Sarah Palin has done "that ice bucket water dump thing," and you gotta hand it to the former vice presidential candidate

Sarah Palin has done "that ice bucket water dump thing," and you gotta hand it to the former vice presidential candidate -- she sure knows how to keep her viewers in suspense.

In one of the latest ALS "ice bucket challenge" videos, Palin channels actor Patrick Stewart, who wrote a check for charity and used the ice from a bucket to make himself a stiff drink. Except in this case, Palin's beverage of choice is a Diet Dr. Pepper.

"Hat tip to actor Patrick Stewart for reminding everyone with his video that the donation is the most important part of the #icebucketchallenge, not the frivolous water-tossing theatrics that those of us who are more thoughtfully serious choose to forgo," she writes in the Facebook post accompanying the video.

"I'm too old for this," Palin says in the clip. "C'mon, at this stage of my life, in my career, aren't I a little too prim and proper for all that ice bucket water dump thing?"

But just when you think Palin's about to make it out of this challenge warm and dry, she ends up soaked anyway, thanks to someone off-camera with a much bigger bucket of ice water than the one on her desk.

Palin was apparently nominated by Wasilla's Arctic Cat retailer, which sells snowmobiles and ATVs. And since no soaking is complete without a challenge to someone else, Palin had a couple of nominations of her own: former senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Palin's 2008 running mate.

In the Facebook post, she challenges her husband, Todd, as well.

That ice bucket water dump thing has been used to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease. On Sunday, the ALS Association said it has received $70.2 million in donations so far this year thanks to the viral challenge, compared with $2.5 million during the same period last year.

Participants aren't expected to donate solely to the ALS Association -- any ALS-related cause is a good one. Palin made out her check to the Pete Frates #3 Fund, named for the former college athlete recently diagnosed with the disease.

Teacher Jennifer Caswell Charged With Rape After Being Found With Teen In Hotel: Cops

An Oklahoma teacher who was under investigation for an inappropriate relationship with a student faces a slew of charges -- including second-degree rape -- after police in Mississippi say they caught her in a hotel room with a 15-year-old student.

Jennifer Caswell, a 28-year-old former English teacher at Hollis Middle School in Hollis, Oklahoma, resigned from her position in April amid allegations that she was having an illicit affair with a student.

Prosecutors told the Oklahoman that initially, they didn't really have hard evidence in the case, only reports of suspicious behavior.

“Things that raised kind of an eyebrow. People seeing a teacher alone with a child may or may not be anything. It could just be innocent contact,” Harmon County Assistant District Attorney Eric Yarborough told the newspaper. “The child said nothing’s going on, she’s just a nice teacher.”

But then, on June 18, police in Olive Branch, Mississippi, say they caught Caswell with the boy at a Best Western. Authorities say a subsequent investigation revealed that the former teacher and the victim had sex multiple times in April and May of this year, including twice at school, according to the Lawton Constitution.

In a police interview, the minor allegedly said that Caswell had sex with him in a classroom at school three days before resigning from her job, and then again several times in her car and at the victim's home in the weeks following her resignation.

The Mississippi incident happened more than 650 miles away from the victim's home town while he was away visiting his mother. The victim told police that he hopped a fence in a church parking lot to meet Caswell, who appears to have traveled from Oklahoma to rendezvous with the boy.

Caswell now faces three counts of second-degree rape, two counts of enticing a child, and one count of forcible sodomy.

According to the Oklahoman, Caswell had been married prior to the investigation into the alleged sex abuse. She was formerly known as Jennifer Sexton, but since obtaining a divorce from her husband, has restored her maiden name of Caswell.

Hot Fifty Shades Of Grey Trailer On TV

The "Fifty Shades of Grey" trailer debuted on the "Today" show on Thursday, and it teases just about everything fans of the book will want to see -- plus a special, exclusive version of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love." (That explains her Instagram teaser.)
Based on E L James' best-selling erotic novel, "Fifty Shades of Grey" stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. It's set to hit theaters Feb. 13, 2015.
On "Today," Savannah Guthrie admitted that NBC only showed a portion of the trailer -- some of it, including the bondage scenes were too raunchy for daytime television -- but the entire tease is available online. Watch below.

Selena Gomez Shines In Bronze Dress With Thigh-High Slit

After spending her 22nd birthday in a bikini with model pal Cara Delevingne, Gomez slipped into something more sophisticated for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala in Saint-Tropez, in southeastern France, on July 23.
The singer and actress stole the show when she hit the red carpet in a sparkly bronze dress, featuring a thigh-high slit:


Gomez completed her glittery look with a pair of hoop earrings and metallic gold pumps.
The gala reportedly raised over $25 million for The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting the environment and endangered wildlife around the globe. The star-studded evening featured an auction and performances by Robin Thicke and Bono.

