Karma.bailey

We did something cool in my 3rd and 4th grade library. And by “we” I mean “mostly not me” – all credit for this project goes to library assistant Nancy and aides Tina and Mary. I helped, but they had the vision and the painting skills.

About a year or so ago my school district was giving away some of the furniture from recent renovations – including some 70s era folding auditorium seats. We snatched up a batch of them (batch = seven), with our minds set on painting book characters on them. This led to a few questions:

1. Which characters?
2. How do we paint them?
3. How do we install the seats when they’re finished?

Question 1: Which Characters?

This part was tricky. We wanted characters that worked for boys and girls, so that everyone felt comfortable sitting in any chair. We wanted some classic characters that aren’t lame, and some new characters with fairly stable popularity. We settled on:

• Cat in the Hat (younger than this age range, but if I know one thing, it’s that the Cat can hang with  any crowd)
• Bad Kitty (kind of a new one. I see these books sticking around for a bit. Note to Nick Bruel: keep writing them)
• Judy Moody
• Wimpy Kid (impossible to deny this one)
• Harry Potter
• Captain Underpants
• Spiderwick Chronicles (this book is part of our Battle of the Books competition, so kids are very familiar)
• Goosebumps (kickin’ it old school! Spooky is always a crowd-pleaser, and the Goosebumps books still circulate like crazy at this school)
• Thing 1 and Thing 2 (why not?)

Why nine if there were only seven seats? Two of them had end pieces on the sides, which allowed for a couple bonus characters.

Question 2: How Do We Paint Them?

Characters determined, it was time to get them on the chairs. We turned images of the characters into transparencies (you can do this on most standard copy machines), slapped them on an overhead projector, and got to work tracing. I like the idea of calling upon a nearly obsolete technology for one last job. We made a projector very happy in the twilight of its life.

Once we had the outlines drawn, out came the acrylic paints. Nancy, Tina, and Mary worked wonders here, beautifully recreating the book covers (and in the case of the Wimpy Kid chair, adding a “five books in one” twist).

When the painting was finished, we coated them with a clear acrylic spray a whole bunch of times to prevent chipping. More in-progress photos:

Question 3: How Do We Install the Seats?

Before making these things permanent, we had to decide on the configuration – we toyed with a few different arrangements

We tried a circular organization, but it seemed to block traffic too much. We ended up with chairs against the wall and rounding a corner.

We had them bolted to the floor. This took some convincing, but was the best way to go.

Now any self-respecting home design blog would have a beautiful before and after shot. This is not a self-respecting design blog. So what you have is many after shots. Trust me – better than the before. Students approve.

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TorrentFreak's been looking at the BitTorrent video-downloading from the small pool of downloaders in Vatican City, and they've reported in with the Vatican's favorite pornography:

In the interests of science we researched each of the titles (including the curiously named RS77_Episode 01) and discovered that downloaders in the Vatican have one or two unusual ‘niche’ interests. We won’t link to our discoveries here, but feel free to do your own ‘research’ using the titles shown above. There isn’t a commandment that covers these films directly, but some might argue there should be.

TorrentFreak couldn’t find a priest prepared to make a comment and apparently the Pope is “busy” today. On a Sunday?

Priests Watch DVD Screeners While Pirates Download Filth in the Vatican

mallyn writes "This is an article about a search engine that is designed to look for devices on the net that are not really intended to be viewed and used by the general public. Devices include pool filters, skating rink cooling system, and other goodies. 'Shodan runs 24/7 and collects information on about 500 million connected devices and services each month. It's stunning what can be found with a simple search on Shodan. Countless traffic lights, security cameras, home automation devices and heating systems are connected to the Internet and easy to spot. Shodan searchers have found control systems for a water park, a gas station, a hotel wine cooler and a crematorium. Cybersecurity researchers have even located command and control systems for nuclear power plants and a particle-accelerating cyclotron by using Shodan. ... A quick search for "default password" reveals countless printers, servers and system control devices that use "admin" as their user name and "1234" as their password. Many more connected systems require no credentials at all — all you need is a Web browser to connect to them.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

These pancakes…aren’t just any pancakes.

