matins

2007-11-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I roam

2007-08-01T17:32:00.000-04:00

And sometimes I'm just hanging out on other blogging sites.

How New Jersey Are You?

2006-12-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

You Are 76% New Jersey!

You are definitely Jersey. Well done, my friend. You are most likely from this great state, and you fit right in. Odds are, you love being Jersey!

How New Jersey Are You?
Make Your Own Quiz

Oh dear. I thought I would fail miserably as I never spent my summers at the shore and have never read Weird New Jersey.

I may have outdone myself

2006-12-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

I finally drank too much coffee. I did not think that this could happen, but, lo!, yes! it can! Also, the feeling is not entirely as pleasant as one would think.

Lulu dreams

2006-09-13T18:04:00.000-04:00

Last night I dreamt that a professor in class was utterly disappointed in my term paper. She had expected a biographical career retrospective of Lulu where as I had produced only a rough sketch of her early career. I can not recall if I was given the option of a rewrite nor do I even recall enrolling in a class on Lulu.

Yesterday, in reality, I was drinking coffee from my thermos cup when I realized something solid had entered my mouth. After removing the contents of my mouth into a tissue, the solid appeared to be a stick of chewing gum sized mold about the color and density of seaweed. (I did not finish my coffee). The thermos cup had been recently allowed to "go to seed" for a week and a half. A more thorough cleaning is in process (and will continue for several days).

Three wrongs, a right

2006-09-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

Between the threatening rain clouds of Ernesto that unleashed their fury on Saturday evening, Brian re-respraining his ankle on Sunday, and the cat sitter not noticing that the bathroom door to the litterbox was closed and the cats protesting the only way they can (it involves doing many loads of laundry tomorrow), I think I enjoyed camping in Vermont.

[ETA: Yes, I did enjoy camping! I have pictures to prove it! (Um, but not until I finish posting pictures from Cape Cod.]

Fruits of the year, plated

2006-07-30T06:26:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise to discover that the cheese plate at Artisanal Fromagerie features both quince paste and figs with almonds! My fruits of the year (fig, 2005; quince, 2006) together at last!

Sadly, one of the featured cheeses was also described as having a scent of wet slate. A taste inspection revealed that the cheese was much like one would expect from licking the sidewalk.

It's true--one can never have enough cocktail napkins

2006-07-26T08:28:00.000-04:00

Dear Critical Shopper,

Please read Patricia Marx's article titled "You Shouldn't Have" in the July 24, 2006 issue of The New Yorker. I believe you have been served. Now that is how to write a shopping column!

"Scent of the green spoken"

2006-07-13T09:07:00.000-04:00

Due to the success of heavily serialized television shows like Lost and 24, spammers are apparently trying a similar tactic. Below are two samples of junk mail received earlier this week. I can't wait to receive more to learn how the story ends.

and

Into the what? This better have a better ending than an ad for Vi*gr*.

[Matt B. solved the mystery:

"this is from "roadside picnic" by arkady strugatsky and boris strugatsky:

"Redrick got up, went behind the ore car, sat on the embankment, and
watched as the green wash dimmed and quickly turned to pink. The
sun's orange rim came up over the ridge, and purple shadows stretched
from the hills. Everything became harsh and in high relief, he could
see things as clearly as if they were in the palm of his hand. Right
in front, two hundred yards away, Redrick saw the helicopter. It had
fallen, apparently, into the middle of a mosquito mange spot, and its
fuselage had been squashed into a metal pancake. Its tail had
remained intact, only slightly bent, and it stuck out over the glade
like a black hook. The stabilizer was also whole, and it squeaked
distinctly, turning in the light breeze. The mange must have been
very powerful, for there hadn't even been a real fire, and the Royal
Air Force insignia was very clear on the flattened metal. Redrick had
not seen one in many years and had almost forgotten what the insignia
looked like."]

Yes, I do suffer from this disease!

2006-06-27T09:52:00.000-04:00

I don't know what this disease is, but perhaps I do suffer from it! How does spam mail know me so well?

Music notes (2/4 beat)

2006-06-24T07:58:00.000-04:00

• "He likes a boy in uniform! (School uniform!)": Are the Pipettes the Would-Be-Goods reincarnated? I'm okay with that. (Yes, I do realize that the Would-Be-Good have reincarnated, but I've never moved past The Camera Loves Me album. Perfection isn't easy to follow up).

• blowupdoll satisfies all of musical obsessions: French yeh-yeh and girl groups with an occassional visit to 80s pop and R&B. (Other mp3 blogs are too concerned about bands whose members have unironic ironic beards).

(Two is enough for a trend these days).

Mac users by night

2006-06-17T08:16:00.000-04:00

Just because the world thinks he is the cutest thing ever, I would like to point out that in the episode of The Office the other night, Jim had a PowerBook (the PowerBook is dead, long live the Powerbook) at his home.

Alex K must be shopping for a big gift for me

2006-06-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

What? It's my birthday and no Critical Shopper column in Thursday Styles? Alex, you owe me one.

