happy mid-winter holidays, everyone.
it's back to being dark and cold, as it is every winter, hemispheres notwithstanding. i've never heard what the earliest british settlers in australia thought of christmas in high summer. i wonder if there was a movement to celebrate it in june. considering the original birth it celebrates probably originally happened in march or april, it wouldn't have been any less accurate.
i am rambling, yes.
i don't normally make new year's resolutions, eschewing the practise as a feel-good activity with little meaning behind it. january first is an artificial date anyway, and our western european numbering of years is equally meaningless. i mean, we all saw what attention the cosmos paid to the misnumbered anno domini 2000.
however, the solar-calendar year does provide benchmarks, however artificial, for janus-like hindsight and forward-looking speculation. this past year was a tumultuous one, and the upcoming year looks equally eventful. most prominently, i am dangling in painful indecision, having applied to graduate school just before the holidays, therefore delaying the acceptance decision while everyone uses their time for much more amusing activities.
also this year, i discovered the amazing cost economy of cooking an entire chicken. i must do this more often. when divided on a meal for meal basis, it is cheap. we like cheap.
oh yeah, and we had an election. i did vote. i've become distressingly civic-minded. i'll be running for office next. or not. maybe after i've graduated. assuming i'm even accepted. see how this is consuming my mind? i don't like uncertainty.
i'm ok with change, however. school, government, job (oh yeah, my job changed), provided it's not drastically abrupt, i can deal. what remains to be seen, of course, is whether there will be any change at the government level. i'm not engaging in much speculation about that, preferring my jaded, cynical, gen x stance. the man is an excellent speaker and a consummate politician. but government has been made into an industry and has a fair amount of self-preservation tendencies.
speaking of government, i mostly got money for christmas/hannukah gifts. i think i will buy clothes and books.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
what's for dinner?
you know how they say it's a bad idea to go grocery shopping when you're hungry? apparently, it's also a bad idea to cook when you're bored. i've been home sick from work all day, and had to scrounge up something for dinner while he is taking his philosophy final. not having the energy to cook something intensive, i started winnowing through my cupboards.
i think i'll call this "christmas nachos." hey, why not?
canned tuna
tortilla chips
mayonnaise or miracle whip
tabasco chipotle hot sauce
ground cumin
black pepper
salsa
cheese (grated or thinly sliced)
canned or cooked black beans
baby spinach
1. combine the tuna, mayonnaise, hot sauce, cumin, and black pepper in a bowl. mash with a fork until uniform.
2. arrange the tortilla chips on a microwave-safe plate in a single layer.
3. top the chips in the following order: tuna, black beans, salsa, spinach, cheese.
4. microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melty.
mmm... melty.
this is a little protein-heavy, but otherwise surprisingly balanced meal. the only problem is that you end up with a lot of leftover ingredients, so it doesn't do much for the using-up-the-leftovers thing.
i think i'll call this "christmas nachos." hey, why not?
canned tuna
tortilla chips
mayonnaise or miracle whip
tabasco chipotle hot sauce
ground cumin
black pepper
salsa
cheese (grated or thinly sliced)
canned or cooked black beans
baby spinach
1. combine the tuna, mayonnaise, hot sauce, cumin, and black pepper in a bowl. mash with a fork until uniform.
2. arrange the tortilla chips on a microwave-safe plate in a single layer.
3. top the chips in the following order: tuna, black beans, salsa, spinach, cheese.
4. microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melty.
mmm... melty.
this is a little protein-heavy, but otherwise surprisingly balanced meal. the only problem is that you end up with a lot of leftover ingredients, so it doesn't do much for the using-up-the-leftovers thing.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
upgrading.
on black friday, we joined the ranks of the HDTV set.
our tv had been fucked up for ... at least a year and a half, i guess. maybe even longer. we turn it on about once a month. sometimes, it was fine, like around the end of october when we watched casino royale without a glitch. other times, it was not so happy, like when we were trying to play mario kart with friends, and it decided we wanted to watch a dvd instead. and then maybe cable. and then mario kart again. and then cable. and then a dvd. and then cable. and then it needed all its channels re-programmed. and then there were the times when it turned itself on randomly. and then off. and then on. and then off. in quick succession. eventually, we took to just leaving it unplugged and plugging it in whenever we wanted to watch anything.
so, with the digital broadcast switch coming up, and a possessed television, we decided to take advantage of victims of the poor economy and buy an HDTV at a ridiculous discount (we missed the even deeper newegg.com discount because we were doing research).
also, we bought a PS3 to go with it using another black friday bundle discount.
surprisingly, there isn't much buyer's remorse. it was sort of more than we can really afford (a savings withdrawal is forthcoming), but we both agreed that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right, and buy a nice tv now instead of a cheap, shitty one now and then a nice one down the line. the PS3 has a surprisingly effective upscaler for both games and DVDs, and the tv itself has a pretty nice scaler, making standard def broadcast TV and wii games also look pretty good (the only disappointment is okami, which is apparently too detailed and pretty to upscale well). yay for playing 4-player mario kart and actually being able to see what you're doing.
it even fits on our old ikea tv stand.
next bit of research: what do you do with an old CRT TV that you are unable to donate because it's got a fucked up logic board?
our tv had been fucked up for ... at least a year and a half, i guess. maybe even longer. we turn it on about once a month. sometimes, it was fine, like around the end of october when we watched casino royale without a glitch. other times, it was not so happy, like when we were trying to play mario kart with friends, and it decided we wanted to watch a dvd instead. and then maybe cable. and then mario kart again. and then cable. and then a dvd. and then cable. and then it needed all its channels re-programmed. and then there were the times when it turned itself on randomly. and then off. and then on. and then off. in quick succession. eventually, we took to just leaving it unplugged and plugging it in whenever we wanted to watch anything.
so, with the digital broadcast switch coming up, and a possessed television, we decided to take advantage of victims of the poor economy and buy an HDTV at a ridiculous discount (we missed the even deeper newegg.com discount because we were doing research).
also, we bought a PS3 to go with it using another black friday bundle discount.
surprisingly, there isn't much buyer's remorse. it was sort of more than we can really afford (a savings withdrawal is forthcoming), but we both agreed that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right, and buy a nice tv now instead of a cheap, shitty one now and then a nice one down the line. the PS3 has a surprisingly effective upscaler for both games and DVDs, and the tv itself has a pretty nice scaler, making standard def broadcast TV and wii games also look pretty good (the only disappointment is okami, which is apparently too detailed and pretty to upscale well). yay for playing 4-player mario kart and actually being able to see what you're doing.
it even fits on our old ikea tv stand.
next bit of research: what do you do with an old CRT TV that you are unable to donate because it's got a fucked up logic board?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
happy thanksgiving.
mmm...tryptophan, carbs, and alcohol.
and unless i decide not to sleep or something for the next 3 days, i've lost nanowrimo again. stupid jobs requiring actual work in the office instead of writing a novel.
also, we may have finally given up on our tv and may have to take advantage of black friday sales. ugh.
but hey. food!
and unless i decide not to sleep or something for the next 3 days, i've lost nanowrimo again. stupid jobs requiring actual work in the office instead of writing a novel.
also, we may have finally given up on our tv and may have to take advantage of black friday sales. ugh.
but hey. food!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
paradox.
so. the next president of the united states will not be white.
the interesting thing to me is that, despite touting this as the inauguration of a "post-racial" america, we are, in fact, more obsessed with race and racial identity than ever, whether it be our own, our neighbour's, or the president-elect's mixed-racial identity. i think that's actually causing people a fair amount of consternation. just as there are those who are hailing him as "america's first black president," there are those equally determined to point out that he has a white mother. if we really were inaugurating a post-racial united states, we would be open and comfortable with a president who has a mixed-race background.
but we're not, see. historically, people with one white parent and one black parent were considered black. they were kept with the rest of the slaves. they were denied the rights their white parents enjoyed. now, more than ever, a biracial identity is impossible.
he's trying. you have to give him credit. he's widely disseminating pictures of himself with his mother and grandmother. he left race as much as possible out of his campaign. that doesn't stop people from making it the main talking point in his electoral victory (all-important questions about the presidential puppy aside).
we're trying too. we're trying to convince ourselves that we have finally arrived at a nation that judges people not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character (ahem). i mean, hell, we voted him into office right? no one can argue that progress has not been made. but i don't think it's been made as far as racial identity goes. we're still not comfortable with multi-racial identities. we're still obsessed with the identity that's been handed down by the past. we're still segregated by geography (visit any major american city), religion (visit any american church or mosque(1)), education (visit any american private university), and the culture that results from these divisions.
but if barack obama is right about one thing, he's right about hope. we can hope that we have just taken a giant step towards ignoring the colour of not just everyone else's skin, but also our own.
