City Muse

News Around Town

2008-07-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

• A Bitter Cup. Starbucks announced the closing of 600 stores and layoff of 12,000 employees. It was bound to happen: with a Starbucks at every block and McDonald's totally addicting iced coffee for much less, even their improved Espresso Roast can't stop the bleeding.

• Say No to Plastic Bags. Manhattan Beach follows San Francisco and Malibu as the third California city to approve a no single-use plastic bag ordinance. Santa Monica will be next. The environment for the win. If you want to hear a debate on the issue, Which Way L.A. has a good one.

• Another Day, Another Food Recall. I thought potato fries were next, but after the lettuce, tomato, and green onion scare, it's beef's turn again -- this time ground beef -- to be taken off the shelves after grocery chain Ralphs announced a possible E. coli contamination from a Nebraska-based supplier. The grocery chain announced safe supply won't be available until Tuesday.

• More Cuts at the LATimes. Another round of jobs to be cut at the paper, 250 of them including 150 editorial positions, due to declining revenue. The paper will also reduce the number of pages it publishes by 15%. Competition is fierce and times are tough, but why not boost sales instead of cutting down on expenses? Perhaps do like the European papers and offer freebies with every issue, kinda like the toy that comes with every Cracker Jack box. Just a thought.

• Caught on Tape. Embattled former Orange Country Sheriff Michael Carona, was caught on tape using racial slurs and sexual comments in a sting operation related to his corruption and fraud charges. His defense lawyers want them taken off the record for irrelevance to the case and the possibility it will prejudice the jury who may think that he's also, apart from being a crook, a sexist bigot.

Label(s): Metro
Technorati Tags: california news starbucks ralphs beef recall plastic bag manhattan beach orange county michael carona

Can Buy Me Love?

2008-07-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is just so wrong. From Bandai, maker of the virtual pet game Tamagotchi:

"Ikemenbank", or "handsome men bank", is a heart-shaped electronic piggy bank with an LCD screen that allows its owner to conduct a virtual affair with a cartoon character while watching the coins pile up.

So girls can get some love, one coin at a time.

"Ikemenbank" first asks the user to choose between five different types of men: "cool model", "witty comedian", "gentle, public-school boy", "young athlete" and "older man with patience".

As the user inserts coins, the men talk back, saying "you are the best," and "you are looking prettier these days".

A virtual lover of your choosing, who will coo sweet nothings to make your toes curl... for a price.

But to achieve a happy ending [note: as in "marriage offer"], the user needs to choose strategic answers when the men ask questions such as: "I see my friend had a crush on you... doesn't he?"

The men also need constant attention. If the handsome model is neglected for 5 days, he disappears, leaving behind a farewell letter.

What? A piggy bank lover who not only needs a constant coin diet, but is a needy, controlling jerk, too? Jeeze Bandai, you sure give love -- and saving money -- a bad name.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: bandai ikemenbank handsome man bank tamagotchi toys piggy bank news japan inventions

Gossip Diet

2008-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Rachael Ray asked four of her chattiest viewers to refrain from gossiping for a week, but the girls apparently had such a tough time they broke their "gossip diet" in less than 48 hours. They are so addicted to gossiping that they feel it's an essential part of who they are:

"Gossip is a huge part of my life," says 27-year-old Talia. "I look forward to doing it every day." Stephanie, 29, agrees: "I can't imagine my life without gossip. I think it would be pretty boring."

They remind me of my cousin, who subsists on gossip all day long. I've tried steering the conversation to other things like politics or literature or art, but she either gets this glassy look in her eyes or busies herself with chores so she can ignore me. I finally gave up and decided not to visit with her often for the sake of my sanity; there's only so much of so and so's cheating spouse or gambling addiction or repossessed property I can take.

I'd be lying if I claim never to have engaged in idle and at times not-so-innocent chit chat about someone else, but it’s often so inane and petty I can almost feel my brain shrivel up like a prune when exposed to it for inordinate periods of time. Which is why it blows my mind there are people who actually crave gossip, especially the trash talk kind.

One Jezebel commenter says that some women see sharing secrets – their own and what others told them, which both qualify as gossip -- as a way to bond, and eliminating it entirely can feel like abrupt emotional withdrawal. Perhaps, but I doubt that it’s the only way, much less the best way, for us to bond with each other.

I mean, really? There is absolutely nothing else of interest or passion women would enjoy sharing and talking about more than gossip? I think it's time for some serious self introspection if that is the case.

Via.

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: rachael ray gossip gossip diet women female bonding

News Around Town

2008-06-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

• Black Ball Spill. Check out the above video of L.A.'s Department of Water & Power dropping 400,000 black balls into the Ivanhoe Reservoir. The balls will shade its bromide and chlorine laden water from sunlight to prevent the formation of carcinogens. The reservoir serves 600,000 Angelenos; a total of 3 million of these black balls will eventually blanket it in the next 3-5 years. Many think it looks like an ugly oil spill, but it looks more like caviar to me. More from Curbed L.A.

• A Challenge to Repeal of Special Order 40. The order states that "officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." A suit was filed to repeal it, alleging it prevents police from exchanging info with immigration officials. The city and the ACLU are challenging the repeal, alleging that it amounts to racial profiling and would discourage immigrants from cooperating with law enforcement.

Personally, I'm against the repeal; the LAPD are peace and order officers, not immigration officers. Also, existing laws already covers information sharing between the agencies; a repeal would just create one more regulation we don't need. A segment of Which Way L.A. discussed this important issue, including the alleged killing of high school football star Jamiel Shaw by an illegal immigrant gang member that sparked the whole debate.

• Killer Tomatoes. If you've noticed those tomato slices and chunks disappearing from your restaurant hamburgers and salsas, blame the latest salmonella scare. No word on the origin yet. Cherry, grape and homegrown tomatoes are okay; Roma, plum and red round tomatoes not okay. So far, one person has died and 167 got sick, with 23 requiring hospitalization. First was the beef scare, then the green onion scare, now this. What's next, no more french fries?!

• Celtics 2, Lakers 1. Finally, we have a series. Lakers eked out a third game 87-81 win at the Staples Center. They played more aggressively -- Farmar even got into Brown's face after being pushed around -- but with Gasol and Odom shut out by the Celtics' strong defense, Kobe and Sasha were left to carry the day points-wise. The Lakers also kept Pierce and Powe's shots to low single digits and Garnett's to low doubles. The other bright side: no repeat of the ugly Staples brawl from Sunday. Also in related news, convicted illegal betting felon and ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy claims that a 2002 playoff game was rigged in favor of the Lakers; Commissioner Stern calls it hogwash.

• Special Favors?? It looks like Democratic State Representative and former Long Beach councilwoman Laura Richardson will get her Sacramento house back. Richardson made headlines for the $535k home's foreclosure and for defaulting on two others. The mortgage broker who bought the home at auction alleges favoritism on the part of the lender, Washington Mutual, which rescinded the sale.

• L.A. Chefs Shut Out at James Beard Awards. Although L.A. represented, none of our chefs won any of the major categories at the Foundation's recent culinary awards held in NYC. Two local writers did get nods: Angeleno's Brad Johnson for restaurant criticism and LAT's Russ Parsons honored as a Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America. Grant Achatz from Alinea in Chicago won the outstanding chef award. Eater.com liveblogged the event here.

Label(s): Metro
Technorati Tags: los angeles, ivanhoe reservoir, immigration, special order 40, tomatoes, news, james beard awards, laura richardson, los angeles lakers, boston celtics, nba, basketball

Fashion Find: Aldo Hidden Platform Pumps

2008-05-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

Shoes are the "it" accessories this season, but most of the brand names are ridiculously expensive.

If you think Manolo Blahnik is outrageously priced at $500 a few years ago, nowadays the much coveted Christian Louboutin hidden platform pumps can set you back at least $700.

Not to mention those Balenciaga gladiator sandals that can cost up to $1,500 a pair. That's $150 per toe, people.

Don't get me wrong. What one considers unreasonably expensive is a personal call. I've certainly done my share of spending in the past, but I just can't justify spending that kind of money for clothes and accessories right now.

That, however, doesn't mean making do with unfashionable choices. Take this Atlantic City pumps by Aldo. Stylish yet reasonable at $100. Who says dollarwise and fashionwise are entirely different things?

Label(s): Fashion
Technorati Tags: fashion, shoes, hidden platform shoes, louboutin

Lakers In The Finals

2008-05-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

After a five-year drought, this was particularly sweet:

Bryant scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers rallied from an early 17-point deficit to beat the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 100-92 on Thursday night and win the Western Conference finals in five games.

Just a short year ago, Kobe Bryant was publicly demanding a trade. Though it ticked off management -- who wisely said he's not going anywhere -- and some fans including me, it wasn't hard to understand why: the team sucked. From the Shaq/Kobe era of three-peat, the new Lakers were reduced to barely making it to the playoffs a couple of times, let alone winning one. Until last night.

It all changed when Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak pulled off the coup of acquiring Pau Gasol from Memphis four months ago. The turnaround was dramatic, almost miraculous. In spite of Andrew Bynum being sidelined by an injury for the rest of the season, the young team stepped up their game and in the process let Kobe be Kobe, concentrating on making those amazing shots and assists instead of worrying about keeping the team from falling apart. In turn, his stellar performance inspired his teammates to do even better. Kobe and his team, in effect, started feeding off each other.

Last night, their teamwork and speed proved too much for the experienced yet lethargic Spurs. Their top shooters Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were effectively shut out by a solid Lakers defense in the fourth quarter. Their own defense in turn, which was weak to begin with, couldn't match an aggressive Lakers team hungry for their shot at the title.

It's nice to see Kobe smiling again. He's obviously pumped up and proud of his team. He matured a lot this season, from a talented yet self-absorbed overachiever into a true leader and team player. Considering where they were from just a season ago, winning the Western Conference was quite the achievement. Hopefully, the ego boost will serve them well in the finals against what looks to be the Boston Celtics.

Lakers vs Celtics. The old rivalry is back. It's gonna be one hell of a championship series.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Label(s): A&E, Books, Metro, Fashion, Food, Life, Photos, Thoughts, Misc
Technorati Tags: nba, los angeles, lakers, san antonio, spurs, western finals, basketball, sports

Frozen Grand Central

2008-05-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

A flash mob stands still in New York City. Hillarity and wonder ensues:

See also the Great Freeze in Los Angeles, London, Paris and Edinburgh.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: flashmob, improv everywhere, great freeze, video, you tube

Sex And The City Premiere

2008-05-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

So the girls are back in a full length feature that's been so hyped up only the comatose haven't heard of it. All this excitement over a movie about 40-somethings cheers me up a bit, considering the dearth of major female roles in Hollywood, much less roles for any female over 30, but I wonder if its target female audience is enough to put SATC over the top box office wise.

Judging by the premiere, perhaps it will surprise us yet:

...a ticket snafu left thousands of fashionistas all dressed up with absolutely no place to go...

Security officials said up to 2,000 people - who had gotten tickets through promotional giveaways authorized by movie studio New Line Cinema - were shut out of the screening...

"I've spent five months looking forward to this. I'm angry and frustrated," said Jen Ferguson, 23, who flew in all the way from British Columbia.

Ferguson, dressed to the nines in a black Hervé Léger bandage dress and blue satin Christian Louboutin heels, said her parents had bought four tickets for $1,000 each and booked rooms at The Plaza hotel.

Uh, that's crazy. Harmless fun but crazy. More movie premiere wackiness from Liz Smith, who was actually there.

As for the fashions, the NYC premiere had more good than bad. Sarah Jessica Parker looked radiant in Nina Ricci even though it overwhelmed her petite frame a bit. Cynthia Nixon was sleek and lean in a simple white Narciso Rodriguez . Kristin Davis wore a gold Donna Karan that I personally wouldn't wear but looked adorable on her, if a tad too long. Too bad I can't say the same for Kim Cattrall's ill-conceived and ill-fitting Vivienne Westwood gunmetal bustier dress. The rest of the cast and celebrity attendees in their getups can be found here.

I don't have a burning desire to see SATC; it's cotton candy better suited for tv, and I'm not expecting a more realistic ending than the sappy series finale, especially now that they've extended the franchise on the big screen. If I do see it, it's mainly to check out the shoes and the clothes, some of which are showcased here.

AP Photo/StarPix, Dave Allocca
Label(s): A&E, Fashion
Technorati Tags: fashion, movie, satc, sex and the city

Laughing Out Loud

2008-05-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

wowOwow asks: What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

Easy. Last week, our favorite political blogger Atrios wrote a cryptic "Laura Roslin's mother is Barbara Bush. NOOOOOO". Huh?

It finally made sense when we saw our latest Tivo'ed episode of Battlestar Galactica over the weekend. In a dream sequence, President Roslin -- played by the wonderful Mary McDonnell -- of the surviving Colonials, who is suffering from cancer, sees the hazy likeness of her deceased mother walking towards her on a riverbank with that silver halo of hair and unmistakable tummy-first gait reminiscent of, you guessed it, the Beautiful Mind herself. I spotted her first.

"Oh my gahd, it is Barbara Bush!"

And we bust out laughing. She wasn't the real one, of course, but pretty darn close. Check it out at the 00:50 and 01:10 marks above.

I can point out many other instances like that. D. and I love to laugh together. It's what's kept us blissfully happy all these years.

