Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has appealed directly to President Barack Obama today to halt what the Libyan leader called “an unjust war” and wished Obama good luck in his bid for re-election next year.
In a rambling, three-page letter to Obama obtained by The Associated Press, Gaddafi implored Obama to stop the NATO-led air campaign, which he called an “unjust war against a small people of a developing country.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney confirmed that the White House received a letter from Gaddafi.
As for Gaddafi’s appeal for a cease-fire, Carney appeared to dismiss it for now.
“The conditions the president laid out are clear,” Carney told reporters traveling with Obama to New York.
In the letter, sent today, addressing Obama as “our son” and “excellency,” Gaddafi says his country had been hurt more morally than physically by the NATO campaign and that a democratic society could not be built through missiles and aircraft.
He also repeated his claim that his foes, particularly those now in control of the city of Benghazi, are members of al-Qaida.
The letter, in stilted and formal English, includes numerous spelling and grammatical errors:
Our son, Excellency,
President Obama
U.S.AWe have been hurt more morally that physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you. Despite all this you will always remain our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the U.S.A. We Endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaigne. You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action. I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that. Enough evidence is available, Bearing in mind that you are the president of the strongest power in the world nowadays, and since Nato is waging an unjust war against a small people of a developing country. This country had already been subjected to embargo and sanctions, furthermore it also suffered a direct military armed aggression during Reagan’s time. This country is Libya. Hence, to serving world peace … Friendship between our peoples … and for the sake of economic, and security cooperation against terror, you are in a position to keep Nato off the Libyan affair for good.
As you know too well democracy and building of civil society cannot be achieved by means of missiles and aircraft, or by backing armed member of AlQuaeda in Benghazi
You — yourself — said on many occasions, one of them in the UN General Assembly, I was witness to that personally, that America is not responsible for the security of other peoples. That America helps only. This is the right logic.
Our dear son, Excellency, Baraka Hussein Abu oumama, your intervention is the name of the U.S.A. is a must, so that Nato would withdraw finally from the Libyan affair. Libya should be left to Libyans within the African union frame. The problem now stands as follows:-
1. There is Nato intervention politically as well as military.
2. Terror conducted by AlQaueda gangs that have been armed in some cities, and by force refused to allow people to go back to their normal life, and carry on with exercising their social people’s power as usual.
Mu’aumer Qaddaffi
Leader of the Revolution
Tripoli 5.4.2011
Day: April 6, 2011
French Onion Soup, Baby Spinach Salad, & A Breadstick: Intelligent Lunch Choices At A Restaurant!
So, the primary purpose of this post is to make this one point: if you teach your children well, they will indeed make wise choices even when you’re not around!
Case in point is this lovely lunch selection made by my firstborn at a local restaurant yesterday. I wasn’t part of the lunch party, so she sent me a photo of the meal she’d ordered. I couldn’t help but smile at her idea of a “light lunch.” Why, that is exactly what I might have ordered myself, viz. a French Onion Soup, a Baby Spinach Salad, and a Breadstick.
Bravo to good choices, healthy meals, and a confident and adventurous spirit!
The Green Mango Is A Delectable Vegetable, Did You Know?
Well, of course you know that the mango is a lovely fruit– who doesn’t? It comes in a myriad of varieties, shapes, colors, tastes, and textures. And for the most part, it is eaten when ripe in all its sweet and juicy goodness.
But did you know that the unripe mango, i.e., when it is still green, may be used as a vegetable? Yes, the mango is a most versatile fruit that doubles as a vegetable. Its tangy, sweet-sour taste makes it ideal to use as a flavor enhancer. I routinely use it to make one of my favorite dals, or lentil soups, but occasionally, I throw it into a vegetable as well. Vegetable side-dishes, or Subzis, as they’re known in India, are a standard item on the daily menu, and so, what’s to prevent you from tossing in a few cubed pieces of green mango with those beans or brussel sprouts, or even with eggplant for that matter.
Which is what we did yesterday. My mother is the one to be credited for making this subzi, but it was I who pushed the green mango on to her to ask that it be added. And what a delectable dish it turned out to be! See for yourself: baby eggplant pieces brilliantly seasoned and glistening in the pan that would have been great on their own, but with a few yukon-gold potatoes and one whole green-mango peeled, diced and simmered along with the usual seasonings, it turned out to be a subzi fit for a king. Or me!
Map Of The Day – The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan – The Daily Beast
In the spirit of the United States of Awesome and the United States of Shame, we get the United States of the Environment, in both naughty and nice iterations:
Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, 2010
There has been many a Bollywood movie made about the complex world of the mafia in Mumbai, the erstwhile Bombay, and this is the latest offering that would fall in that genre. Slick with the cinematography as well as an interesting musical score, the acting performances of the main characters also do not disappoint. And yet, I do believe that even a list of such good ingredients can indeed an immemorable motion picture make! It is always the story that is the ultimate draw, the key to the heart and the head that goes beyond the instant gratification of the eyes and the ears. And therein lies the weakness: the story dept. is a little sloppy in this otherwise quite entertaining an offering.
