| But you know what's working well for me . . . |
[29 Sep 2008|02:55pm] |
. . . is cookies.
I like to practice the holiday recipes before springing them on the world (which means I'll be making lots of pan muerto next weekend), so I tried out these guys from here.
They're kind of a pain, but also delicious and sort of funny. I recommend (1)adding a half t. of cinnamon to the chocolate dough and (2) a half t. of orange zest to the vanilla. Also (3) freezing the dough before you slice it, if you have a good sharp knife.
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| Hmmm . . . |
[24 Sep 2008|01:19pm] |
I don't mean to get anyone's brains dirty by linking them to Fox News, but:
McCain is "suspending" his campaign to help with the bailout.
It's probably best if you don't read the comments on that page, by the way.
If it were a different time, and if McCain hadn't sold his soul in bloody little pieces, I could be persuaded to take this at face value. But we're here and now, and it stinks.
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| All this time with "Bartleby" and I just learned this |
[12 Sep 2008|01:15pm] |
Did everyone else know that John Jacob Astor was an opium smuggler?
I'm so uncool.
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| Bummer of the week besides the convention speeches |
[04 Sep 2008|11:10am] |
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My comic book shop--the only one in town--is closing on Saturday.
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| A recipe |
[28 Aug 2008|09:15pm] |
From the very excellent Veganomicon, by the maintainers of The Post-Punk Kitchen. Seriously a great book.
I have left out some of the hints (make the dough and/or roast the squash a day ahead, serve with guacamole, etc.) but otherwise, these are the words of the authors, not me.
( Acorn Squash and Black Bean Empanadas )
This was the first recipe I made from this book. I used canned black beans, and the result was fantastic.
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| I don't know how to read the signs |
[07 Jul 2008|09:56pm] |
First the June 2008 issue of Harper's, about the Idaho couple who donate their time, boat, and equipment to search for drowning victims. The article started with this set of images:
and described how terribly easy it is, drowning, how inevitable. And for a few days I was haunted, obsessed with finding more side scan sonar images. Sunken ships and piles of tires and cars and more bodies, unmistakable, resting:
Second, all this sorrow here on LJ, pouring up smokelike from Texas, about this woman Shannon Leigh, who I'd never heard of and whose life seems to have been well lived and whose drowning so wrong, so hinged on a few seconds.
Third, Bill Studebaker, whose work I've been reading my whole writing life, has died on the South Fork and all that's left is to find the body. Resting.
Shining waters opening up and swallowing poets. Sonic shadows and they're growing closer, more distinct.
It's a beautiful pointless world; cast the best shadow you can before it gets you.
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| Some teachers are jerks--reposted from fountaingirl |
[25 May 2008|02:58pm] |
Maybe I'm taking this a little personally because next year my son will probably be in kindergarten (and I'm wondering if I'm "tiger mom"-ing [as one of you describes it] by proxy), but here's your Bad Teacher story of the week.
In brief, Wendy Portillo had a five year old kindergartner stand up in front of his classmates and have them tell him what they didn't like about him and then "vote" him out of class. Kid likely has Aspberger's. Kid is five. Wendy Portillo is a Bad Teacher and should probably find work in a different field.
I know it's a holiday weekend and all, but if you could take some time to be outraged over the internet or with a real live letter?
Here are the relevant contacts:
( Read more... )
I've actually thought about the fact that there may be more to this than is being revealed at the moment, but the teacher confirms the heart of the story: that she had five year old children "vote" one of their classmates out of class, calling him "disgusting" (and also, less disturbingly, "annoying"). Even if he's a pain-in-the-ass five year old (which certainly can happen), it doesn't really seem like she created a "teachable moment" here. In fact, she sounds cruel and stupid. At best, she's an incompetent creep.
While I'm generally reluctant to cry havoc and let slip the dogs of internet rage, it seems (1) justified and (2) potentially effective in this case.
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| Novelty cauliflowers |
[15 May 2008|11:00pm] |
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So: purple and/or orange cauliflower--discuss.