What was the last thing that made you laught out loud?

Label(s): Life
Technorati Tags: barbara bush, battlestar galactica, humor, laughter, you tube

Food Bits

2008-05-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

• Melon "Fabergé eggs", lemon bears and bok choy fish? It’s the world of produce art. The painstaking skill has made a comeback, with high end restaurants paying thousands of dollars for increasingly elaborate edible figures and tableaus, anywhere from a fish aquarium to The Last Supper. Darn, I should’ve kept those cheap carving tools from sixth-grade cooking class. Click photo for more food magic. [New York Times].

• Fifteen year-old Jennifer Sharpe from Michigan sold a record 17,328 boxes of Girl Scouts cookies which went a long way towards earning her troop a trip to Europe this winter. Wow, that’s a lot of Samoas ®. Her secret? Persistence, hard work and a real love for them cookies. [A.P.]

• Through a parliamentary maneuver, the city council of Chicago lifted the two-year ban on foie gras. Chefs are relieved, PETA is incensed, and goose liver enthusiasts rejoiced. I’d guess Doug Sohn especially, whose foie gras-laced sausages earned him the city’s first $250 fine. [Chicago Tribune]

• Wolfgang Puck sues the owner of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Wolfgang Zwiener. Puck’s own steakhouse Cut is only a few blocks away in Beverly Hills from the former, causing confusion. Zwiener won’t budge, claiming a patented trademark on the restaurant's name and renown in the restaurant business long before anyone knew who Puck was. Ohh, food fight, food fight! [The Knife]

• The L.A. Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance requiring taco trucks to change locations every hour or face a $1,000 fine and/or jail. The silly law, which became effective yesterday, basically puts taco trucks out of business in 65% of the city’s total land area. If you love these taco trucks which are a mainstay of Angeleno culture, sign a petition here to repeal the ordinance. Taco Libre! [Eater L.A.]

Label(s): Food
Technorati Tags: food, food carving, food news, foie gras, girl scouts, los angeles, wolfgang puck, taco trucks

No Cosmic Bellhop

2008-05-02T10:00:00.002-07:00

Author Anne Lamott was on Stephen Colbert promoting her latest book, and reminded me how much I enjoyed her Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith a few years back.

When I got the book as a present, the title was a bit of a turn off. I wasn't exactly religious and didn't know her work at the time. But then, if I gave a book on Intelligent Design a try -- which annoyed me after a couple of chapters, but that's not the point -- surely her book can't be that bad?

Well, it actually turned out to be very good. Her unpretentious style reminded me of my favorite food writer, the late Laurie Colwin, whose books made me feel like I was reading the letters or journals of a dear old friend.

However, the conversational prose was where the similarity ended. In spite of her self-deprecating humor, I sometimes found the book -- a collection of 24 essays originally published in Salon --difficult to read, even painful.

For one thing, Lamott isn't your typical believer, or at least not what you'd imagine a Christian author to be. She's a Presbyterian who's just as into New Age and karma as she is into Jesus, a liberal, dreadlocks-wearing flower child from San Francisco who's also a single mother and recovering alcoholic. Her attempts to reconcile her faith with her heartbreak over the war in Iraq, her lingering resentment of her dead mother and the inevitable friction with her teenage son made for some uncomfortable reading.

Yet I found her brutal honesty, dry wit and strong faith oddly comforting. That I ached, laughed and got hopeful with her in spite of myself speaks to Lamott's generosity as a writer. She's the kind who opens the doors to her life wide open when she writes, and if her previous work is any indication, her new book would be no different.

Label(s): Books
Technorati Tags: anne lamott, books, faith, you tube, stephen colbert, colbert report, comedy central

The Rebates Are Coming

2008-05-01T12:00:00.001-07:00

The rebate checks that are supposed to stimulate the economy will start hitting bank accounts by Monday, with paper checks going out May 9th. The idea was to counter the downward pressure exerted by the mortgage crisis, and for that to work, people must spend their checks.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal:

Recent surveys suggest that many Americans will use the money to pay off bills or increase savings. In a recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll, only 19% of respondents planned to spend their checks, while 45% said they will use the money to pay bills, and 32% planned to invest it.

When Congress was still planning this rebate, many comments I've seen online talked about a shopping spree, but not anymore. Nowadays, most people talk about using it to pay bills or buy gas. Ironically, as the same article noted, the increase in the cost of gasoline for a typical motorist equals the amount of the average rebate ($600).

Will the rebates help the economy? Yes, but by how much is anyone's guess. We import gasoline, so part of those rebates will go to the Middle East. Paying bills doesn't immediately stimulate spending, but people who need extra funds to pay off their debt would likely use their credit again in the following months. The 32% who plan to invest their rebates are defeating its purpose, which is why some analysts say this whole plan was too little, too late.

Whether it is or not, one thing is for sure: that $600 rebate provides much needed relief from the increased cost of daily living. It’s too bad that not more of it went to people who really need it, like the poor and unemployed, who would definitely spend it the way it was intended.

I’m not getting a rebate check, but if I did I’ll probably donate it to a favorite charity or political cause, which are usually the first to feel the pinch when things are tight.

Are you getting a rebate? How do you plan to spend it?

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: economy, rebate checks, gas, mortgage crisis

Beckett Does Rose

2008-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

D. showed me this clip that had me crying from laughing so hard. If you watch Charlie Rose you'll understand why he's a Samuel Beckett parody waiting to happen.

Microsoft, Yahoo... Google? Google? Hahaha.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: charlie rose, samuel beckett, you tube, humor, comedy

A Not So Wonderful Life

2008-04-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

I often try to find the bright side of things, but life does suck sometimes. Which is why relentlessly chirpy people irritate me. I say there's nothing wrong with wallowing in ennui and angst once in a while, if only to remind us that we're alive and breathing and human.

The French certainly do, and with the site Vie De Merde (translation: Life is Sh**) shamelessly celebrate misery with a veritable parade of personal injustices that people air out in public:

"I got two text messages from my girlfriend. In the first she said it was all over. In the second, that she had sent the message to the wrong person. Life is sh**."

"Today, after a long series of tests, I found out I am infertile. My wife is pregnant with our second child. I think I need to ask a few questions. Life is sh**."

"I'm 45 years old and still a virgin. Life is sh**."

Ouch. Consider it the flip side of the Gratitude Journal.

What's also interesting are the number of readers' comments on these revelations of personal pain, some openly gloating in its schadenfreude. It sounds cruel, but misery shared no longer seems so miserable, not only for the writer who gets to lighten his load by unburdening it on others, but also for the reader who's relieved in knowing that no matter how bad things get, there's always someone who gets it worse.

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: schadenfreude, vie de merde, misery, misfortune

Flight of the Penguins

2008-04-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: bbc nature penguins you tube april fools

And The Oscar Goes To...

2008-02-22T21:39:00.000-08:00

Yeah, it's overhyped, but we don't care. The Oscars is our big annual bash, with 40 million people invited. It's especially anticipated this year; after the writers' strike and the Golden Globes shutout, L.A. is ready to party.

Here's a collection of links to get you in the mood:

• There's still time to catch this movie marathon if you're up for it: 5 Best Picture Nominees, Unlimited Popcorn for $30. At selected locations. [AMC Theaters]

• Delicious movie-themed menus for your Oscars party. [Epicurious]

• A panel of 32 film experts take a shot at predicting the winners. [Los Angeles Times]

• Some behind-the-scenes look at the frenzy of preparations for awards night. [Variety]

• A look back at the most iconic Oscar fashions. [Stylelist]

• Billy Crystal has done it before but this skit lampooning this year's best picture nominees is still hilarious. [MTV]

• A variety of memorable Oscar moments. [YouTube]

• A list of the all the Oscars soirees and balls where celebs will party pre- and post-ceremony. [Variety]

Label(s): A&E, Metro
Technorati Tags: academy awards fashion oscars you tube

Desperately Seeking A Personality

2008-02-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

And add to that, originality:

These identity thieves don't want your money. They want your quirky sense of humor and your cool taste in music.

Among the 125 million people in the U.S. who visit online dating and social-networking sites are a growing number of dullards who steal personal profiles, life philosophies, even signature poems. "Dude u like copied my whole myspace," posts one aggrieved victim.

Copycats use the real-life wit of others to create cut-and-paste personas, hoping to land dates or just look clever.

I know anything goes in the wild wild web, but what could be more pathetic than people too lazy or dull to come up with something halfway interesting about themselves to score a date online or look cool?

You'd also think these cribbers would at least bother to steal the good stuff, but nooo, they go for phrases so hackneyed and lame it blows my mind: "I want an opposite. A yin to my yang"? "I am the type of person that likes to think of my glass as half full"?

I'm sorry, but anyone who steals lines like these has the wit and style of wilted spinach, with major problems that only an intensive personality makeover can cure.

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: article, dating, romance, online, internet

Why I Love L.A.

2008-02-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

I once got into an argument with a New York guy who started dissing L.A. as soon as he found out it's my home town. You know, typical clueless, snotty bluster: L.A. is a smoggy sewer with no culture and no history, blah blah blah.

It was so silly I actually snorted and was like dude, seriously. I don't want to diss Gotham, but you're in no position to hold your nose when it comes to smog and sewers. As for culture and history, isn't it all relative? NYC has none to speak of compared to the older cities in Europe and Asia, so let's not even go there.

I was reminded of this episode when I read about the Los Angeles magazine inviting its readers to vote on the greatest things in this town. Starting off with 64 candidates, the list will be pruned by half via a monthly face off until only one winner is decided in August. It's almost impossible to reduce L.A. to just one great thing when diversity is what makes it one heck of a city to begin with, but I voted anyway just to see what makes the list.

Now some of the face offs don't make sense (Central Library vs. Vin Scully ? Capitol Records vs. Dim Sum in the S.G. Valley ?), others are no brainers (the Beach vs. Doughnuts, 99 Cent Only Stores vs. Topanga Canyon) while others had me stumped because it was tough to decide (Norton Simon Museum vs. MOCA, Farmers Market vs. Schindler House). Yet one thing is for sure: everything on this list reminded me why I love this town and why that poor New York guy who disparaged the City of Angels just didn't have a clue.

If you're interested, you can still vote here until February 25th. First round results will be announced next month.

Label(s): Metro
Technorati Tags: los angeles, new york city, los angeles magazine

Oscars Watch: No Country For Old Men

2008-02-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

Above is a full length video of Charlie Rose's 11/16/07 interview of Ethan and Joel Coen, directors of the movie No Country for Old Men and two of their lead actors, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin.

Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name, the movie's plot was simple: a man stumbles on a pile of cash from a drug deal gone bad, and finds himself pursued by a relentless hitman. From this basic premise, the Coens created a tight drama full of chance encounters and fatal consequences, in a style so unapologetically violent and frugal -- sparse dialogue, practically nonexistent musical score -- you can't help but sit up and pay attention.

The performances were stellar. Javier Bardem's alone was reason enough to see this movie; his quietly menacing portrayal of the psychotic Anton Chigurh would chill your blood. The rest of the cast held their own: Tommy Lee Jones deftly delivered the darkly comic Coen brothers' trademark dialogue and Josh Brolin showed nuance that I didn't think he had.

This movie didn't dethrone Fargo as the best Coen brothers movie in my book, but it's definitely up there with Miller's Crossing and The Big Lebowski. A must see.

Label(s): A&E
Technorati Tags: movie, film, no country for old men, ethan coen, joel coen, javier bardem, tommy lee jones, josh brolin

Let Me Count The Ways

2008-02-14T01:04:00.000-08:00

These are not the cards you want to send on Valentine's Day.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: valentine's day, funny, humor, cards, love, you tube

DineLA: Tracht's

2008-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Long Beach isn't exactly haute cuisine town. And considering it's at the very edge of L.A. County staring the Big Orange in the face, the city might as well be on the other side of the continent as far as many Angelenos are concerned.

There is one jewel of a restaurant around here though, even by S. Irene Virbila's standards: the unassuming Tracht's at the Renaissance Hotel. My brother and I decided to try its $22 lunch offering yesterday as our first foray into DineLA Restaurant Week.

Suzanne Tracht's (she of Jar fame) latest baby sits a little beyond the lobby to the right, with a sign and setting so lowkey that people not familiar with her could easily mistake it for just another run of the mill hotel bistro. The interior is as stark and simple as her signature dishes, with three large lighting fixtures swathed in pleated orange drapery the only indulgence.

The host seated us right away even though we were fifteen minutes late. Not long after, our server approached with the regular menu and the DineLA special menu without being prompted, and asked for our drink orders. As soon as he left, a busboy brought a small chopping board with warm crispy sourdough bread and soft, room temperature butter as opposed to my pet peeve: hard pats of cold butter that are a pain to spread. Not long after he left, our server was back with our tropical iced tea, complete with a small carafe of syrup as a sweetener option which was a nice touch.

For the first course, I chose the fried oysters with celery root remoulade and cocktail sauce. The oyster "nuggets" were piled high on a bed of crispy shredded potatotes. They were warm, crunchy and well seasoned on the outside, with firm yet tender oyster meat on the inside.

My brother ordered the crab deviled eggs which were tasty but surprisingly mild, even though the yolk mixed with mayonnaise was supposedly spiked with hot sauce and the crab flavored with paprika. It was also quite filling; he thought at first that 3 egg halves were a bit on the stingy side but changed his mind after finishing the dish.

