Fun 'n Crazy YouTube--Mr. Trololo

 "Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung." ~Voltaire

In the seventies, this guy gets up on Russian television and sings the equivalent of "la la la la la." It's a dud. BUT, after the turn of the Century, the song becomes FAMOUS on YouTube.

After the vid went viral, Eduard Khil (Mr. Trololo) was pleased to be famous. But, he didn't understand that people were laughing at him. Whatever. Fame is fame, right?

There is a rumor that Mr. Trololo sang this song on Russian television without the lyrics because the words reflected a positive view on America and the Russians prohibited him from singing them. According to his son, however...

Nobody banned its lyrics, but my father just composed the music during the period of his disagreement with Lev Oshanin. The latter told him that the lyrics are more important in a song and that a composer is nothing without a lyricist. So Dad told him during the argument, "Well, I don't need your verses at all, I'll manage without them."

—Mikhail Ostrovsky

In 2009, the Russian government awarded him with a "Fourth Class Order of Merit for the Fatherland." He died on June 4, 2012, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, at the age of 77. He died famous.

See Mr. Trololo's (Eduard Khil's) Wiki Page; And see his audio CD on Amazon.

Source Sites: Wikipedia; YouTube; Brainy Quote

Holiday--National Cake Day

"Cake is happiness! If you know the way of the cake, you know the way of happiness! If you have a cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy!" ~C. JoyBell C.

Today, November 26th, is National Cake Day, and I LOVE CAKE! Here are some facts about this fluffy, sweet, dessert thingy:

• Early on, cake was more like bread and sweetened with honey. Cooks often fried sweetened bread dough to make "cake."
• Most bakers today leaven their cakes with baking powder and/or baking soda. Earlier bakers used yeast.
• Sponge cakes are leavened with beaten eggs. They originated in the Renaissance, probably in Spain.
• We bake cakes today in many shapes and varieties--bundt cakes, cupcakes, roll cakes, conical, layered round, rectangular sheet, and cake balls, (those ridiculous cake pops at Starbucks are mini cake balls). There are also lava cakes and funnel cakes (a modern version of the ancient fried cake).
• Today, we usually ice our cakes with butter cream frosting, or sweetened cream cheese,  or this stuff called fondant which comes in sheets and is as smooth as a baby's butt. Whipped cream or marzipan (sweetened almond paste) are occasionally used.
• The word "cake" is thought to come from an Old Norse word "kaka." I'm glad it isn't a Latin word because that would be unappetizing.

Here are links to cake recipes:

• Strawberry Spy Cake
• Pistachio (Watergate) Cake 
• Starbucks' Cake Pops

And a NEW recipe, Chocolate Watergate Cupcakes--All you do is take the Pistachio/Watergate Cake recipe above, substitute chocolate pudding for the pistachio, and cola for the lemon-lime soda. Forgo the icing!

Mix it all up just like the original recipe, but pour the batter into a standard muffin/cupcake pan. Bake the same. THESE CUPCAKES ARE BETTER WITHOUT ICING.  I say this, and I'm an icing hog. Absolutely delicious! (The photo below has nothing to do with this recipe. It's an example of a bundt cake).

Bundt cake iced with powdered sugar.

Cake has a Wiki Page!; And go to Amazon for books on baking cakes!

Source Articles: Wikipedia; American Holidays, list;  History of Cakes; Goodreads quotes about cake; Starbucks' Cake Pops Recipe; Food Timeline: cake history notes

Holiday Quote--O. Henry

"There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American." ~O. Henry

I don't know why William Sydney Porter created the pen name O. Henry, but throughout his life, he seemed obsessed with changing his name. For instance, in 1898, when he was 36, he changed his middle name's spelling from "Sidney" to "Sydney." Also, he didn't always use the pen name O. Henry. Sometimes he was Olivier Henry or Oliver Henry.

When I tell you about the scandal, though, it may make sense.