(1) to those of you complaining right now, i'm not going to list here synagogues since jews tend to be a race defined by their religion, or buddhist and hindu temples since actual worship at those locations still tends to be defined by the cultures that produced them. it's telling, however, that any conversation about asians in america, and to a lesser extent hispanics, is absent from this new insistence on our new, "post-racial" nation.
the interesting thing to me is that, despite touting this as the inauguration of a "post-racial" america, we are, in fact, more obsessed with race and racial identity than ever, whether it be our own, our neighbour's, or the president-elect's mixed-racial identity. i think that's actually causing people a fair amount of consternation. just as there are those who are hailing him as "america's first black president," there are those equally determined to point out that he has a white mother. if we really were inaugurating a post-racial united states, we would be open and comfortable with a president who has a mixed-race background.
but we're not, see. historically, people with one white parent and one black parent were considered black. they were kept with the rest of the slaves. they were denied the rights their white parents enjoyed. now, more than ever, a biracial identity is impossible.
he's trying. you have to give him credit. he's widely disseminating pictures of himself with his mother and grandmother. he left race as much as possible out of his campaign. that doesn't stop people from making it the main talking point in his electoral victory (all-important questions about the presidential puppy aside).
we're trying too. we're trying to convince ourselves that we have finally arrived at a nation that judges people not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character (ahem). i mean, hell, we voted him into office right? no one can argue that progress has not been made. but i don't think it's been made as far as racial identity goes. we're still not comfortable with multi-racial identities. we're still obsessed with the identity that's been handed down by the past. we're still segregated by geography (visit any major american city), religion (visit any american church or mosque(1)), education (visit any american private university), and the culture that results from these divisions.
but if barack obama is right about one thing, he's right about hope. we can hope that we have just taken a giant step towards ignoring the colour of not just everyone else's skin, but also our own.
(1) to those of you complaining right now, i'm not going to list here synagogues since jews tend to be a race defined by their religion, or buddhist and hindu temples since actual worship at those locations still tends to be defined by the cultures that produced them. it's telling, however, that any conversation about asians in america, and to a lesser extent hispanics, is absent from this new insistence on our new, "post-racial" nation.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
distractions.
so i stayed up late last night and watched the election results. i don't care where you stand politically, you have to admit that barack obama is one of the most eloquent politicians this country as produced in decades.
and i'm 2000 words behind in my novel.
d'oh.
and i'm 2000 words behind in my novel.
d'oh.
Monday, November 3, 2008
yes! i'm planning to vote tomorrow!
now stop calling me!
i hope you are too. in the meantime, this is a fun and fascinating article. i read it on my lunch break today.
i hope you are too. in the meantime, this is a fun and fascinating article. i read it on my lunch break today.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
and again.
it's november. time to try to write another 50,000 words. last year i only made 13,096. first year in 4 that i failed.
wish me luck.
wish me luck.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
and so it begins.
came home today to find the first political robo-call on my answering machine. dammit. i have got to move to california or something. so sick of living in a battleground state.
we haven't, at least, been getting the nasty ones. at least not yet. this one was about "a woman's right to choose." and then, you know, BALEETED. i already know who that's for. don't need to sit through the whole thing. ahem. if they're going to do robo-calls, they could at least make them interesting or unpredictable. also, maybe do a little demographic research. under 35? yeah. gets most political info from teh intarwebz. not automated phone calls.
i was hoping they'd hold off a little longer. 2 weeks to the election. sigh.
we haven't, at least, been getting the nasty ones. at least not yet. this one was about "a woman's right to choose." and then, you know, BALEETED. i already know who that's for. don't need to sit through the whole thing. ahem. if they're going to do robo-calls, they could at least make them interesting or unpredictable. also, maybe do a little demographic research. under 35? yeah. gets most political info from teh intarwebz. not automated phone calls.
i was hoping they'd hold off a little longer. 2 weeks to the election. sigh.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
too soon.
first virus of the season.
i feel miserable. not, unfortunately, so miserable that i could justify using a sick day. i hate this in-between sick. i'd rather have a damn flu with fever and everything than this crappy cold.
bleah.
i feel miserable. not, unfortunately, so miserable that i could justify using a sick day. i hate this in-between sick. i'd rather have a damn flu with fever and everything than this crappy cold.
bleah.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
what's for dinner?
"do you just make these up?" she asked me.
"yes."
middle-eastern-style kabobs
1lb steak (i happened to have rib-eye in the freezer, so that's what i used)
2 green bell peppers
1/2 onion
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic (i like garlic)
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar and/or lemon juice (i don't have any lemons at the moment)
to taste: ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, black pepper, rosemary and oregano (fresh, preferably ...i should plant some oregano next year)
1. combine the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar in a dish or plastic bag.
2. cut the steak into 1" cubes, trimming off excess fat.
3. marinate the meat for at least an hour to overnight.
4. when the meat is nearly finished marinating, cut the onion and peppers into 1" square slices.
5. thread the onion and pepper slices, whole tomatoes, and meat onto skewers, alternating as your whimsy takes you.
6. pour the marinade over the kabobs.
7. grill or broil using high heat so the meat sears. continue cooking to desired doneness.
8. serve with rice, couscous, or flatbread.
"yes."
middle-eastern-style kabobs
1lb steak (i happened to have rib-eye in the freezer, so that's what i used)
2 green bell peppers
1/2 onion
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic (i like garlic)
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar and/or lemon juice (i don't have any lemons at the moment)
to taste: ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, black pepper, rosemary and oregano (fresh, preferably ...i should plant some oregano next year)
1. combine the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar in a dish or plastic bag.
2. cut the steak into 1" cubes, trimming off excess fat.
3. marinate the meat for at least an hour to overnight.
4. when the meat is nearly finished marinating, cut the onion and peppers into 1" square slices.
5. thread the onion and pepper slices, whole tomatoes, and meat onto skewers, alternating as your whimsy takes you.
6. pour the marinade over the kabobs.
7. grill or broil using high heat so the meat sears. continue cooking to desired doneness.
8. serve with rice, couscous, or flatbread.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
in other news...
it lives in the bathroom to protect it from the cat. aloes and cats are apparently natural enemies.
i bought it back in 1999 in a farmer's market in montreal. it's lived through 2 countries, and 6 moves. quite frankly, i'm surprised it's still alive. not only is it alive, it's apparently feeling quite vigorous.
from what i can find online, i need to wait until the sprout is about 4 inches, by which point, it should have developed its own root system. then i carefully separate it and re-pot it by itself. this ought to be interesting.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
family values.
i've been trying to stay away from this, but it's getting ridiculous. i will try to be as tasteful as possible. warning: a rant does follow. i may offend you. if you genuinely think i'm wrong, please let me know.
it has recently come out in the last few days that the 17-year-old daughter of john mccain's running mate is 5 months pregnant. what's mostly troubling about this to me is that any and all defense of her that i can find consists of, "but she's not going to abort!"
honestly, who cares?
