The Bobby D Burger

I am a little late with this one but here goes.

People always tell me that I make delicious burgers. When people ask me how I do it I usually say the trick is not to wash you hands beforehand. Now that is a joke but you should see the look on their face.

Here are my main tips.

Buy both lean and the really cheap burger meat with lots of fat. Go 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat (70/30 is ok).

When you form your burger don't press the meat together hard. Just form it and leave the air in.

Mix together some Worcestershire sauce and ketchup.

For cheese burgers cut the burger in half and put a piece of cheese in the middle (this is prior to cooking). Trust me, you will like this.

Just prior to cooking, paint a little of the Worcestershire/ketchup on the burger. Go light on this.

Burgers cook best on medium heat. If you cook em hard on your grill the outside gets scorched but the middle never comes out just right. Patient cooking equals excellent burger.

Never, never, never press on your burger while cooking. You might see the fat squish out but you are now creating the famous "hockey puck" burger. Most of the fat will cook off by itself.

I like bacon and cheese with my burger. This brings out the taste. A nice thick slice of tomato and some lettuce really give you an excellent burger. Forget the mustard, this is not a hot dog.

Good luck. I hope you get the rave reviews like I do. And, don't forget to tell the joke and catch the look on their face.

Zookeeper feeds baby squirrel in Bulgaria

I know its off track but I couldn't' resist.

clipped from blogs.usatoday.com

Better to Be Fat and Fit Than Skinny and Unfit

Since this describes me I thought I would post the article as a clip.
You can read the entire article by clicking the link in the clip. Following the links in the article provides lots of interesting information.

clipped from www.nytimes.com Increasingly, medical research is showing that it isn’t. Despite concerns about an obesity epidemic, there is growing evidence that our obsession about weight as a primary measure of health may be misguided. Last week a report in The Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among a representative sample of more than 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy.” That means that despite their excess pounds, many overweight and obese adults have healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risks for heart disease. The data follow a report last fall from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute showing that overweight people appear to have longer life expectancies than so-called normal weight adults.

American Driving Reaches Eighth Month of Steady Decline topping the 1970s' total decline

This is a good example of simple supply/demand economics. Demand drops prices drop.

clipped from www.fhwa.dot.gov New data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that, since last November, Americans have driven 53.2 billion miles less than they did over the same period a year earlier – topping the 1970s' total decline of 49.3 billion miles. Americans drove 4.7 percent less, or 12.2 billion miles fewer, in June 2008 than June 2007. To review the FHWA's "Traffic Volume Trends" reports, including that of June 2008, visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/tvtw/tvtpage.htm.

Ready to Give Running a Try? Here's How

clipped from www.usnews.com Whew! I spent so much time sorting through the comments on yesterday's post about the three myths (and one truth!) about running that I missed my own scheduled evening run. Some of the people who responded had questions about how to start or maintain a new running routine. For the basics, I consulted the expert: John "the Penguin" Bingham, who writes a column for Runner's World magazine that is aimed at middle- and back-of-the-pack runners. (He also answers questions in his blog.) For more: I talked with John a few years ago when I wrote about overcoming the excuses we all have for not exercising. And earlier this year, I wrote about how to figure out if you're just sore or actually injured, as well as why you may not lose weight when you start an exercise routine.

This is an interest and effective way to leverage the Internet. They raise money for local candidates in hot races. Anybody can start a fund raising page and have at it.

Probably a good way to get dates, also.

clipped from www.actblue.com ActBlue The online clearinghouse for Democratic action. Want blue states? $59,089,963 raised online since 2004 Contribute Contribute to thousands of Democratic candidates across the nation. Learn More, or visit our directory of candidates and groups to contribute now. Fundraise Build support for the Democratic campaigns and committees of your choice. Learn More, or visit our directory of candidates and groups to get started. Campaigns Start fundraising in minutes. Access contribution reports. Update our directory. Or contact us and let us know how we can help you.

