coming again
Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let You give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free

I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head
You're God the Son
You've risen from the dead

Erich Segal

2010-01-20T20:19:00.013+02:00

Ο Erich Segal,
γιος ραββίνου
και συγγραφέας του Love Story,
είχε διατελέσει καθηγητής Αρχαίων Ελληνικών και Λατινικών στα καλύτερα παν/μια των ΗΠΑ.

—Τι μπορείς να πεις για μια 25χρονη κοπέλλα που πέθανε; Ότι ήταν όμορφη. Και έξυπνη. Ότι αγαπούσε τον Μότσαρτ και τον Μπαχ. Και τους Μπιτλς. Κι εμένα...

"Love means never having to say you're sorry."

Erich Segal, writer and academic, was born on June 16, 1937. He died of a heart attack on January 17, 2010, aged 72.

Is it Raining at Your House?

2009-12-23T18:31:00.053+02:00

(Dedicated to all the brave men and women
who are now or have ever served
in the Allied Forces.)

Vern Gosdin
(1934-2009)

Έχω μεγαλώσει
με τη μουσική κάντρυ.

Ο ραδιοφωνικός σταθμός
της αμερικανικής βάσης στη Νέα Μάκρη
μετέδιδε κάθε εβδομάδα το Τοp 40
κι εγώ ανυπομονούσα να ακούσω
τον κεφάτο εκφωνητή να λέει:
My Kind of Country, My Kind of Music!

Σε μια εποχή χωρίς Ίντερνετ,
μου ήταν γνωστές οι φωνές των τραγουδιστών
αλλά όχι τα πρόσωπά τους!

Η βάση έκλεισε...

Αλλά πρόλαβα να την επισκεφθώ!
Μαζί με έναν Αμερικανό φίλο, στρατιωτικό,
πριν από 20 ολόκληρα χρόνια.

(Εκεί μου έδωσαν και δοκίμασα Root Beer
για πρώτη φορά.

Με ρώτησαν αν μου αρέσει.

Όχι, δεν μου άρεσε.

Απέκτησα όμως αυτή την "acquired taste"
που με συνδέει με κείνα τα χρόνια
και ψάχνω ακόμα να βρω Root Beer
στα ελληνικά σούπερ-μάρκετ.)

Αφιερώνω λοιπόν,
σε όλους τους γενναίους συμμάχους μας,
ένα αγαπημένο κάντρυ τραγούδι του Vern Gosdin
σε τρεις ωραίες εκτελέσεις
από μη επαγγελματίες τραγουδιστές:

ΙS IT RAINING AT YOUR HOUSE?

Is it raining at your house like it's raining at mine
Do you miss me like I miss you, is it cloudy all the time
Do you tremble when the phone rings and you think I'm on the line
Is it raining at your house like it's raining at mine

Does it thunder and lightnin' even when the sun shines
Is it raining at your house like it's raining at mine

Is it raining at your place just like it is over here
If it is then sweetheart like me I know you're scared
I just called you to console you like any old friend would do
Is it raining at your house and by the way I still love you

Σ'ευχαριστώ, Vern Gosdin, για κάθε όμορφο τραγούδι!
Αναπαύσου εν ειρήνη...

Η σημαία και η καρδιά

2009-10-25T09:49:00.020+02:00

Πλησιάζει η εθνική εορτή
της 28ης Οκτωβρίου...

Lee Greenwood

Γραμμένο 25 χρόνια πριν, το 1984,
το God Bless Τhe USA
ή "I'm Proud to Βe an American,"
(όπως το θυμάμαι εγώ
από τον αγαπημένο μου στίχο)
είναι αναμφισβήτητα το πιο γνωστό
πατριωτικό τραγούδι στην Αμερική.

Αμερικανός,
Έλληνας,
Αλβανός,
Ισραηλινός,
Γάλλος
και τελικά: Άνθρωπος.

☞ Θα'θελα η σημαία και η καρδιά του «Άλλου»
να κυματίζουν δίπλα από τη δική μου.

Christian Cantwell, συγχαρητήρια για το χρυσό μετάλλιο!