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siriusxm portable speaker dock sxabb2 With a 30-watt amplifier and two-way speaker system, the SiriusXM Portable Speaker Dock delivers powerful, quality sound in any location. Dock any compatible SiriusXM Radio, including the SiriusXM Lynx, and enjoy superb sound quality anywhere from the den to the desk to the beach. Portability is a breeze with battery and AC power options, while the concealed handle and built-in antenna cradle with cable storage make it easy to carry SiriusXM wherever you go. You can share the rich sound with friends or listen through your favorite headphones. Either way, it's the ultimate accessory for ultimate listening freedom.

Quality Sound System for Compatible Dock and Play XM Radios

Featuring a 30-watt amplifier and two-way speaker system, the SiriusXM Portable Speaker Dock delivers room-filling sound in any location. Portable and compact, it can be powered by battery or plugged into an AC outlet. The dock can bring you the rich SiriusXM sound while you're relaxing by yourself at home or out with a group of friends. You can also connect MP3 players, CD players, and other audio devices via the aux-in jack (audio cable sold separately).

The SiriusXM Portable Speaker Dock is compatible with the following satellite radios: SiriusXM Lynx, SiriusXM Edge, XM Onyx, XM XpressRCi, XpressRC, XpressR, Xpress, XpressEZ, Sirius Sportster 5, Sirius Starmate 8, Sirius Starmate 5, Starmate 4, Starmate 3, Sirius Stratus 6, Stratus 5, Stratus, XM XMp3i, and Pioneer XMp3.

Only SiriusXM brings you more of what you love, all in one place. Enjoy commercial-free music from nearly every genre, including artist-dedicated channels. Get live sports play-by-play and 24/7 expert talk. Enjoy exclusive entertainment and comedy plus world-class news, local traffic and weather, and more. Choose between the Select, Premier, and All Access programming packages.

Hardware/Technical Features

• Enjoy remarkable sound quality with powerful 30-watt amplifier and two-way speaker system
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SiriusXM SXABB2 Portable Speaker Dock

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I was worried about how this thing would sound and perform. My first experience with a portable sat unit (a Sky-Fi, My-Fi)was lackluster for sure. I mean its a portable satellite radio unit so my expectations were forgiving. Man o man, this thing is great! Sound quality, specifically bass response is mind blowing. I would go so far as to say it would rival the sound docks from Bose. Getting a strong sat signal can be tricky at times. It takes a little bit of practice and knowing your cardinal directions (XM recommends aiming the antenna south) but surprisingly for the most part you can just point it at the sky and rock on. I have on occasion been able to set it on the kitchen counter and aim the antenna southward and it work just fine inside the house!

Now for the downside. And there is only one. Battery life does seem a bit short. But in its defense it does have to power the unit in addition to the internal amp for the speakers, and I was not using a high quality set of batteries. But even so I would not expect it to last a super long time. It does sort of stink that it needs (8) D cell batteries, but with a good set or rechargeable batteries I expect it should last a while loner. Hey you got to pay to play right? I plan to try it soon with the good rechargeable batteries I have and update this review.

Side note: I did have one issue while using the unit. It was an isolated incident but the volume would cut out and the lights around the volume knob would flash randomly. It only happened once and I use this thing 3+ days a week, also since I cannot replicate the problem I would not say it is an issue, just wanted to point it out.

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moist banana bread recipe

moist banana bread recipe has been on our to-do list for quite some time now. It’s a classic and we knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity to share our own version with you. There are no surprises in our moist banana bread recipe — you’ll find mashed bananas, flour, butter, eggs, baking soda and spices. Nuts are optional, although we do love the added crunch. Sour cream guarantees a moist and tender loaf. And bananas are sliced instead of mashed in this recipe, giving a concentrated banana taste in every bite.

The Best Banana Bread Recipe Starts with the Best Bananas

No matter what recipe you use, remember this. There is no point in baking up a batch of banana bread without using ripe bananas. In fact if you can wait a day for browned, overripe and speckled bananas, it’s even better. If your bananas are still green, wait a day or two. You won’t regret it.

It’s the bananas that make banana bread so moist, sweet and flavorful. moist chocolate chip banana bread recipe

moist banana nut bread recipe

Once you’re ready with your bananas, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly. You definitely don’t need a mixer to make banana bread — a fork or spatula works perfectly fine.

