I scored this year on gift cards - as I mentioned to Amby earlier, I don't think I'll need to spend any cash at Target for all of 2008 - yes!
I was also tickled pink to unwrap my gifts and get the following:
Twin Peaks (the entire series)
Veronica Mars (season 3)
"Lunatico" by Gotan Project
What is the What by Dave Eggers
And the food... oh the food.
We had baked brie as an app, followed by a dinner that included prime rib, spinach gratin, and garlic mashed potatoes. My aunt made a cherry pie, which was especially apropos, given the whole Twin Peaks-cherry pie thing.
Yippee!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Holiday Survival Strategy: Booze
I figured out that I'm not only old enough to drink, I've hit the age where my parents are no longer concerned that I'm an alcoholic, which means I can hit the booze in front of my parents without any residual guilt.
This means that I could easily get through our Christmas Eve tradition of hanging out with my parents and their friends, and these friends' children and grandchildren, who are at times (often?) puzzlingly annoying.
Tonight wasn't so bad... either because they weren't so bad or because after one healthily-spiked eggnog and 3 glasses of wine, I ended up having a fine time. Yay Christmas!
This means that I could easily get through our Christmas Eve tradition of hanging out with my parents and their friends, and these friends' children and grandchildren, who are at times (often?) puzzlingly annoying.
Tonight wasn't so bad... either because they weren't so bad or because after one healthily-spiked eggnog and 3 glasses of wine, I ended up having a fine time. Yay Christmas!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Lost
SPOILER ALERT: Here is a trailer for season 4, which begins on January 31!
I can't wait! Thank god the show's still on, despite the writer's strike. If you didn't see season 3, check it out!! It got really good in the second half of the season, and the finale blew my effing mind. Seriously.
I can't wait! Thank god the show's still on, despite the writer's strike. If you didn't see season 3, check it out!! It got really good in the second half of the season, and the finale blew my effing mind. Seriously.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Juno
I saw Juno on Friday and I loved it! I figured I would, since I've been anticipating it since forever ago...
I got to watch it on my sister's new HD television... her friend is a member of the Writer's Guild and gets screeners of new movies to consider for award nominations. Juno was one of the DVDs she received. It's always nice to save some ducats and watch a movie at home!
I got to watch it on my sister's new HD television... her friend is a member of the Writer's Guild and gets screeners of new movies to consider for award nominations. Juno was one of the DVDs she received. It's always nice to save some ducats and watch a movie at home!
Friday, December 21, 2007
30 Rock
After several friends recommended it, I finally checked out 30 Rock.
Holy F, it is soooo funny and good! Alec Baldwin's character is genius. Good thing I don't have the entire season from Netflix (I'm on the one-disc at a time plan) because if I did, I wouldn't have left the house all day.
Holy F, it is soooo funny and good! Alec Baldwin's character is genius. Good thing I don't have the entire season from Netflix (I'm on the one-disc at a time plan) because if I did, I wouldn't have left the house all day.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Corporation
The documentary The Corporation has come up in a couple of conversations recently. This is an amazing film and is one of the main reasons I decided to go to law school.
You can check out the film on YouTube (it's organized by chapter)... even though it's depressing, I think it's important to understand how corporate power is undermining our democracy and leading to less stability in the world.
Here's a clip:
You can check out the film on YouTube (it's organized by chapter)... even though it's depressing, I think it's important to understand how corporate power is undermining our democracy and leading to less stability in the world.
Here's a clip:
Monday, December 17, 2007
The Professor Brothers
Recommended by HH, check out this animated web series - it may make you chuckle.
In the VTA
Franky and I are in Ventura ready to celebrate Christmas!
It's awesome having barely anything to do. Here's how my week is shaping up:
Finish two scholarship applications;
Shop for gifts at K.B. Roberts and/or Casa California;
Hang out with and/or do some work for AC (I want to get some more spending $ for my Portland trip);
See Juno with my sister, possibly at the Arclight;
Sushi with K or L;
Look forward to all the delicious fattening food I will be eating on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yummmmm.
It's awesome having barely anything to do. Here's how my week is shaping up:
Finish two scholarship applications;
Shop for gifts at K.B. Roberts and/or Casa California;
Hang out with and/or do some work for AC (I want to get some more spending $ for my Portland trip);
See Juno with my sister, possibly at the Arclight;
Sushi with K or L;
Look forward to all the delicious fattening food I will be eating on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yummmmm.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Happy Hour Friday (13)
Yes! I finally have a cocktail worth sharing with you! After many months of near sobriety it's nice to take a step back, relax, and enjoy alcohol again. 'Tis the season for celebrating, after all!
At the party I went to last night, the host made Charles Dickens Hot Punch. The recipe is from a letter Charles Dickens wrote in 1847. I love the Victorians.