In 1891, Porter began working at the First National Bank of Austin, and also began to embezzle. Yup. So they fired him in 1894 without reporting him to the Feds. However, in 1896, while Porter was working for the Houston Post, he was arrested for embezzlement. The Feds had decided to audit the bank, and found the inconsistencies. Oh my!

It gets even better. After his father-in-law bailed him out of jail and the day before his trial,  Porter fled the country and settled himself in Honduras. In 1897, he returned to the US because his wife was dying of tuberculosis. He surrendered himself to the court and was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to five years.

I am SO SORRY. Based on the above quote, I thought this would be a happy Thanksgiving story for y'all. Instead, it has turned into a gut-wrenching soap opera! My bad!

So anyway, back to his aliases. I think a man with these criminal tendencies may not want to publish under his own name. Or, perhaps he was always thinking he may have to run, so having an alias on the ready was just a wise practice. Those are my two best theories.

O. Henry is best known for . . .

• Authoring short stories
• His ironic twists at the end of his fiction
• The Gift of the Magi (the only tale about a hair comb that will make you cry)
• Coining the term "banana republic" (in Cabbages and Kings)

There's more drama where "O." is concerned, but I leave you to his Wikipedia page for that.

Is he pondering the meaning of life, 

or a jewelry heist?

Source Articles: Wikipedia; Thankgiving Day quotes from Brainy Quote

Book Insights--Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal by Kathleen E. Kovach and Paula Moldenhauer

"We started writing together when robbing banks became too dangerous." ~ Authors Kathleen E. Kovach and Paula Moldenhauer 

A fascinating blend of history, romance, and mystery, Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal (TLB from here on out) is a historical romance that, surprisingly, held my interest. I should tell y'all that it takes a lot to hold my interest.

Because I love mystery, I was delighted that mystery was the spine that held this story together. Why did Thomas Keaton abandon his family? What evil did Charles do from which the Titanic offered him refuge?

Will Ember be able to sort out her past and learn what is true so she can give her heart to Jeff? And how can Ember's mother Beverly act like such a wench? I mean, really!

Oh, and there's a key on the cover. I LOVE keys. Keys hint of mystery, the unlocking of areas most are barred from entering, secrets, and powerful knowledge. I just can't get enough of keys. Great cover image Kathleen and Paula!

It was delightful fun to read this book, and yes, you do spend some time on the Titanic! What I learned from TLB is that it was cold, people got wet, and there were icebergs that brought bad luck.

But I don't want to spoil anything for you, so I will refer you to the links below so you can learn more about the story, Titanic history, and order the book. You can buy it either on Kindle or paperback.

The quote above may hint that the authors penned a bank robbery scene for TLB. I feel compelled to inform you--there is no such thing. The ladies have catapulted themselves out of the heisting business and now think it unethical to promote thievery in their literary work.*

Kathleen was taciturn about her past, but according to Paula, besides the danger problem, they also got into writing because it pays much better than pilfering money and treasures from a bank vault. I find that hard to believe, but we shall see.

Perhaps y'all can help in that area and BUY Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal. That way, you can do your part to keep Kathleen and Paula out of prison. :D

Buy the book here on the Amazon Page; Kathleen E. Kovach's links to all the reviews and interviews concerning Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal; Paula Moldenhauer's blog site dedicated to the Titanic and her research.

*Y'ALL KNOW I'M KIDDING ABOUT THE HEISTING, RIIIIIIGHT?

It's Personal!--Boy, Was I Sick!

Serious illness doesn't bother me for long because I am too inhospitable a host. ~ Albert Schweitzer

So sorry to have waited this long to post. I've had a bug that felled me for one whole week, and made me feel like a limp, dizzy dish rag. I did nothing but lay in a heap on the couch and crawl to the bathroom.

In case that description doesn't let you know what ailed me, I will give a picture of the medicine that finally rid me of my pain and suffering. If you get this bug, I suggest you skip the other pink stuff and go right to this:

Okay, now that I've given you Too Much Information, I've done my job. :D

BTW, Kaopectate has a Wiki Page. Whoda thunk?

Source Article: Brainy Quote Illness Quotes.