I flirted with the idea of splitting one course and brownbagging the other to make room for dessert, but changed my mind when I tasted my second course, the open faced pot roast on rye with caramelized onions and horseradish creme fraiche. One bite and I understood why this dish is so popular: the roast was fork tender and the sauce intense, so intense in fact that it would've been overwhelming if not for the welcome counterpoint of tangy horseradish and sweet caramelized onions.

My brother's burger was also very good, a perfect medium rare sitting on a toasted brioche bun with slightly bitter watercress, balsamic onions and creamy aioli for contrast. I kept stealing his incredibly good garlic fries, which were generously sprinkled with garlic, parsley and coarse salt.

For the final course, I opted for the pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and sweet brown butter sauce spiked with bourbon. Though very good, it pales in comparison to the dessert my brother chose, Tracht's outstanding signature chocolate pudding. It was probably the best chocolate pudding I've ever had: slightly sweet, slightly bitter and so deeply rich and chocolaty it curled my toes. If you need a reason to drive to Long Beach and try Tracht's, that pudding alone is it.

I'm glad we tried Tracht's. The atmosphere was unpretentious, the service prompt and the food outstanding. That we paid only $44 for a meal that would ordinarily cost $58 (not including drinks, tax and tip) only made it sweeter.

Tracht's
Renaissance Hotel Long Beach
111 E. Ocean Blvd.,
Long Beach, Ca 90802
tel. 562.499.2533

Label(s): Food, Metro
Technorati Tags: food, dinner restaurant dineLA los angeles

Having The Milk, Watching The Game

2008-02-03T00:53:00.000-08:00

True, true, I'm not a big football fan, but I have a feeling my lack of excitement for the Super Bowl is shared by many in a town that hasn't had a team in thirteen years. Oh, I'd still watch the game, but mostly for the ads and the nosh.

Speaking of ads, Gawker looks back at the Super Bowls of yore with their list of the 25 most memorable. See if your favs made their list. If you're feeling nostalgic and want to revisit any of the Super Bowl ads in the last 24 years, the New York Times has an impressive compilation. For the ads that will appear today, Superbowl-ads.com will have them up for sure.

And speaking of nosh, I don't feel like cooking this year but don't feel like doing the same old same old pizza and buffalo wings, either. I'm thinking of picking up some food from the Boiling Crab, a few pounds of spicy cajun crawfish and shrimp with sausages, potatoes and corn on the cob thrown in, maybe some fried catfish. That'll make for a fun and messy Super Bowl party (mental note: must not forget ice cold Corona, lime and tons of paper towels).

If you'd rather slave away making your own nosh, the Food Network has lots of ideas, and so does Epicurious, Saveur, Serious Eats and Slashfood.

Related Super Bowl links:

• Most of a hundred celebs agree: Patriots for the win (though Paul Newman hopes for a tie).

• Sports experts also weigh in and agree, except in a more, ya know, sporty kind of way.

• Meanwhile, here's a look at the rich, cool and connected who'll be flying into Arizona in their private jets, not so much for the Super Bowl but for the partying, networking and drinking, all on their expense accounts. Lucky sports poseur bastards.

• Finally, the NFL cracks down on big-screen Super Bowl church gatherings while giving sports bars a pass. Way to go NFL, tightening the screws on true football fans. Booo!

Label(s): A&E, Misc
Technorati Tags: ads nfl super bowl super bowl ads food recipes you tube

DineLA Restaurant Week

2008-02-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

The city's in the middle of its first ever DineLA Restaurant Week, which officially kicked off January 22nd with Mayor Tony himself in attendance. Clear Channel even has a short video collection of participating chefs in action.

I browsed through the list of restaurants and found it puzzling: side by side notables like Grace and Patina are odd ones like American Girl Place and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Huh?

It's growing pains, I suppose. They had to get as many restaurants to participate, and the big names were probably not too keen on being part of such a hodge podge roster. The $750-$1,000 fee for them to join also didn't help. However, that's a small price to pay considering all the media exposure, positive buzz and new clientele the event has attracted so far.

In fact, DineLA organizer and Grace's Chef Neal Fraser claims it's already a success, judging by the more than 1,200 reservations that flooded his restaurant. As the event continues to build its reputation and following, I have a feeling that the high caliber restaurants will realize they're missing out and scramble to join in on the action in a few years.

For the meantime, la.foodblogging reminds us to peruse the offerings wisely because not all of them are bargains. Feedback on participating restaurants are also coming in fast and furious at Chowhound, most of them complimentary, with scattered complaints on price changing and menu switching. There are also blogosphere reviews on Ford Filling Station, Grace, Luna Park, Patina, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and SimonLA, among others.

DineLA Restaurant Week continues for another week (February 3-8) with three-course prix fixe meals ranging from $15/22 for lunch and $25/$34 for dinner.

Label(s): Food, Metro
Technorati Tags: food restaurant los angeles dineLA restaurant week

Nom Nom Nom

2008-01-24T18:01:00.000-08:00

Flocke, the baby bear saved from being eaten by her mother, stretching and yawning and being cute (check out the hind leg wiggle action at 00:13).

Of course someday she'll grow big enough to tear and eat us all limb from limb, but never mind that.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: animals baby animals baby bear cute video you tube

Paella Party

2008-01-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

With guests from San Francisco and Mexico, it's been a busy holiday season, a blur of shopping, cooking and entertaining that left me exhausted but happy.

For New Year's Eve, I decided on a paella party with tortilla pizzas for starters. I made three different pizzas based on Elise's recipe: roasted bell peppers and mushrooms with asiago and ricotta cheeses, pepperoni and mushrooms with a four cheese combo and bruschetta-style -- tomatoes, olives, pine nuts and fresh basil -- with mozarella and parmesan.

"Ohmigahd, these pizzas are like crack", our friend K.T. said.

True enough, I barely had time to take this shot before this bell pepper and mushroom pizza was snatched up. Good thing the pizzas only take 5 minutes to make. They were such a hit I actually had to send D. to get more cheese and toppings so I could make more.

I was a bit worried our guests wouldn't have room for my shrimp, chicken and smoked sausage paella, but they did. In fact they even had room for Foodaphilia's fabulous coconut toffee almond crunch cookies which I made for the first time. Those were gone even before I can whip out my camera.

As we waited for 2008, we watched Neil Gaiman's adorable fairy tale movie Stardust and took turns playing Guitar Hero III. I was surprisingly good at the game, with a personal best of 97% on easy mode for Sunshine of Your Love even though I'm not familiar with most of the classic rock songs.

We finally did the countdown and toasted the New Year flushed with the warm company of family and friends. It was such a fun night we didn't want it to end.

Label(s): Food, Life
Tehcnorati Tags: food, pizza, paella, party, guitar hero III, stardust, neil gaiman

Here Comes Charice

2007-12-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

Wait till you see this 14-year old girl sing. As Ellen DeGeneres explained, she found Charice on You Tube and had to invite her to the show.

The young lady's got pure, raw talent: she confidently hits her notes and totally commands the stage. It's amazing to think that with enough coaching and training, she'll only get better.

Reportedly, Charice is coming back to Hollywood soon to meet with music producer David Foster and entertainment lawyer Ed Shapiro. Hope she gets the professional guidance that succesfully launches her singing career.

Label(s): A&E
Technorati Tags: charice pempengco ellen degeneres you tube

Thanks, Santa Baby!

2007-12-30T23:01:00.000-08:00

My Christmas present from D. When I muttered about buying a new laptop PC a few months ago, he argued against it too quickly and loudly. I should've known: he wanted me assimilated!

Gotta admit it's a gorgeous machine. I must've been an awfully good girl this year. Thanks, Santa Baby. Muahh!

The rest of my holiday loot:

Bouchon by Thomas Keller from J. I wanted The Complete French Laundry (also by Keller) but glad he got me this instead; its simple yet classic recipes are easier for amateur cooks like me.

An acrylic cookbook holder from K.T. I suspected her and J. of colluding on the above gifts, but they swear they didn't. Then again, it's no secret I love to cook. K. also gave me delicious soaps from Lush and pretty dangling costume earrings.

Wedge Light from L. I was actually thinking of buying this at Barnes and Noble. Best. booklight. ever.

I Am America (And So Can You) by Stephen Colbert from D. I can't believe he bought me another gift after getting me the MacBook. Pshaw, just a stocking stuffer, he said. I'm kinda glad he did, actually. Hilarious read. Funny thing: K. got him the same book.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Husseini and the movie Waitress by (the late) writer/director Adrienne Shelley. Heard very good things about both. Those and a pretty scarf from N.G.

Label(s): Life
Technorati Tags: christmas christmas present holiday gifts macbook

Roast Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce

2007-12-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas dinner started off with steamed Alaskan crab legs served with lemon and herbed butter. Main course was this beautiful rack of lamb with a mint pesto crust served with red wine sauce. The mint pesto recipe was from Sarah Moulton. If you don't care for mint, you can also use a premade basil pesto. Sides were herbed stuffing, potatoes au gratin and sauteed haricots verts with mushrooms.

I was told it was one of the best holiday meals ever, which needless to say left everyone happily stuffed.

Recipes for the roast lamb and red wine sauce below.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Mint Pesto Crust

1 medium rack of lamb, frenched
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons mint pesto or basil pesto
4 slices white or wheat bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brush bread slices with butter on both sides. Toast in the oven until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes; turn over and toast 5-6 minutes more. Take out of the oven and cool.

Wash rack of lamb and pat dry. Make diamond pattern slashes on the fatty surface of the lamb so it can better absorb the garlicky pesto. Season generously with freshly ground salt and black pepper.

Pour olive oil into a large saute pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, sear rack of lamb fatty side down, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.

While rack of lamb is searing, break toasted bread into pieces and run through food processor or blender until turned into fine crumbs.

Transfer seared rack of lamb onto a cutting board and brush generously with mint or basil pesto. Pat with bread crumbs until completely covered. Set aside pan with drippings that you seared lamb in for the wine sauce later.

Transfer into a medium sized oven dish, fatty side up. Place pan in oven and cook for 30 minutes for medium rare or until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees.

Remove rack of lamb to cutting board and let rest for three minutes before slicing into individual chops. Serve with herbed stuffing and red wine sauce.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Red Wine Sauce

1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon fresh parsley (optional)

Drain oil from the saute pan that you used to cook the lamb. Over medium high heat, deglaze the pan with red wine sauce, scraping up the flavorful bits in the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and let reduce by half, about 12-15 minutes.

Add beef broth. Return to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes more.

Drizzle sauce over rack of lamb or serve on the side. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Label(s): Food
Technorati Tags: dinner meat lamb roast recipe wine sauce

Happy Christmas

2007-12-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

What is Christmas without holiday music? Through the years we've seen a succession of holidays songs from Elvis Presley to Larry the Cable Guy, some of which became instant holiday classics.

I'm partial to traditional Christmas songs myself, but this more contemporary song by John Lennon called Happy Christmas (War is Over) holds a special place in my heart.

Some find this song depressing and for good reason: war seems to be a mainstay of mankind's existence. As the historian Will Durant once said, "in the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war". Just think about that for a minute. Thousands of years of violence and death. It's a sobering thought.

I am not a pacifist, but I firmly believe that war is an absolute last resort. As bleak as it looks now with all the armed conflicts going on in the world, the song does give me hope. We can stop war, we have done it before. Just as we've started them, we have the power to end them, if only we want to badly enough.

As we enjoy the holiday festivities, please say a little prayer for those caught in wars around the globe. May they, like us, finally enjoy peace, prosperity and blessed days like today with their own family and loved ones.

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: christmas holiday war john lennon happy christmas war is over christmas songs

Office Holiday Party

2007-12-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

Unlike this skit, D.'s office holiday party was neither cheap nor wacky. It was held at a two-story Hollywood club his company took over for the evening and was actually quite nice: open bar with unlimited free drinks, uniformed servers offering excellent hors d'oeuvres and a multi-course buffet with fish, chicken and roast beef as main courses. There was even a photographer who took complimentary portraits to commemorate the occasion.

However, the venue was the same as last year and the year before. People were getting tired of it judging by the attendance, which was barely half what it was two years ago. We imagine the company had a multi-year contract with the club to get the best deal, but hopefully this time was the last.

The party was pretty antiseptic too, compared to last year's, when one of his co-workers was unfairly reported to human resources for "inappropriate behavior" and another co-worker's partner wasn't let back into the club after a cigarette break because the bouncers thought he was a gatecrasher.

The only odd note was the Veep's obligatory speech, when he quipped about how years ago, the company receptionist welcomed new employees by way of flashing them. Cripes, in this age of sexual harassment, what was he thinking making a dumb, offensive joke like that? To everyone's credit, no one laughed at this, and quite a few exchanged miffed glances. Yoohoo, human resourcesss...

Lastly, I was itching to dance and made sure to dress accordingly: no killer 4 1/2-inch heels for me this year, just a retro outfit and go-go knee-high boots. There wasn't a live band this time, which I thought was a good thing because the one they hired before was pretty lame. That was until the deejay started playing his sets, which were mostly cliché 70's and 80's music. I mean, Baby Got Back? Argh.

D. kept asking me to dance and I kept refusing for a full half hour, thinking c'mon Mr. Deejay, throw me a bone here? He finally threw a few, and D. and I finally got to dance the night away.