let's talk about the mother. let's talk about teen pregnancy. let's talk about low birth weight, birth complications, life-altering circumstances. let's talk about the difference between a white, affluent, middle-class teenager getting pregnant and an inner-city minority teenager getting pregnant, and the example the former sets for the entire nation. hey, while we're at it, let's talk about a family, a white, middle-class, educated family where the mother and her daughter are pregnant at the same time (do the math... bristol is 5 months pregnant and her little brother is 4 months old). let's talk about what that communicates to women, about women, about parenthood and femininity. let's talk about a society obsessed with sex, a society that values women on their sexual attractiveness and availability, a society that equates love with sex.
why isn't anyone asking if bristol palin is going to college? or how about her soon-to-be husband? why isn't anyone talking about these young people at all? why is all the focus on the fetus?
here's a dirty little secret: heterosexual intercourse doesn't have to lead to pregnancy. really. it doesn't. there is no way that any affluent, middle-class girl who's fucking her boyfriend has to get pregnant. none. especially not if you have health insurance. birth control is fucking cheap. condoms are cheaper. unwanted pregnancies should, quite frankly, be unknown in the u.s. today. i am tempted, some of these days, to say that if you get pregnant and you didn't want to, then you are either a) selfish b) lazy c) ignorant or d) infused with a superficial, false-nostalgic view of sex and relationships. i feel sorry for people in the last two categories, and i don't think they (the categories) should exist.
i was raised an evangelical. let me tell you something, pregnant 17-year-olds are not part of the "family values" platform. i never, thank god, suffered through "abstinence-only" education. abstinence has its place. no one in their right mind can argue that the best way to avoid the problems or side effects of sex (read: diseases and babies) is not to not have sex. but i always wondered about the mindset of parents who didn't want their kids to know other ways to prevent them. when are they supposed to learn? between the wedding and the wedding night? "here are some condoms, honey, let me teach you how to use them before you check in to the hotel tonight." seriously? we're not living on farms anymore.
i don't think the poor girl should have been walloped all over the national news, but obviously, her parents don't agree. either that, or they have no idea how to handle the media. it's bristol's life, and she made decisions, and now she's going to have to live with them, but she's also 17, and she has to live with her mother's decisions too. this whole situation is monumentally unfair to her. but the conversations that should be happening, aren't. all we're getting is 1-dimensional kerfuffle about abortion. abortion is such a fucking minor question at this point, it's insane that that's all people are talking about.
it has recently come out in the last few days that the 17-year-old daughter of john mccain's running mate is 5 months pregnant. what's mostly troubling about this to me is that any and all defense of her that i can find consists of, "but she's not going to abort!"
honestly, who cares?
let's talk about the mother. let's talk about teen pregnancy. let's talk about low birth weight, birth complications, life-altering circumstances. let's talk about the difference between a white, affluent, middle-class teenager getting pregnant and an inner-city minority teenager getting pregnant, and the example the former sets for the entire nation. hey, while we're at it, let's talk about a family, a white, middle-class, educated family where the mother and her daughter are pregnant at the same time (do the math... bristol is 5 months pregnant and her little brother is 4 months old). let's talk about what that communicates to women, about women, about parenthood and femininity. let's talk about a society obsessed with sex, a society that values women on their sexual attractiveness and availability, a society that equates love with sex.
why isn't anyone asking if bristol palin is going to college? or how about her soon-to-be husband? why isn't anyone talking about these young people at all? why is all the focus on the fetus?
here's a dirty little secret: heterosexual intercourse doesn't have to lead to pregnancy. really. it doesn't. there is no way that any affluent, middle-class girl who's fucking her boyfriend has to get pregnant. none. especially not if you have health insurance. birth control is fucking cheap. condoms are cheaper. unwanted pregnancies should, quite frankly, be unknown in the u.s. today. i am tempted, some of these days, to say that if you get pregnant and you didn't want to, then you are either a) selfish b) lazy c) ignorant or d) infused with a superficial, false-nostalgic view of sex and relationships. i feel sorry for people in the last two categories, and i don't think they (the categories) should exist.
i was raised an evangelical. let me tell you something, pregnant 17-year-olds are not part of the "family values" platform. i never, thank god, suffered through "abstinence-only" education. abstinence has its place. no one in their right mind can argue that the best way to avoid the problems or side effects of sex (read: diseases and babies) is not to not have sex. but i always wondered about the mindset of parents who didn't want their kids to know other ways to prevent them. when are they supposed to learn? between the wedding and the wedding night? "here are some condoms, honey, let me teach you how to use them before you check in to the hotel tonight." seriously? we're not living on farms anymore.
i don't think the poor girl should have been walloped all over the national news, but obviously, her parents don't agree. either that, or they have no idea how to handle the media. it's bristol's life, and she made decisions, and now she's going to have to live with them, but she's also 17, and she has to live with her mother's decisions too. this whole situation is monumentally unfair to her. but the conversations that should be happening, aren't. all we're getting is 1-dimensional kerfuffle about abortion. abortion is such a fucking minor question at this point, it's insane that that's all people are talking about.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
what's for dinner?
1 lb tuna steaks
1 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
1 T hoisin sauce
1 T sesame oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 1" cube piece of ginger, minced.
1. combine all the ingredients except the tuna in a plastic bag or marinating container.
2. add the tuna and coat well. let the tuna sit in the marinade for at least a half hour.
3. grill or broil the tuna steaks to preferred doneness.
4. serve with rice and steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, etc.
1 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
1 T hoisin sauce
1 T sesame oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 1" cube piece of ginger, minced.
1. combine all the ingredients except the tuna in a plastic bag or marinating container.
2. add the tuna and coat well. let the tuna sit in the marinade for at least a half hour.
3. grill or broil the tuna steaks to preferred doneness.
4. serve with rice and steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, etc.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
do not want.
so, on a jaunt last week through a local supermarket's "organic and natural" aisle, i found this, which looked rather fascinating. i have, in my time, developed a taste for the more elaborate asian renditions of ramen (which are nothing much like your 10 for $1 Top Ramen specials). so i purchased it.
i have just dumped half of it in the trash. you will notice a reference on that webpage to "delicious Pad Thai" sauce. i did not notice any pad thai sauce. what the package did contain was soy sauce. acidic soy sauce, which is apparently meant to evoke "lime and tamarind" (as it says on the packaging) although they're being smart and saving money, because probably most of the people who patronize the supermarkets in this area wouldn't know what a tamarind was if it came home and announced it had gotten their daughter pregnant.
at least it was on sale.
i have just dumped half of it in the trash. you will notice a reference on that webpage to "delicious Pad Thai" sauce. i did not notice any pad thai sauce. what the package did contain was soy sauce. acidic soy sauce, which is apparently meant to evoke "lime and tamarind" (as it says on the packaging) although they're being smart and saving money, because probably most of the people who patronize the supermarkets in this area wouldn't know what a tamarind was if it came home and announced it had gotten their daughter pregnant.
at least it was on sale.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
spontaneity.
this is where i was this morning. yesterday afternoon, we spontaneously decided to go down to the shore. luckily, last night was my aunt and uncle's last night in their rental in barnegat light, so we stayed the night. this morning, they showed us the house they're building down there, and then we spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon on the beach.
i don't get to the beach as much as i would like anymore, and i don't think we've ever done anything this spontaneous. surprisingly, it worked out pretty well.
photo was taken with my phone, as we forgot the camera in the rush to pack after work and get down there as fast as possible. for some reason, it has a blue cast. not sure why.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
is it so much to ask?
all i want is a job with one of two characteristics:
1. i don't have to keep track of my time
or
2. there's actually enough work to keep me busy for an 8-hour log.
i admit it: i'm over-educated and over-trained, intellectually, academically, and functionally. i work quickly and efficiently. i know my way around a computer. i learn fast. and i spend a lot of my time bored out of my fucking mind.
i'm stuck in this limbo stage... i only have an undergraduate degree, and i'm headed into a field where you need at least one grad degree, 2 are better.
but still. i can't imagine no one else has ever been in this position before. is it really so much to ask to be able to actually do the things i enjoy and that i'm good at? apparently.
