No really, I did. See!
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Superman (Yummy Chocolate Superman)
What did I do before work today? Did I take a shower? Did I get dressed? Did I take my medicine? Yes to all of the above. What else did I do? I made chocolate chip cookies! Yes, before work! I am Superman.
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Nana and The Kids
I can’t help it… Since Heather’s not posting it, I’m gonna do it. Here’s my grandmother trying to keep a grip on her great-grandchildren. Have they no respect for their elders? (There are a couple more, but this is my favorite… it’s a kid-splosion!) I love how Brian looks like he’s about to take flight.
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Cooking Shows That Don’t Suck
This Salon article on cooking shows was entertaining, and I can’t agree more with their take on Good Eats, but I think they missed one: Molto Mario. In 24 minutes, Mario can make you believe you can create good Italian home-cooking, and he’s right. He gives you the basics, and the tools for doing pretty much anything you want. After three shows, you’ll be braising to your heart’s content. And, he’s entertaining to boot.\
I don’t agree that you can’t learn anything from Iron Chef. I’ve learned a lot from it – how to cut up a chicken, carve a roast and some really cool ideas for soups, stews and roasts. Yeah, it’s out there, but when you break it down, it’s still a cooking show. -
Straight Talk from the Heartland
I really don’t want to write this, but I said I would. I read Ed Schultz’s Straight Talk from the Heartland over the past week or so. I was expecting a lot from this book, probably unfairly. Ed Schultz is a talk radio guy from North Dakota, and is apparently a rising star in the progressive talk radio world (it’s a small world, I know). Unfortunately, I’d never heard of him. But, from the info I saw before I got the book, it looked like just what I was looking for: a book about progressive values for conservatives. I’ve been dying for one, and it just doesn’t exist (that I know of… if you know of one, please clue me in). Books from authors on both sides of the ideological divide are usually cheerleading affairs for their own kind. From Al Franken to Sean Hannity, they’re not trying to convert anyone.\
I was hoping this was the one. It’s not. It’s so not, it’s not even a good cheerleading book. I didn’t learn anything new from this book other than “Big Eddie” has a healthy ego and played some college football. His writing style is probably the same as his speaking style: a Limbaugh-ian false modesty wrapped in short, punchy sentances. It works great on radio. In a book, it makes for painful reading.\
Like I said, maybe I’m expecting too much from this book, and this review is a reflection of my dashed expectations. But, at its core, this just isn’t a very good read. It takes a while to get started, and well, feels like it never really does. If you’re a listener of his show, you’ll probably like it because you can imagine him speaking. Actually, this would probably be a pretty good book-on-tape. But, compared to Al Franken or Joe Conason’s books (my two faves), this is junior varsity material. -
Eels, Dogs and Buffalo Boots – Oh My!
Pain sucks. New music doesn’t. Here are some mini-reviews to keep you happy until the pain goes away and I can think up something worth posting:
- Eels: Shootenanny! – Wow. I love Souljacker, and this one doesn’t disappoint either. From the driving riff on All in a Day’s Work, to the racing jingle and humor of Dirty Girl, to the wonderful soaring strings and raw sentiment of Somebody Loves You, it’s all here. The album never disappoints, no matter how far afield it goes.
- Luna: Rendezvous – If you like them, you’ll like this album, there’s no doubt about it. If you’ve never listened to them, this is a good album to start with. The Own & the Pussycat has grown on me. It’s a wonderful twist on the nursery rhyme. Astronaut kicks some serious tail, and Buffalo Boots is one of the best road songs I’ve heard since Dire Straits.
- Massive Attack: Danny the Dog – This one snuck up on me. I usually try to keep up with them, and since their albums are usually years and years apart, I don’t miss one. How this one slipped by, I’ll never know. It’s a soundtrack, and it shows. I need to listen to it a few more times, but if you like the laid back, trippy version of the band (Blue Lines, Protection, Teardrop), this isn’t the album for you. It’s more industrial and electronic than 100th Window (which was more of both than Mezzanine – my all-time, hands-down, no-close-second favorite album), and has fewer vocals. But, it’s Massive Attack; how wrong can you go?\
I’ve got some more to review, and will get to them eventually. There’s also a book review coming that I’m having a hard time writing (of a book I really wanted to like, but really really didn’t).
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Busily Being Busy
Blah, blah, blah… I’ve been busy. I’ve been writing lessons for the class (which is going swimmingly so far), working on a new top secret personal project, a top secret work project, and throwing my shoulder out of socket (no idea how or when I did it, but man, does it hurt).\
Life is good, and I can’t wait for Thanksgiving. The California Contingent is in town, and it’s been a lot of fun seeing Samantha with Max and Brian. We stood Brian up to her the other night, and they’re the same height. Brian is six months, and Sam’s a year. I don’t know how we do it, but Jen and I make big babies.\
I’ve got lots to talk about, really I do. I just need to find time to write it all, and right now, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to go around. -
Beautiful Font For FREE!
Goodness, it’s purdy. I may just use it for nefarious purposes: Typeface Of The Year
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Proud Like a Parent
One of my the students in my class has set up Movable Type on her own domain and is now blogging!! I’m so proud… I feel like my kid has just started riding his bike without training wheels or something. Ok, without further ado, here she is: ..:WabeSabe:... Godspeed, little blogger!