2009-08-16T00:41:00.015+03:00

Ακριβώς ένα χρόνο μετά το αργυρό του μετάλλιο στους Ολυμπιακούς του Πεκίνου,
ο σφαιροβόλος Κρίστιαν Κάντγουελ,
από το Τζέφερσον Σίτυ του Μιζούρι,
κατέκτησε το χρυσό μετάλλιο
με μια καταπληκτική ρίψη 22.03 m.
στο Παγκόσμιο Πρωτάθλημα Στίβου
που διεξάγεται στο Βερολίνο.

Ιστορίες ψυχών και βημάτων

2009-08-09T11:38:00.023+03:00

Ένα βιβλίο που εκδόθηκε χθες, δίνει στους αναγνώστες την ευκαιρία να διαβάσουν τις ιστορίες που έγραψαν οι φίλοι, συμμαθητές, δάσκαλοι και συγγενείς του Benjamin Petrzilka.

Η ανθολογία "Our Soles: Our Journeys and Our Faith" αποτίει φόρο τιμής στον 13χρονο μαθητή
του Καθολικού Σχολείου Mary Our Queen στην Όμαχα της Νεμπράσκα.

Ήταν ένας από τους τέσσερις προσκόπους που σκοτώθηκαν πέρυσι όταν ένας τυφώνας χτύπησε το προσκοπικό ράντσο Little Sioux στην Αϊόβα.

Ο Μπεν είχε τη συνήθεια να ψάχνει
για εγκαταλελειμμένα παπούτσια.

Κάνοντας λογοπαίγνιο με τη λέξη soles / σόλες,
τα αποκαλούσε lost souls / χαμένες ψυχές
και αναρωτιόταν για τις πνευματικές αναζητήσεις
εκείνων που κάποτε τα φορούσαν.

Οι συγγραφείς του βιβλίου μιλούν
για τις δικές τους αναζητήσεις
και πώς ο Μπεν τους βοήθησε να πλησιάσουν το Θεό.

Αντίο, Μάικλ Τζάκσον!

2009-06-26T23:44:00.039+03:00

See the nations
turn their swords into plowshares:
καὶ συγκόψουσι
τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν εἰς ἄροτρα

(ΗΣΑΪΑΣ β΄4: o τελευταίος στίχος από το Heal the World)

Αντίο, Μάικλ Τζάκσον!
Δεν πρόλαβες να δεις τον κόσμο μας καλύτερο
και οι άνθρωποι ακόμα δεν μετέτρεψαν
τα μαχαίρια τους σε άροτρα.
Πολεμούν και μισούν και σκοτώνουν,
όπως έκαναν πάντα.
Οι πληγές μας δεν έχουν γιατρευτεί,
αλλά ―εάν αυτό σε παρηγορεί
εκεί όπου βρίσκεσαι τώρα―
θα θυμόμαστε το τραγούδι σου:

HEAL THE WORLD

There's a place in your heart
And I know that it is love
And this place could be much
Brighter than tomorrow
And if you really try
You'll find there's no need to cry
In this place you'll feel
There's no hurt or sorrow

There are ways to get there
If you care enough for the living
Make a little space make a better place...

Heal the world make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for you and for me

If you want to know why there's a love that cannot lie
Love is strong it only cares for joyful giving
If we try we shall see in this bliss
We cannot feel fear or dread we stop existing and start living

Then it feels that always
Love's enough for us growing
So make a better world
Make a better world...

Heal the world make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for you and for me

And the dream we were conceived in
Will reveal a joyful face
And the world we once believed in
Will shine again in grace
Then why do we keep strangling life
Wound this earth crucify its soul
Though it's plain to see
This world is heavenly, be God's glow

We could fly so high let our spirits never die
In my heart I feel you are all my brothers
Create a world with no fear
Together we'll cry happy tears

See the nations
turn their swords into plowshares

Terre Haute, Ιndiana

2009-05-31T12:43:00.108+03:00

Η σημαία της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (1955)
μοιάζει εκπληκτικά με εκείνη της Ινδιάνα (1917).