1. i don't have to keep track of my time
or
2. there's actually enough work to keep me busy for an 8-hour log.
i admit it: i'm over-educated and over-trained, intellectually, academically, and functionally. i work quickly and efficiently. i know my way around a computer. i learn fast. and i spend a lot of my time bored out of my fucking mind.
i'm stuck in this limbo stage... i only have an undergraduate degree, and i'm headed into a field where you need at least one grad degree, 2 are better.
but still. i can't imagine no one else has ever been in this position before. is it really so much to ask to be able to actually do the things i enjoy and that i'm good at? apparently.
Monday, July 7, 2008
fail.
unfortunately, it has also been scented with other things, i assume to mask the scent of citronella, which can be rather pungent. the problem with this idea is that it also masks the smell of citronella to the very insects it is supposed to repel. i'm not sure what that was before it flew into the candle and burned to a crisp last night, but if a bug got that fucking close to the flame, it's obviously not all that abhorrent to them. i've heard of "like a moth to flame" before, but never seen it in action.
damn. now i have to go buy another candle.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
national holidays.
yeah, so i'm a couple days late. what can i say, vacation makes me miss deadlines.
it has been spectacularily grey and humid the past couple days. makes for a very sleepy, slow holiday. zzz...
not that summer holidays aren't for relaxing in the first place. what's that? patriotism? yeah, sure. i have the feeling that the "my x (country, spouse, wow guild), right or wrong" sentiment doesn't have much in the way of legs in this new century.
but hey, i'll take the couple days off from work.
it has been spectacularily grey and humid the past couple days. makes for a very sleepy, slow holiday. zzz...
not that summer holidays aren't for relaxing in the first place. what's that? patriotism? yeah, sure. i have the feeling that the "my x (country, spouse, wow guild), right or wrong" sentiment doesn't have much in the way of legs in this new century.
but hey, i'll take the couple days off from work.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
happy birthday.
he turned 28 on the 28th. aww.
i have baked him a cheesecake. it is cooling on the kitchen counter.
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 scant c white sugar
beat the cream cheese and eggs together. scrape down the bowl. beat in the ricotta and vanilla. keep beating until it's as smooth as you can get it. beat in the sugar.
put a layer of berries on the bottom of a prepared crust (he likes the nabisco oreo cookie crusts. this is an 8" crust, so i had some extra batter). pour the batter on top.
bake at 325 F for 1 hour. you can use a water bath if you're worried about it cracking. the neat thing about this cake is that the berries are a surprise. you can't see them until it's cut.
i have baked him a cheesecake. it is cooling on the kitchen counter.
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 scant c white sugar
beat the cream cheese and eggs together. scrape down the bowl. beat in the ricotta and vanilla. keep beating until it's as smooth as you can get it. beat in the sugar.
put a layer of berries on the bottom of a prepared crust (he likes the nabisco oreo cookie crusts. this is an 8" crust, so i had some extra batter). pour the batter on top.
bake at 325 F for 1 hour. you can use a water bath if you're worried about it cracking. the neat thing about this cake is that the berries are a surprise. you can't see them until it's cut.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
redundant irritation.
i'm sure this had been said before, but it's irritating me.
we recently switched cars. after plugging numbers into excel, it turns out that we actually save abut $20 a month if he drives the diesel and i drive the regular car. the higher miles-per-gallon efficiency of the diesel actually offsets the higher cost in fuel.
this higher efficiency is further enhanced by the fact that most (if not all) gasoline sold today is up to 10% ethanol. now. it's stupid to begin with to turn food into fuel for vehicles. but this stupidity is compounded by the fact that ethanol is actually less energy efficient than pure gasoline, causing your car to actually burn more fuel than it would if they weren't putting ethanol in it. which means more gas in general, as well as more corn going into our cars' engines and not into people's bellies. at least biodiesel doesn't affect the efficiency of diesel engines.
what load of brain surgeons thought this one up?
we recently switched cars. after plugging numbers into excel, it turns out that we actually save abut $20 a month if he drives the diesel and i drive the regular car. the higher miles-per-gallon efficiency of the diesel actually offsets the higher cost in fuel.
this higher efficiency is further enhanced by the fact that most (if not all) gasoline sold today is up to 10% ethanol. now. it's stupid to begin with to turn food into fuel for vehicles. but this stupidity is compounded by the fact that ethanol is actually less energy efficient than pure gasoline, causing your car to actually burn more fuel than it would if they weren't putting ethanol in it. which means more gas in general, as well as more corn going into our cars' engines and not into people's bellies. at least biodiesel doesn't affect the efficiency of diesel engines.
what load of brain surgeons thought this one up?
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
for discussion.
barak obama's successful call for change would not have succeeded without the howard dean's presidential campaign of 2004.
think about it: both men successfully mobilized a huge mass of internet-enabled young people to start a grassroots swelling.
since dean's seemingly radical campaign, we've had four years of bush, four more years of war, and a tanking economy. obama, wearing a similar claim to being a washington outsider, comes along. he's got a similar message. this time people listen.
besides timing, what is the main difference? obama is much less emotional, he is a better speaker (both of which translate to more media savvy), and in general, a career politician from midwest has more widespread appeal than a doctor turned politician from new england.
discuss.
think about it: both men successfully mobilized a huge mass of internet-enabled young people to start a grassroots swelling.
since dean's seemingly radical campaign, we've had four years of bush, four more years of war, and a tanking economy. obama, wearing a similar claim to being a washington outsider, comes along. he's got a similar message. this time people listen.
besides timing, what is the main difference? obama is much less emotional, he is a better speaker (both of which translate to more media savvy), and in general, a career politician from midwest has more widespread appeal than a doctor turned politician from new england.
discuss.
Monday, May 26, 2008
happy memorial day.
yay, vacation. i took friday off as well.
i know, i haven't been very bloggy this month. i needed the break.
i know, i haven't been very bloggy this month. i needed the break.
Monday, May 5, 2008
what's for dinner?
this was actually dinner last night. kind of south-of-france meets american grill, i guess. it's one of my favourite marinades. i made it up one night when i had some wine to use up.
extra virgin olive oil
dry white wine
whole-grain mustard
garlic
parsley
salt and pepper
chicken breasts
spinach
pine nuts
grated parmesan
caveat: i almost never measure things.
1. mix the oil, wine, and mustard until you have a fairly uniform but liquidy marinade. add garlic and parsely (fresh is best, dried if you must), salt and pepper. coat the chicken in the marinade and set aside.
2. prepare the grill (i use charcoal, but i am aware there are people who use gas).
3. grill the chicken (about 5 minutes per side), reserving the marinade.
4. toast the pine nuts, in a dry skillet over medium heat, broiler or toaster oven, or over the coals in a metal pie plate, stirring to keep them from buring.
5. pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil to kill all the raw-chicken germs and thicken it into a sauce.
6. slice the chicken and put it on a bed of spinach. sprinkle on the pine nuts, drizzle with the cooked marinade, and grate the cheese on top.
nomnomnom.
extra virgin olive oil
dry white wine
whole-grain mustard
garlic
parsley
salt and pepper
chicken breasts
spinach
pine nuts
grated parmesan
caveat: i almost never measure things.
1. mix the oil, wine, and mustard until you have a fairly uniform but liquidy marinade. add garlic and parsely (fresh is best, dried if you must), salt and pepper. coat the chicken in the marinade and set aside.
2. prepare the grill (i use charcoal, but i am aware there are people who use gas).
3. grill the chicken (about 5 minutes per side), reserving the marinade.
4. toast the pine nuts, in a dry skillet over medium heat, broiler or toaster oven, or over the coals in a metal pie plate, stirring to keep them from buring.
5. pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil to kill all the raw-chicken germs and thicken it into a sauce.
6. slice the chicken and put it on a bed of spinach. sprinkle on the pine nuts, drizzle with the cooked marinade, and grate the cheese on top.
nomnomnom.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
writers needed.
why scientists should not be allowed to write their own headlines.
although, i have to admit, that's just gorgeous on all its levels.
they should hire me anyway.
although, i have to admit, that's just gorgeous on all its levels.
they should hire me anyway.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
the kart strikes again.
we bought mario kart wii last night.
he's been playing it pretty much non-stop since then. especially since it's finals right now, and his class this evening was cancelled.
i need to find a book to read.
he's been playing it pretty much non-stop since then. especially since it's finals right now, and his class this evening was cancelled.
i need to find a book to read.
