Friday, April 29, 2011

Blogher

I forgot to register for Blogher! Should I do it now?

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Acquisitions

Recently purchased: white kid gloves, above-the-elbow length. Potential ensembles?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Game of Thrones Roundtable

My thoughts on the first few episodes of HBO's new Game of Thrones series are online:
HBO's new adaptation of George R. R. Martin's bestselling series of fantasy novels is yet more evidence that television, not motion pictures, is now where truly sweeping, complex stories are being told. Although I've been an evangelist of the books for years (even going so far as to have spare copies of Game of Thrones for ready lending and conversion), it's heartening to see a fantasy narrative given a respectful and serious airing. Because magic is so peripheral in the early episodes of Game of Thrones, the fantasy trappings are not a long leap from these already familiar to viewers of shows like Rome, The Tudors, or The Borgias. And after they've been hooked by the characters and complex plot, even people normally allergic to swords and sorcery won't be able to change the channel.
The piece goes on, and is part of a roundtable discussion with Alyssa Rosenberg, Adam Serwer, Nick Bauman, and Eleanor Barkhorn.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Career choices

I wonder which firm this is referring to ....
One day, her whole team ramped up to help a client through some litigation. Everyone had to work extremely long hours, and Courtney was spending so much time in the office she had to hire a dog walker. It went on like that for days. And then weeks. Finally she decided that until the litigation ended, she would send Isabel up to the farm her family runs, where her parents would watch her. She hated coming home to a house without a dog. But it was only temporary, and Isabel would be a lot happier running around all day than cooped up inside.

"How's Isabel?" colleagues would ask.

"Oh, I've been working so much that I sent her up to the farm in New York," she'd reply. Her immediate co-workers knew all about the family business. And this small bit of gossip spread even beyond them.

It wasn't long after that when a higher up in the firm approached Courtney in the office. "I heard you sent your dog to a farm in the country," he said. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm very impressed by your dedication." It's always nice to get positive feedback from a superior, but something about the way he said it made her pause. And then it dawned on her. One of her bosses, taking "the country" to be a euphemism, thought that she'd put her dog down in order to focus on the case.

And he was commending her for it!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

That which does not kill me is delicious

Cannot stand the whipsawing weather. Hot. Cold. Rain beating down. Sun beating down. Pollen everywhere. I am thinking of getting tested for allergies after hearing about my college buddy's wife and reading her new blog. But I am sort of afraid of finding out that I am allergic to food! Then again, I already know I am not supposed to eat certain things because of migraines (caffeine, alcohol, cheese, chocolate, etc.) and I just do sometimes regardless of the risk of feeling bad, so maybe it would provide additional reasons to feel like I was rebelliously transgressing. Cheap thrills in the pantry!

Monday, April 04, 2011

Multiple Choice

[A] foible of neurology that keeps us from meeting our own high standards consistently can put us in a terrible bind. Our options are to (a) try, fail, and struggle to avoid becoming utterly defeated; (b) fail to try and struggle with self-loathing; (c) try with every ounce of effort we can summon, succeed, and leave ourselves too exhausted to succeed again, or to want to try; (d) lower our standards and meet them, but struggle with the thought that we have cheated ourselves and the world of our best. - Will Wilkinson

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Recipe: Asian Steamed Fish

3 large filets of cod or other firm white fish
1 large sweet potato
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt and white pepper
2 green onions, chopped

Slice the sweet potato into coins. For a mashed potato side, make coins 1/4 inch thick or less. For cooked slices instead, cut coins 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Add oils to a large skillet over medium heat and toss in ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then scatter sweet potato coins over the bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low, over and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until the sweet potatoes are slightly soft. Stir.

Salt and pepper the fish filets, then lay then on top of the sweet potatoes. Pour on cooking wine, soy sauce, and a splash of water. Cover and cook about 5-10 minutes, or until the fish is done. Toss sweet potatoes with green onion and serve.

Friday, April 01, 2011

The Pancake Song





Listen to the song!

I may or may not steal this and sing it to "Li'l Snape."