But the movie isn’t entirely immemorable. As mentioned earlier, what the story might lack in finesse and multi-layeredness, the acting prowess of Ajay Devgan and his nemesis, Emran Hashmi compensate in good measure. Also, the girl, Kangna Ranaut, I thought, looked absolutely divine and embodied the old-world style and charm of Hollywood and Bollywood. All those beehives and smokey eyes had just the right effect of creating the glitz and glamor associated with a persona of her kind. She plays her part well, and I daresay she is only on the upswing of her acting career path. And speaking of careers, Ajay Devgan has certainly carved a niche for himself in roles such as these: his Godfather-like role in this movie is an intense one, and he exudes quite a convincing aura of the kind of cool where less is always more. Those crisp white shirts and his magnanimous style in dealing with both peers and paupers gives him legend-like qualities. And with the pretty moll on his arm what’s not to worship– or fear.
I got to this one a little late in the day, but I’m glad I did, and would recommend it, most certainly.
Creating the perfect Bloody Mary: Good chemistry of fresh ingredients
ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — After tackling the chemistry of coffee, tea, fruit juices, soda pop, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages, why not take on the ultimate challenge, the Mount Everest of cocktails, what may be the most chemically complex cocktail in the world, the Bloody Mary? And in this the International Year of Chemistry (IYC), why not include its global offspring, the International Mary?
Those challenges underpin a presentation today reviewing the Bloody Mary’s composition and the taste sensations created by those ingredients at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), being held here this week.
“It’s a very complicated drink,” said Neil C. Da Costa, Ph.D., a expert on the chemical analysis of flavors at International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc., Union Beach, N.J. “The Bloody Mary has been called the world’s most complex cocktail, and from the standpoint of flavor chemistry, you’ve got a blend of hundreds of flavor compounds that act on the taste senses. It covers almost the entire range of human taste sensations — sweet, salty, sour and umami or savory— but not bitter.”
For the perfect Bloody Mary, use fresh ingredients and drink the beverage soon after preparing it.
Da Costa said those flavors originate in the basic ingredients in the traditional Bloody Mary, which by one account originated in a Paris bar in the 1930’s. Stories link the name to various historical figures, especially Queen Mary I of England, noted for her bloody repression of religious dissenters. The ingredients include tomato juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, fresh lemon or lime juice, horseradish, black pepper, and celery salt. Shaken with ice or served over ice, it is often garnished with celery and a lemon wedge.
“Most of the ingredients have been analyzed for their key flavor volatiles, the chemicals that can evaporate from the glass and produce the aroma,” Da Costa explained. “Similarly for the non-volatiles, which are the chemicals that stay in the liquid and contribute toward the flavor there. My presentation reviews the composition of these ingredients and highlights the key components and their sensory attributes.”
Some of the ingredients have been linked with beneficial health effects, Da Costa, noted, citing the rich source of lycopene, for instance, in the tomato juice; horseradish with its allyl isothiocyanate, which can be effective at lower concentrations; other phytochemicals in lemon; and even the alcohol in vodka, which some studies suggest can be beneficial when taken occasionally in small amounts.
Does Da Costa’s research provide any insights for making a good Bloody Mary? He cites several:
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Make it fresh. Chemically, the Bloody Mary is a “highly unstable” concoction, and the quality tends to deteriorate quickly.
- Ice it up. Serving Bloody Marys on ice helps to slow down the chemical reactions involving acids in tomato juice and other ingredients that degrade the taste.
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Mind your mixes. If you use a cocktail mix, add some fresh ingredients tol enhance the flavor and aroma.
- Splurge on the juice. Tomato juice makes up most of the Bloody Mary’s volume, so use high quality juice that has a deep, rich flavor.
- Economize on the vodka. The intense, spicy flavor of a Bloody Mary masks the vodka, and using premium vodka makes little sense.
In the spirit of the IYC, Da Costa discussed the variations on the Bloody Mary consumed in other parts of the world. These “International Marys” include Denmark’s Danish Mary; the Highland Mary (a.k.a. the Bloody Scotsman); the Russian Mary; the Bloody Geisha (yes, that’s sake instead of vodka); the Bloody Maureen (replace vodka with Guinness); and the Bloody Molly (Irish whiskey replaces vodka).
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
via portal.acs.org
We Don't Live In The Dictionary, Unfortunately!
The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.
– Mark Twain