Label(s): Life
Technorati Tags: christmas holiday party

Snickerdoodles

2007-12-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

Snickerdoodles. What a funny name for a cookie. Most web sites say it's German in origin, which is also what the culinary classic The Joy of Cooking says. It's all speculative, although additional references cited here seem to support it. Funny name or not, it's a cinch to make and a joy to eat.

I like my snickerdoodle on the soft and chewy side. I also discovered that using lightly toasted korintje cinnamon (available from Amazon and most specialty food stores) gives it that darker and richer cinnamon flavor that I prefer.

This recipe was adapted from an old one I found online.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small sautè pan over low heat, toast the cinnamon until fragrant. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla and mix well.

In a smaller bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon).

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture and continue mixing until well blended. This will make for a heavy and sticky dough, which you can chill for an hour if it's difficult to handle.

Mix the last two ingredients (the sugar and remaining cinnamon) together. Form the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat.

Place twelve dough balls in ungreased cookie sheet, about two inches apart so they'll have room to expand. Flatten them slightly and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until slightly cracked. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Misc: Food
Technorati Tags: cookies cooking food recipe snickerdoodles sweets

Scary Santa

2007-12-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hey, if you were handed over to a big stranger in an fire engine red outfit with a ruddy face, long white beard and booming voice bellowing "HO HO HO", you'd be scared, too.

I love Sad Sack Santa at 0:21 and Weepy Santa at 0:25. Hilarious.

On a related note, there's an interesting post over at Bubble by a mom who was scared of Santa Claus as a young girl. Now she refuses to perpetuate the myth and thinks that encouraging belief in Santa is tantamount to lying to kids. Her views triggered lively discussions here and here.

I don't have a problem with letting kids believe in Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy for that matter. It's just fun make believe, harmles fodder for children's imagination the way characters in their favorite story books are. Calling it lying is a bit harsh.

What I have a problem with are adults who use Santa and company to scare/bribe children into behaving. That's shoddy parenting if you ask me; it encourages children to be motivated by material rewards instead of being motivated to do the right thing.

On the other hand, I don't think believing in Santa is necessary for a child to have happy memories. I for one didn't and never felt deprived. Then again, I grew up in a tropical country where visions of him dashing through coconut trees in an airborne sleigh just doesn't make sense.

Via.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: christmas santa claus kids children santa holidays

Bizarre Holiday Links

2007-12-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

• Menorah Dwarfs Christmas Tree, Town People Not Pleased. Some residents in Long Beach, N.Y. called it an "insult to Christianity". The mayor finally had to get a tree slightly taller than the menorah. Didn't realize the holidays is all about size now. Considering Christmas decorations are everywhere, couldn't they let this go? Whatever happened to the holiday spirit?

• Creepiest Christmas Decor Ever. "Plastic replica of an 11-12 week old fetus, 3" long, holding a firearm in its precious little hand, with an assortment of other military paraphernalia, encased in a translucent plastic ornament, with a patriotic yellow ribbon on top". Also comes in brown model. Right up there with chocolate crucified Jesus as the most disturbing religious product ever.

• Just His Holiday Luck. Michael Millhouse won't forget this holiday season. Two photos of him were featured on the front page of his local paper on the same day: one of him painting a holiday sign and another of him pilfering someone's wallet at a convenience store. Didn't take long for someone to put two and two together and get Millhouse promptly arrested.

• Give Love, Less Guns. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department continued an annual exchange program in the city of Compton: turn in your guns and get $50 gift certificates to local area stores. $100 certificates for early birds. Photos of shopping carts filled with the turned in guns? Sobering. Value of lives saved by this program? Priceless.

• Santa Died for Your Mastercard. A man protests the commercialism of Christmas by nailing an effigy of Santa Claus on a cross and displaying a headless Santa on his lawn singing Christmas carols. Neighbors are offended but don't know what to think. The man says he got the idea from Japanese merchants who displayed a crucified Santa in a holiday display mixup. Oh great, as if a crucified Santa isn't enough, he's brings Buddhists into the mix.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: christmas christmas tree holidays menorah hanukkah santa claus

Twelve Days of Christmas The Medley

2007-12-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

You've never heard it sung this way before. Watch and enjoy.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: a capella christmas christmas carols holidays holiday songs straight no chaser you tube

Coconut Flan

2007-12-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Leche flan (crème caramel, caramel custard) is a staple dessert in most Filipino households. As a young girl I remember helping my aunt make her famously smooth and silky flans, separating the yolks from the whites and ladling the custard into oblong molds called llaneras filled with caramel syrup.

Her meticulous process took all afternoon, and though I love flan, I don't want to spend that much time making them today. After several tries, I came up with a much easier and quicker way of making flan that I think are just as good as her famous ones.

I also came up with a flavored flan by substituting coconut milk for the regular whole milk called for in the usual recipe. The result was a thicker and creamier flan with the rich flavor of coconut. If you don't care for coconut, just use whole milk instead for plain leche flan.

Leche Flan

12 egg yolks
1 can condensed milk
2 cups coconut milk
2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, boil sugar and water together over medium high heat for twenty minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Pour the syrup evenly between two loaf pans or llaneras and cool.

Meanwhile, mix first four ingredients in a blender to make the custard. Strain custard into a large bowl through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Pour custard into the loaf pans or llaneras with the hardened syrup.

Transfer loaf pans into a bigger pan. Make a bain-marie by filling the bigger pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pans. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake until knife inserted in the middle of the flan comes out clean, about one hour. Refrigerate uncovered until cool.

To serve, run a small knife around flan to loosen. Put a serving dish over loaf pan and invert the dish and loaf pan while holding them together firmly. Once inverted, shake loaf pan gently to unmold flan onto dish. Serve plain or garnished with fresh berries.

Makes two flans of 5-6 servings each.

Label(s): Food
Technorati Tags: coconut custard dessert flan food leche flan

Holiday Wish List

2007-12-20T17:02:00.000-08:00

A fashion maven in the late 1920's gave advice on the ideal gift for women:

I shall not speak about men at this time. Any clever woman knows well what any man wants. But for her critical sisters it is more difficult. I have had no small occasions to observe the ladies, and I find that in most cases they love best the small extravagance of life. Only the unimaginative like the utilitarian gift. A bottle of perfume, a scarf, a jewel, a bag, powder, rouge, a negligee, a flower, anything that is not an actual necessity, but a charming extravagance, is an agreeable gift to almost any woman.

Yes, girly gifts are nice, but I find them boring sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, I like being spoiled with them, but not all the time. They're just too predictable. Also, they're mostly a matter of personal taste; unless it's something I've used or tried on before, I don't know if I'd like what I get.

Besides, how much perfume, makeup, bags and jewelry can one woman need? I think womankind just let out a collective shriek of "what are you, nuts?" over that one, but for me there is such a thing as too much, because I'm into more than just pretty things.

Now if you're talking Daniel Craig as James Bond wrapped in a pretty red bow, that's a different story.

Via.

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: holidays gifts christmas wish list

Political Greetings

2007-12-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, it's hard to ignore all the 2008 presidential election politicking going on, especially since the Iowa primary is coming up in a few weeks.

Most of the frontrunners have released their holiday ads, and this one by Barack Obama is my favorite because it's the least self-serving and patronizing of the lot.

It's simple, straightforward, with a good message: "we all have a stake in each other and something larger than ourselves". Perhaps a bit naive, given the environment of political animosity nowadays, but an ideal thing to strive for just the same. Their girls are adorable, too.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: barack obama politics holidays political ads elections you tube

Holiday Links

2007-12-18T17:14:00.000-08:00

• Give Love on Christmas (and Any) Day. Because you can only buy so many ties and fruit cake, The Nation's Katha Pollitt puts up a list of worthy charities that will put your holiday dollars to good use.

• Holiday Cheer, 24/7. Looking for holiday songs round the clock? Merrypages.com has links to holidays tunes from all around the world.

• The Mother of All Desserts. If you're looking for a showstopper of a dessert that'll make your holiday table the talk amongst your foodaholic friends, Daniel Bouloud's spectacular apple and Armagnac croustade is it.

• No Guitar Hero III For You! Kids, if you don't want your Dad selling your $90 Guitar Hero III on E-bay for $9,000, don't smoke pot or at least, don't get caught smoking pot.

• Festivus for the rest of us. A Green Bay, Wisconsin native requested equal display time for an undecorated six-foot pole in honor of Festivus. The mayor nixes it on the grounds that it's pop culture, not a religion. Perhaps a teapot would be more acceptable to the mayor?

• Who let the dogs out? Lastly, if you want peace and happiness to reign this holiday season, please don't invite your pets along unless your host gives a thumbs up.

Label(s): Misc

Papillon

2007-12-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

I was skeptical of Papillon when I first read about it. A vegetarian Filipino restaurant? Bah, how can a vegetarian chicken adobo be good? D. and I decided to go to El Segundo and try it for ourselves.

Papillon is located on Main Street, which was surprisingly empty on a Saturday afternoon. A lot of restaurants and businesses were still closed; apparently, most of them open late during the weekends.

The family-owned and operated restaurant was small, with just 5-6 tables indoors and a couple on the sidewalk. There was a counter lined with framed reviews from local papers as well as framed, mounted butterflies (papillon is French for butterfly).

Why the French name, I asked the owner who also happened to be our server. He said it was in honor of the blue butterfly, an endangered species with only three colonies still known in existence, the biggest of which resides in El Segundo's Habitat Preserve.

As we looked over the extensive menu, D. and I ordered a mango shake and an avocado shake. The thought of the main ingredient in guacamole being turned into a shake didn't appeal to him -- avocado is a fruit, I argued -- but conceded after taking a sip that he liked it better than the mango, which had a strange aftertaste that I can't put my finger on.

We decided on three dishes. The first was Papillon's choice, a combo plate of vegetarian pork barbecue, grilled tofu, stir fried vegetables, plantain and steamed rice. It was a good dish overall. The flavorful tofu served with a spicy sweet and sour sauce was balanced by the sweet plantains and crunchy stir fried veggies.

The barbecued "pork" seitan (wheat gluten) was very "meaty" and savory. I was just disappointed that instead of the traditional Filipino marinade I expected, it was merely brushed with American barbecue sauce.

We also had the vegetarian pancit (stir fried noodles) which had lots of vegetables and mock shrimp and pork that were so good, we didn't miss the meat. It was also interesting how the "shrimp" and "pork", though both made of seitan, had distinctly different tastes and textures. The dish was as good as any non-vegetarian pancit I've had, and there was so much we had to bring half of it home for dinner.

The highlight of the meal, though, was the "chicken" adobo. Adobo is the Philippine national dish, and each region of the country has its own distinct version. This one was decidedly from the Visayan islands: the "chicken" slowly simmered in equal parts soy sauce and vinegar made fragrant with lots of garlic, black peppercorns and a bay leaf or two, until the sauce was reduced to a gravy-like consistency.

Again, we didn't miss the meat. The "chicken" cutlets were very close to the real thing, except a little chewier. I wish you could smell and taste the photo, because nothing compares to the heady aroma and flavor of a good adobo, especially over steamed rice. We liked it so much we ordered more rice just to soak up every bit of the sauce.

The verdict on Papillon: worth the trip, especially for vegans/vegetarians with a craving for generous helpings of Filipino food that are reasonably priced. D and I will definitely be back. Maybe we'll try the piquant vegetarian sinigang and crunchy vegetarian egg rolls next time.

Papillon Vegetarian Cuisine and Grill
408 Main St.,
El Segundo, Ca 90245
Tel. #(310)-640-0408

Label(s): Food
Technorati Tags: filipino food vegan vegetarian restaurant california

Left Out In The Cold

2007-12-15T00:34:00.000-08:00

Don't hate them because they're rich; they're so deprived of the holiday spirit, ya know.

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: humor, video, christmas, holidays

News Around Town

2007-12-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

• With an expected $14 billion budget shortfall next year, the state assembly might have to consider a series of tax hikes and budget cuts for health and human services. It's always the poor and the sick who gets cut first, sigh. The budget crunch would likely stall talks on the Governor's proposed statewide healthcare plan, projected to cost an additional $14 billion. That's hefty change; it'd be interesting to see how Ahnold will fund his ambitious plan with his fellow Republicans sure to be yapping at his heels.

• The WGA filed an unfair labor practices lawsuit against the studios for abruptly breaking off negotiations December 7th. The AMPTP calls the complaint, which is standard in negotiations of this nature, "desperate" and "baseless". The WGA expects the labor board to assign an investigator who will complete an inquiry within 30 days. Meanwhile the strike continues, and the viewing public will continue to suffer through reruns and reality shows like Crowned and The Bad Girls Club. Groan.

• The Mitchell Report named 85 players as having illegally used steroids, including Barry Bonds (already under indictment), Roger Clemens and former Dodger Paul Lo Duca. According to the L.A. Times, the 400-plus page report implied that the Dodgers traded Lo Duca not because he was using steroids but because he stopped. Yet Senator Mitchell didn't propose any penalties or fines for any players or teams, which I find odd. Isn't steroid use illegal and at the very least, cheating for financial gain? After all, major baseball is big business. Isn't using steroids like a corporation cooking the books or using insider information to make a profit?

