During this season, it's important to remember the real reason for the season. It's not about presents or even traditions. It's not about angrily claiming the right to say CHRISTmas. It's not about lights or candles or trees. It's not about politics or a culture war. (don't get angry, keep reading) It's not about human charity or even love as we know it or can even conceive of it.
It is about an uncomfortable sacrifice. It is about God choosing to leave the glory of Heaven and come down here to become one of us and live through the trials of humanity. It is about God in all of his majesty, who was known as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night to His people, humbling himself and choosing to take the form of a baby born in the most meager of circumstances.
It is about God's realization that if He wanted to win our hearts, majesty alone would not do it. Becoming a kindred spirit and experiencing our pain would be the way to win us over. My dad tells a story of a missionary friend from Africa who tried to explain the idea of the Holy Spirit to his congregants. He couldn't really explain the idea of a comforter adequately, so he explained the idea of the Holy Spirit as "the One who lies beside you in the ditch."
As we celebrate Christmas, remember that all of the trappings that we have added on to this holiday season are still pretty great, and they should be observed and enjoyed with family and friends; however, when you have a moment alone, reflect on the beautiful miracle of mercy that was Jesus coming to earth. God incarnate coming here to lie beside us in the ditch all to win our hearts and our trust so that we would follow Him. Remember that it was for you that He chose to do these things, and the gravity of knowing that your Creator loves you so intensely that He did not want to allow you to live in this world with pain, sin, and sadness without taking it on Him self.
If you are having a painful Christmas season, there is Someone there shouldering the burden with you. If you are having a joyful Christmas season, there is Someone celebrating alongside you. He urges you to do the same for your brothers and sisters as well. Shoulder someone's burden or share their joy today, forgive someone, knowing that you are following Jesus in His model of how to be human. Do it as a sacrifice and your act of worship today as a reminder of how we should live every other day, too.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
What they will serve at the marriage supper of The Lamb, I think...
Ok, so I promised a blog about the miracle that is The Spice Market in Midtown. Located inside The W Midtown, it is a very hip restaurant that delivers food well worth the price. Most of these hip places are all image and no substance, but let me assure you, with The Spice Market, you will get substance. Seriously.
Let me begin by saying that the first inkling I got that this was going to be a delicious experience was when she took our drink orders, and I asked for ginger ale. She said they had house ginger ale that was made from fresh grated ginger. I was up for it, so I tried it. OH MY GOSH, it was unbelievable. Very strong ginger flavor, but let me say that if I'd had this in my hands during morning sickness, I'd have never felt ill! It burned so good. Mmmm.
The next delectable goody that she brought out was fried lentil chips with tomato jam. They were rather like fried naan with a tomato chutney, but even crispier and lighter. Very delicious. They were complimentary as an opener. We ordered our meal: spiced chicken samosas with cilantro yogurt sauce as an appetizer, chicken and coconut milk soup, and chargrilled chicken in kumquat lemongrass dressing.
The cilantro yogurt sauce for the samosas was the most delicious condiment that I've ever eaten. When we were done dipping the samosas, we ate the rest with a spoon! The flavors were artfully balanced. There was no one overwhelming or overpowering flavor in the entire dish. The pastry was like a phillo dough and very crispy and light. The chicken was seasoned lightly, and all of it was complemented nicely by the ginger ale. Mmmm.
On to the soup. It was delicious and not unlike your standard tom kha that you would order at a Thai restaurant. It was very chunky, almost too chunky for a spoon. Very hearty, and the flavors again were so artfully balanced. It was not like most chains or even small Asian restaurants where you just kind of get what you get. It tasted like someone tried very hard to make your eating experience a joyful one.
Then the main event: a HUGE helping of the kumquat lemongrass chargrilled chicken. It had a caramelized crispy coating on the outside, and was covered in cooked kumquats and lemongrass dressing. It was a sweet and sour mix that was strong but at the same time very delicate. Again, I marveled at how well balanced the flavors were. I am almost offended sometimes by the way that a lot of restaurants just lean on garlic as the primary seasoning because everyone seems to love it. It's just lazy to me to do that, and this restaurant seems to agree with me! Instead of leaning on a garlic heavy recipe, they used the bright flavors of the citrus overtones to blend with the sweet caramelized crust along with ginger and a touch of garlic and pepper. It had a nice heat to it that didn't burn so much as smolder. It left me with a very pleasant aftertaste that I was sad to lose! Did I mention that the ginger ale was, again, very complementary to the flavors in this main dish?