Αναζητώντας την άγνωστη Αμερική,
ταξιδεύω νοερά στις όχθες του ποταμού Γουώμπας
και στη μακρινή Τέρρε Χώουτ των 60.000 κατοίκων.

Στην πόλη όπου γεννήθηκε
το χαρακτηριστικό καμπυλωτό μπουκάλι
της Coca-Cola,
είναι διάχυτη η δυσοσμία
από τα εξαντλημένα κοιτάσματα
μεταλλευμάτων και πετρελαίου,
αλλά και η αξιοπρέπεια των κατοίκων
που θέλουν να βγουν επιτέλους
από ένα μακροχρόνιο οικονομικό τέλμα.

Γραμμένος το 1897 από τον Paul Dresser,
ο Ύμνος της Πολιτείας της Ινδιάνα
μιλά στην πρώτη στροφή
για τη ζωή ενός παιδιού στην επαρχία
και την αγάπη του προς τη μητέρα του.
Στη δεύτερη στροφή, μετά το ρεφραίν,
εξυμνείται ο έρωτάς του για τη Μary
που όμως, αλίμονο, χάθηκε:

ON THE BANKS OF THE WABASH, FAR AWAY

Round my Indiana homesteads wave the cornfields,
In the distance loom the woodlands clear and cool.
Oftentimes my thoughts revert to scenes of childhood,
Where I first received my lessons, nature's school.
But one thing there is missing in the picture,
Without her face it seems so incomplete.
I long to see my mother in the doorway,
As she stood there years ago, her boy to greet.

Oh, the moonlight's fair tonight along the Wabash,
From the fields there comes the breath of newmown hay.
Through the sycamores the candle lights are gleaming,
On the banks of the Wabash, far away.

Many years have passed since I strolled by the river,
Arm in arm, with sweetheart Mary by my side,
It was there I tried to tell her that I loved her,
It was there I begged of her to be my bride.
Long years have passed since I strolled thro' there churchyard.
She's sleeping there, my angel, Mary dear,
I loved her, but she thought I didn't mean it,
Still I'd give my future were she only here.

♫ Blue Velvet

2009-05-23T11:36:00.020+03:00

Καθώς πλησιάζει το καλοκαίρι,
θυμήθηκα τον Bobby Vinton
στο «Γαλάζιο Βελούδο»:
—Οι τρυφεροί της αναστεναγμοί
ήταν πιο ζεστοί κι απ'το Μάη...

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars
She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet were her eyes
Warmer than May her tender sighs
Love was ours
Ours a love I held tightly
Feeling the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow of
Blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm, a memory
Through the years
And I still can see blue velvet
Through my tears

Ali MacGraw

2009-05-14T00:13:00.007+03:00

Όσες φορές κι αν δω την Ali MacGraw στο Love Story,
νιώθω την ίδια ένταση όπως την πρώτη φορά,
πριν από πολλά χρόνια...

Θερμή υποδοχή, κρύα μπύρα

2009-04-26T21:30:00.012+03:00

Chicago Tribune

By Dave Gram | Associated Press

Less than two weeks after the Navy rescued him from captivity by Somali pirates, Capt. Richard Phillips got a hero's welcome Saturday from a crowd of about 500 of his neighbors and well-wishers from around New England.

Phillips, 53, was skipper of the Maersk Alabama when Somali pirates boarded the ship April 8. The ensuing five-day hostage drama gripped the world's attention and ended Easter Sunday when Navy sharpshooters shot and killed three of the pirates and took a fourth into custody.

All that was a world away Saturday as Phillips' neighbors threw a picnic for him in the 216-acre park straddling the line between Underhill, where he and his family live, and neighboring Jericho. The weather was unusually fine for Vermont in late April, with sunshine and temperatures in the 80s.

Phillips spoke briefly, thanking his family, his community and the United States military.

"If you see someone in the military in a restaurant or on the street, in an airport, shake their hands and thank them for what they do day in and day out," he said.