• In entertainment news, the Golden Globe nominees were announced, with period drama The Atonement and cable channel HBO leading the pack. Meanwhile, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its inductees, with the controversial inclusion of Madonna. Yeah, I think Janis Joplin and Etta James just rolled in their graves.

Image via UCLA Library Digital Collections.
Label(s): City

Tabloidtopia

2007-12-13T22:07:00.000-08:00

This Jezebel feature summarizing the weekly celebrity gossip reminded me of that one time I was standing behind a middle-aged man in the 10 items or less checkout line at my local grocery store.

He didn't buy any food, not even gum. All he had was an armful of the latest issues of all the tabloids he could find.

It also reminded me of a client years ago (when I was in sales) whose reading material on display was a cornucopia of gossip rags proudly fanned out on her coffeetable.

Yeah, yeah, we all have our junk of choice, but like any sensible diet I hope they're balancing this out with something worthwhile. After all, the brain can atrophy like a prune.

That is all.

Label(s): Thoughts

Indexed Thoughts

2007-12-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

Check out Jessica Hagy's pithy, mindmapping-style, index-card observations of life.

Funny.

Via.

Label(s): Misc

Fetuccine Al Tonno

2007-12-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

On days when I'm so tired from work but still craving a hot, homecooked meal, this recipe is my old standby. All it takes is five ingredients and twenty minutes.

This simple, hearty dish is best served with crunchy breadsticks and some nice pinot grigio.

Fettucine Al Tonno

1 lb. fettucine pasta
1 7-oz. package premium white chunk albacore tuna in water
4 tbsp. pesto
1 c. heavy whipping cream or half and half
1/8 tsp. dried pepper flakes or to taste
Fresh, chopped parsley to taste
Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

Cook the pasta according to package directions (tip: to cut cooking time by at least half, use hot tap water for boiling). Drain the cooked pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, make the sauce. In a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat, empty the packet of tuna. Add the pesto and red pepper flakes, sauteeing until the mixture is heated through. Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring to make sure the cream doesn't curdle.

Add sauce to the drained, cooked pasta. Mix until the pasta is coated in the sauce. If the pasta is too dry, add a bit of the cooking water. Adjust seasoning with salt to taste. Top off with chopped freshy parsley.

Serve piping hot with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.

Serves 4-5.

Label(s): Food

Those Were The Days

2007-12-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

While taking a stroll on Main Street in El Segundo, we saw this display of a vintage gas pump. Notice anything interesting?

Take a closer look.

Give up? The answer is below, in white font. Highlight to find out.

The cost counter had room for only three digits, so the highest price you had to pay for gas was only $9.99.

Label(s): City, Photos

News Around Town

2007-12-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

***The LACMA receives a $100 million art gift that includes several Picassos, Kandinskys, Klees and Feiningers. Oh, happy day. Can't wait to see exhibit, which opens a month before the newly renovated LACMA is officially unveiled in mid-February '08. Also, the LACMA's Research Library is having a sale on its voluminous collection of art books and arthouse catalogs.

***The AMPTP walked away from the negotiating table again, right before the holidays. Bastids. The WGA is left with no choice but continue the writers' strike. Meanwhile NBC refunds advertisers roughly $500k apiece because of low ratings and Democratic operative Chris Lehane is sacked by the SEIU Local 99 in L.A. for his representation of the AMPTP.

***The city panel for South L.A. forges ahead with the plan to ban issuing new permits for fast food restaurants in the area, citing concern for increasing rates of obesity and diabetes among its residents. I agree with this on principle, not only because they're unhealthy and an ugly blight on the city landscape, but who's to determine which fast food franchise will be banned? Are Subway sandwiches and El Pollo Chicken unhealthy, too?

***If, you're planning to buy toy jewelry as Christmas gifts, don't. Items purchased around town at Macy's, The Gap Kid Stores, Marshalls, Hello Kitty and Dollar Tree stores among others are contaminated with 600 times the legal amount of lead. After months of news about contaminated products, when is the federal government going to do something about this? Isn't public health just as important as national security?

***In music and entertainment, Ike Turner dies at 76, Variety reports on Led Zeppelin's triumphant charity concert in London, awards shows brace for possible star no-shows due to the WGA strike, Jessica Alba announces she's expecting and Britney Spears called in sick for her child custody deposition.

Image via USC Digital Archive.
Label(s): City

An Uncomfortable Flight

2007-12-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

What would you do if you were flying upper business class and got seated next to a man who was sobbing uncontrollably for his dead mother?

David Sedaris -- author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, brother of Amy -- tells us what he did in a delightful essay for the New Yorker, which could've only been more enjoyable if I was listening to him read it. Incidentally, if you've never heard his readings, you're in for a treat. Here are some select ones he did for NPR.

This story reminded me of my first flight to the United States (a harrowing experience in itself but that's another story). I was migrating for good, and as the plane was taking off, it just occurred to me that life was unpredictable and that any of my loved ones being left behind maybe dead and gone before I'm able to come back for a visit. The thought of this made me burst in tears.

It upset me so much I didn't realize my seatbelt wasn't fastened right, until this Marine seated next to me pointed it out. My tears didn't escape his attention either, and he kindly asked if I was okay. I nodded my head through my stifled sobs, and the poor guy who didn't seem to know what to do squirmed in his seat for a few moments. I could tell he wanted to ask what's the matter and if he could help, but decided against it. Maybe he didn't want to risk getting me more upset and having the spigot of tears flow nonstop.

That was a good call, because I would've probably hiccupped my way through the Pacific Ocean if he did. Eventually, I managed to calm down by forcing myself to look forward to a new life in a country full of promise and possibilities. I even managed to smile a little, which probably relieved my seatmate the Marine.

Label(s): A&E, Life

Rachaelisms

2007-12-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

I don't hate Rachael Ray like others seem to these days (Anthony Bourdain being the most notorious). I find it endearing that she readily admits to being a cook and not a chef. Her recipes, instead of culinary hallmarks, are friendly endeavors that encourage the harried and exhausted to at least cook something instead of relying on the usual packaged/fast food fares.

However, as she became a household name, she seemed to develop more cutesy affectations (is there anything, anything at all she doesn't find worthy of an "MMM" ?) and "Rachaelisms" that could grate even the most forgiving.

Her "E-V-O-O" (short for "extra virgin olive oil" which is annoying enough, not to mention that applying heat to extra virgin oil is practically sacrilegious) grew into a repertoire that includes "delish", "you guys", "awesome" and most of all "yum-o" which drives me absolutely stabby. On every one of her shows, she utters most of them not once, not twice, but often. Arggh.

Maybe she thinks it's a trademark that is expected of her. Or maybe she's using it as a crutch. Or maybe, just maybe, she's really like this in person. Whatever the reason, the unrelenting perky one liners and mannerisms have gotten on my nerves enough that I stopped watching Rachel long before Oprah unleashed her on an unsuspecting world.

On an added note, I discovered while surfing online that she posed for some racy photos for the men's mag FHM back in 2003. Just saying.

There is also this Rachael Ray dress up doll online. Heaven help us.

Label(s): Food, Thoughts

Remote Control

2007-12-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

I don't find this funny, either. It's insulting to women and also to men who are portrayed as lazy, oversexed slobs whose idea of a perfect partner is a meek, subservient airhead with an overinflated chest ready to lie on her back at the push of a clicker.

Really, we have so evolved beyond this. People attempting to be funny should quit relying on boring cliches and come up with something wittier and more original than this tired old crap.

Via.

Label(s): Thoughts

Poor Dear

2007-12-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

A long suffering loyal companion who patiently endures indignities, from wearing a wig that makes him look like a brunette Doris Day to wearing cooked pasta, deserves a medal and a halo.

Here's to you, poor darling Chuck!

Label(s): Misc

The Nebraska Mall Massacre

2007-12-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

A nineteen-year old kills eight people and himself in another senseless shooting spree:

OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - A 19-year-old man killed eight people and then himself with an assault rifle at a busy mall in Omaha on Wednesday, sending terrified workers and Christmas shoppers scrambling for cover.

"Now I will be famous," the gunman wrote in a suicide note, his landlady told CNN after finding a three-part document that she said included his will.

Police declined to discuss the contents of the note.

Five people were wounded, two of them critically, in the early afternoon rampage in the Midwestern U.S. city. Most of the victims at the upscale Westroads Mall were shot inside the Von Maur department store near the children's clothing area.

I think it's time the media collectively change its policy when reporting these tragedies. Instead of prominently featuring the perpetrator, they should focus more on the victims and the senseless loss of life. Instead of sensationalizing the coverage, they should send the message that if you massacre people, we will bury you in obscurity instead of helping you get(in)famous. Madness like this shouldn't be rewarded with notoriety.

Label(s): Thoughts

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

2007-12-04T23:39:00.000-08:00

The new Battlestar Galactica is on its last season starting March 2008, and if you've never seen this sci-fi series because the cheesy, campy original BSG of the 70's leaves a sour taste in your mouth, erase its memory from your head and go rent every one of the last three seasons of the new BSG before watching its final season. It's that good.

For me, the new BSG singlehandedly saved TV from being a total waste. I also wasn't a big fan of sci-fi, but the series proved to me that sci-fi when done right is not so much about the space age special effects -- although it does that outstandingly well, too -- but more about the complexities that beset the human condition.

As we in the know impatiently wait for the last season, the BSG crew released a two-hour movie in the interim called Battlestar Galactica: Razor which came out on DVD today. It's a detailed flashback into one of the more compelling storylines of the series, when the Cylons attacked the Colonies and Galactica discovers that another Battlestar, the Pegasus, survived. It's a good primer to the series that'll give you a taste of the new and much improved BSG. Needless to say, I highly recommend it.

Label(s): A&E

Chocolate Kissed Peanut Butter Cookies

2007-12-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned previously, I went cooking crazy last Thanksgiving. These delicious peanut butter chocolate lovelies were the first of two types of cookies I made along with other sweets.

I like peanut butter and I like chocolate, so it was a matter of time before I rummaged the web for a good peanut butter and chocolate cookie recipe. Now mind you, I didn't want peanut butter chocolate chip cookies; I prefer peanut butter cookies with just a smidge of chocolate on top, to get pure peanut butter in some bites and a peanut butter/chocolate combo in others.

This recipe fits the bill. I couldn't attribute the source because I didn't save the link, but if anyone knows which site it's from, let me know and I will gladly note it here.

The original recipe suggested I press a whole Hershey's Chocolate Kiss on top; I replaced that with Ghirardelli milk chocolate squares. The warm cookies will melt the chocolate in a minute or two, at which point you can make pretty swirls of them with the tip of a knife.

Be warned: the mouthwatering smell of peanut butter will permeate your kitchen, and these cookies will be irresistible right out of the oven, but they'll be hot and so is the melted chocolate on top which takes longer than the cookies to cool. At least blow on it before taking a bite or risk getting the roof of your mouth scorched with molten chocolate!

There are chewy, chock full of flavor cookies. I've used both chunky and creamy peanut butter with equal success. You can even use low fat peanut butter and it's just as good.

Chocolate Kissed Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. butter/margarine softened
1/4 c. shortening
1 egg

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 doz. chocolate kisses or squares

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the first set of ingredients. Add the second set of ingredients. Put spoonful sized portions of the dough on a cookie sheet, 12 drops at a time, slightly flattening them with a fork. Make sure they have space between to expand. Cook for 8-10 minutes.

Take out cookies and cool on a rack. While cooling, press chocolate pieces in the middle of each cookie.

Makes two dozen cookies.

Label(s): Food

College Mottos

2007-12-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

I came across this article by Thomas Bartlett for the Chronicle of Higher Education. Its title "Your (Lame) Slogan Here" was apt because boy, there are some really lame school mottos out there.

There's Dartmouth College's biblical yet too theatrical "The Voice of One Crying Out in the Wilderness" that makes me think of much weeping and gnashing of teeth. How about Stanford University's "The Wind of Freedom Blows", which really, er, blows. Then there's Cornell University's "I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study".

Say what?

Even the marginally better ones make me cringe, like Seton Hall University's "Whatever risk, Yet Go Forward" and Carnegie Mellon's "My Heart Is in the Work" that for some reason got me thinking of Groove is in the Heart by Dee Lite, which is now annoyingly stuck in my head even though it's a lot better than the slogan. Perhaps the song title should be their slogan?

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm crazy about my alma mater's motto, "Religio Mores Cultura, Christian Achievers for God and Country", which sounds like something that God Warrior Lady from Trading Spouses would dream up.

Too bad Swarthmore College's "Guilt Without Sex" and Chicago U's "The University of Chicago: Where Fun Goes to Die" are strictly unofficial.

What's the point of university mottos, anyway? Apparently it's for branding purposes, to romanticize the university in your mind and make your chest swell with pride for having spent your money or your parents' money going there.

I see that working in the case of Yale University's "Lux Et Veritas" (Light and Truth) or the University of California's "Fiat Lux" (Let There Be Light), but unless institutions of higher learning can come up with something just as classy yet cool, they might as well forget it.

Label(s): Thoughts

Aww, Shucks

2007-12-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

I'm such a sucker for these things, sigh.

So nice of the Scrubs cast and crew to go along with it.

Label(s): A&E

Care For Some Pie?

2007-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

In honor of National Pie Day, here's the first pecan pie I ever baked last Thanksgiving. Instead of buying goodies from a bake shop, I made two of these babies plus two leche flans, two dozen peanut butter chocolate cookies and two dozen snickerdoodles. I even made the dough for Food for the Gods, except the oven conked out on me and I had to give it to our friend K.T. to take home and bake in her oven.