They’re…wait for it…

They’re Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes!

Of course, you probably already figured that out based on the title of this post.

I’ve always been really great at building suspense.

Or not.

 
 
I love this recipe so much, I put it in my first cookbook. It’s turned out to be one of the most-enjoyed recipes in the book.

 
 
 
Recently, I was sharing with Edna Mae (she’s Marlboro Man’s precious grandmother) some of the nice things people have told me about her delicious pancakes, and it dawned on me that I’d never, in the six years since I first started posting about cooking, posted it here on my website.

What an outrage!

What an oversight!

INCONCEIVABLE!

Well, I’m righting that wrong right now. Alright? Righty-Oh.

Right on.

I’ll stop now.

 
 
The ingredients couldn’t be more simple: Sour cream, flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla!

 
 
 
Sour cream is the star of the show.

 
 
 
Measure a cup…

 
 
 
And throw it into a bowl.

 
 
 
Sprinkle in the flour, and it is at this time that I’ll point out that aside from the comments I hear from people who love these pancakes after they make them, I receive quite a few questions from people before they’ve made them for the first time.

“That can’t possibly be the right amount of flour…can it?”

Yes! It’s correct, baby! That’s what makes these glorious little wonders so…well, wonderful. They’re not weighed down with flour; they’re light and a decidedly different texture. You’ll be able to tell from the first bite.

 
Next, add baking soda…

 
 
 
Salt…

 
 
 
And sugar.

A note on the sugar: Edna Mae’s original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon. I sometimes do two or three, because it makes the pancakes a little sweeter…but if you prefer all the pancake sweetness to come from the syrup you pour over the top, go ahead and keep it at one.

I realize that made no sense. Sorry.

 
 
 
Now, stir the sour cream and the dry ingredients until it just starts to come together.

 
 
 
In a separate bowl, crack 2 eggs…

 
 
 
Add a little vanilla…

 
 
 
And whisk it together until totally combined.

 
 
 
Pour it into the bowl with the sour cream mixture…

 
 
 
And whisk it until it just comes together. You don’t need to beat it to death, and you shouldn’t be concerned with lumps—that’s what it should look like.

 
 
 
To fry ‘em up, smear a whole bunch of butter on a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat (get the griddle totally heated before you do.)

 
 
 
When the butter’s sizzling, grab 1/4 cup of batter…

 
 
 
And pour it on.

 
 
 
Let it cook for 2 minutes or so, and when the sides look like they’re starting to set and bubbles just start to form…

 
 
 
Flip it over and let it cook for another 2 minutes or so.

 
 
 
Keep going with the rest of the batter until the pancakes are “done,” but note that they’ll be a little softer than regular pancakes. As long as both sides are nice and deep golden brown, they should be good to go!

 
 
 
So here’s how I roll with pancakes.

 
 
 
Keep going…

 
 
 
Keep going…

 
 
 
Keep going…

 
 
 
Okay. I think I’ll stop there.

 
 
 
Warm syrup is a must. A requirement of life. A mandate.

 
 
 
Lean in for a minute. I wanna tell you a secret.

Come closer…

Come closer…

 
 
You’re going to absolutely love these. They’re light but decadent, different but familiar. Lemme know how you like ‘em.

 
 
 
Here’s the handy printable.

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!

Recipe

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Cook Time:

10 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

2

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 7 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Butter, For Frying And Serving
• Warm Syrup, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream with the dry ingredients until just barely combined (don't overmix.) Whisk in the egg mixture until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat and melt some butter in the pan. Drop batter by 1/4 cup servings onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles start to form on the surface and edges are starting to brown. Flip to the other side and cook for another minute. (Pancakes will be a little on the soft side.)

Serve with softened butter and syrup.

Posted by Ree on April 8 2013

Once you dive into the world of asian noodles, you'll learn there's more than just ramen to enjoy. Rice noodles (also sold as Rice Stick), udon noodles, soba noodles, and more are all easy to find, but can be tricky to cook well. This video from the folks at America's Test Kitchen shows you the differences, and offers some tips to best cook each type. More »

OH HEY. COME ON IN. GRAB A KETTLEBELL. GET LOOSE.

