Virtual Choir, Gulf of Mexico, Missing Keys,

I heard about this on the news last night, a virtual choir from 12 different countries with 185 singers participating. To see this incredible achievement follow this YouTube link http://tinyurl.com/yd8owys To me it is a very impressive work of art, each singer had their own music to sing with the conductor on their computer to make sure they sang correctly and then everyone sang (I'm not sure if they all sang at the same time or the sound and pictures were put together later, I imagine because of the time constraints all round the different countries, it would have to have been later). OK I have just found a web page which tells more about the whole thing http://ericwhitacre.com/blog/the-virtual-choir-how-we-did-it apparently all the singers were inteviewed through YouTube first of all, that must have been quite an undertaking in itself. It makes fascinating reading. The Americans are now asking for ideas from anyone who can come up with some way of helping them deal with the oil in the Gulf of Mexico. This is a major ecological and economical disaster and it appears the Americans are stymied. Matt, who is/was a qualified diver, says it is possible for divers to descend to such depths but they would need special suits and special equipment which may not be available in the US, if anywhere these days. Although I would have thought some countries would have this equipment. The British Navy used to have such things but whether they do any more I have no idea. There is now talk of a cover up by British Petroleum regarding the safety of such oil rigs. I guess this whole thing will make the world think very seriously about the advisability of oil from the seabed although I have no doubt we will continue to drill for it. Man cannot, or will not, do without oil. Meanwhile all the fishing grounds in the Gulf of Mexico have been closed and pictures of oil covered birds are being shown on the TV. It makes me cry to think of the animals, birds and sea creatures which are going to be damaged by man's carelessness and thoughtlessness. Well we have now bowled our last game of the season and just have the banquet and a couple of fun games to finish up on Monday. There is a summer league which we have signed up for. When we were ready to leave yesterday, Matt went to get his jacket only to find it had disappeared. His car keys were in it. We did figure out who must have taken it but, unfortunately, we knew he had gone to some meeting or other. We could get into the car, we have door keys, but the ignition key has a special resistor chip which is coded and cannot easily be duplicated unless you go to a GM dealer. We ended up taking a cab home and constantly calling the home of the guy who had Matt's jacket. He finally called us back at 5:30 and said he had just taken the jacket and thrown it in the car, not even put it on which might have made him realise what he had done. He didn't know he had two jackets until he got home and even then didn't know it was Matt's until he spoke to his wife. He came and picked Matt up and took him to the alley to get our car. He is now shaking in his shoes because he will be facing me on Monday, Matt was much more phlegmatic about the whole thing. Actually we have a fun adversarial relationship so I will have to give him heck on Monday. We don't have to cook today as we are going to a friend's home for dinner this evening which makes a very pleasant change. Its not so much the cooking as cleaning up, oh for a dishwasher. Here is another recipe from the Ontario Asparagus Marketing Board but once again, no picture: this does look as though it will be delicious. By the sound of things, if you are going to cook shrimp with anything, you had better get a move on because there is going to a big shortage - the biggest percentage of the US shrimp supply comes from the Gulf. Asparagus, Shrimp and Shell Pasta Salad

pinch cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 lb large shell pasta* 1 lb Ontario asparagus 1 lb cooked shrimp** 2 green onions thinly sliced 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill Cut asparagus diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Cook in lightly salted boiling water until tender crisp. Drain well, set aside. Cook pasta shells in large amount of lightly salted boiling water, drain well and transfer to large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, pepper and cayenne well. Toss the warm pasta with the mayonnaise mixture. Place in refrigerator for a few minutes to chill. Add asparagus, shrimp and onions, toss lightly to combine with pasta. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

* If large shell pasta is not available use medium

** If desired a combination of shrimps and scallops may be used. Yield: 6 servings Have a great day