All of that in addition to making prime rib roast with stuffing, potatoes au gratin and sauteed green beans and mushrooms for dinner. What can I say? I went cooking crazy.

Anyway, this pecan pie was based on a recipe from Elise of Simply Recipes. I was looking for a rich but not overly sweet pie, and this was perfect. As she promised, the vanilla, butter and molasses heightened the pecan flavor without the headache-inducing sweetness common in most pecan pies.

D., who is a pecan pie fiend, gave it two thumbs up. It was rich, chewy and full of nutty goodness that was just as enjoyable the day after with a good cup of coffee.

Label(s): Food

Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007

2007-09-06T02:24:00.000-07:00

The world has lost a titan of the arts today:

ROME (AFP) - Operatic legend Luciano Pavarotti, whose showmanship and crossover celebrity turned him into a global superstar, died Thursday at his home in northern Italy at the age of 71.

Hailed by many as the greatest tenor of his generation, Pavarotti passed away during the night at his villa near the city of Modena after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Above is an excellent quality video clip of Pavarotti singing the aria Nessun Dorma, from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. The performance was from the 1994 Three Tenors concert with his good friends, tenors Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras and conductor Zubin Mehta.

Addio, Maestro. Riposi in pace. For your gift of music to us all, grazie mille.

Label(s): A&E
Technorati Tags: luciano pavarotti, opera, nessun dorma, three tenors, zubin mehta, puccini, turandot, you tube

Vroom Vroom

2007-09-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Yikes. It's called lane splitting, but hair raising is more like it.

My father used to pick me up from grade school on his motorbike, and in my Catholic school uniform I would ride side saddle behind him, my arms wrapped tightly around his waist because I was terrified of falling off. I was the envy of the whole school for being the girl lucky enough to have such a cool dad.

I was never a speed junkie, and tight squeezes like the ones on the video clip would definitely freak me out -- luckily, it happened rarely because we lived in a relatively small town and he never rode it on the freeway -- but I have fond memories of riding my dad's bike, especially when he took me to visit relatives in the country.

There, on the open road, my initial feelings of apprehension would dissipate: I would raise my head with my eyes closed, soaking up the sun and enjoying my hair being whipped around by the wind, as my dad revved up his Honda, zooming through endless acres of golden rice fields.

My mother didn't think it was cool, though. I don't recall her ever riding that bike, but I do recall her arguing with my dad about getting rid of it. She finally got her wish one day when my father drove it off into a ditch; he walked away with just scrapes and bruises, but the bike was a goner.

He never did replace it with another one. I was practically a teen by then, and my younger brother was almost a year old. I guess he finally decided it was time to grow up and get that family car.

[via LAist]

Label(s): Life

Fresh Berries And Figs With Honey And Mascarpone

2007-08-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was the luscious dessert D. and I enjoyed one weekend, after a light dinner of spinach salad with grilled shrimp and yogurt dressing (which I'll post later).

It was an embarrassingly easy dessert to make. I found these fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries and blackberries) and fragrant ripe figs from Trader Joe's which I rinsed, patted dry and cut in half as needed. The mixed fruits were served in individual bowls, drizzled with good quality honey and topped with a generous spoonful of mascarpone cheese.

Ahh, dessert doesn't get better than this. And quite healthy, too: mascarpone, which is similar to ricotta, is only 65 calories per spoonful.

There are many variations on this classic combination. You can dust it with cocoa then top it with chopped nuts of your choice (I'm partial to pistachios). You can sprinkle it with freshly grated orange zest and whip the mascarpone with a bit of orange liqueur (I recommend Grand Marnier). You can also top it with freshly shaved semi-sweet chocolate (I recommend Vhalrona) and whip the mascarpone with a bit of frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or amaretto (almond liqueur).

The possibilities are endless; the results divine.

Label(s): Food

Keepon Dancing

2007-08-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

He's got more rhythm than some guys I know.

More on Keepon and his inventors at Wikipedia.

And here's a Spoon music video with Keepon dancing to Don't You Evah.

Label(s): Misc

Pretty Ugly

2007-08-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Somebody teach this girl some manners:

The 19-year-old star of the MTV hit show The Real World: Sydney, filmed late last year, has infuriated the Asian Australian community and been panned by US audiences after a recent episode showed her demanding an Asian cashier at the Bondi McDonald's "learn English".

"I'm like, well I'd take the f....n' Crunchie one but I don't know what it tastes like because you wouldn't give me a sample," Trisha Cummings said.

"I'm like, you know what, keep the money, maybe take some English lessons - I'm leaving cause you don't know how to speak English," she said.

Nothing changes pretty to pretty ugly faster than boorish, uncivilized behavior like this, which also reinforces the stereotype that Americans are rude and arrogant.

And to think that between them, it's the cashier who speaks two languages.

Label(s): Thoughts
Technorati Tags: australia americans mtv mtv the real world trisha cummings

Short Takes

2007-08-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Things that caught my eye on the net:

So what did you think of the video? Very Blair Witch Project, no?

Drinkable Skincare. It's supposedly clarifying, age defying, replenishing and firming but instead of slathering it on your skin, you drink it. This might start a new beauty craze; can you hear the cosmetic industry saying "ka ching!" ? [via MyItThings]

Home Theater Watch. This is Dick Tracy cool, but how small is too small before the law of diminishing returns kicks in? Unless you've got 20/20 vision, a magnifying glass might come in handy with this gadget. [via Styledash]

The Low Down. I'm not sure who this ad insults more: women who are compared to "undependable, expensive servers that don't satisfy your needs" or its target market which is portrayed as frustrated geeks who never get satisfaction from a warm female body or a cold machine. Not the first time the ad ran, either; only shows that in this company's book, money trumps everything. [via Feministing]

Don't Buy: Swap. Our consumerist society programs us to buy, buy, buy; not only is it murder on the wallet but also environmentally unwise. Instead of purchasing more stuff, why not trade? Swaptree is a cool new site where you list stuff you're willing to barter for stuff that others may have. [via Sk*rt]

Label(s): Misc
Technorati Tags: beauty, borba skin care, skin, movies, home theater watch, qsol, advertisement, barter, swapping, swaptree, ufo, you tube

Favorite Joke

2007-07-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Dilbert creator Scott Adams revealed what "isn't that special" really means.

Personally, I prefer saying, "good for you"!

As for my favorite joke:

Q: What do you call a Filipino contortionist?

A: A manila folder.

Courtesy of our friend K.M. who made me squirt soda out my nose when she first told me.

What's your favorite joke?

Label(s): Misc

Wipeout

2007-07-25T22:35:00.001-07:00

D. is going to end up doing this one of these days. He's such a pooter slave driver.

That bit about blogs getting wiped out was funny. Well, maybe half funny. I'm currently mourning the loss of a ton of photos in my computer, photos that I was planning to post on this blog. Something about making backups caused the photos' JPEG strings to get truncated and unreadable. Good thing D. has some of them saved, but many can't be replaced. He's trying to retrieve them but it looks hopeless.

Sigh. Five years' worth of memories down the drain. I think I'm going to be sick.

Label(s): Life
Tags: internet, photos, meltdown, blogs

Patriotic Fireworks

2007-07-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Happy July 4th.

The News on Paris

2007-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here's MSNBC reporter Mika Brzezinski so disgusted with having Paris Hilton as lead news story that she tried to burn, then shred, her script:

This video got lots of hoots and hollers at Digg and Youtube. It's a good thing that somebody finally put a stop to the madness, but sad that we have to applaud newscasters for trying to report real news because isn't that, after all, their job?

This reminds me of the Washington Post's William Booth's online chat with readers today and his response to a commenter who castigated the media for their excessive coverage of l'affaire Paris:

Cambridge, Mass.: Comment: Finally this idiotic and stupid "news story" can come to an end. I cannot believe the amount of news coverage this trivial event has received -- when compared to other important news worthy events -- such as Darfur, etc.

Shame on everyone of the news organizations, outlets and newspapers who invested such obscene amount of air-time on this.

William Booth: I can relate. Though I might suggest that most news organizations, including the Washington Post, can walk and chew gum at the same time. Meaning: look at today's newspaper. Plenty of Cheney, politics, Iraq, wildfires, movie reviews, stock market analysis and a little scoop of Paris.

Talk about a non sequitur.

The issue here is not whether the news media is capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time; the issue is that they're doing more gum chewing when walking is what they're supposed to be doing.

No one is suggesting that news should be dour. There is room for lighthearted fare like entertainment news, especially in cable news networks which have to come up with fresh content 24/7.

But when escapist, gossipy fluff overtakes and crowds out what's truly relevant, they're doing us a huge disservice: tabloid journalism like this is the reason why studies from the Pew Research Center and PIPA show that people are better informed watching The Daily Show with John Stewart and Newshour with Jim Lehrer than by watching Fox News or CNN.

No wonder the traditional news media are losing market share to alternative news sources. This will continue to happen, until they get their priorities straight and quit acting like Extra or Entertainment Tonight.

Label(s): Thoughts

Psychedelic Ride

2007-06-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Taken from behind a coffee shop in Main Street El Segundo over the weekend. The coffee shop was closed. On a Saturday. In fact, most of the establishments on the street were closed that day, which was a bit odd. Perhaps they all open in the evening, but we didn't stay long enough to find out.

The hippy dippy van espouses some political opinion in the back. Other than that it's totally grooovy. It's on sale for $5k, any takers?

Label(s): Photos

Merienda

2007-06-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Filipinos adopted the Spanish afternoon snack habit of merienda (pronounced mer-YEN-da) as easily as they did siesta. The one on the left is my favorite: a rice cake called suman sa lihiya paired with a slice of mango de manila (aka as ataulfo mango) and a bowl of steaming salabat (ginger tea).

Actually, merienda is like a fourth meal, more akin to the English tea than the American version of a snack. It can be an elaborate spread of savory and sweet dishes with a variety of beverages -- in which case it's called merienda cena, or high tea -- or it can be a simple affair like this one.

Elaborate or simple, all Filipino meriendas have one thing in common: no steamed rice is served as a dish, because in that case it's a full meal and not just a "snack".

The rice cake is a concoction of sweet sticky rice and coconut milk steamed in fresh banana leaves. It's also known as suman yakap, which literally means "rice cake embrace" because it usually comes in pairs tied together like the photo above. I bought this one, which came with a caramel sauce made from coconut milk and brown sugar, from a Filipino store that sells homemade sweets and delicacies.

The tea is simplicity itself: a slice or two of unpeeled raw ginger boiled in water for about fifteen minutes which results in an aromatic brew with a bit of a snap, best imbibed plain or with a little bit of honey.

Having this merienda on the patio on a sunny breezy afternoon always brings me back to the old country. It's like a sweet little taste of home.

Label(s): Food

Rubik's Revolution

2007-06-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Oh Rubik's Cube, what have they done to you?

Since 1980, all it took to experience endless hours of mind-boggling puzzle-solving -- and its accompanying headaches -- was twisting and turning a brightly colored, 5.7 cubic centimeter block: the beloved and iconic Rubik's cube.

But today's kids, who may not be satisfied with the original's simple goal -- to get each color on one side of the cube -- can feed their Rubik's rage with a new twist on the classic toy: the electronic Rubik's Revolution. Complete with lights, sounds and numerous puzzles, players can play the updated version by themselves or with friends.

It's like Dance Dance Revolution for your fingers, which looks fun and a good way to improve memory, but hardly the mind bender the original Rubik's Cube was. Besides, if all you need to do is to remember steps in sequence, I don't think that counts as a "puzzle". Gizmodo officially hates it and calls this new version "Rubik's Crapolution".

Is dumbing down challenging toys/games the only way to spark interest in kids nowadays? I can't imagine Erno Rubik approving of this bastardization of his baby. It's sad to think this watered down version is what the new generation will remember the Cube by.

As a puzzle lover, I've always enjoyed the challenge of the original although I recall solving it only once. Hopefully they won't stop selling it because now more than ever, in today's instant gratification culture, our brains can use the discipline and the workout.

For more on the original Rubik's Cube, click here. For more on the lame Rubik's Revolution, click here.

Label(s): Thoughts
Tags: games, puzzles, rubik's cube, rubik's revolution, toys

A Virtual Affair

2007-06-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

A new twist on the online affair:

It started out as a friendship, as many relationships do. But gradually Sam's feelings for Kat, a beautiful, smart and confident woman, had turned romantic.

Hang on — there’s a catch. Sam and Kat met in the virtual world Second Life. And although they shared all kinds of intimacies in Second Life, the real people have never laid eyes on each other.

That didn’t seem to matter to Sam. He fell pretty hard for his avatar sweetie. They bonded intellectually, emotionally, and yes, thanks to Second Life animations, even physically.

Here’s where it gets complicated. Unlike his avatar, which is female, in real life, Sam is a man. A married man. And the person behind the blonde, curvaceous Kat? Married. And, quite possibly, a man, too.

The article asks: is this cheating?

Of course it is.

You might just be romancing someone online, but if the guilty pleasure and or satisfaction you get out of it is real, if you develop an attachment to the point of hiding and lying about it, and if you expend time and emotional energy on it then yes, it's cheating.

