No Moments of Zen or Train Wreck Hill Gazing in 09?
Damon Weaver Wants to Interview the President
It's Been Asked Before, But What the Heck Happened to Mickey Rourke?
Dammit! Now None of Us Can Make it Snow!
I Don't Think France is a Country, Is It?
Jack Black Jesus Says Gay Marriage Will Save The Economy!
And This is Why I Left DC...
Do Me Baby?
ESTP - The Doers
The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.
November's Raining Some Good Tunes
Broccoli Haters No More
Craig Koketsu’s Broccoli & Cheetos
FOR THE BROCCOLI
3 large heads of broccoli, stems peeled and cut into 1/4-inch discs; florets cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
3 tablespoons butter
Salt to taste
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE
1 quart heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
10 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 cups aged Gouda, grated
1 cup Parmesan, grated
Salt to taste
1/2 9-ounce bag of Crunchy Cheetos
FOR THE BROCCOLI: Blanch florets and stems in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Remove and shock in ice water. Cool and drain. Place large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, garlic, and chile flakes and sweat, being careful not to brown garlic. Add butter and melt fully into oil. (1) When the butter and oil begin to bubble, add broccoli and sauté until heated through. Adjust seasoning with salt and reserve broccoli on a paper-towel-lined plate. FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, reduce cream with shallots, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in cheeses until fully melted. Adjust seasoning with salt. (2) Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer and keep warm in a bain-marie. Crush the Cheetos in the bag into pebble-size bits with a rolling pin. to serve: Pour warm sauce into a large serving dish. Arrange broccoli on top of sauce. (3) Top with crushed Cheetos. Serves 6 to 8.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, So Get Aware!
Obsession Overhaul - From Obama to Puppies?
The New Blue
Partying in the Streets of San Fran
You Don't Need to Boo, You Just Have to Vote!
Who Knew Palin Was a Star Trek Fan?
“And there must be something about San Francisco and he because it’s like I heard on Fox News today, it’s like a truth serum where when he’s there, he seems to be more candid, and remember it was there that he talked about, there you go, the bitter clingers, the cling-ons, all of us, I guess, you know holding on to religion and guns and, um, so something about he being there in San Francisco."
Doggone Good
The Vet Who Did Not Vet
Forget Being Gramatically Correct, Why Can't This Woman Speak in Complete Sentences?!
This evening when Sean Hannity interviewed the Alaska governor, she explained the purchases.
“The RNC spending money on clothes–those clothes are not my property. We had three days of using clothes that the RNC purchased. If people knew how Todd and I and our kids shop so frugally. My favorite shop is a consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska called Out of the Closet and my shoe store is called Shoe Fly in Juneau, Alaska. It is not a you know–it is not 5th Avenue type of shopping.” Palin said, “But RNC purchasing some clothes that are either returned or they are going to charity. It is not my property.”
F*#$, All Y'all
She Got Lost in a Corn Maze
It's Melting!
The Good Times Are Killing Me
CEO_ALL_HANDS_10-7-08_FINAL - Free Legal Forms
The Sky Is Falling! Okay, Maybe Not, But the Dow Is...
I haven't decided which go-to harbinger of gloom and doom I prefer to track this global meltdown but ClusterStock is doing the trick in the meantime.
You Can Do It While You're Pooping...
ACL 2008, Redux
Here's a recap of the highlights and the lowlights:
Yeasayer - caught the tail end of these boys from Brooklyn. Having seen them twice now, I think they're more of an indoor venue band, but they can still bring it.
Vampire Weekend - the prepsters know how to put on a good show. A hot, sticky afternoon, a cold, sweaty beer, and some "Cape Cod, Kwaasa, Kwassa" - ain't nothing wrong with that. Plus, discovered that "Blake's got a new face".
M. Ward - maybe I was offput by the dust storm off to the side of the WaMu (yes, that WaMu) tent, but couldn't get too much into him. The boys went "in" and enjoyed the show more thoroughly, but I was digging the folding chairs at that point.
Hot Chip - I was all about the Hot Chip, but here's where the sound bleed was a bit of an issue. They just didn't seem loud enough.
Jenny Lewis - We headed over to catch the tail-end of Ms. Jenny "Short Skirt" Lewis. Not too bad, but not too memorable either.