This savory dish was so nicely paired with sweetness that dessert was unnecessary (and also it was huge, so we couldn’t have eaten one if we had wanted!), however, I plan on returning to this restaurant and having one of their pastries because they are made on site by a pastry chef.
The attention to detail and careful use of spices and flavors has made a lifelong fan of me. I cannot wait to eat there again for my birthday in February!
Let me begin by saying that the first inkling I got that this was going to be a delicious experience was when she took our drink orders, and I asked for ginger ale. She said they had house ginger ale that was made from fresh grated ginger. I was up for it, so I tried it. OH MY GOSH, it was unbelievable. Very strong ginger flavor, but let me say that if I'd had this in my hands during morning sickness, I'd have never felt ill! It burned so good. Mmmm.
The next delectable goody that she brought out was fried lentil chips with tomato jam. They were rather like fried naan with a tomato chutney, but even crispier and lighter. Very delicious. They were complimentary as an opener. We ordered our meal: spiced chicken samosas with cilantro yogurt sauce as an appetizer, chicken and coconut milk soup, and chargrilled chicken in kumquat lemongrass dressing.
The cilantro yogurt sauce for the samosas was the most delicious condiment that I've ever eaten. When we were done dipping the samosas, we ate the rest with a spoon! The flavors were artfully balanced. There was no one overwhelming or overpowering flavor in the entire dish. The pastry was like a phillo dough and very crispy and light. The chicken was seasoned lightly, and all of it was complemented nicely by the ginger ale. Mmmm.
On to the soup. It was delicious and not unlike your standard tom kha that you would order at a Thai restaurant. It was very chunky, almost too chunky for a spoon. Very hearty, and the flavors again were so artfully balanced. It was not like most chains or even small Asian restaurants where you just kind of get what you get. It tasted like someone tried very hard to make your eating experience a joyful one.
Then the main event: a HUGE helping of the kumquat lemongrass chargrilled chicken. It had a caramelized crispy coating on the outside, and was covered in cooked kumquats and lemongrass dressing. It was a sweet and sour mix that was strong but at the same time very delicate. Again, I marveled at how well balanced the flavors were. I am almost offended sometimes by the way that a lot of restaurants just lean on garlic as the primary seasoning because everyone seems to love it. It's just lazy to me to do that, and this restaurant seems to agree with me! Instead of leaning on a garlic heavy recipe, they used the bright flavors of the citrus overtones to blend with the sweet caramelized crust along with ginger and a touch of garlic and pepper. It had a nice heat to it that didn't burn so much as smolder. It left me with a very pleasant aftertaste that I was sad to lose! Did I mention that the ginger ale was, again, very complementary to the flavors in this main dish?
This savory dish was so nicely paired with sweetness that dessert was unnecessary (and also it was huge, so we couldn’t have eaten one if we had wanted!), however, I plan on returning to this restaurant and having one of their pastries because they are made on site by a pastry chef.
The attention to detail and careful use of spices and flavors has made a lifelong fan of me. I cannot wait to eat there again for my birthday in February!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Finding Jesus in Radiohead
The blend of working with The Sandlot today and listening to Radiohead tonight inspired my post. Here are the lyrics that got me to thinking...
"No Surprises" Radiohead
Aheart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired and unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit, my final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises please
Such a pretty house, such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises please (let me out of here)
If you changed the word government with "establishment" or "church" this song might sum up the modern American church experience. This is not ok.
Where has our passion gone? Where is the desire to make change and not just be a reflection of our culture rather than setting the pace for our culture?
Why are we full up like a landfill? We have all the stuff to fill up our time and desires, and yet we're devoid of meaning and fulfillment, and merely full of trash. We care so much for the things that other people respect, but we don't respect ourselves.