Friday, April 25, 2008
what's for dinner?
matza pizza
1 piece matza
tomato sauce
cheese
toppings
step 1: assemble.
step 2: heat.
i am so sick of matza.
2 more days.
1 piece matza
tomato sauce
cheese
toppings
step 1: assemble.
step 2: heat.
i am so sick of matza.
2 more days.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
happy passover.
i survived. not only the traffic, but seder with my family.
although i did have to take a couple minutes and lie down in the back bedroom because wow it got loud.
now i just have to survive a week of matzo. dinners are the worst. for breakfast and lunch there's, y'know, yoghurt and fruit and sandwiches and so forth, but what do you eat for dinner?
i am thawing homemade chicken broth with the intent to make matzo ball soup. for some reason that escapes me, all canned/boxed chicken broth has yeast in it. flavour, i guess?
so. soup. maybe i should try a casserole this year.
although i did have to take a couple minutes and lie down in the back bedroom because wow it got loud.
now i just have to survive a week of matzo. dinners are the worst. for breakfast and lunch there's, y'know, yoghurt and fruit and sandwiches and so forth, but what do you eat for dinner?
i am thawing homemade chicken broth with the intent to make matzo ball soup. for some reason that escapes me, all canned/boxed chicken broth has yeast in it. flavour, i guess?
so. soup. maybe i should try a casserole this year.
Friday, April 18, 2008
popemobile in the way.
many of you will have heard this rant in person, but i am irritated.
the pope is going to be in yonkers tomorrow. because of this, they are closing the cross county parkway between 2pm and 8pm.
i need to be at my grandmother's for seder at 5pm. as you may have guessed, i need to take the cross county to get there.
because it will be closed, we are going to have to take 287 all the way up to the tappan zee bridge and then come down the hutchison parkway to try and get around the whole traffic mess, instead of taking the cross county to the hutch. this will add miles and probably 45 minutes to an already 2 1/2 hour trip (google maps may help you at this point if you're not familiar with westchester county, ny).
what the fuck is the pope doing in yonkers on erev pesach? really, people! let's try a little planning next time!
(ok, ok, this is what he will be doing. could have waited, if you ask me)
*grumble*
the pope is going to be in yonkers tomorrow. because of this, they are closing the cross county parkway between 2pm and 8pm.
i need to be at my grandmother's for seder at 5pm. as you may have guessed, i need to take the cross county to get there.
because it will be closed, we are going to have to take 287 all the way up to the tappan zee bridge and then come down the hutchison parkway to try and get around the whole traffic mess, instead of taking the cross county to the hutch. this will add miles and probably 45 minutes to an already 2 1/2 hour trip (google maps may help you at this point if you're not familiar with westchester county, ny).
what the fuck is the pope doing in yonkers on erev pesach? really, people! let's try a little planning next time!
(ok, ok, this is what he will be doing. could have waited, if you ask me)
*grumble*
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
tomato update.
all seven seeds have sprouted. much to my surprise, considering they spent 3 years in my freezer. some of the plants are kind of sickly-looking, however. i don't really expect them to thrive all that well. but i do have about 3 healthy, promising ones.
yay fresh tomatoes! especially with food prices the way they are...
yay fresh tomatoes! especially with food prices the way they are...
Monday, April 14, 2008
easter chocolate.
am i the only one who is vaguely disturbed by the process of assiduously sawing the head off of a rabbit and sticking the rest of it back in the fridge?
Sunday, April 6, 2008
plant-based life.
my tomato plants are sprouting! well. two of them are. out of seven total. i was getting worried there. the seeds are 3 years old and have spent most of that time in a freezer. 3 years is about the limit for seeds; i will have to order more next year.
i hope i get tomatoes this year. last year, they died of nitrogen deficiency before i ever got to plant them outside. i am trying different potting soil this time around.
i hope i get tomatoes this year. last year, they died of nitrogen deficiency before i ever got to plant them outside. i am trying different potting soil this time around.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
reverberation and reflection.
Thursday, 3 April, 2008. Philadelphia.
8:45pm: everyone is finally all at the apartment where we've been slowly gathering, but drinks are still being drunk and dinner is still being eaten by the apartment residents. a couple people had class this evening.
9:30ish: it's raining. a brief discussion occurs under the awning of the pizza place on the corner as to whether we should walk or wait for a cab, but the venue is about 6 blocks away. eventually common sense prevails, and we walk.
9:30pm: we arrive at the TLA. security is a lot more lax than i remember it. i am asked to empty the pockets of my vest after a brief pat-down, but the guard doesn't then examine my vest again. my legs aren't even included in the pat-down. i used to have this pair of raver pants that included a little velcro-ed pocket right up in the crotch. ostensibly it was for your house key or something, but everyone knew it was for pills. this was when they used to actually pat down your legs.
there is more bass coming up off the floor of the venue (it had been a movie theatre about 30 years ago... my parents saw Yellow Submarine there). this will continue all night.
10:15pm: i ask my friend why they always let these fucking progressive DJs do the opening set. there was one for Underworld back in september as well. we both agree that progressive is the most mis-named genre in musical history, because it isn't. he speculates that it's so that whenever you walk in, everyone is at the same level.
10:40pm: Sasha & Digweed finally go on. the distinctive glow of Apple's icon from the lid of a laptop is clearly seen. Sasha goes first.
11:10pm: some chick behind me whines, "i thought you said this would be over by 11!"
11:30pm: Digweed replaces Sasha. my friend decides he needs to go home and sleep. the tickets were $30, to only be there 2 hours seems like a waste to me. also, i had to negotiate even to get a promise that we would go home at 2am. i am now left alone leaning against one of the balcony pillars.
11:30pm - midnightish: my feet hurt. i continue leaning against the pillar and listening to the music. and the bass. the walls of the TLA are curtained, but the floor and the ceiling are perfectly reflective. in the background, there is a constant chatter of conversations magnified by these surfaces. people keep walking into me. it must still be raining out; a lot of their clothing is wet.
this is one of the times i miss cigarettes... when i used to smoke, they made a really good way of passing the time. i could lean up against the wall and light a cigarette, and when i was finished, i knew at least 10 minutes had passed. Sasha and Digweed are also using ableton, so they're switching up songs about every minute to minute-and-a-half. this results in me checking my watch a lot.
a guy walks by reciting "X,X,X,X,X,X,X." feels like old times.
some time after midnight: two other friends find me at the pillar and ask if i'd like to move to the bar with them. this seems acceptable. i am carded. also, initially, i have lost anything to lean against. a stool is found. i haven't been dancing, or rather, i've been dancing as much as i ever do, which means kind of bouncing slightly in place, so i'm not dehydrated. and i don't have any money anyway. i text him to let him know i've moved from the balcony pillar to the bar.
12:15am: he comes and finds us at the bar. he also finds a friend of his, an ex-londoner who has set up with a recording studio here in philly. they spent all morning together mastering his newest track. the exhaustion begins to hit.
12:30am: Sasha comes back on. Digweed has been spinning CDs, Sasha is using exclusively Ableton running on an Apple laptop (i couldn't see if it was still a powerbook, or if he had invested in the macbook pro, although i rather suspect the latter) and a midi controller. josh wink comes by to get drinks.
12:45am: Sasha and Digweed start working together. i find myself hoping this is the finale and the show might end at 1. i'm tired.
1am: still going. both of them. i move to another stool out from under the balcony over the bar. the highs are hurting my ears. i keep checking my watch.
some time after 1am: they all move to the very front of the bar. i am given a secluded space in front of the curtained entrance to backstage. i am told "it's quieter here." i comment that it's not the noise; i'm just tired. i've been up since 6:30am. i'm so tired i might as well be stoned. only one hour left. we're giving his friend a ride home. i get confirmation again that we will leave at 2am, regardless if the show is over or not. i rather suspect it will be. at least i hope it will.