Infidelity can be both physical and emotional, and seeking satisfaction for either one from someone else at the expense of intimacy with your real life partner counts as cheating in my book.

Now, do I think it's as damaging as a real life affair? It depends on the degree of attachment and involvement. A virtual affair may indicate that someone's needs aren't being met in a relationship. If the person sees it as such and is willing to walk away and work on the problem, there may be hope. But if the online affair is a prelude to something more, then obviously it's no less devastating than an affair in real time.

Label(s): Thoughts

When The Music's Over

2007-06-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
The face in the mirror won't stop
The girl in the window won't drop
A feast of friends
"Alive!" she cried
Waitin' for me
Outside!
Before I sink
Into the big sleep
I want to hear
I want to hear
The scream of the butterfly

My favorite Doors song. I guess the music is over, because we don't get it this good anymore.

Label(s): A&E

Sayonara, Yokohama

2007-05-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

Though we ate at Yokohama Ramen over a year ago, I'm only writing about it now because it was an eating experience I'd rather forget. I've had good eats and bad eats and this one definitely fell under bad.

Yokohama was a small noodle house in a nondescript mini mall on Gateway. When we dropped by one afternoon on the way to Best Buy, the restaurant looked okay enough at first glance. It was clean and bright, with a spattering of Asian customers which usually tells me the food is good. However, things went downhill as soon as we sat down.

For starters, the menu was one of those oily laminated deals; I ignored it in the hopes it was a minor slip and that the food would more than make up for it. They had twenty different kinds of ramen that looked promising, in prices that ranged from $5.50 to $7. I ordered the Yokohama ("Noodles in soy sauce flavored broth topped with seafood, barbecued pork and vegetables") and D. ordered the Chanpon ("noodles in a special flavored broth topped with seafood and vegetables").

Our orders arrived in huge steaming bowls, but didn't have that savory fragrance most ramen have. Sure enough, the broth was like dishwater, the superthin pork slices were bland and far between, and the "seafood" which was mainly squid was tough and rubbery. The vegetables were mostly cabbage and canned bamboo shoots that gave the soup an unpleasant pungent aftertaste. Just horrid, and we're not the only one who thought so.

I wasn't surprised to learn from Chowhound that Yokohama closed down last February. Apparently, it was a good ramen house until a change of ownership last year, which proves again that trying to make a quick buck by slapping a good reputation on bad food never works.

Label(s): Food

I Heart Mogu

2007-05-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

You've probably seen a Mogu, those Japanese nylon pillows filled with polystyrene beads. I love them so much we have a couple at home and in the car, including a big one from Brookstone for me to sleep on. Unfortunately, the nylon material stretches and it didn't take long for the Brookstone one to get bent out of shape.

I was resigned to buying a new Mogu pillow every year until D. bought me this one -- another anniversary gift -- from Amazon. It's not cheap at fifty bucks, but let me tell you: Best. Pillow. Ever. Better than any of that Posture Pedic slash Memory slash Shiatsu stuff. And no, this isn't a paid advertisement post. It's just a really awesome pillow.

This one is even better than my old Mogu; it's pliable enough to adjust to the contour of my head and neck, cradling it perfectly without losing its shape because of the sturdy polyester/cotton blend casing.

As soon as I used it I knew it ruined me for any other pillow. It's the first time I slept straight through without a stiff neck waking me up and who couldn't use a good night's sleep like that? I heart my Mogu!

Label(s): Misc

The Robert Rodriguez Cooking School

2007-05-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

"Puerco Pibil: a dish so good you might get whacked just for making it."

There's something so sexy about a guy who knows his way around the kitchen. Watch and learn, gentlemen. Like he says, not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to f...

Did I mention D. makes the best breakfast scrambles?

Label(s): Food, Misc

Cool Spoiler Tee

2007-05-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Wait, no who killed Laura Palmer?

Label(s): Misc

Star Wars Redux

2007-05-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

[Note: Click on large photo to navigate. Click on small photo to enlarge or read caption. Click on page number for next set of photos.]

I have a confession to make: I never saw the original Star Wars Trilogy. Ever.

No, I didn't recently wake up from a coma. Just never got around to seeing it. This was partially intentional on my part: after all these years, it would only look dated and cheesy to me instead of eliciting oohs and ahhs like it did from the generation which saw it on the big screen for the first time and many times after that, thereby making George Lucas a disgustingly rich man.

Take for instance our friend J. The movies obviously made an indelible impression on him growing up because his birthday wish was to see the Star Wars Exhibit at the California Science Center last month, on this 30th-year anniversary of the original movie.

Although I was the lone passenger from the Planet Clueless on that day trip, how can I say no? In our circle, the birthday celebrant always gets what he wants. Always, even if it meant going to a Wizard of Oz singalong at the Hollywood Bowl (I'm looking at you, K.G.!) which D. tried erasing from his memory with a bottle of merlot, but I digress. Truth be told, I wasn't that clueless about Star Wars. I did see the second trilogy, which I liked in spite of Jar Jar Binks and big and little Anakin Skywalker.

The exhibit itself was more enjoyable than I expected, even though taking photos was a challenge with all the people milling around. There were lots of costumes, props, weaponry and starship models from all six movies. I especially liked the Millenium Falcon, the Droideka and of course, Darth Vader. Noticeably missing was a likeness of Padme Amidala, although there was a lifesize cutout of a midriff-baring Natalie Portman as Padme over the gift shop near the exit.

There was nothing cartoonish or hammy about the exhibit at all which was a good thing. It certainly went a long way in erasing memories of the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special for me.

It was also a smart move to host the exhibit from February to April. It gave us Angelenos the chance to enjoy it in peace before things got crazy this month, starting with the unofficial Star Wars Day on May 4th -- get it? May the 4th be with you? -- and culminating in the 5-day Star Wars Celebration IV which ends tomorrow.

Label(s): Life, Photos

Beauty In Art

2007-05-26T23:29:00.000-07:00

Five hundred years' worth of female portraits morphed into one amazing montage.

Label(s): A&E

Hard Rockin'

2007-05-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Drive-In Revival

2007-05-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

The only time I've been to a drive-in was with a bunch of friends back in the mid-80s. Drive-ins were already in decline then, and since none of us have ever been to one, we wanted to check it out before it completely disappeared.

I don't remember which drive-in we went to except the space was occupied by a swap meet during the day. I barely recall the movie either, except for the poor visual projection and audio reception which occasionally hissed on the car radio. There was no concession stand -- not that we would dare buy anything from it, anyway -- and the lot with the weeds growing in its cracked pavement looked forlorn with the anemic dozen or so cars that dotted its landscape.

Since I was in the back seat straining to see the actors from the neck up, I started getting bored and my eyes wandered around to the other cars. I found it curious that the windows of the car nearest us started to fog up and rock slowly back and forth. What the... ? Oh. Being young and naive at the time, it took me a few seconds to figure out they weren't watching the movie. A couple of cars started to fog up, too. Suddenly the candy bar I found in my purse didn't look too good. So much for the drive-in experience.

A couple of decades later, Star-Vu is reviving the Southern California drive-in via a state of the art inflatable screen. This time, the promotional emphasis is on family night rather than date night. The idea might catch on as a good way to spend summer evenings if they do it right: good visual and audio, clean and safe environment, and security to keep the window foggers off the premises.

If this flops, there's still the vintage movie screenings at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Label(s): Life

Laisse Tomber Les Filles

2007-05-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Here's the song Chick Habit from the movie Grindhouse, sung in the original French by April March.

Label(s): A&E

Ode To Elixir

2007-05-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

On our way to the Bodhi Tree bookstore, we passed by Elixir and discovered they're closing at the end of this month. Apparently, they've lost their lease and are moving to Newport Beach to cater to spoiled OC housewives instead of spoiled Hollywood celebs.

It's been a good 15-year run at this location for Elixir, which pioneered the whole leaf tea bar and shop trend long before people knew the difference between oolong and lapsang souchong. With Urth Cafe and Le Pain Quotidien just across the street, it's no longer the überhip place it used to be, but its serenity garden remained a peaceful oasis where its devotees can relax and unwind.

With Herman Hesse's Siddhartha in tow, I was hoping to drop by one last time to lounge in the garden and drink an herbal tonic or tea as the scent of incense envelops me where I sit. For old time's sake. But my schedule is impossible; might as well, because this Craigslist ad tells me they're already selling the place piece by piece.

There's no word on what will take Elixir's place when they're gone, but I doubt the ambience will be preserved. There's still the naughty but discreet CoCo de Mer next door, but that's a whole different world in itself.

Label(s): Life, Photos

Deadly Irony

2007-05-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

[Updated below.]

Attempted murder by train backfires:

A man tried to kill his girlfriend Monday by parking their car in front of a speeding Metrolink commuter train, but instead died when debris from the crash struck him after he had been ejected from the car, police said.

His girlfriend, who was in the car when the train slammed into the vehicle's passenger side, was seriously injured but is expected to survive.

If it wasn't on the L.A. Times website I could've sworn this article was from The Onion.

I've had two close calls with trains twice. Once when I was crossing an intersection, the traffic slowed down unexpectedly. I was stuck halfway through the tracks when the traffic lights turned red and the bars started coming down for the train to pass. Luckily, there was only one car behind me which quickly backed up to give me room to back up, too.

The other one happened a long time ago in the Philippines. My friends and I used to carpool with another classmate who had a van. Her driver once stopped in the middle of the tracks thinking it was funny to scare high school girls into screaming their heads off as we watched the train coming towards us from the horizon. It wasn't a close call at all, but it was still a stupid thing to do. Needless to say, our parents were livid and the driver was fired.

Playing tag with a train never pays. It's like that proverbial story about a ship about to collide with a lighthouse. Doesn't matter how big a ship you're steering, you have to change course.

Update:

Female survivor recants story about the deceased trying to kill her.

Orange Roughy With Crab Bearnaise

2007-05-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

At Phil Trani's, I often ordered the same dish: crab stuffed halibut nestled on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and topped with bearnaise sauce.

I haven't been there for years but I've managed to create my own version of the dish. Instead of halibut, I used an orange roughy fillet for its sweet flavor. The fillet was panfried in equal parts butter and olive oil, after being seasoned with salt and pepper and lightly floured. I also skipped the mashed potatoes, and instead of using the crab for stuffing, I added it to the bearnaise sauce.

I used this bearnaise sauce recipe from Sara Moulton, which I made with white wine vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar she called for. The steamed crab meat was added at the last minute and cooked only until it was heated through.

This rich dish goes best with a simple side of steamed young asparagus or garlic sauteed spinach. A nice glass of pinot noir would also pair well with the meal.

Label(s): Food

Countdown

2007-05-19T10:22:00.001-07:00

One hundred. One hundred movies. One hundred movie quotes. Does this rock or what?

I've guessed half of the titles. See if you can do more. If you're stumped, the answers are here.

(via LAist)

Label(s): A&E

From The Mouth of Babes

2007-05-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Question: What happens to people when they get old?

Answers:

They have gray hair and wrinkles and they die.

You go in a wheelchair. Your body is a little twisty.

First they start smooth and when they are going to die they get pruney. They are old.

Ouch. Leave it to kids to blurt out the painful truth.

My favorite is this one from Zoey:

Heaven is a place where all animals go. People's heaven is under ground.

Is she a budding agnostic/atheist? Does she feel people are not good enough to go to animal heaven? Is heaven "under ground" her code for hell?

Not sure what to make of it but sharp kid, that Zoey.

The whole thing got me thinking about aging. I'm far from turning into a prune but heck, my godson just got married. Granted, I was barely a teen when he was baptized but it makes me feel ancient.

The other thing I don't like about the aging business is what comes after. Ya know, the dying part. Then again, that part can come anytime. Put that way, I guess getting older is a privilege many don't get to experience, incontinence and all. Life is too short as it is.

(via Digg)

Label(s): Thoughts

Westside Time

2007-05-18T17:17:00.001-07:00

The clock tower at the Westside Pavilion. I'm surprised it turned out so well, considering I took it from inside a moving car.

Label(s): Photos

Simply Surreal

2007-05-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting clip of Salvador Dali's appearance on the game show What's My Line. He had the contestants stumped for a while. One guy even asked if he was human, heh.

Finally, a female contestant asked the pertinent question in the end that gave him away. After all the confusing clues, I still couldn't figure out how she came up with it.

And speaking of Dali, here is a clip of Destino, his 1945 animated project which was scrapped and later resurrected by Disney in 2003.

Ungodly Brew

2007-05-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Via Slashfood, I read this story about a woman named Michelle Incano who was offended by this quote on a Starbucks coffee cup:

"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."

Lady, it's the coffee that's hot and burning your fingers, not the words. You can boycott anything you want, but if everyone boycotted everything that offends them, we might as well live in the boonies and dump civilization entirely.

Really, should questions/statements meant to challenge people about their longheld dogmatic beliefs be considered offensive? Many consider their religion hallowed ground that other people shouldn't dare enter, but if the religious are becoming more active in the social square by challenging the (non)beliefs of others, then they should be open to being challenged themselves.

I see that quote as a challenge to think, not a condemnation. Why be afraid of a challenge to think? If your faith is strong, what's the harm of a little blurb on a coffee cup?

Starbucks has a clear disclaimer on those The Way I See It quotes. They're neither endorsing nor condemning them. They're meant to be conversation starters, which is a cool idea. After all, what pairs better with a cup coffee than interesting conversation?