Is it more important to be a person who cares about things, or to just appear to others to be a person who cares about whatever is trendy to care about at the time?
Are we content to wear a tee shirt that charges us to love our neighbors while denying them when they are in need?
Why are we so content with our comfy, quiet homes that aren't easily upset or challenged? Why does it unnerve us to think about the charge of Christ to sell all we have and follow Him?
Such a pretty house and such a pretty garden.
So much of our desires are about having these things that make us feel comfortable, but we aren't ready for God to shake up our lives in a way that completely throws off our "five year plan".
Personal revival, a renewing of our commitment to Christ and rejection of the things of the world is painful. It requires more of us than a simple, quiet life that is undisturbed by things like allowing the "wrong element" into our churches and keeping the pews clean.
As Christians, we absolutely must train ourselves to love the unlovable, the ones who are so off that they make us uncomfortable. We must train ourselves to stop thinking of ourselves as citizens of the U.S. and start thinking like citizens of The Kingdom of God.
It's a place where politics take a backseat to Truth, and Mercy trumps punishment or people getting what they deserve, whether it's what they worked hard for or what they've earned with bad behavior. That is the opposite of Christ's message in many ways. If we got what we deserved, we'd all burn in hell forever. We're all sinners. No one is better than anyone else where Grace is concerned. Thankfully, Jesus has taken care of this for all of us.
We have got to move beyond thinking of each other as competition or people whose standards we must live up to and start thinking of each other as brothers and sisters.
We absolutely must stop buying things we don't need to impress people we don't like and start living within our means so that we can help meet the needs of those we can help. We have got to divorce our things and our comfort and buy into, wholeheartedly being the Bride of Christ, ready for Him, waiting for Him.
We have to learn that the things our pastors tell us should affect us more emotionally than what we see on television. We've got to start trusting the Word of God more than we trust Americacentric Christian Self Help books.
God wants to bless us with Alarms and Surprises. That's how He operates.
Can we handle it?
"No Surprises" Radiohead
Aheart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired and unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit, my final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises please
Such a pretty house, such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises please (let me out of here)
If you changed the word government with "establishment" or "church" this song might sum up the modern American church experience. This is not ok.
Where has our passion gone? Where is the desire to make change and not just be a reflection of our culture rather than setting the pace for our culture?
Why are we full up like a landfill? We have all the stuff to fill up our time and desires, and yet we're devoid of meaning and fulfillment, and merely full of trash. We care so much for the things that other people respect, but we don't respect ourselves.
Is it more important to be a person who cares about things, or to just appear to others to be a person who cares about whatever is trendy to care about at the time?
Are we content to wear a tee shirt that charges us to love our neighbors while denying them when they are in need?
Why are we so content with our comfy, quiet homes that aren't easily upset or challenged? Why does it unnerve us to think about the charge of Christ to sell all we have and follow Him?
Such a pretty house and such a pretty garden.
So much of our desires are about having these things that make us feel comfortable, but we aren't ready for God to shake up our lives in a way that completely throws off our "five year plan".
Personal revival, a renewing of our commitment to Christ and rejection of the things of the world is painful. It requires more of us than a simple, quiet life that is undisturbed by things like allowing the "wrong element" into our churches and keeping the pews clean.
As Christians, we absolutely must train ourselves to love the unlovable, the ones who are so off that they make us uncomfortable. We must train ourselves to stop thinking of ourselves as citizens of the U.S. and start thinking like citizens of The Kingdom of God.
It's a place where politics take a backseat to Truth, and Mercy trumps punishment or people getting what they deserve, whether it's what they worked hard for or what they've earned with bad behavior. That is the opposite of Christ's message in many ways. If we got what we deserved, we'd all burn in hell forever. We're all sinners. No one is better than anyone else where Grace is concerned. Thankfully, Jesus has taken care of this for all of us.
We have got to move beyond thinking of each other as competition or people whose standards we must live up to and start thinking of each other as brothers and sisters.
We absolutely must stop buying things we don't need to impress people we don't like and start living within our means so that we can help meet the needs of those we can help. We have got to divorce our things and our comfort and buy into, wholeheartedly being the Bride of Christ, ready for Him, waiting for Him.