1:30am: the security guards are getting anxious. two girls have managed to get on stage. we are chastised for blocking an exit (we're under an exit sign, but the little right-pointing arrow is lit, indicating the exit is elsewhere). we move anyway.
a girl motions to me that she would like me to put her jacket someplace. i put it on the stool in front of me and pat it like a cat. she blows a kiss at me and runs off to dance. she will later ask me if i am on myspace, so she can share pictures with me and pout when told i'm not. i give her one of my email addresses instead.
2am: the show is over. their manager announces it is John Digweed's birthday. the whole venue sings "happy birthday" to him. i will later hear that he is really fucked-off about it.
security guards start yelling at people. we're chased out of the bar. we hover on the floor, waiting for his friend, who is backstage talking with Sasha and Digweed. we're harassed by a guard again. then he (the guard) goes up and yells at his friend to get offstage because we have to go away.
we're finally herded out, back on to south street in the rain. there is more yelling. his friend apologizes for getting us yelled at. he was trying to negotiate getting us backstage to hang out, but Digweed was in a bad mood, and then the guard started yelling.
it was a fun night. i'm tired, my feet hurt, and my throat hurts from yelling conversation all night, but i'm glad we came. we haven't done this in a long while. and since smoking indoors has been banned in philly, we don't reek like ashtrays or are covered in raver funk.
8:45pm: everyone is finally all at the apartment where we've been slowly gathering, but drinks are still being drunk and dinner is still being eaten by the apartment residents. a couple people had class this evening.
9:30ish: it's raining. a brief discussion occurs under the awning of the pizza place on the corner as to whether we should walk or wait for a cab, but the venue is about 6 blocks away. eventually common sense prevails, and we walk.
9:30pm: we arrive at the TLA. security is a lot more lax than i remember it. i am asked to empty the pockets of my vest after a brief pat-down, but the guard doesn't then examine my vest again. my legs aren't even included in the pat-down. i used to have this pair of raver pants that included a little velcro-ed pocket right up in the crotch. ostensibly it was for your house key or something, but everyone knew it was for pills. this was when they used to actually pat down your legs.
there is more bass coming up off the floor of the venue (it had been a movie theatre about 30 years ago... my parents saw Yellow Submarine there). this will continue all night.
10:15pm: i ask my friend why they always let these fucking progressive DJs do the opening set. there was one for Underworld back in september as well. we both agree that progressive is the most mis-named genre in musical history, because it isn't. he speculates that it's so that whenever you walk in, everyone is at the same level.
10:40pm: Sasha & Digweed finally go on. the distinctive glow of Apple's icon from the lid of a laptop is clearly seen. Sasha goes first.
11:10pm: some chick behind me whines, "i thought you said this would be over by 11!"
11:30pm: Digweed replaces Sasha. my friend decides he needs to go home and sleep. the tickets were $30, to only be there 2 hours seems like a waste to me. also, i had to negotiate even to get a promise that we would go home at 2am. i am now left alone leaning against one of the balcony pillars.
11:30pm - midnightish: my feet hurt. i continue leaning against the pillar and listening to the music. and the bass. the walls of the TLA are curtained, but the floor and the ceiling are perfectly reflective. in the background, there is a constant chatter of conversations magnified by these surfaces. people keep walking into me. it must still be raining out; a lot of their clothing is wet.
this is one of the times i miss cigarettes... when i used to smoke, they made a really good way of passing the time. i could lean up against the wall and light a cigarette, and when i was finished, i knew at least 10 minutes had passed. Sasha and Digweed are also using ableton, so they're switching up songs about every minute to minute-and-a-half. this results in me checking my watch a lot.
a guy walks by reciting "X,X,X,X,X,X,X." feels like old times.
some time after midnight: two other friends find me at the pillar and ask if i'd like to move to the bar with them. this seems acceptable. i am carded. also, initially, i have lost anything to lean against. a stool is found. i haven't been dancing, or rather, i've been dancing as much as i ever do, which means kind of bouncing slightly in place, so i'm not dehydrated. and i don't have any money anyway. i text him to let him know i've moved from the balcony pillar to the bar.
12:15am: he comes and finds us at the bar. he also finds a friend of his, an ex-londoner who has set up with a recording studio here in philly. they spent all morning together mastering his newest track. the exhaustion begins to hit.
12:30am: Sasha comes back on. Digweed has been spinning CDs, Sasha is using exclusively Ableton running on an Apple laptop (i couldn't see if it was still a powerbook, or if he had invested in the macbook pro, although i rather suspect the latter) and a midi controller. josh wink comes by to get drinks.
12:45am: Sasha and Digweed start working together. i find myself hoping this is the finale and the show might end at 1. i'm tired.
1am: still going. both of them. i move to another stool out from under the balcony over the bar. the highs are hurting my ears. i keep checking my watch.
some time after 1am: they all move to the very front of the bar. i am given a secluded space in front of the curtained entrance to backstage. i am told "it's quieter here." i comment that it's not the noise; i'm just tired. i've been up since 6:30am. i'm so tired i might as well be stoned. only one hour left. we're giving his friend a ride home. i get confirmation again that we will leave at 2am, regardless if the show is over or not. i rather suspect it will be. at least i hope it will.
1:30am: the security guards are getting anxious. two girls have managed to get on stage. we are chastised for blocking an exit (we're under an exit sign, but the little right-pointing arrow is lit, indicating the exit is elsewhere). we move anyway.
a girl motions to me that she would like me to put her jacket someplace. i put it on the stool in front of me and pat it like a cat. she blows a kiss at me and runs off to dance. she will later ask me if i am on myspace, so she can share pictures with me and pout when told i'm not. i give her one of my email addresses instead.
2am: the show is over. their manager announces it is John Digweed's birthday. the whole venue sings "happy birthday" to him. i will later hear that he is really fucked-off about it.
security guards start yelling at people. we're chased out of the bar. we hover on the floor, waiting for his friend, who is backstage talking with Sasha and Digweed. we're harassed by a guard again. then he (the guard) goes up and yells at his friend to get offstage because we have to go away.
we're finally herded out, back on to south street in the rain. there is more yelling. his friend apologizes for getting us yelled at. he was trying to negotiate getting us backstage to hang out, but Digweed was in a bad mood, and then the guard started yelling.
it was a fun night. i'm tired, my feet hurt, and my throat hurts from yelling conversation all night, but i'm glad we came. we haven't done this in a long while. and since smoking indoors has been banned in philly, we don't reek like ashtrays or are covered in raver funk.
Friday, April 4, 2008
getting old.
went to see sasha & digweed at the tla last night.
i have had 3 hours of sleep! never before have i been so tempted to bring my french press and some good coffee to work.
i'm getting too old for this.
and yes, i hope a longer post will follow. but i'm at work now and zzz...
i have had 3 hours of sleep! never before have i been so tempted to bring my french press and some good coffee to work.
i'm getting too old for this.
and yes, i hope a longer post will follow. but i'm at work now and zzz...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
holidays.
happy purim!
happy easter!
passover is late this year. it's a jewish leap year as well as a gregorian one.
purim was actually friday. but i worked too much this week and was too tired to make hamantaschen. zzz.
very zzz.
more coffee! coffee is very spring-festival-ish, right?
happy easter!
passover is late this year. it's a jewish leap year as well as a gregorian one.
purim was actually friday. but i worked too much this week and was too tired to make hamantaschen. zzz.
very zzz.
more coffee! coffee is very spring-festival-ish, right?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
healthy.
there are some days when i really, really miss cigarettes.
and those anti-smoking websites that try to convince you that insisting that smoking is a pleasurable past-time is just an excuse to justify your addiction are pure bullshit.
i'm not really a non-smoker. i'm just a smoker who hasn't had a cigarette in almost two years.
and those anti-smoking websites that try to convince you that insisting that smoking is a pleasurable past-time is just an excuse to justify your addiction are pure bullshit.
i'm not really a non-smoker. i'm just a smoker who hasn't had a cigarette in almost two years.