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| Sunglasses |
[06 May 2008|10:32pm] |
I'm still confused about how what certainly felt like a greasy kernel of loathing for this show somehow transmogrified into a buttery fluffy lump of love.
I'll stay up all hours to catch Sunday reruns. Weird, because it really might suck by accident instead of on purpose.
But seriously, it's a comedy, right?
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| You brought 'er, YOU Spitzer! |
[10 Mar 2008|01:04pm] |
What happened to you, Eliot Spitzer? You used to be cool.
The teevee show I'm watching right now says he's resigning. Whoa.
EDIT: He's being indicted. Double whoa.
FURTHER EDIT: Yes indictment, "expected to resign," but no confirmation. Jeeeeeez.
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| Back off, polar bear; I swear to god I will cap you |
[25 Feb 2008|09:24pm] |
Depressing, awesome, or both?
Svalbard Global Seed Vault open for business in Norway in case there is some doom.
For which we should be lauded or chided.
I guess that my favorite part (aside from the brave attempt to thwart at least a few strains of apocalypse) was the armed guard named, hand to god, Jimmy Olsen. "My job," he said, "is to keep away people who aren't supposed to be here, and guard against polar bears."
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| Glurg |
[31 Jan 2008|11:52am] |
So acquisitive today. I want:
A lovely pocketknife, for defense and nail-picking
A perfect bike
A copy of Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones (this one I actually have to go get; promises were made).
Some tacos
I'm all sevenish or something.
And there's too much coffee.
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| hilltop church and geriatric platybrachiosaur in mutual peril |
[25 Jan 2008|01:20am] |
Because of the squishing and the poking.
It's quite cold.
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| Damn |
[18 Jan 2008|04:25pm] |
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I hate it when I miss Degrassi.
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| uhhhhhhh, uuuhhhhh, aaaahhhhhuuuhhhh |
[28 Dec 2007|11:30pm] |
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I gave the dog a candy-cane shaped rawhide chew for Christmas. The horrible, echoing bass scraping sound it's making in his huge mouth sounds like zombies yearning in the basement.
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| One more time--spread the good word |
[11 Dec 2007|10:32am] |
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Citizens! The left lane is for passing!
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| A blur of holidays |
[28 Nov 2007|12:25pm] |
We're not putting away our costumes, and the tree is up.
Don't mess with us.
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| Thanksgiving |
[22 Nov 2007|10:10pm] |
Before we ate, we toasted each other with that carbonated apple/cranberry juice that comes in a wine bottle, and I said, "I'm thankful for you guys," and my husband said, "I'm thankful for you two," and my kid said, "I'm thankful for Darth Vader and Spider-Man."
I like Spider-Man, too.
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| Where do you give? |
[14 Nov 2007|12:10pm] |
A little fragile today. Which is okay.
Last night I was feeling slightly awed that I am wealthy enough to bathe my son in clean, hot water every day. Isn't it strange and appalling and lucky? And he has seen a dentist and he is immunized. Madness. Luck.
So I'll have a couple hundred dollars more than I'm going to need this paycheck; the boy's savings account gets some, but the rest I'm giving away. For the first time, pretty much ever, I'm able to donate in the low three figures. Lucky.
For sure the Idaho Food Bank (five stars on Charity Navigator--I'm always amazed with what the Pocatello director, Roy, can do with the money he gets--it's truly a loaves/fishes kind of thing) will get some, and then . . . Oxfam? Doctors Without Borders? The Red Cross?
If you're donating as the big donation season starts, who's getting your money and/or time? Should someone not named here get some of mine?
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| A suggestion |
[12 Nov 2007|02:17pm] |
My mother bought me some (1) Pumpkin Spice Eggnog (it actually has pumpkin puree in it . . . because eggnog really lacks body, I suppose) and some (2) Cinnamon bread from Great Harvest.
So I did what any rational person would do and made French toast with these impractical luxury items (I'm also putting the eggnog in my coffee. I can't really drink eggnog. Who can?)
Can I tell you something? Can I? GO MAKE EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST RIGHT NOW DO IT DO IT DO IT.
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wretchmuffin's journal