Besides, Starbucks also printed this from Pastor Rick Warren:

"You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your real purpose. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance and our destiny."

People who dislike either quote should just get a grip and cover it with their cup sleeve. Even better, they should probably ingest The Way I See It #226 with their coffee:

How would you rather spend your time: by tirelessly working to curtail our freedoms, or by joyfully celebrating our differences?

--Anthony Rapp, actor

Label(s): Thoughts
Tags: starbucks, coffee, the way i see it, michelle incano, rick warren, anthony rapp, religion, dogma, beliefs, atheism

Spidey (Non)Sense

2007-05-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

With Spiderman 3's success, Marvel licensed a statuette of Mary Jane Parker wearing tight, ripped -- note that strategic rip right below her butt -- jeans so low her thongs are peeking out and a tight midriff baring shirt that hardly contains her bountiful chest while she suggestingly bends over doing Spidey's laundry. By hand. All in a pose that says feast your eyes on this.

Gahd, where to even begin? I suppose we should be thankful she's not a.) totally naked or b.) barefoot and pregnant.

Discussions have been going on about this on the internets for a week now, both pro and con. There's even a Bingo Card of reasons why women supposedly shouldn't be upset, but none of them cut it in my book. If anyone seeing this is totally incapable of understanding why it's sexist and demeaning, nothing would convince them otherwise.

Fortunately, others do get it, like this guy:

"Um. Is this the only statue they have of her?"

"Yep."

"Er. Excessively pointed at men. And Mary Jane doesn't dress like that."

"So, do you think she'd be washing Spiderman's uniform?"

"No. Mary Jane is a very important woman. She doesn't have time to stay home and do laundry."

As he wandered away, he added, "Very unrealistic."

I guess it depends where Marvel and for that matter, DC, want to go: make a quick buck through juvenile titillation and sexual stereotyping, or grow up a little and appeal more to the thinking segment of its market. Considering how that market is shrinking, appealing to women instead of alienating them wouldn't hurt, either.

Behind the Scenes

2007-05-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a cool short on various Los Angeles locales and the films that featured them:

The Mighty Banh Mi

2007-05-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

If you want to try the Vietnamese french sandwiches called banh mi (pronounced bahn mee) and plan to buy just one, don't. You'll be sorry. One sandwich is just not enough.

I learned that lesson when I bought some from My Le, a little hole in the wall fast food joint in the Cambodian/Vietnamese enclave of Anaheim Street.

I've heard that Lily Bakery has the best banh mi outside of Westminster's Little Saigon, but they just closed for the day when I got there, so I settled for My Le across the street. Considering the giveaway price of $1.75 to $2.00 each, I was a bit skeptical of the taste, but they make them fresh to order so I didn't mind finding out.

They were out of the barbecued pork so I opted for the $2.00 special filled with a variety of deli meats and the usual banh mi condiments: pickled carrots, daikon and cucumber, fresh cilantro, a touch of mayo plus the optional diced jalapeno for some heat.

And what a sandwich it was. This was my first banh mi so I have no point of reference, but the melange of savory, sweet/tart, spicy and pungent flavors that filled the fresh and crispy french baguette can make a Subway sandwich blush in shame. One yummy bite led to another and before I knew it, no more banh mi. "You should've bought more," said my brother wisely after he downed his last bite.

So I did. The following day I bought two more of the special and one of the barbecued pork. Since I bought three banh mis, I got another one for free. You read that right. Free. I put the money I saved to good use and bought some thai iced tea to go with the sandwiches.

The barbecued pork was good, although the meat wasn't as tender or sliced as thinly as I would've liked. Still, it was a satisfying meal for the price, which proves once again that one doesn't have to go broke to get decent eats in this town.

My Le
1287 E. Anaheim St.,
Long Beach, Ca 90803
Tel. #(562) 591-0136

Ghostbusted

2007-05-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist taking a photo of this beat up Ghostbusters wagon. Notice the red wingtips in the rear. I found it on the lot of a car rental/shop on Ocean Park Boulevard.

To Mom

2007-05-13T03:23:00.000-07:00

Though this day is known more as the most popular holiday to eat out in America than for its pacifist beginnings, mothers deserve their special day. Heck, they deserve it just for all the times we drove them batty.

We may never see eye to eye on everything (mothers and daughters never do), but I know you've got my back, Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

Label(s): Thoughts
Tags: mother's day, you tube

Gifts Galore

2007-05-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

My birthday loot:

1. Jewelry. D. got me this double helix-like diamond and white gold earrings and necklace set. Don't they look cool? Actually, I already have the earrings (eerie how our tastes are so similar) so we'll have to go back to the jewelry store to get me a different pair.

2. Makeup set and tote. More stuff to make me pretty. Another gift from D.

3. Nordstrom gift certificate from our friend K.M. No self-respecting woman would frown about that.

4. Books, some of which I wrote about here: Snow Crash, No One Cares What You Had For Lunch, Secrets of Online Persuasion and HTML With CSS and XHTML from D; Best Food Writing 2006 and Autobiography of a Fat Bride from K.G.; and Caesar from J. As you can tell from the titles, I'm a geeky foodie.

5. Sapphire and Steel complete DVD set. Another gift from D. This is a British tv serial with Joanna Lumley and David McCallum that originally aired in the early 80s. It's a cross between Dr. Who and The X Files. Great writing, great acting. Can't wait to share it with D. who's never seen it. Here's a Youtube clip of the show.

Aside from the gifts, I also got treated to a couple of fancy dinners, a play, a movie and a trip to the Huntington Library. And maybe a weekend getaway once D. gets his new car.

What can I say. I'm a spoiled girl.

Label(s): Life

Grindhouse

2007-05-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

[Updated below.]

I enjoyed Grindhouse, even though it was a major bomb. Sure, it was a shamelessly self-indulgent film, but what else can we expect from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino? They are unabashed fanboys more interested in creating a celluloid sandbox to play in rather than creating movies with the widest across the board appeal.

Rodriguez's half, "Planet Terror", was about a ragtag bunch headed by a machinegun legged former club dancer (just how does she pull the trigger on that gun, anyway?) fighting off a zombie horde. It wasn't as bad as it was panned to be, although his mishmash treatment of the schlock genre was so over the top it was more funny than scary.

Tarantino's half was "Death Proof", about a former stuntman who terrorizes women with his menacing car. It wasn't his greatest; I thought it suffered from bad ensemble acting and self-conscious dialogue, but the car chase scenes were heart pounding and the ending deeply satisfying.

The mock movie trailers -- "Machete", "Don't", "Thanksgiving" and "Werewolf Women of the SS" -- were just as outrageous as the two main features and were giggle, eyeroll and/or gag-inducing depending on your point of view.

Tongue in cheek sexploitation gorefest aside, Grindhouse was actually an ode to women which is one reason why I enjoyed it. But mostly, I enjoyed it for the low budget B-movie kind of silly fun that it was, albeit with cool pop culture references and killer soundtracks worth checking out.

Update:

Rotten Tomatoes reports that Danny Trejo said yes to a full length feature Machete.

Hello, Pinkberry

2007-05-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

[Entry updated and updated again below.]

I finally had to see/taste what the buzz was about. After patiently lining up at the newly opened Pinkberry in town that was so tiny it had only one table indoors, I finally got a medium-sized regular yogurt with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.

It was such a hot day the thing started melting even before I reached the car. After a spoonful or two, I get why fanatics fondly call it Crackberry: it was refreshingly tart like a yogurt should be. None of that sweet TCBY stuff. The fresh fruits are also juicy and bursting with flavor, which is always a plus.

Will I buy it again? Sure, even though it's pricy at nearly $5 for an 8 oz. cup with three toppings. Am I craving it? Not really, at least not as much as I crave the mango coconut or chocolate sorbet from Boule.

Update:

Pinkberry sued, might be ordered to 'fess up:

This week, a civil suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by L.A. resident Bryan Williams, 48, who contends that Pinkberry's powdered mix lacks the "good" bacteria cultures found in yogurt.

"For lack of a better word, it's just dessert," said Williams' attorney, Michael Amir. "We're just asking for them to … tell the public the truth."

Pinkberry President Young Lee insists their product is "yogurt, absolutely 100%", yet references to yogurt have been scrapped from the official website. Hmm...

Eater L.A. has more on the Pinkberry controversy.

Update II:

Per Eater L.A., Pinkberry has new signage on its website, saying it will "investigate the claims against its product". What on earth does that mean? You're either real, natural yogurt or you aren't.

Label(s): Food
Tags: boule, pinkberry, yogurt, sorbet

Reading Stack

2007-05-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

Via Boing Boing, I found this fun Flickr group called Reading Stack, where people post their current batch of books to read.

As a voracious reader who switches between 3-4 books at a time, I thought it'd be fun to post mine. From the top:

The Best Food Writing of 2006 by Holly Hughes. M.F.K. Fisher and Laurie Colwin first sparked my interest in food writing. They're tough acts to follow, but this collection of food essays culled from different food publications and web sites sounds promising. This edition is the seventh of a successful annual book series and was on my wish list. Our friend K.G. gave it to me as a birthday gift.

Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood by Laurie Notaro. This was another birthday gift from our friend K.G. I'm not familiar with the author or her work, but judging by the font cover and the author blurb (Laurie Notaro has never written for Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper's, The New Yorker, Lowrider, American Logger, Farm Show or McSweeney's. She lives, and will probably die, in Phoenix, Arizona. Miraculously, this is her second book.) it's going to be a fun read.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I don't read much sci fi, but D. and the gang have all read and raved about this book, and getting introduced to it is an initiation of sorts. I guess I'm a member of the club now. This one looks less daunting than Cryptonomicon -- which I didn't get to finish and was probably not the best introduction to Stephenson -- so I'm looking forward to this one. Besides, with Battlestar Galactica on hiatus, I need the fix.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. I'm big on time management and personal productivity. I've had a hardcover copy of this book long before it was picked up by the cool kidz, but D. wrote and highlighted it so much I had to buy another copy. I've skimmed through the book before, but plan to read it cover to cover now. Franklin Covey is getting unwieldy for me; time to streamline and find a simpler, smarter system. GTD seems to fit the bill.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. by Michael Pollan. Given my fascination with food and cuisine, this was a natural book for me to be drawn to. Yet unlike the cookbooks that I often read like novels, this one is not about preparing food, but about the origin and anatomy of foods we eat everyday. Judging by Pollan's Amazon Fisbowl interview, the term Children of the Corn is apparently no joke. A New York Times bestseller and one of Amazon's 50 Editors' Picks for 2006, this book was in my wishlist and a holiday gift from our friend J.

Caesar: Life of a Colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy. The recently concluded HBO series Rome reignited my interest in history, specifically about the Roman empire which I read about only superficially except for a couple of Gore Vidal's tomes. I've already read a chapter or two, and the book is as engrossing as all the positive reviews say. This was another of Amazon's 50 Editors' Picks for 2006 and another gift from our friend J.

Technorati Tags: books, flickr, reading, reading list

The Case of the $65 Million Pants

2007-05-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, I brought my brother's suit to our local dry cleaner a week before his school ball. When I came to pick it up, they gave me the wrong suit. It had my ticket number attached to the garment but it was obviously not his: the suit was too big and had subtle but ugly stripes that my brother wouldn't wear in a million years.

I calmly told them they gave me the wrong suit but couldn't hide my irritation; it's going to be a nightmare getting my brother another suit if they couldn't find the right one. The Korean immigrant owners didn't speak very good English, so they brought their young daughter out to deal with me. That's when things turned ugly.

Obviously, this young woman didn't take public relations 101, much less go to charm school. She was rude and combative. Instead of apologizing, she basically said tough, you have to deal with it. This after years and hundreds of dollars of my patronage. It got down to me threatening to sue, and she basically said bring it on. I probably would've if her parents weren't such nice people.

I guess they should thank their lucky stars I'm not like this outrageous judge who has nothing better to do than sue his dry cleaner for $65 million, nay, now $67 million for his missing pants. Heck, I'd settle for .001% of that. Did I mention that the dry cleaner eventually found the pants and the judge still won't budge?

Here is a French report on the story (it needs no translation) with footage of the supposedly honorable Judge Pearson:

There's also a good opinion piece written by blogger Dick Mac here.

And speaking of pants, one of my pet peeves are sales catalogs and newspaper ads flaunting bargain prices for a "pant". There's no such thing as a "pant", which is just one leg of a full pair of pants. "Pant" is not singular for a pair of pants just as "short" is not singular for a pair of shorts, so stop saying "pant" you ridiculous ad people!

Technorati Tags: dry cleaner, lawsuit, news, pants, roy pearson

Linguine Alla Vongole

2007-05-02T00:27:00.000-07:00

This was an easy dish to make. Some chopped, steamed fresh clams sauteed in olive oil and garlic, white wine, freshly squeezed lemon, chopped fresh parsley and dried red pepper flakes for some kick. Finish off with more parsley and freshly shaved parmigiano reggiano for garnish.

I generally go by taste and not by recipe, but this one from Tyler Florence is very close, except I didn't use clams in their shell, used an Italian Chardonnay instead of Pinot Grigio and skipped the bread crumbs.

Mangiamo!

Technorati Tags: pasta, flickr, food, seafood, cooking, recipe, food network, tyler florence

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