We have to learn that the things our pastors tell us should affect us more emotionally than what we see on television. We've got to start trusting the Word of God more than we trust Americacentric Christian Self Help books.
God wants to bless us with Alarms and Surprises. That's how He operates.
Can we handle it?
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Something Yummy This Way Comes
Ok, so, I love holidays with family. I also REALLY love cooking for holidays. Thanksgiving is kind of my Mom's day, with her kick butt dressing recipe (which I'll post, if she'll let me) later in the year. Christmas is kind of the same. But grilling on the 4th, that's Matt's forte, and making salads is mine. Now, we have been eating vegetarian style for the last year or so, and the grill had gone cold for a while.
Lately, with the whole morning sickness thing, I've been eating anything that smells good to me. A lot of the time, this is grilled meat. Oh well. Whatever you can keep down, right?
Anyway, with that said, I made two delicious dishes yesterday for the festivities, and one of them has meat. I just didn't want people judging me, AND I wanted to provide a meatless alternative, just in case.
The first thing that I made is Frito Salad. Yes, it's an abomination to call something with corn chips in it salad, but oh well.
I got this recipe from a lady at church. She makes it for potluck dinners almost every time because she knows I love it so much. I could totally eat the whole bowl. Here is the recipe:
Frito Salad (church lady recipe!)
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 package of grated cheese (or 2 cups)
1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1 bag Fritos corn chips
1 regular bottle of catalina dressing
Mix it all up in a bowl, yo. If it's traveling, mix everything but the chips, then put them in once you get there to keep them crispy. I let mine sit for a few hours, sans chips, and the flavors blended really well. My father in law went back for multiple servings, and he's picky!
The second thing I made was a variation of a Paula Deen recipe. It called for celery (yuck) and no dill. I was like, forget that, I'm getting creative!
Sour Cream Potato Salad
2 lbs of red potatoes, cut very coarsely and boiled until soft, chilled
1 onion, chopped or diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped or diced
a big handful of chopped fresh dill
about a cup of sour cream
16 fried slices of bacon, chopped (I used a box of the pre-cooked microwave kind)
2 tblsp white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
boil the potatoes until they're done.
Cook the onions, bell pepper, and about half the dill until tender. I used real butter, but you could use margarine or olive oil, too.
Mix the vinegar, sour cream, and rest of the dill in a bowl until blended. Add as much salt and pepper as it takes to make it taste good.
Mix in the bacon and the onion pepper dill mixture. Blend well.
Pour over potatoes, blend. Serve chilled.**
It said to serve it warm, but I thought that the chilling made the dill soak in better. It would be delicious chilled overnight!
Add to this the fabulous shish-ka-bobs my aunt made (peppers, onion, pineapple, beef in a lemmon pepper marinade), chicken quarters in a Jamaican marinade (I don't like, but apparently they were delicious), grilled silver king corn in the husk (which we got at Dickey's peach shed in Musella), and the most delicious thing my mom has ever made, which I'll share!
Peaches and Onions (don't freak out, it's actually quite fabulous)
FRESH peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
Onions
Butter (real butter, please)
Brown sugar
salt
You put all the ingredients in a pan and cover with foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven until tender (maybe a half hour or more). OH my gosh, it's amazing. Like nothing you've ever eaten before!
Happy cooking, y'all!
Lately, with the whole morning sickness thing, I've been eating anything that smells good to me. A lot of the time, this is grilled meat. Oh well. Whatever you can keep down, right?
Anyway, with that said, I made two delicious dishes yesterday for the festivities, and one of them has meat. I just didn't want people judging me, AND I wanted to provide a meatless alternative, just in case.
The first thing that I made is Frito Salad. Yes, it's an abomination to call something with corn chips in it salad, but oh well.
I got this recipe from a lady at church. She makes it for potluck dinners almost every time because she knows I love it so much. I could totally eat the whole bowl. Here is the recipe:
Frito Salad (church lady recipe!)