Swell Season - While mellow, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening performance of the new band, formed by Glenn Hansard and Markéta Irglová of "Once" fame. Glenn is such a charming Irish bloke, and Marketa is just plain adorable. Would definitely see them again live.
Manu Chao - A great cap-off to Friday evening. Manu Chao brought a frenetic energy to the festival. We danced through to the end.
Old 97s - Saturday's start to the day with a little hottie Rhett Miller and the Old 97s. Enjoyable, but I actually prefer Mr. Miller's solo acoustic performances of many of the songs. Much more original sounding.
Frattelli's - We checked out the tail end of the Frattelli's - the cute bro trio from Scotland, and of iPod commercial fame. Their songs are uplifting, but best suited to running mixes.
CSS - We skipped off to dip in Barton Springs pool, which was much needed and completely restorative, but I was kicking myself for missing to much of CSS. They kick ass and I'm going to have to find a solo show when they're back state side. Bonus: CSS, which stands for CanseiDeSer Sexy, means "I'm tired of being sexy". Amen.
MGMT - These guys are definitely the band of 2008, but deservedely so. They kick ass, and take names. A racous - if young - crowd, helped the show along and the sound was just right.
Conor Oberst - He's not for everyone, but I really like Conor Oberst (also, performs as Bright Eyes). The kids got heart, and lyric-writing charts. He definitely doesn't break out of genre, but he's got stuff to say, so I'll keep listening.
Iron & Wine - These guys won points for being best show of ACL 2006, but this year they sounded a bit too spacey. I'll just keep my memories of yesteryear in tact and continue to listen to them in a dark room with my ear phones in.
Parker Posey's Dog Just Jumped On Me
Miss South Carolina vs. Ms Heartbeat Away from the Presidency
Foreign Policy By Cheat Sheet. Really?
Someone's Putting Something Into His Metamucil
Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."
"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sarah Palin. Where is she?"
"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"
See more below.
And While You're At It, Why Not Tell the Gov't to Lay Off
President Bush's proposed regulatory changes will block women's access to care and critical information. The new proposed Department of Health & Human Services regulations will let health care providers define abortion, which could threaten access to birth control and broader reproductive health care, and allow federal funding for so-called "crisis pregnancy centers" that refuse to inform patients of or provide patients with a full range of reproductive health care options.
Join together to defeat this new rule in order to ensure access to accurate, comprehensive health care, including birth control and abortion services, for every person who needs it.
If She Shoots You in the Face, It's Because She Was Aiming At You
And This Is Why I Love My New Job...
For those of you following closely, I've been spending a good deal more time these days down southways, by way of Atlanta, for my job. Last week, I got to experience the grandest of Atlanta institutions, lunch at the Waffle House. If you've never experienced the Waffle House, all you really need to know about this dining establishment is that they're ubiquitous throughout the southeast, they're famous for calling out orders, short-cook-style, they serve hashbrowns about 5,000 different ways, and they only have one kind of cheese, American. But the joy I received from my plate of Turkey Melt and hashbrowns (smothered, covered and peppered, thank you), was multiplied after I got to watch this little gem --> Enjoy.
Just a Heartbeat Away... Very Reassuring.
Ain't No Party Like My Nana's Tea Party
Tiger Walks on Water
Well, okay, just a clever advertising pitch from EA. Not to get all B-school Bingo on y'all, but impressive user engagement in this ad.
My Muxtape Is All Tangled, I'm Going Old School with 8tracks
Say It Ain't So, H Po?
All Together Now... Y to the N to the BK to the R
On Thursday, B and K and I kicked it up a notch at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg with a pitch perfect performance by The Black Keys. I still can't get over how two white guys from Akron, Ohio put out such big sound. With heat lightening illuminating the fluffs of clouds behind the stage, and an eclectic output of their repetoire, it was a strong evening. Those guys always seem to be having a great time. Shame this is the last summer for shows at the pool... fantastic venue.
Last night was the denouement to Concertfest '08. B and I ferried over in the late afternoon to Liberty State Park for a little APW action. A great space to be sure with fantastic views of the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan. Less props for the draconian beer rules: 5 per person per day, drinking allowed only in the beer gardens and last call at 8:30p. Call me a lush, but I like me some suds when I rock out. Anyhoo, after a little lilty New Porn (minus Neko Case a lot less exciting), we succumbed to some state-park law-inspired binge drinking, and then staked some ground for Radiohead. My first time seeing those kids, and I was as giddy as a little fangirl. The set - over two hours - was energetic and inspired from "15 Step" to "Everything in its Right Place" at the end of the second encore. The lighting and camerawork was transfixing during the evening show (thank goodness since that's most of what I could see... damn skippy I'm short). Like BK the night before, Radiohead performed a wide selection of their catalogue and cemented, in my mind, that Thom Yorke, small and scrawny though he may be, is a frontman to rival Bono or Chris Martin. All Hail for Radiohead.