CLASS DOESN’T START FOR ANOTHER 20 MINUTES BUT I LIKE TO GET HERE EARLY AND JUST KIND OF TONE MY CORE, YOU KNOW? GOT TO HIT THAT CORE.  IT’S LIKE THEY SAY: “STRONG CORE, STRONG … OTHER STUFF.”

I’M PARAPHRASING, OBVIOUSLY, BUT YOU GET WHAT I MEAN.

theghostofyourliess: Men’s Rights Activists

Stay Positive - Inspiring Quotes: 7 Social Hacks For Manipulating People:

psych-quotes:

1. Whenever someone is angry and confrontational, stand next to them instead of in front of them. You won’t appear as so much of a threat, and they eventually calm down.

2. Open with “I need your help.” People don’t like the guilt of not helping someone out. When asking for…

poptartterrorist:

camembertlylegal:

juiceofoneasian:

iamtonysexual:

dirkjohnprincess:

armadildomon:

heavy trigger warnings for rape.

all right, I’ve calmed down enough to post this, and hell fuckin’ no I ain’t blurrin’ out names. 

hi my name is rachael, and this is why feminism is still needed. I have nothing else to say.

yooooo if you wanna know what the fuck i was so mad about, read the following and spread it please!!

this is physically painful to read oh my fucking god

I felt dizzy reading this. I can’t, I CAN’T, I CAN’T.

Some people should have never been born.

what the FUCK! i’m at a loss. i can’t either

i wonder what these people think now that this has 28,054 notes…id be really curious to find out

chouetteverte:

my heart

Welcome to Your Awesome Robot
By Viviane Schwarz

Flying Eye Books

ISBN: 9781909263000
$13.95
Grades PreK-2
In Stores April 16, 2013

Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library

While the concept of library makerspaces for teens and adults has been getting buzzy lately, youth librarians will tell you we’ve been getting crafty with young patrons for years. Welcome to Your Awesome Robot fits in with the current D.I.Y. movement by focusing on a staple object of childhood creativity – the simple cardboard box. Viviane Schwarz (There Are No Cats in This Book) has created a unique mash-up of graphic novel, how-to, and activity book perfect for young cardboard engineers – and, really, what kid isn’t?

The first page sets the scene:

A blue-haired girl opens her mystery box and finds a bunch of air – and a slim book. This book. It’s a guide to creating a cardboard robot, from the basics of making eye holes (ahem, a “visor”), to advanced features like internal storage boxes and working dials. Alternating between paneled comic pages and instructional diagrams, an awesome robot is born.

This book is made for kids to read with grown-ups (or “assistants”, as the instructions call them). Given this, it makes sense that the vocabulary is higher than your average PreK-2nd grade book. It also fits with the robot theme (last I checked, robots don’t do slang or simple words).

Printed with bright spot colors on uncoated paper, the production of Welcome to Your Awesome Robot is appealing. It’s a paperback, with the trim size of a large picture book but slimmer. The elusive shelf appeal is strong with this one.

Will it work in a library? I think so. We circulate the Dork Diaries and Wimpy Kid activity books without much fuss. While there are cut-outs – including labels and displays – the main character makes a point of mentioning that she’s going to make her own, rather than take scissors to the book. To this I say, “thanks, kid”.

In the grand scheme Welcome to Your Awesome Robot is a fairly specific book – there’s a purpose here that makes it more of a how-to than a story. But if there’s cardboard in the vicinity, look out. I can see librarians creating a robot-themed program with this book as inspiration. In short – a wonderfully distinct book, and a good one to have on hand.

Review copy from the publisher.

Click here for more images from Welcome to Your Awesome Robot at the Flying Eye Books website.

Can you guess the classic children’s book by its scathing one-star review on GoodReads or Amazon?

[Author]‘s book is a piece of nationalist propaganda, using oversimplification, emotional appeals, and dualistic morality to shut down her readers’ minds. More troubling is that it is aimed at children, who don’t yet have the critical faculties to defend themselves from such underhanded methods.

Click here for the answer.

One Star Review Guess Who (#1)

One Star Review Guess Who (#2)

One Star Review Guess Who (#3)