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 package of grated cheese (or 2 cups)
1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1 bag Fritos corn chips
1 regular bottle of catalina dressing
Mix it all up in a bowl, yo. If it's traveling, mix everything but the chips, then put them in once you get there to keep them crispy. I let mine sit for a few hours, sans chips, and the flavors blended really well. My father in law went back for multiple servings, and he's picky!
The second thing I made was a variation of a Paula Deen recipe. It called for celery (yuck) and no dill. I was like, forget that, I'm getting creative!
Sour Cream Potato Salad
2 lbs of red potatoes, cut very coarsely and boiled until soft, chilled
1 onion, chopped or diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped or diced
a big handful of chopped fresh dill
about a cup of sour cream
16 fried slices of bacon, chopped (I used a box of the pre-cooked microwave kind)
2 tblsp white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
boil the potatoes until they're done.
Cook the onions, bell pepper, and about half the dill until tender. I used real butter, but you could use margarine or olive oil, too.
Mix the vinegar, sour cream, and rest of the dill in a bowl until blended. Add as much salt and pepper as it takes to make it taste good.
Mix in the bacon and the onion pepper dill mixture. Blend well.
Pour over potatoes, blend. Serve chilled.**
It said to serve it warm, but I thought that the chilling made the dill soak in better. It would be delicious chilled overnight!
Add to this the fabulous shish-ka-bobs my aunt made (peppers, onion, pineapple, beef in a lemmon pepper marinade), chicken quarters in a Jamaican marinade (I don't like, but apparently they were delicious), grilled silver king corn in the husk (which we got at Dickey's peach shed in Musella), and the most delicious thing my mom has ever made, which I'll share!
Peaches and Onions (don't freak out, it's actually quite fabulous)
FRESH peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
Onions
Butter (real butter, please)
Brown sugar
salt
You put all the ingredients in a pan and cover with foil. Bake in a 375 degree oven until tender (maybe a half hour or more). OH my gosh, it's amazing. Like nothing you've ever eaten before!
Happy cooking, y'all!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Welcome to the Hotel California
Hello, welcome to the Twilight book club. I'm (insert generic white girl name like Jennifer here), may I take your coat? Yes, have a seat. We all have a deep love for Twilight in common, which is what makes us all get along and have common interests to talk about. What, you're a deeply troubled adolescent who is vulnerable and has a questionable relationship with your parents? That's very similar to Bella... You'll fit right in here. Don't you just LOVE Edward?
Most young women and many young men have had a conversation similar to this, if not quite as tongue in cheek. I have a pseudo relationship with the girl who works at the bookstore based solely on her rabid fanhood for Twilight. In fact, my relationship with the coffee shop worker friends of last summer... started because of this novel. (shout out)
Many folks know my opinion of these novels. I feel that they have a dangerous anti-feminist, idealized, love-worshipping bent to them that I'm not sure is healthy. They seem to set up a whole new generation for failure in any relationship that does not involve a vampire, specifically Edward. I have a bit of Twilight Fatigue or possibly Twilight disillusionment, post Breaking Dawn.
Edward. The name can cause shrieking at decibel levels typically only heard by dogs and dolphins. It can cause a light sweat to break forth on the forehead of many a young woman. Her heart rate will increase, she will begin emitting pheremones enabling stinky, spotty teenage scum to ask her out while her defenses are down. It can forgive all your sins and heal your wounds.
It's kind of sick. Seriously. In fact, I looked up some information on cults, and oddly, the Twilight phenomenon meets a lot of the factors for coercive persuasion that are typically found in cults. Would you like a run down? I thought so! *** SPIOILER ALERT*** There will be things that you will not understand if you have not read past the second book.
1. People are put in physically or emotionally distressing situations
Hello, I'd like to welcome you to adolescence, the stage at which young women are most susceptable to coersion, particularly by a sparkly vampire who seems sensitive even if he is a stalker... I'd add here that the ones who seem the absolute most susceptable are the ones who would rather dream about love and romance than think analytically with common sense. I cannot think about a stranger sneaking into my room and staring at me all night long as romantic. I also cannot consider a person who limits my interaction with people, family, friends, etc. because he wants to keep me "safe" a romantic person. Controlling? Check. Creepy? Check. Romantic? I'm sorry, but no.
2. Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized
Not having a real Edward. Oh, or not having vampirism. Take your pick.
3. They receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader
Well, they do in their own minds. It's Edward, of course. It is frightening the amount of girls who truly don't realize that Robert Pattinson is an unwashed, rude, egotistical British actor, NOT Edward. Oh, and that Edward is not Jesus.
4. They get a new identity based on the group
Again, I will point to the fact that I am now acquainted on a semi-real level with perfect strangers based on the simple fact that I read the series. We are in this secret club.
5. They are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, and the mainstream culture) and their access to information is severely controlled
This may be self-imposed, but still... The more rabid fans will sequester themselves for days on end, re-reading the books for the fiftieth time, and then get online and watch Youtube videos of fanmade New Moon trailers. Their access to information is severely controlled because of the groupthink that KEEPS PEOPLE FROM POINTING OUT HOW CREEPY EDWARD IS.
Maybe view this video of Joel McHale on The Soup's take on it.
There you have it.
I read the books, I liked them until the last one, and I always wanted Bella to die. Yup. It would have made it more interesting. Someone should have died. Maybe the creepy baby. Oh well.
Word to the wise: in your dreams, where stalking isn't creepy, you get Edward. In real life, you get Jacob. It's ok. You will live. Jacob is a nice guy.
If you get a real life Edward.... RUN AWAY. HE IS INSANE. Oh, and possibly a pedophile, since he is A HUNDRED AND YOU ARE A TEENAGER. Seriously.
Kool Aid anyone?
Most young women and many young men have had a conversation similar to this, if not quite as tongue in cheek. I have a pseudo relationship with the girl who works at the bookstore based solely on her rabid fanhood for Twilight. In fact, my relationship with the coffee shop worker friends of last summer... started because of this novel. (shout out)
Many folks know my opinion of these novels. I feel that they have a dangerous anti-feminist, idealized, love-worshipping bent to them that I'm not sure is healthy. They seem to set up a whole new generation for failure in any relationship that does not involve a vampire, specifically Edward. I have a bit of Twilight Fatigue or possibly Twilight disillusionment, post Breaking Dawn.
Edward. The name can cause shrieking at decibel levels typically only heard by dogs and dolphins. It can cause a light sweat to break forth on the forehead of many a young woman. Her heart rate will increase, she will begin emitting pheremones enabling stinky, spotty teenage scum to ask her out while her defenses are down. It can forgive all your sins and heal your wounds.
It's kind of sick. Seriously. In fact, I looked up some information on cults, and oddly, the Twilight phenomenon meets a lot of the factors for coercive persuasion that are typically found in cults. Would you like a run down? I thought so! *** SPIOILER ALERT*** There will be things that you will not understand if you have not read past the second book.
1. People are put in physically or emotionally distressing situations
Hello, I'd like to welcome you to adolescence, the stage at which young women are most susceptable to coersion, particularly by a sparkly vampire who seems sensitive even if he is a stalker... I'd add here that the ones who seem the absolute most susceptable are the ones who would rather dream about love and romance than think analytically with common sense. I cannot think about a stranger sneaking into my room and staring at me all night long as romantic. I also cannot consider a person who limits my interaction with people, family, friends, etc. because he wants to keep me "safe" a romantic person. Controlling? Check. Creepy? Check. Romantic? I'm sorry, but no.
2. Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized
Not having a real Edward. Oh, or not having vampirism. Take your pick.
3. They receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader
Well, they do in their own minds. It's Edward, of course. It is frightening the amount of girls who truly don't realize that Robert Pattinson is an unwashed, rude, egotistical British actor, NOT Edward. Oh, and that Edward is not Jesus.
4. They get a new identity based on the group
Again, I will point to the fact that I am now acquainted on a semi-real level with perfect strangers based on the simple fact that I read the series. We are in this secret club.
5. They are subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, and the mainstream culture) and their access to information is severely controlled
This may be self-imposed, but still... The more rabid fans will sequester themselves for days on end, re-reading the books for the fiftieth time, and then get online and watch Youtube videos of fanmade New Moon trailers. Their access to information is severely controlled because of the groupthink that KEEPS PEOPLE FROM POINTING OUT HOW CREEPY EDWARD IS.