Monday, March 17, 2008
current reading.
The Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis
i was staring at my bookcase last night, and i just thought, "i haven't read these in a while." also, i recently found my copies of volumes 4-7, so i can. and they'll make a nice break from postmodern theology.
i probably won't read 7, though. never liked that one.
by C.S. Lewis
i was staring at my bookcase last night, and i just thought, "i haven't read these in a while." also, i recently found my copies of volumes 4-7, so i can. and they'll make a nice break from postmodern theology.
i probably won't read 7, though. never liked that one.
Monday, March 3, 2008
credit where credit's due.
"lando calrizzian blew up the second death star in the millenium falcon. credit where credit's due."
- my poor memory of the quote from clerks, which is unaccountably not on the internet somewhere. i probably didn't even spell "calrizzian" right.
this article caught my eye the other day. but not for the obvious reason. i mean, ok, there's the initial boy-some-people-are-gullible reaction, but then i got to wondering.
what does al qaeda think of all these people that believe that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy by the united states government? i mean, these men trained for years, they laid out their plans with pretty close precision, as far as we can tell. it cost them a lot of money. there were 17 men in on it, as well as their trainers and financial backers abroad. and the most amazing thing is, they managed to do it under the nose of what is supposedly one of the best intelligence services in the world.
i remember, one of the first things i said that morning when the second plance crashed into the second tower and it was quickly becoming clear that this was no accident was, "what i want to know is, what intelligence service fell down on the job" (i would also like to thank, if i never have, those people who supported me that morning until i found out that my uncle wasn't in his office on the 104th floor, but had been sent to chicago the night before).
and here, all their credit is going to the shadowy g-men of the CIA. shit, that would piss me off *grin*
i mean, faked moon landings are one thing. that's something that's pretty out there. if you don't know all that much about physics. which i can understand. i happen to find astrophysics fun and educational, but i am fully aware that i am something (...) of a nerd.
but, i mean, 9/11. you've got people who claimed responsibility for it! people who are still killing. and, what the fuck, it was all a plan by "the government"? or even better, they didn't want to have to refurbish the towers? these guys go out of their way to release audio and videotapes to keep reminding us that they did it, and they're still being denied the credit.
no wonder they're so angry.
- my poor memory of the quote from clerks, which is unaccountably not on the internet somewhere. i probably didn't even spell "calrizzian" right.
this article caught my eye the other day. but not for the obvious reason. i mean, ok, there's the initial boy-some-people-are-gullible reaction, but then i got to wondering.
what does al qaeda think of all these people that believe that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy by the united states government? i mean, these men trained for years, they laid out their plans with pretty close precision, as far as we can tell. it cost them a lot of money. there were 17 men in on it, as well as their trainers and financial backers abroad. and the most amazing thing is, they managed to do it under the nose of what is supposedly one of the best intelligence services in the world.
i remember, one of the first things i said that morning when the second plance crashed into the second tower and it was quickly becoming clear that this was no accident was, "what i want to know is, what intelligence service fell down on the job" (i would also like to thank, if i never have, those people who supported me that morning until i found out that my uncle wasn't in his office on the 104th floor, but had been sent to chicago the night before).
and here, all their credit is going to the shadowy g-men of the CIA. shit, that would piss me off *grin*
i mean, faked moon landings are one thing. that's something that's pretty out there. if you don't know all that much about physics. which i can understand. i happen to find astrophysics fun and educational, but i am fully aware that i am something (...) of a nerd.
but, i mean, 9/11. you've got people who claimed responsibility for it! people who are still killing. and, what the fuck, it was all a plan by "the government"? or even better, they didn't want to have to refurbish the towers? these guys go out of their way to release audio and videotapes to keep reminding us that they did it, and they're still being denied the credit.
no wonder they're so angry.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
disease.
so, i've got a virus. and bacteria. i've been given a 10-day course of antibiotics, with a refill "in case it lingers." the idea is that the antibiotic takes care of the bacterial infection and gives my immune system a chance to actually make some headway against the virus. in theory, at least. in the meantime, i've got this lovely not-quite chest cough that really hurts and sounds wonderful.
i haven't run a fever since saturday, however. and my voice came back. sort of. i'm audible now, at least.
i forsee a lot more tea, cough drops, and yoghurt in my future.
stupid weather.
i haven't run a fever since saturday, however. and my voice came back. sort of. i'm audible now, at least.
i forsee a lot more tea, cough drops, and yoghurt in my future.
stupid weather.
Friday, February 22, 2008
snoo.
they've closed the office. which is just as well, it saves me from having to use up another sick day. he has, as you can see, gone into work anyway.
they said "daytime accumulation 2-4 inches." except it's 10am, still snowing, and still below freezing. i think those estimates may need to be revised upwards. a bit.
my voice is slowly coming back, but i am still not, as they say, 100%. i think i will go make tea and enjoy my snow day.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
the sound of silence.
i have been sent home from work with a cough and laryngitis. not having a voice is very frustrating; i am a fairly verbal person. the internets are now my only communications pathway to the outside world. and text messaging, i guess.
my thermometer has unaccountably converted itself to metric. i cannot figure out how to get it back to imperial. it's a thermometer! it only has one button, and that turns it on and off. i am confused. however, with the aid of an online converter, i have discovered that i am, in fact, running a low-grade fever. whee.
i'm thinking maybe i should go to bed. i will have another cough drop.
my thermometer has unaccountably converted itself to metric. i cannot figure out how to get it back to imperial. it's a thermometer! it only has one button, and that turns it on and off. i am confused. however, with the aid of an online converter, i have discovered that i am, in fact, running a low-grade fever. whee.
i'm thinking maybe i should go to bed. i will have another cough drop.
Friday, February 15, 2008
format wars.
i didn't quite call it nearly-two years ago, but i may as well have.
with wal*mart announcing today that they are going to go blu-ray only, the high definition format war is effectively over. i now regret that i wasn't more explicit in my hunch that this was the way it would turn out when i made that original post, but i admit i never expected it to happen this quickly. i thought (as is obvious) that the xbox's add-on unit would keep HD-DVD alive a lot longer, until HDTVs came down even more significantly in price.
i have to admit, assuming we had the money, a PS3 and a 40" 1080p tv would be a pretty attractive combination. but we don't, because he's in school, and only working 3 days a week now. school is a much better investment anyway :)
almost anything is a better investment than television.
the next format problem we're going to have to deal with here is a 5-year-old tv, analog cable, and the shift to digital broadcasts in a year. analog cable is a whole hell of a lot cheaper than the digital bullshit comcast wants to foist on you, so some kind of decision is going to have to be made about a converter box: government-provided vs. comcast-provided. since we don't watch that much tv anyway, i'm thinking going with the OTA box and dropping cable tv altogether. have to see what high speed internet prices look like in a year, i guess.
i think the only cable channel i watch is the weather channel. and the wii has that now, plus a neat spinny globe interface.
also, i rescind my previous statement. apparently, i mostly blog about books, food, and consumer technology *cough*
with wal*mart announcing today that they are going to go blu-ray only, the high definition format war is effectively over. i now regret that i wasn't more explicit in my hunch that this was the way it would turn out when i made that original post, but i admit i never expected it to happen this quickly. i thought (as is obvious) that the xbox's add-on unit would keep HD-DVD alive a lot longer, until HDTVs came down even more significantly in price.
i have to admit, assuming we had the money, a PS3 and a 40" 1080p tv would be a pretty attractive combination. but we don't, because he's in school, and only working 3 days a week now. school is a much better investment anyway :)
almost anything is a better investment than television.
the next format problem we're going to have to deal with here is a 5-year-old tv, analog cable, and the shift to digital broadcasts in a year. analog cable is a whole hell of a lot cheaper than the digital bullshit comcast wants to foist on you, so some kind of decision is going to have to be made about a converter box: government-provided vs. comcast-provided. since we don't watch that much tv anyway, i'm thinking going with the OTA box and dropping cable tv altogether. have to see what high speed internet prices look like in a year, i guess.
i think the only cable channel i watch is the weather channel. and the wii has that now, plus a neat spinny globe interface.
also, i rescind my previous statement. apparently, i mostly blog about books, food, and consumer technology *cough*
Saturday, February 9, 2008
what's for dinner?
this is hopefully become a semi-regular "feature" of this blog, similar to the "current reading" posts. it will equally hopefully encourage me to cook more, since i'm not doing that so much since he's in class 3 nights a week. and since this is practically a food blog half the time anyway, i might as well make it its own category. also, it should alleviate some of the "i need to get your recipe for that!" requests.
so apparently i blog mainly about food and books.
somehow, this doesn't surprise me.
anyway. on to the food.
mac'n'cheese
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni or elbow noodles
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheese - to get the kraft-boxed mac'n'cheese colour, use orange cheddar, but any cheese will do. blending is also a possibility.