Phillips, accepted gifts including a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol from an aide to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and a six-pack of his favorite beer, Labatt Blue, from Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Angels' Response to Adenhart Tragedy

2009-04-12T20:58:00.011+03:00

Ένας φόρος τιμής στον πίτσερ
Nick Adenhart των LA Angels,
ο οποίος σκοτώθηκε λίγο μετά τα μεσάνυχτα
της 9ης Απριλίου 2009,
όταν ένας μεθυσμένος οδηγός
συγκρούσθηκε με το αυτοκίνητο
στο οποίο επέβαινε.

Ο Nick Adenhart ήταν μόλις 22 ετών.

Ο Scott Boras, προσωπικός μάνατζερ του Adenhart,
αν και γνωστός στο χώρο του μπέισμπολ
για την άτεγκτη και ψυχρή συμπεριφορά του,
καταρρέει στη συνέντευξη τύπου.

FOX Sports
by Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Too often athletes are self-absorbed, seemingly unaware of the world around them. Too often professional sports teams are self-important, operating as if their next victory might save the world.

Such traits are understandable — athletes compete in an intense survival of the fittest, and teams play for immense financial stakes.

But the Angels, in their response to the Nick Adenhart tragedy, are taking a refreshing, even inspiring, approach — one that might better help them cope.

The Angels are turning not inward, but outward. Over and over again this weekend, manager Mike Scioscia repeated the phrase, "It's not about us." No, Scioscia said, it is about Adenhart's parents, Jim and Janet, and also about the community. Adenhart, 22, was not the only young victim of a car crash, allegedly caused by a drunken driver. Henry Pearson, 25, and Courtney Stewart, 20, also were killed.

The Angels made a clear and powerful statement Friday night, honoring all three victims in a moving pregame tribute. Scioscia, married with two children, repeated all weekend that the loss of a teammate and friend "pales in comparison" to a parent's loss of a child.

The presence of both of Adenhart's parents at Angels Stadium — Jim the very same day, Janet the day after — drove the point painfully home.

Jim spoke to the team in a closed-door meeting Thursday, his world shattered. The night before, Nick had achieved a professional breakthrough, pitching six shutout innings against the A's. Suddenly, he was gone.

Veteran players, grown men, said the meeting was almost too much to bear. The experience was no different on Friday after Adenhart's mother, Janet, arrived. Janet, in a private meeting with center fielder Torii Hunter, spoke of her son's excitement about being teammates with Hunter, an established star.

"I couldn't look at her," Hunter said. "I couldn't face her."

These are the memories the Angels will carry with them. The players who are parents could envision themselves as Jim and Janet, facing searing, unending grief. The younger players could picture their own parents' emotions if it had been one of them instead of Nick.

In other circumstances perhaps Adenhart's parents would not have been present, changing the players' perspectives. But now, as the team presses forward, Scioscia's reminders about Adenhart's family will resonate. It's about them. It's not about us.

Not that the Angels are discouraging individual grief — far from it.

They are making professional counselors available, fully aware that players will react differently, and that some are experiencing a loss for the first time.

It helps that the Angels possess a strong veteran core, from stars such as Hunter, pitcher John Lackey and right fielder Vladimir Guerrero to players such as third baseman Chone Figgins and relievers Scot Shields and Darren Oliver. Even Gary Matthews Jr., relegated to a fifth outfielder's role, has a story to tell.

Matthews was with the Mets in 2002 when his former Padres teammate, outfielder, Mike Darr, was killed in an automobile accident during spring training; Darr, the driver, was legally drunk at the time.

Matthews, then 27, said he kept his emotions inside of him, had a terrible spring and required a visit from his father, former major league outfielder Gary Matthews Sr. So now Matthews Jr. is telling younger Angels: Talk to anyone you want — counselors, clergy, family, friends. But don't go it alone.

Scioscia says there is no script for a team trying to pull through tragedy, no template, no instruction manual. The Angels played remarkably well in their first two games after the death of Adenhart, beating the Red Sox on Friday night, losing a one-run game Saturday. But they are not simply going to move on. They do not want to move on.