Maybe view this video of Joel McHale on The Soup's take on it.
There you have it.
I read the books, I liked them until the last one, and I always wanted Bella to die. Yup. It would have made it more interesting. Someone should have died. Maybe the creepy baby. Oh well.
Word to the wise: in your dreams, where stalking isn't creepy, you get Edward. In real life, you get Jacob. It's ok. You will live. Jacob is a nice guy.
If you get a real life Edward.... RUN AWAY. HE IS INSANE. Oh, and possibly a pedophile, since he is A HUNDRED AND YOU ARE A TEENAGER. Seriously.
Kool Aid anyone?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Humanity in Print
I just finished a wonderful book by Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, which was a call for locally grown food that leaves a smaller carbon footprint, or just thinking about your food. It's called In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, and it's a wonderful argument for a whole food diet from multiple standpoints. He isn't preachy, just honest. It is rather cynical about the "cult of nutritionism" at some points and simply frightening at others. I highly recommend this if you are a conscientious eater.
With that said, I thought I would fill the entire world in on what is on my "to read" list for the week because I am obviously very important. Yes, I said for the week, as I have been satellite television free for a whole day now,and desire some entertainment for my off hours.
For my fluff book:
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris, a Sookie Stackhouse novel. It's the series that TrueBlood is based on. I don't dig the show; however, due to the gratuitous nature of the overblown sex scenes. They're briefly mentioned in the book, and crudely acted out on the show. Heavy handed much? I read the first two books, and I'm one of those who can't NOT finish a series I start unless my hatred and busyness outweigh my dogged determination.
Non-fiction:
I'm almost done with Is God a Vegetarian? which has to do with the role of animal rights in Biblical context and how we can be more responsible as Christians to limit suffering as much as possible for our food. It also unveils some of the things that go on in factory farms. Fight food ignorance! Know how your food got to your table!
American Classic:
I will start The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O'Connor soon. I shall love it and hold it and think kind thoughts on the oddities of southern gothic literature. MMMMM. I will subsequently read Wise Blood, as my love for O'Connor cannot be tamed!
Odd choice:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Self-explanatory, really.
Used to be an illegal pamphlet:
The Communist Manifesto Yes, I know what you're thinking, and with my earlier mention of the proletariat, you can obviously assume that I don't care. So there.
What are you reading that you could recommend to me?
Monday, June 8, 2009
Springtime and Birthdays and Chili Fresco
So I made tomorrow's dinner tonight to the sounds of nagging from Kate plus 8.
She is freaking insane. More on that later.
I made a menu for the week yesterday. This is a good idea because we're doing Dave Ramsey's money makeover, and we're on a budget now! We're not eating out anymore except for Sunday afternoons and an occasional weekend night. Monday's menu called for cheese quesadillas with homemade salsa (since I had a TON of roma tomatoes left over from last week).
Dinner ended up being Raisin Bran because we spent the day in Athens with Nick, and weren't home until around 8 pm.
So I decided to make my salsa tonight for tomorrow. I got creative. The results were good. Significantly better than my attempt last week to make soup using the pot likker from my collards. It tasted good, if you could get past the sickening green color... blech.
Anyway, the salsa turned into a chili fresco. That is my new term. Many ingredients were raw, hence the fresco.
Jennifer's Chili Fresco
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel WHITE corn (that's important)
1 can Rotel (or generic Rotel, which is what I used)
1 small onion, diced to your preference of size
2 medium Jalepeno peppers, diced
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, Adobo Seasoning with Cumin (to taste, your preference)
Ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil
sautee the onions and peppers in the ghee until they are soft and the jalepenos have cooked off a little bit of the heat.
Mix canned ingredients and tomatoes in a bowl. Drain the canned foods, except for the Rotel. Use that juice. It's good!
Once the onions and peppers are ready, add those in, then season.
I'm planning on serving this on the cheese quesadillas tomorrow for lunch, and then using the leftovers for dinner. I'm going to make whole wheat linguini, mix in the salsa, and top with a sour cream or yogurt based cream sauce. MMMMMMM. (and it's healthy!)
