And this, coming from someone whose last foray to the Presidential polls was when John Anderson was running on the independent platform. {{snort}} Still, we could do worse. (And NO, I’m NOT kidding.)

I had Isaac Hayes‘ album Hot Buttered Soul on wax. I played it incessantly in my room. I remember crying to the song Walk on By … I think I’d gotten my first eighth grade broken heart. That album was full of songs originally done by someone else, but made better by Hayes’ distinct interpretation. It will remain my absolute favorite of his. Everyone remembers Isaac Hayes for the music score to Shaft. Despite that tremendous influence, Hayes’ influence ran deeper than that. Everything was from the heart. He will be missed.

I really liked Bernie Mac. He wasn’t afraid to be a man and he wasn’t afraid to be black. My favorite line, from his sit-com, I’m gonna kill them kids. R.I.P.

Since both Robert and I are diabetic, I devised a quick and easy dessert that tastes good and is sugar free. It requires obtaining a sugar-free lemon pound cake, which I have found at a local grocer, Seller Brothers. If you can’t find such a cake in your location, I suggest angel food cake as it is the lightest cake you’ll find other than this.

Ingredients

• A sugar-free lemon or plain cream or pound cake or an angel food cake
• 2 cups fresh sweet blueberries sprinkled with Splenda to make their own juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Container sugar-free Cool Whip

Preparation

1. In saucepan, combine the cornstarch, Splenda and water.
2. Cook, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and clear, about 5 mins.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, stirring constantly to blend the juice into the mixture.
4. Cool mixture in refrigerator for at least half an hour.
5. Blend one cup of sugar free Cool Whip into the cornstarch mixture.
6. Place two thin slices of lemon cream cake onto a dessert plate, put a dollop of lemon cream sauce on each cake slice, sprinkle with berries and serve.

[Click to view larger photo]

God Bless You Tube. You can find just about anything on there. Including clips from my top five (in order of preference) all time favorite movies! Enjoy!

1. Clerks (1994). This film was Kevin Smith’s film debut and as far as I’m concerned, it remains his best film to date, brilliantly executed. Shot completely in black and white, the film gives us a glimpse of a day in the lives of two bored and directionless clerks, Dante Hicks (played by Bryan O’Halloran), who runs the Quick Stop convenience store, and Randal Graves (played by Jeff Anderson), who — when he’s not hanging out with Dante at the convenience store — manages the video store next door.

Best Line From the Movie: (Kevin Smith/Silent Bob) [his only line in the movie] You know, there’s a million fine looking women in the world, dude. But they don’t all bring you lasagna at work. Most of ‘em just cheat on you.

2. Thursday (1998). This is a violent movie, somewhat of a black comedy. It stars Thomas Jane (Men Behaving Badly), Paulina Porizkova in a memorable rubber mini dress, and Aaron Eckhart (Erin Brockovich). Another day in the life movie, this time with Janes, a reformed criminal living in the suburbs with his new bride and trying to adopt a baby. Various people from his past float in and out (usually in a bodybag) of his day.

Best Line From the Movie: (Paulina Porizkova/Dallas) I’ve gotta tell you, Casey. I’m not impressed. After everything I heard about you, I thought you were gonna be more like… me. But you are a sheep like all the rest.

3. The Women (1939). This film was directed by George Cukor and stars the divinely gorgeous Norma Shearer (a/k/a Mrs. Irving Thalberg) as Mary Haines, Joan Crawford, the Supreme Bitch, as Crystal Allen, and the irrepressible Rosalind Russell, whose middle name should be Trouble, as Sylvia Fowler.

Best Line From the Movie: (Joan Crawford/Crystal Allen) There is a name for you, ladies, but it isn’t used in high society… outside of a kennel.

4. Pulp Fiction (1994). Directed by Quentin Tarantino, with a cast of greats, including John Travolta, Sam Jackson, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, and Uma Thurman, this film switches between several principal characters whose lives intersect at various points in the movie. But the focus is on the two hitmen, Vince Vega (Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Sam Jackson).

Best Line From the Movie: (Samuel L. Jackson/Jules) Well, I’m a mushroom-cloud-layin’ motherfucker, motherfucker! Every time my fingers touch brain, I’m Superfly T.N.T., I’m the Guns of the Navarone! IN FACT, WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOIN’ IN THE BACK? YOU’RE THE MOTHERFUCKER WHO SHOULD BE ON BRAIN DETAIL!

5. Underground (1997) [Serbian]. My best friend gave this to me on DVD for my birthday this year; it had been on my wishlist for awhile. Another great film by prolific Serb director Emir Kusturica, is brilliantly executed, darting artfully between pathos and dark comedy and spans some 30 years in the lives of three principal characters, culminating in the only ending possible after such deep betrayal. Throughout the film, there is some authentic Trubaci¹ music which lends an eerie comedic feel to some of the darker moments.

1. A typical trubaci orchestra is often comprised of local village musicians, who get together at the end of the day and want nothing more than to play into their horns. As such, they are often by no means professional, with no “formal” education. Their music is raw, built upon centuries of living under the influence of the West through the Austro-Hungarian Empire and of the East under the Ottomans. Over the course of generations, a new music arose, a music that fused the Orient with the Occident. [Source: www.firebrass.com] [↩]