The team's challenge will be enormous, but the inner strength of the Angels' organization is the envy of baseball. It starts with owner Arte Moreno, but also includes general manager Tony Reagins, vice president of communications Tim Mead and of course Scioscia. The Angels achieve remarkable success on and off the field. Their fans respond in kind.

The makeshift shrine to Adenhart on the brick pitcher's mound outside Angels Stadium is nothing short of heartbreaking. Candles, signs, caps, jerseys, poems, all for a player the fans barely knew. Adenhart died young and innocent. His final performance, too, was pure. The shrine reflects all of that. It also reflects the bond that exists between the community and the team.

The moment of silence inside the stadium Friday night began the instant Hunter and Lackey reached the mound holding Adenhart's jersey; no prompt from the public-address announcer was needed, even though it eventually came. At that moment, the quietest of moments on the cruelest of nights, the bond could not have been stronger. The Angels had found the proper tone.

It wasn't just about them. It was about all of us.

Ορθόδοξοι Εβραίοι της Νέας Υόρκης και Άμις της Πενσιλβανίας

2009-04-03T13:23:00.045+03:00

The Associated Press

Ορθόδοξοι Εβραίοι της Νέας Υόρκης ξενάγησαν μία αντιπροσωπεία Άμις της Πενσιλβανίας την περασμένη Τρίτη στη συνοικία Κράουν Χάιτς του Μπρούκλιν, επισημαίνοντας ότι οι κοινότητές τους είναι φυσικό να ενδιαφέρονται η μία για την άλλη λόγω της προσή- λωσής τους σε έναν πιο απλό τρόπο ζωής.

—Είναι ενθαρρυντικό για την κοινότητα των Άμις να βλέπουν εμάς τους Ισραηλίτες να ζούμε έτσι όπως λέει η Βίβλος ότι πρέπει να ζούμε και μάλιστα με τον ίδιο τρόπο από την εποχή του Μωυσή και του Αβραάμ, τόνισε ο Γισροέλ Μπερ Καπλάν, διευθυντής προγραμ- μάτων του Χασιδικού Κέντρου Ανακάλυψης στο Μπρούκλιν. Αλλά, πρόσθεσε, και οι Άμις ζουν όπως τους λέει η Βίβλος!

Ακόμα και σήμερα, οι Ισραηλίτες της κοινότητας των Λιούμπαβιτς φορούν μαύρα καπέλλα και έχουν γένεια όπως οι πρόγονοί τους στη Ρωσία του 18ου αιώνα. Μιλούν τα γερμανοεβραϊκά γίντις, ενώ το Σάββατο δεν ανάβουν το ηλεκτρικό ρεύμα και δεν οδηγούν αυτοκίνητο.

Οι δε Άμις κυκλοφορούν πάντοτε με άλογα και κάρρα, ζώντας στην ύπαιθρο.

Κατά την ξενάγηση, ο ραββίνος Μπέριλ Έπσταϊν εξήγησε πώς ένας Ισραηλίτης είχε διαφυλάξει μία Τορά στη Γερμανία του Β΄ Παγκ. Πολέμου, κρύβοντάς την κάτω από τα ρούχα του.

Οι Άμις τον άκουγαν και έκαναν σχόλια στη γλώσσα τους, τα γερμανικά της Πενσιλβανίας.

Όταν ο ραββίνος με καταγωγή από την Τσατανούγκα του Τενεσή τους χαιρέτησε στα γίντις λέγοντάς τους זאי געזונט (sei gesund / να είστε υγιείς) τον κατάλαβαν, αφού η έκφραση προέρχεται από τα γερμανικά.

Με μια βιαστική ματιά ίσως να μπέρδευε κανείς τους Λιούμπαβιτς με τους Άμις. Όμως εκτός από τα κάπως διαφορετικά καπέλλα, οι Άμις έχουν και πιο ηλιοκαμ- μένη επιδερμίδα, σε αντίθεση με τους χλωμούς Ισραηλίτες Λιούμπαβιτς που περνούν ατέλειωτες ώρες μελέτης πίσω από τους τοίχους του Μπρούκλιν.