This punch was delicious! And given that it's served warm we surmised that a lot of the rum's potency wore off. Nonetheless, this tasted like apple cider and was DIVINE. Enjoy, and happy holidays!!
(Recipe from the site linked above)
Zest of lemons, cut into several pieces each
1 packed cup brown sugar
2 cups dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
Juice of 3 lemons
4 cups very hot water
More sugar to taste
In a 4-quart saucepan combine the lemon zest, sugar, rum, and the brandy. Warm over low heat. Be sure there's no exhaust fan running. Stand well back as you light the liquid with a long match. When the flames have gone out, stir in the lemon juice and the water. Taste for sugar. Bring the punch to a very gentle bubble, cover completely and cook 10 minutes. Remove the lemon zest. Set aside up to 3 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Serve warm, ladled into handled cups.
At the party I went to last night, the host made Charles Dickens Hot Punch. The recipe is from a letter Charles Dickens wrote in 1847. I love the Victorians.
This punch was delicious! And given that it's served warm we surmised that a lot of the rum's potency wore off. Nonetheless, this tasted like apple cider and was DIVINE. Enjoy, and happy holidays!!
(Recipe from the site linked above)
Zest of lemons, cut into several pieces each
1 packed cup brown sugar
2 cups dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
Juice of 3 lemons
4 cups very hot water
More sugar to taste
In a 4-quart saucepan combine the lemon zest, sugar, rum, and the brandy. Warm over low heat. Be sure there's no exhaust fan running. Stand well back as you light the liquid with a long match. When the flames have gone out, stir in the lemon juice and the water. Taste for sugar. Bring the punch to a very gentle bubble, cover completely and cook 10 minutes. Remove the lemon zest. Set aside up to 3 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Serve warm, ladled into handled cups.
Get Smart!
I didn't realize they were making a movie based on the TV show, starring Steve Carell!
Here's the trailer.
Here's the trailer.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
New Almodovar film in the works
Exciting news!
Pedro Almodovar is writing a new film which he intends to shoot next spring. According to Cinematical, it's a noir piece starring Penelope Cruz and others called Los Abrazos Rotos, or Broken Hugs.
Cruz is great in his films and I'm sure he'll write another wonderful role for her. If you haven't seen Volver and/or All About My Mother (my two favorites), you should. They are so, so good.
Pedro Almodovar is writing a new film which he intends to shoot next spring. According to Cinematical, it's a noir piece starring Penelope Cruz and others called Los Abrazos Rotos, or Broken Hugs.
Cruz is great in his films and I'm sure he'll write another wonderful role for her. If you haven't seen Volver and/or All About My Mother (my two favorites), you should. They are so, so good.
Julia Margaret Cameron
I just found this lovely video that features some of Cameron's photographs:
I saw a collection of her photographs at the Getty several years ago, and they blew me away. Possibly because I'm a Victorian literature freak, and so her portraits of famous writers and poets, as well as depictions of literary figures really appealed to me.
She often made albumen prints of her photos, which conveyed the same feel as tintype photographs.
On photographing her subjects:
When I have had such men before my camera my whole soul has endeavored to do its duty towards them in recording faithfully the greatness of the inner as well as the features of the outer man.
I saw a collection of her photographs at the Getty several years ago, and they blew me away. Possibly because I'm a Victorian literature freak, and so her portraits of famous writers and poets, as well as depictions of literary figures really appealed to me.
She often made albumen prints of her photos, which conveyed the same feel as tintype photographs.
On photographing her subjects:
When I have had such men before my camera my whole soul has endeavored to do its duty towards them in recording faithfully the greatness of the inner as well as the features of the outer man.
It's chilly
When I first moved to AZ (specifically, the Phoenix area) someone erroneously told me that it never gets under 70 degrees, even in the dead of winter... but from more reliable sources, and the latest weather patterns, I discovered that it gets COLD here, for real.
It's been rainy and cold for the last several days, and today is sunny but will only get up to a high of 61. I guess it's silly to say that 61 is cold, but for one thing, the warmest part of the day is usually 3 or 4 in the afternoon, so for the vast majority of the day it's in the 40s and 50s. And when there's no cloud cover or anything on the ground to hold in the sun's heat, it's chilly. Seriously.
Another way of looking at this (if you are still skeptical that even weather in the 40s and 50s is cold) is that 4 months ago, it was 55 degrees hotter than 61 - yes, that's right. Each day was around 116 degrees. No joke. In 4 months the temperature has dropped 55 degrees. This is astounding to me, given that I was raised in an area that is (for the most part) between 60 and 75 degrees all year long.