We Gonna Done Part that Red Sea
Can We Time Warp to January 09 + Obama Already?
"The Bush Administration has ignited a furor with a proposed definition of pregnancy that has the effect of classifying some of the most widely used methods of contraception as abortion. A draft regulation, still being revised and debated, treats most birth-control pills and intrauterine devices as abortion because they can work by preventing fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. The regulation considers that destroying "the life of a human being.""
Why don't we just slap the cuffs on half the single women from 20-34 and call it a day? As long as we make sure Viagra is still covered on our insurance plans.
Now, today, we learn of two more fun facts.
First, our friends in Bentonville are warning of impending disaster if [when, praise the Lord] Obama wins the presidency. Store managers around the country have called meetings with employees to tell them that a vote for the Democratic nominee is tantamount to a vote for pro-union legislation. Now, I'm no flag-waving, card-carrying union fan, but damn if those Wal-Mart greeters shouldn't be able to unionize should they want, and they shouldn't have to be subjected to employer pressure about whom they should cast their vote.
Then, in a move that would make George Orwell beam with pride, the Department of Homeland Security has disclosed that they have the "right" to snag your laptop when you're going through the airport security for any reason - or no reason. Now that's an excuse and a half for why you haven't been able to turn in your TPS report:
"Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption, or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement"Oh, Baby Lord Jesus, please save us.
We Got The Spirit, Yes We Do, We Got The Spirit, How 'Bout You?
You Say Elitist, I Say Look In the Mirror
Drown the Rat Bastard
Okay, okay! I'm glad it was just a simulation. But sometimes, I do think about stuffing Hitchen's mouth with a cloth just to shut him up.
NYC Keepin' It Real, Yo
And now, they've revealed that the skank-cast of Season 432 of Real World - Brooklyn Edition - will be living in "Fort Green". I'm ready for a W'burg hipster v. Real World ass clown shake down.
Carl, What Makes You Tick?
Fine, I Admit It!
Now comfortably in my fourth decade, I've become woefully honest with myself. (Or maybe I finally listened after years of the sibs telling me how abjectly priggish I am). Miranda is an uptight, know-it-all. She's quick to judge. Yeah, yeah, she's a good friend, and smart and talented and all, but still... gross, that reflection in the mirror is uh-ugh-ly. But admitting you have a problem is the first step.
At least the movie was highly entertaining. No, it won't change your life. But it won't make you hate it, either. Plus, there's a shit joke in there... something, even, for the boys.
No Gentlemen, Eating Luna Bars Will Not Make You More Bodacious
From Chow, we've settled the age-old question: "Will Eating Luna Bars Make Guys' Breasts Grow?" Lessley Anderson dug up this helpful answer.
Clif Bar, manufacturer of the Luna nutrition bar—marketed “for women”—is asked this question all the time. The concern is baseless, however. Luna bars, which come in flavors including Lemon Zest, S’mores, and Dulce de Leche, contain no estrogen or other hormones that might cause men to grow mammary glands. They’re for women because they’re fortified with nutrients females typically need more of, or sometimes have a hard time getting in their diets. These include folic acid, calcium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber.I guess this means it won't help A-cuppers become D-cuppers either anytime soon?For example, women (and men) between the ages of 19 and 50 need 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day: the equivalent of three glasses of milk. Luna bars contain as much calcium as one glass of milk. But women tend to diet more than men, says Tara DelloIacono Thies, nutrition strategist for Clif Bar, and “calcium seems to go first, because they’re drinking less milk and eating fewer dairy products.” Folic acid is a form of vitamin B found in fruits and vegetables that’s also necessary to both sexes. But it’s particularly crucial for women trying to get pregnant, because a folic acid deficiency can cause birth defects. Men won’t suddenly find themselves expecting a child after consuming a Luna bar, either, just in case you’re wondering.
Try And Argue With Me Now, Suckas
(Namaste and thanks Paul Graham, for the handy new argument tool-set).