Builder codes turn a 'green' leaf

More locales paving the way to save energy. A good opportunity on the horizon for entrepreneurs.

clipped from www.usatoday.com As energy costs rise, more states and cities are adopting policies that encourage or require new construction to be energy-efficient. "There's been a huge groundswell in green-building leadership at state and local levels. It's remarkable," says Jason Hartke of the U.S. Green Building Council, a private group that tracks legislation and sets guidelines that become construction industry standards. Nearly three times as many cities and counties approved green-building policies last year as did four years ago. A record number of states, 14, took such action last year, as compared with one in 2004, according to the council. This year, at least eight states and 22 localities have endorsed green policies.

'The Road' is fiction, but the bleak scenery is real

The film, which stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and 11-year-old Kodi Smit-McPhee, also was shot in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans and on Mount St. Helens in Washington state for scenes of devastation.

clipped from www.usatoday.com Imagining the end of the world is not easy, especially if you're not going to create one with a computer. But director John Hillcoat and filmmakers of The Road believe they discovered it in Pittsburgh. Bleak landscape: Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee are a father and son who make their way through post-apocalyptic America. "It's a beautiful place in fall with the colors changing," Hillcoat says. "But in winter, it can be very bleak. There are city blocks that are abandoned. The woods can be brutal. We didn't want to go the CGI world." PHOTOS: Get a feel for the bleak, beautiful world of 'The Road' That book is Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winner of the same name. It's about a father and son who navigate a countryside devastated by an unnamed catastrophe.

Which Drugmaker Will Be Biggest in 2014? Hint: Not Pfizer

File this under food for thought. I hope this helps stimulate some good investment ideas.

clipped from blogs.wsj.com The drug industry’s about to plunge off a patent cliff, as blockbuster after blockbuster faces generic competition. But some companies are facing a steeper cliff than others. Evaluate Pharma, a data crunching outfit based in London, pooled consensus forecasts to estimate how things will look in 2014. Here’s a list of the top six, based on projected worldwide sales of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in 2014: 2014 RANK COMPANY 2007 RANK 2014 DRUG SALES (EST., $m) 1 Roche 5 49,500 2 Sanofi-Aventis 3 48,011 3 GlaxoSmithKline 2 43,300 4 Novartis 4 42,875 5 Johnson & Johnson 7 32,547 6 Pfizer 1 29,287

An Olympic Stadium Worth Remembering

More than 90,000 spectators will stream through its gates on Friday for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games; billions are expected to watch the fireworks on television. At the center of it all is this dazzling stadium, which is said to embody everything from China’s muscle-flexing nationalism to a newfound cultural sophistication.

clipped from www.nytimes.com

Take it from the top in the 'bird's nest'

clipped from latimesblogs.latimes.com Beijing Games organizers staged a dress rehearsal on Saturday night for the Aug. 8 Opening Ceremony. Associated Press reports that more than 10,000 performers, along with high-tech wizardry, are to be showcased. Fireworks illuminated the skyline during the run-through, giving Beijing residents and visitors a pyrotechnic preview of the 3-1/2-hour extravaganza. The 90,000-seat "bird's nest" was filled with family members and friends of performers. Some journalists were invited on the condition that they not reveal anything about the ceremony.

OLYMPICS REHEARSAL

Follow the links for more.

clipped from www.abcnews.go.com 1 of 16 Olympics Rehearsal A student from the Tagou martial arts school from Henan province practices in front of the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, at the Olympic Green in Beijing, July 16, 2008. More then 2,000 students from Tagou martial arts school will perform during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and have been training on the outskirts of Beijing for a year, local media reported. Picture taken July 16, 2008. (Donald Chan/Reuters )

Bike Commuting By the Numbers

This article caught my attention. Why? I am starting to see women riding bikes with baskets on the front to the grocery store. I talked to one of them and she had a basket that you could take off the bike and use it to shop in the store and then reattach for the ride back home.

Obviously, this kind of activity could dramatically effect the number of miles Americans drive each year. It could also lead to a lower trade inbalance and people getting in great shape.

I also suspect these riders would be more open to communication. If this is the case, expect to see guys riding bikes to the store in the years ahead. Move over Match.com.

clipped from health.usnews.com 1 percent of trips in the United States are made on a bicycle. That's 10 percent in Germany, 18 percent in Denmark, and 27 percent in the Netherlands. In Portland, Ore., 3.5 percent of trips to work are made by bike, the highest share among the 50 largest American cities. The lowest: Kansas City, Mo., at a paltry 0.02 percent.