Τα παιδιά των Ισραηλιτών ξεκινούν την εκπαίδευσή τους μόλις στα 3 τους χρόνια. Στην ηλικία των 5 ετών έχουν ήδη ένα αρκετά φορτωμένο πρόγραμμα και μπορούν να συζητήσουν μαζί με ενήλικες, παρα- θέτοντας εδάφια και προβάλλοντας επιχειρήματα μέσα από τις Γραφές.

Ο Άμις Τζων Λαπ, ο οποίος έφερε στην ξενάγηση τη σύζυγό του Πρισίλλα και τα τρία τους παιδιά, επεσήμανε το εξής:

—Σε άλλα μοιάζουμε και σε άλλα όχι. Η μεγαλύτερή μας διαφορά είναι ότι για μας ο Ιησούς Χριστός είναι ο προσωπικός μας Σωτήρας.

Running Against the Wind (1980)

2009-03-25T02:02:00.035+02:00

Dedicated
to my friend Ylli Pango,
for his birthday tomorrow.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YLLI!

Αφιερωμένο
στο φίλο μου Ύλλι Πάνγκο,
που έχει αύριο γενέθλια.
ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ, ΥΛΛΙ!

Ένα τραγούδι
για όσους είμαστε αποφασισμένοι
―παρά τις αντιξοότητες―
να συνεχίσουμε απτόητοι
το συναρπαστικό ταξίδι της ζωής,
την εξερεύνηση του εαυτού μας,
τον προσωπικό μας αγώνα.

It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janie was lovely, she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio, playing low

And the secrets that we shared
Τhe mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
Τill there was nothing left to burn
Αnd nothing left to prove

And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me, oh so tight

Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then
Against the wind

We were running against the wind
We were young and strong
We were running against the wind

And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home

And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying
Οr even how much I owe

Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searching
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind

A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind

Well, those drifter's days are past me now
I've got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind

Well, I'm older now and still runnin' against the wind
Against the wind, against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
Against the wind

by Bob Seger

Corned Beef Not Everyday Irish Meal

2009-03-11T11:18:00.004+02:00

Επειδή πλησιάζει η 17η Μαρτίου,
ημέρα του Αγ. Πατρικίου:

www.delmarvanow.com

For many people, corned beef and cabbage is to St. Patrick's Day as turkey and cranberry sauce is to Thanksgiving.

Interestingly enough, however, corned beef was not a very common food in Ireland. In contrast, it was so expensive most Irish people could not afford it.

"Though associated with St. Paddy's Day, corned beef and cabbage are not particularly Irish," according to Daniel Ritschel, associate professor and director of the Center for History Education at University of Maryland Baltimore County. "Both are nearly universal Northern European peasant fare, German and Central European, certainly. Few Irish peasants would have been able to afford any meat except on special occasions, which may explain its association with St. Patrick's Day."

Originating in a time when meats could not be refrigerated, some beef was corned, or cured, for preservation. As a result of the corning process, corned beef features an almost deep burgundy color. The accompanying cabbage is a pale green that becomes whiter the closer the cut get to the core.

Vanessa Davis has been eating corned beef and cabbage for 20-30 years.

"It's just a tasty dinner every once in awhile if it's cooked well," she said.

Regardless of whether St. Patrick's Days of the past were celebrated through the indulgence of corned beef and cabbage, it certainly has become a tradition here in the United States.

In Chicago, they dye the river green. In bars around the country, drink specials will run rampant while patrons wear as much green as they can manage. In Ocean City, there will be a parade and festival.

While various regions have their own unique traditions, the days surrounding St. Patrick's Day will surely be filled with dinners offering corned beef and cabbage.

Ken Gray will be preparing his corned beef and cabbage at Ocean City's American Legion Post 166 for legionnaires and guests Saturday.

"A lot of (corned beef is) already seasoned, but if you just get a flat brisket you will have to season it yourself," Gray said. "(When cooking) you aren't doing anything with the corned beef, it's just time-consuming because you have to boil the brisket for hours."

And after the boil comes the soak, Gray said.