Now, about Kate plus 8. It irritates me that she spelled her book title with an 8 in it. Multiple Bles8ings.
It also irritates me that she is so hateful to her husband. I will NEVER condone adultery, but it's understandable that he would feel the need to find a little "kindness" from somewhere.
It's also a sign that they have TERRIBLE communication.
If it weren't terrible, it wouldn't be so compelling to watch. Meh.
One last bit. If you've never smelled Pacifica Scents, you're missing out on something amazing. I bought Lotus Garden today. It's about 15 bucks, and it smells absolutely amazing. Like springtime and birthday parties. I did some arm huffing on myself for at least an hour after I put it on! I actually huffed my arm again just now.
Definitely check it out. You can get it at Earth Fare and Whole Foods for sure, maybe elsewhere.
That's all for tonight!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Open Letter To Ina Garten
Dear Ina,
How do I love thee, let me count the gays....
Ina, I understand that you are rich beyond my wildest dreams; live in Sag Harbor, Southampton, or some other equally WASPy place; and rely upon "good" vanilla and your seemingly unending stream of fabulously gay dinner guests.
I understand that the only thing that we have in common is that we are both slightly chubby and have Anglo familial roots.
But let me say that your lemon yogurt cake recipe makes me want to take you gently in my arms and kiss you right on your lobster bisque flavored lips, causing your dinner guests to cheer, I'm sure.
This is the best recipe. Ever.
I made it tonight, albeit with whole wheat flour because refined white starches are slowly poisoning the Western world, and it was amazing. My mother, father, and husband all professed their deep and undying love for me. Matt will now never, ever question his love for me, even when things get old and saggy. Mom and Dad love me more than they love my sister and have made me soul heir of their vast fortune.
Please don't be upset with me for taking liberties with the flour; you could stand a touch of whole grain yourself, I'm sure.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
How do I love thee, let me count the gays....
Ina, I understand that you are rich beyond my wildest dreams; live in Sag Harbor, Southampton, or some other equally WASPy place; and rely upon "good" vanilla and your seemingly unending stream of fabulously gay dinner guests.
I understand that the only thing that we have in common is that we are both slightly chubby and have Anglo familial roots.
But let me say that your lemon yogurt cake recipe makes me want to take you gently in my arms and kiss you right on your lobster bisque flavored lips, causing your dinner guests to cheer, I'm sure.
This is the best recipe. Ever.
I made it tonight, albeit with whole wheat flour because refined white starches are slowly poisoning the Western world, and it was amazing. My mother, father, and husband all professed their deep and undying love for me. Matt will now never, ever question his love for me, even when things get old and saggy. Mom and Dad love me more than they love my sister and have made me soul heir of their vast fortune.
Please don't be upset with me for taking liberties with the flour; you could stand a touch of whole grain yourself, I'm sure.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Welcome...
This is my first stint back in the blogosphere since about 2006. I kind of gave up on my old blog: http://jenniferleighgainer.blogspot.com . You can feel free to go back and read it if you want to know what I used to be like back in the "self-discovery" phase of my early adulthood. I will give you warning, a lot of it is pretty self-indulgent and silly, but some of it is entertainingly sardonic and relatively insightful for a young twenty-something.
This blog will likely be similarly twisted, but maybe (hopefully) with a happier, more settled lilt about it.
Not that I expect anyone to read it, but should you happen upon it, I hope you find it either agreeable or thought provoking. If it makes you angry, you should probably be thinking more critically and questioning things, as I am rarely wrong. (see, there's the rapier wit I was mentioning earlier, I will not spell it out from now on... it's your job to pick up on it... see how that works?)
This blog will likely be similarly twisted, but maybe (hopefully) with a happier, more settled lilt about it.
Not that I expect anyone to read it, but should you happen upon it, I hope you find it either agreeable or thought provoking. If it makes you angry, you should probably be thinking more critically and questioning things, as I am rarely wrong. (see, there's the rapier wit I was mentioning earlier, I will not spell it out from now on... it's your job to pick up on it... see how that works?)
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