1/2 T butter
1 t oil
1 1/2 T white flour
shortening
preheat the oven to 350F and grease with shortening (or butter) an oven-safe dish with a lid
1. boil water and add the noodles.
2. over medium heat, melt the butter.
3. whisking rapidly, combine the flour and oil with the melted butter to make a roux (the oil allows it to withstand slightly higher heat than butter alone).
4. continue whisking the roux until it has reached a rich golden colour. do not let the roux burn or darken too far.
5. whisk the milk into the roux.
6. keep whisking the milk while the pasta continues to cook. lower the heat and do not let the milk scald.
7. when the pasta has reached about the al dente stage, remove it from the stove and drain it.
8. go back to whisking the milk. it should be thickening by this time. whisk in the shredded cheese.
9. you should have a very thick cheese sauce at this point. dump the noodles into the greased dish and pour the cheese sauce on top. stir to combine.
10. bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes up to an hour.
num.
finishing steps include crumbling crackers or bbq-flavoured potato chips on top of the surface. you can also add tuna, cooked chicken, or hot dogs before putting it in the oven.
so apparently i blog mainly about food and books.
somehow, this doesn't surprise me.
anyway. on to the food.
mac'n'cheese
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni or elbow noodles
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheese - to get the kraft-boxed mac'n'cheese colour, use orange cheddar, but any cheese will do. blending is also a possibility.
1/2 T butter
1 t oil
1 1/2 T white flour
shortening
preheat the oven to 350F and grease with shortening (or butter) an oven-safe dish with a lid
1. boil water and add the noodles.
2. over medium heat, melt the butter.
3. whisking rapidly, combine the flour and oil with the melted butter to make a roux (the oil allows it to withstand slightly higher heat than butter alone).
4. continue whisking the roux until it has reached a rich golden colour. do not let the roux burn or darken too far.
5. whisk the milk into the roux.
6. keep whisking the milk while the pasta continues to cook. lower the heat and do not let the milk scald.
7. when the pasta has reached about the al dente stage, remove it from the stove and drain it.
8. go back to whisking the milk. it should be thickening by this time. whisk in the shredded cheese.
9. you should have a very thick cheese sauce at this point. dump the noodles into the greased dish and pour the cheese sauce on top. stir to combine.
10. bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes up to an hour.
num.
finishing steps include crumbling crackers or bbq-flavoured potato chips on top of the surface. you can also add tuna, cooked chicken, or hot dogs before putting it in the oven.
Friday, February 1, 2008
computers hate me.
so i thought i noticed there was something weird-looking about my blog. turns out blogger spontaneously reset the font it was using. at least none of the colours have been reset back to defaults. i don't have those recorded anywhere, although i probably should.
this comes on the heels of my computer at work deciding, all on its own, to turn fade effects and window animation on. i think i have an explanation for that, however: i have noticed occasionally that animations will turn themselves back on after windowupdate is run. at least i have the bounciness on the taskbar controlled by a registry setting. grr.
so far the mac seems unaffected. but i'm not holding my breath.
this comes on the heels of my computer at work deciding, all on its own, to turn fade effects and window animation on. i think i have an explanation for that, however: i have noticed occasionally that animations will turn themselves back on after windowupdate is run. at least i have the bounciness on the taskbar controlled by a registry setting. grr.
so far the mac seems unaffected. but i'm not holding my breath.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
adventures in the attic.
i went into the attic today. the stated reason for the excursion was to find my roman history textbook. it is not on my shelves, ergo, i reasoned, it must still be in the attic.
i found quite a lot of books that had gone missing, including my outland comic collection any my boxed set of the narnia chronicles. all in boxes, quite unopened, and labelled, "random shit." hmf.
i did not, however, find my history textbook.
i bet i gave it to my mom.
i found quite a lot of books that had gone missing, including my outland comic collection any my boxed set of the narnia chronicles. all in boxes, quite unopened, and labelled, "random shit." hmf.
i did not, however, find my history textbook.
i bet i gave it to my mom.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
bah.
so i broke down on saturday and got a new phone.
not a nokia.
oh sad.
actually, it's not too bad. it's a sonyericsson w580i. it does all sorts of things i don't care about, like plays music and browses the internet. but i admit i am impressed by the T9 predictive text messaging thing. or i was, until it decided "voicemail" wasn't a word. pfft.
the reason i needed to type "voicemail" in the first place is because the stupid girl at the at&t store didn't actually tell the phone that speed-dial 1 was supposed to call voicemail, even though she commented to me that she "had it all set up." now i really see the attraction to the activate-in-the-comfort-of-your-own-home iphone selling point.
the new phone is thinner than my nokia, but otherwise nearly the same dimensions. and it came with a handsfree kit and usb cable and everything, which was kind of cool. also, at&t/cingular doesn't cripple their phones, so the bluetooth happily talks to my mac.
now all i need is to get him to make me a simple ringing "ringtone" and upload it onto the phone. stupid phone manufacturers not loading a simple ring sound on their phones. some of us don't want our phones to play crappy music at everyone. marketing morons. geez.
not a nokia.
oh sad.
actually, it's not too bad. it's a sonyericsson w580i. it does all sorts of things i don't care about, like plays music and browses the internet. but i admit i am impressed by the T9 predictive text messaging thing. or i was, until it decided "voicemail" wasn't a word. pfft.
the reason i needed to type "voicemail" in the first place is because the stupid girl at the at&t store didn't actually tell the phone that speed-dial 1 was supposed to call voicemail, even though she commented to me that she "had it all set up." now i really see the attraction to the activate-in-the-comfort-of-your-own-home iphone selling point.
the new phone is thinner than my nokia, but otherwise nearly the same dimensions. and it came with a handsfree kit and usb cable and everything, which was kind of cool. also, at&t/cingular doesn't cripple their phones, so the bluetooth happily talks to my mac.
now all i need is to get him to make me a simple ringing "ringtone" and upload it onto the phone. stupid phone manufacturers not loading a simple ring sound on their phones. some of us don't want our phones to play crappy music at everyone. marketing morons. geez.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
planned obselescence
my phone is dying.
yesterday, it spontaneously lost its SIM card. today, it doesn't know how much charge it has in its battery. i am fairly convinced the battery issue has nothing to do with my leaving it in the car for an hour in 19F degree weather, because i've never heard of cold affecting a lithium-ion battery. hmf.
i actually like this phone. i don't want to get a new one, because they don't make one like it anymore. it's 3 years old. i was eligible to upgrade it last january and opted not to for this very reason.
bah.
yesterday, it spontaneously lost its SIM card. today, it doesn't know how much charge it has in its battery. i am fairly convinced the battery issue has nothing to do with my leaving it in the car for an hour in 19F degree weather, because i've never heard of cold affecting a lithium-ion battery. hmf.
i actually like this phone. i don't want to get a new one, because they don't make one like it anymore. it's 3 years old. i was eligible to upgrade it last january and opted not to for this very reason.
bah.
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