"(Once that is complete) you take it out and let it sit over night," he said. "Do not throw the juice out, just put the juice away, and then the next morning take it out and put the cabbage and potatoes in it."

For the patrons who don't like corned beef, Gray offers an alternative.

"Some people don't like corned beef but they like ham, so I do ham and cabbage as well," Gray said. "After the cabbage starts boiling, take some of the broth and put it over the ham. I buy boneless ham that is already smoked and prepared. The ham is already cooked, you simply slice it."

"I cut it in half, then cut it in pieces about an inch thick or so and lay it in a pan. Then I put the cabbage and corned beef juice on top and put it in the oven to heat it. Then when the potatoes and cabbage are done you can start serving."

Take Me Home, Country Roads (1971)

2009-03-07T20:40:00.014+02:00

Ένα τραγούδι που αγάπησα
από την πρώτη στιγμή που το άκουσα.
Ερμηνεύει ο Τζων Ντένβερ.

Almost heaven West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains Shenandoah river
Life is old there older than the trees
Younger than the mountains blowin' like a breeze

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia mountain momma
Take me home country roads

All my memories gather round her
Miner's lady stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine teardrop in my eye

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia mountain momma
Take me home country roads

I hear a voice in the morning how she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
Drivin' down the road I get the feelin'
That I should've been home yesterday yesterday

The Chocolate Factory

2009-03-01T10:47:00.003+02:00

Καλό μήνα, αγαπητοί αναγνώστες!
Ας ξεκινήσουμε γλυκά:
Τι θα λέγατε για λίγη σοκολάτα
από τα χεράκια της Λούσυ και της Έθελ;

Θερμή υποδοχή της Ντόρας Μπακογιάννη από τη Χίλαρι Κλίντον

2009-02-25T23:48:00.015+02:00

Εφημερίδα Καθημερινή 25-02-2009

Ιδιαίτερα ικανοποιημένη εμφανίσθηκε η υπουργός Εξωτερικών Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη μετά τη διάρκειας 45 λεπτών συνάντησή της με την Αμερικανίδα ομόλογό της Χίλαρι Κλίντον, εκτιμώντας ότι αρχίζει μια νέα συνεργασία ανάμεσα στις δύο χώρες που χαρακτηρίζεται από τη βούληση για εμβάθυνση της στρατηγικής σχέσης.

Υποδεχόμενη την Ελληνίδα ομόλογό της Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη στο Στέιτ Ντιπάρτμεντ, η Αμερικανίδα υπουργός Εξωτερικών Χίλαρι Κλίντον δήλωσε: «Είμαι πολύ χαρούμενη που καλωσορίζω μια φίλη στην Ουάσιγκτον και στο Στέιτ Ντιπάρτμεντ. Δεν είναι άγνωστη ούτε στην πόλη ούτε στο υπουργείο. Είναι τιμή για μένα που σας υποδέχομαι εδώ με τη νέα μου ιδιότητα».

Η κ. Μπακογιάννη ανέφερε από την πλευρά της: «Σας ευχαριστώ, κυρία υπουργέ. Είναι χαρά μου που βρίσκομαι και πάλι στην Ουάσιγκτον και προσβλέπω στη συνεργασία μας», για να της απαντήσει η κ. Κλίντον: «και εγώ».

George Strait, Reba McEntire to Perform First Concert Together at Dallas Stadium

2009-02-25T16:21:00.006+02:00

CJDC - 890 AM - Peace Country's Country
By Margy Holland

George Strait and Reba McEntire will perform the grand opening concert at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium on June 6th. Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough will join the two headliners at the $1.1 billion stadium.

This concert marks the first time that Strait and McEntire will actually perform a show together. McEntire said, "Our paths have passed many times at many different places, but the opportunity to do a show together like this has never presented itself. It's something I've looked forward to for a long, long time."

She added, "I appreciate that it is special for the fans to see us on the same show, and that makes me want to put on a great show. Plus, being a Cowboys fan for so long, I'm thrilled to be a part of the new grand opening. I can't wait!"

Tickets to the concert go on sale on Saturday (February 28th).