Treat the batter like muffin or pancake batter. Don’t over mix. You’re only looking to mix everything together until you no longer see streaks of flour. This way, the bread stays on the lighter, moister side instead of heavy and flat.

The bread bakes for quite a while – about an hour. Even though that seems like a long time to wait, the smell of banana bread baking in the oven is to die for. Definitely top 10 on our list of best kitchen smells!

You May Also Like These Quick Breads and Muffins

• Buttered Rum Pound Cake Recipe
• Vanilla Peach Muffins Recipe
• Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
• Bran Muffin Recipe With Raisins
• Blueberry Muffin Recipe (with video)
• Banana Chip Muffins
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Are you interested in more banana bread ideas? Try these: This banana bread recipe from Simply Recipes is similar, but calls for less eggs and butter. You might also like this banana bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen — she adapts the one from Simply Recipes by adding bourbon and spices (yum).

4.8 from 13 reviews

otal time

1 hour 15 minutes

For the best, most flavorful bread, the bananas need to be ripe — overripe, brown and speckled is even better. Nuts are completely optional for this. We love the bread both ways, but do enjoy the extra crunch from a handful of walnuts or pecans.

A note on pan size: We use a 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan; if you only have a 9- by 5-inch pan, start checking for doneness 5 to 10 minutes earlier.

Yield: 1 loaf, 8 slices

You Will Need

• 1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour (we use Gold Medal)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 medium bananas (heavily speckled or even black bananas are best)
• 1/2 cup (113 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped, optional

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and heat to 350º F. Butter and flour an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2- x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other.
2. moist banana bread recipe with applesauce
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   moist banana bread recipe sour cream
3. Make Batter: Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together, set aside.
4. In the bottom of a medium bowl, mash bananas into a chunky paste. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla into the bananas until blended.
5. Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Stir in nuts.
6. Bake Banana Bread: Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake 55 to 75 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
7. After 30 minutes in the oven, check the bread for color. If it looks like it is browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
8. When the bread is done, transfer it, in the pan, to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the bread and place right side up on the rack. Cool completely.
9. For Storing: It's best to wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Since it's just the two of us, we store in the refrigerator then when we want a slice we'll give it a couple minutes in our toaster oven to warm up).
10. moist banana bread recipe buttermilk
    banana bread muffins recipe moist
    moist banana bread recipe with pudding

Notes and Tips

We use kosher salt. If you don’t have it on hand, keep this in mind: 1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt = about 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt.

Esther Honig asked 40 photo editors to do -- in over 25 countries. Using the service-sharing site Fiverr

Honig, a human interest reporter, sent a picture of herself to be photoshopped around the world to see just how much cultural values are applied to standards of beauty. The results throw the idea of "the perfect woman" into sharp relief.

Honig found that individuals from every country applied a distinct perspective on beauty to her image. She was surprised by the degree to which a country's cultural values could show up as aesthetic preferences. Specifically, an image she received back from Morocco was "a bit of a shock initially." She told The Huffington Post via email, "[It] definitely highlighted my own lack of cultural awareness. Of course, someone from a country where the primary religion is Islam might elect to add a Hijab to my image as that aligns with their own cultural customs. For me it really added depth to my project by touching on the concept of religion and custom, not just aesthetics."

Seeing her image manipulated in so many dimensions had a profound impact on Honig's own self-perception. "I voluntarily sought out this opportunity and was pleased with how it turned out, but it did make me more aware of certain things like the uneven tone of my skin which was touched up by nearly every editor," she said. "I’ve watched my image subtly soften with filters and cloning brushes as well as radically transform with splicing, stretching and re-angling that completely restructured my face. Seeing some jobs for the first time have made me shriek."

Honig is reluctant to draw a "moral of the story" from the project, which is ongoing. "Flipping through the collection of Before & After, one may spot trends in models of beauty that represent each designer’s culture of origin, but that is entirely based on ourinterpretation," she said.

Still, the project dispels the myth of a singular beauty norm. As Honig wrote on her personal website: "Photoshop allows us to achieve our unobtainable standards of beauty, but when we compare those standards on a global scale, achieving the ideal remains all the more elusive."

Check out the rest of the incredible images below.

India

Ukraine

Venezuela

Argentina

Vietnam

Philippines

Romania

Sri Lanka

United States

UK

Israel

Italy

Australia

Bangladesh

Chile

Germany

Greece

Indonesia