By the way, I'm so glad that Arizona doesn't wind its clocks back like the rest of the country. It occurred to me that if we did, "nighttime" would start at 4:30 in the afternoon! (Wait, is that right?)
Anyway, I'm warming up (and nursing my hangover) with some Peet's, and watching (guilt-free) this, this and this, saved on my TiVo. Thank you, winter break!
It's been rainy and cold for the last several days, and today is sunny but will only get up to a high of 61. I guess it's silly to say that 61 is cold, but for one thing, the warmest part of the day is usually 3 or 4 in the afternoon, so for the vast majority of the day it's in the 40s and 50s. And when there's no cloud cover or anything on the ground to hold in the sun's heat, it's chilly. Seriously.
Another way of looking at this (if you are still skeptical that even weather in the 40s and 50s is cold) is that 4 months ago, it was 55 degrees hotter than 61 - yes, that's right. Each day was around 116 degrees. No joke. In 4 months the temperature has dropped 55 degrees. This is astounding to me, given that I was raised in an area that is (for the most part) between 60 and 75 degrees all year long.
By the way, I'm so glad that Arizona doesn't wind its clocks back like the rest of the country. It occurred to me that if we did, "nighttime" would start at 4:30 in the afternoon! (Wait, is that right?)
Anyway, I'm warming up (and nursing my hangover) with some Peet's, and watching (guilt-free) this, this and this, saved on my TiVo. Thank you, winter break!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Cuban Missile Pig
From Salon:
At a White House press briefing on Oct. 26, a reporter asked Dana Perino about Vladimir Putin's suggestion that a U.S. plan to base parts of a missile shield in Europe was similar to the events that led to the Cuban missile crisis....
Perino's response: "Well, I think that the historical comparison is not -- does not exactly work. What I can say is what President Putin went on to say, which is that the president and President Putin have said that we can work together on this."
...Appearing on NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me" over the weekend, Perino said she "panicked" when she got the Cuban missile crisis question because she wasn't exactly sure what the Cuban missile crisis was. "I really know nothing about the Cuban missile crisis," Perino said. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."
At a White House press briefing on Oct. 26, a reporter asked Dana Perino about Vladimir Putin's suggestion that a U.S. plan to base parts of a missile shield in Europe was similar to the events that led to the Cuban missile crisis....
Perino's response: "Well, I think that the historical comparison is not -- does not exactly work. What I can say is what President Putin went on to say, which is that the president and President Putin have said that we can work together on this."
...Appearing on NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me" over the weekend, Perino said she "panicked" when she got the Cuban missile crisis question because she wasn't exactly sure what the Cuban missile crisis was. "I really know nothing about the Cuban missile crisis," Perino said. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."
Sunday, December 9, 2007
I want to believe
I pretty much hate both major political parties, since in my opinion they are essentially the same, but Barack Obama has a powerful message.
Is it too late to hope for a better America?
Is it too late to hope for a better America?
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Nice-n-easy
I just got back from checking out Fresh & Easy, which just opened up in Mesa.
I liked it! The produce was really nice, especially in comparison to the other stores here. When I lived in CA, I really took for granted how wonderful the produce was. After moving to AZ I discovered that the produce here was smaller, not as fresh, and sometimes rotting on the shelves. I saw this in Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Safeway. Out of all three, Safeway had the best produce.
But Fresh & Easy had cheap, fresh, large, & ripe produce! They also have a ton of pre-packaged foods, I guess something they are known for. I got a salad of spinach, cranberries, feta, and walnuts - really similar to something Trader Joe's offers (around the same price too) and larger than what you get at TJs.
Their cheese section it is not varied as Whole Foods (but few things are). It was a great selection though. When I saw they had drunken goat my heart leapt! I hadn't seen that stuff since my last visit to Andronico's, which was ages ago. They also had fig spread and quince paste - I couldn't believe it. I haven't seen any of those lovely Bay Area grocery store staples in so long.
The experience overall was nice; they just opened up and so staff were waaay helpful, trying to make a good impression (and they did). The space is nicely laid-out and the shelves are not very high - so everything is organized well and easy to access. It's like shopping at an upscale Trader Joe's, but the store brand items are nicer and you can still buy national brand products if you want.
I liked it! The produce was really nice, especially in comparison to the other stores here. When I lived in CA, I really took for granted how wonderful the produce was. After moving to AZ I discovered that the produce here was smaller, not as fresh, and sometimes rotting on the shelves. I saw this in Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Safeway. Out of all three, Safeway had the best produce.
But Fresh & Easy had cheap, fresh, large, & ripe produce! They also have a ton of pre-packaged foods, I guess something they are known for. I got a salad of spinach, cranberries, feta, and walnuts - really similar to something Trader Joe's offers (around the same price too) and larger than what you get at TJs.