Fresh church

2006-06-04T17:35:00.000-04:00

The pastor at church this morning was a woman with red-brown short hair who resembled Fresh Air's Terry Gross. I was half-expecting her to sit down and ask the congregation questions for 45 minutes instead of giving a sermon while a David Edelstein look-a-like would give some cursory movie review during communion.

Cooking powers for good

2006-06-01T05:36:00.000-04:00

As most families do on three day weekends, my family had a cook-out. And as most families have, a certain amount of discord could be felt. It originated in the kitchen, migrated towards the grill, and settled at the table. The cause (and this everyone agreed on) was Rachael Ray. Does America's beloved and best-selling cookbook author know the agony she brings to dinner tables? If she did, she would certainly stop--unless she is hell-bent on pushing cookbooks for her career in exchange for the destruction of the American family. (The first guess may be correct--she doesn't even shell out the dosh for pictures in her books).

My sister likes the quick and relatively simple recipes (365 and no repeats!); her husband admired the gumption of putting sour cream on steak. My father had his own professional reasons for not liking her; Bri likes cooking powers to be used for good as embodied by Nigella, Giada, and Ina.

As for me, I found that redoing Ashlee Simpson's song "L.O.V.E." eased the tension. Try it:
E V
E V
E V
E V O O
I'm talking 'bout
Etc.

And as for the food itself, we all ate it and that settled the question better than any debate.

Elementary nemesis

2006-05-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

My kindergarten education had a rocky start. In fact, I believe I failed--Ms. X wanted to hold me back for a second year of kindergarten. I can't recall why exactly, but I do know that I was slow to learn how to tie my shoes and there was a disastrous Easter egg coloring assignment. My mother objected and convinced the school to let me in the 1st Grade. Things went much better then and I advanced skill groups. (I've also done okay after elementary school too).

But Ms. X began teaching 2nd Grade when I began that year. She told my mother on several occasions that it was a horrible mistake to have let me advance to 1st. My elementary nemesis? Sure, I need someone to fill the role.

Now (dark clouds gathering) HappyWill had his kindergarten orientation this morning and (as these things go) will have Ms. X in the fall. But we're ready for her this time.

Soaking up

2006-05-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I don't need to look at the weather forecast for the next week as it's just rain, storms, and floods. I'm okay with this as long as the flood waters don't lap at my porch steps.

My Easter was much like this

2006-04-16T21:46:00.000-04:00

The good Doctor

2006-04-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

The good: Watching Doctor Who cured my headache.

The bad: Now I am scared of Daleks!

Events that have made me feel very fragile this week

2006-04-07T08:27:00.000-04:00

1. NYTimes.com redesign
2. Windows on Macs
3. Sufjan Stevens' immaculate conception hoax
4. House Hunters sham
5. Judas really Jesus' BFF

String of violence

2006-03-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

String of Violence: Adrian Searle on Liza Lou's art: "At White Cube, a chainlink cage of security fencing topped with razor-wire stands in the centre of the gallery. There is no gate, no way in or out. What should appear stark and brutal shimmers: the wire, the steel poles and the chainlink are all iced in glass beads, a strange and sparkling coating."

I saw this exhibit (yes, a literal gilded cage) when I was in London: it sparkled, made me feel uncomfortable in a good sort of way. See also here.

Reasons why Brad and Angelina should not hold pilot's licenses that tempt fate and should engage in a safer hobby, such as Scrabble or scrapbooking:

2006-03-19T08:43:00.000-05:00

1. Aaliyah
2. Carole Lombard
3. John Denver
4. Patsy Cline
5. John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

Cookie claim

2006-03-17T23:40:00.000-05:00

On Monday my school held a blood drive. I, of course, could not participate nor was I asked. That was a shame as I had a deadpan answer prepared--one to make Oscar Wilde blush. Discrimination and unfair, yeah, but has anyone really considered the deprivation of cookie consumption on banned donors? I am considering filing a Due Process and Equal Protection claim against the government to remedy this situation. Everyone has the right to Lorna Doone cookies and apple juice drink boxes!

Give me London or give me treat

2006-02-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have been considering buying myself a small present to celebrate, um, March or something. For instance, a Roomba or a Folding Cargo Bag for the car.

But then I remember that I am leaving for London on Wednesday! Certainly that is better than a Roomba! Good thing I already made an itinerary/list for London things:

Muji

Mint Cakes

Rachel Whiteread at the Tate Modern

See a Banksy

Girls Aloud DVD (for Brian)

Suggestions/requests?

Balance creep

2006-02-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

Anyone know how to prevent the headphone balance creep (found in the Sound Preference pane) on an iBook? I have yet to find a reason why the balance shifts to the left or right. To make matters worse, I often do not even realize this has happened as I listen to Motown and girls groups where the mix can be dodgy to begin with. I was shocked to discover that all Marvelletes songs aren't mixed in the left audio only . . .