Their cheese section it is not varied as Whole Foods (but few things are). It was a great selection though. When I saw they had drunken goat my heart leapt! I hadn't seen that stuff since my last visit to Andronico's, which was ages ago. They also had fig spread and quince paste - I couldn't believe it. I haven't seen any of those lovely Bay Area grocery store staples in so long.
The experience overall was nice; they just opened up and so staff were waaay helpful, trying to make a good impression (and they did). The space is nicely laid-out and the shelves are not very high - so everything is organized well and easy to access. It's like shopping at an upscale Trader Joe's, but the store brand items are nicer and you can still buy national brand products if you want.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Defamer's KieferWatch
Hi-larious.
Take a Virtual Tour of Kiefer Sutherland's Jail Cell!
What's Kiefer Eating in Jail?
Bookmark this link to keep up-to-date with "Everyone's Favorite Hollywood Drinking Buddy."
Take a Virtual Tour of Kiefer Sutherland's Jail Cell!
"It was lights out at 10 p.m. for Jack Bauer." The warden is reportedly considering making an exception [to this rule] to accommodate the actor's holiday observances, and may erect a Christmas tree in the prisoners' common area for a brief Christmas Eve tackling ceremony, one which he hopes will help the new inmate bond with other members of the incarcerated community as they celebrate the Yuletide season.
What's Kiefer Eating in Jail?
While Sutherland appears to be adjusting well, we'd caution his fans that he might well emerge from this month-and-a-half-long ordeal a changed man, looking not unlike his hirsute, scarred alter ego after two years in a Chinese political prison.
Bookmark this link to keep up-to-date with "Everyone's Favorite Hollywood Drinking Buddy."
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
In Rainbows - get it before 12/10/07
After mentioning it many moons ago, I finally downloaded In Rainbows, the new Radiohead LP. This is the one the band produced independently and decided to make available for download under a "pay what you want" basis. I was going to pay something, since I love this band and honestly don't feel bad about spending money on their music.
But, I'm a poor student right? I decided not to pay anything... and I feel a little guilty about that. I do take some solace in the fact that I legally purchased all of their other CDs, so that counts for something? Maybe.
Anyway, so far I really like it! If you like Radiohead, check it out! They will stop making it available for free on 10 December 2007.
But, I'm a poor student right? I decided not to pay anything... and I feel a little guilty about that. I do take some solace in the fact that I legally purchased all of their other CDs, so that counts for something? Maybe.
Anyway, so far I really like it! If you like Radiohead, check it out! They will stop making it available for free on 10 December 2007.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Super Fan #99
I was recommending Swingers to a friend and was reminded of how much I love this film. I guess it's a "guy flick" but I think it's hysterical.
If Whole Foods and Trader Joe's had a love child...
... it might be Fresh & Easy. They are opening up a store in Mesa this week, and I might check it out. I guess there's been some controversy when they opened up locations in SoCal, and some customers gave it lukewarm reviews. But, whatevs. I'll check it out and report back.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Jonesing for Jon
With The Daily Show on hiatus, It's been tough to find my fix... but that's why we have the interwebs!
Old School Pic of the Day (6)
Well, the holiday season is upon us (how it's already December I have no idea) and I've even put up lights on my patio (I'm usually opposed to decorations, mostly because I'm too lazy to deal with putting them up, then taking them down in a month).
But this year, maybe because I get a month off from school and a trip to Portland, I'm looking forward to the holidays!
Here's a pic from probably 1977 or 1978. The expression on my mom's face is priceless. You can take the gal out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the gal. She seems to be thinking: "I have to get up this effing early and you wanna take my picture?" I love it.
But this year, maybe because I get a month off from school and a trip to Portland, I'm looking forward to the holidays!
Here's a pic from probably 1977 or 1978. The expression on my mom's face is priceless. You can take the gal out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the gal. She seems to be thinking: "I have to get up this effing early and you wanna take my picture?" I love it.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
It's the little things.
So, I was having some anxiety today as I kept having to walk past a sink full of dishes. No time to wash them - no time! Then I remembered: I have an effing dishwasher! I loaded that sucka up and problem solved!
I guess I forgot about the dishwasher because I never use it (it seems wasteful to use a dishwasher when you are one person) but let me tell you, when I'm spending 95% of my waking hours in front of my computer, textbooks, and study materials, I don't want to spend the other 5% washing dishes.
Plus, that frees up more time to blog!
I guess I forgot about the dishwasher because I never use it (it seems wasteful to use a dishwasher when you are one person) but let me tell you, when I'm spending 95% of my waking hours in front of my computer, textbooks, and study materials, I don't want to spend the other 5% washing dishes.
Plus, that frees up more time to blog!
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