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Writer's Block: Bah Humbug Day!
Dec. 21st, 2011 08:50 am[Error: unknown template qotd]You're not funny, LJ.
Go step on a Lego.
Go step on a Lego.
Writer's Block: Oodles of noodles
Oct. 26th, 2011 08:04 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Mom called it 'aglio e olio', but considering that it's 'tomato paste and garlic and oil and a few other things' rather than just plain ol' garlic and oil, the name may be inaccurate. It's better done as pasta e ceci or pasta e lenticchie, if you ask me, but the root dish is just pasta and that specific sauce. Coming a very close second is cacio e pepe, which is basically spaghetti, Romano cheese, black pepper, and a couple spoonfuls of heavy cream and olive oil each.
... a friend of mine who stayed at my apartment for some time a while back asked me one day if I didn't ever get tired of pasta. I distinctly remember giving a blank look and saying, "Tired of food?" in reply.
Mom called it 'aglio e olio', but considering that it's 'tomato paste and garlic and oil and a few other things' rather than just plain ol' garlic and oil, the name may be inaccurate. It's better done as pasta e ceci or pasta e lenticchie, if you ask me, but the root dish is just pasta and that specific sauce. Coming a very close second is cacio e pepe, which is basically spaghetti, Romano cheese, black pepper, and a couple spoonfuls of heavy cream and olive oil each.
... a friend of mine who stayed at my apartment for some time a while back asked me one day if I didn't ever get tired of pasta. I distinctly remember giving a blank look and saying, "Tired of food?" in reply.
Writer's Block: Globetrotting
Jun. 13th, 2011 08:08 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Finland. Not that I don't love Canada, but I'd like to see Finland, and I understand that most people there speak enough English to take pity on a poor traveler whose entire Finnish vocabulary consists of "Olen pahoillani, mutta olen amerikkalainen". (I am told this means 'I am very sorry, I am only an American'. Or close enough to that meaning that it generally makes Finns I meet online laugh and be reasonably friendly towards me.)
Finland. Not that I don't love Canada, but I'd like to see Finland, and I understand that most people there speak enough English to take pity on a poor traveler whose entire Finnish vocabulary consists of "Olen pahoillani, mutta olen amerikkalainen". (I am told this means 'I am very sorry, I am only an American'. Or close enough to that meaning that it generally makes Finns I meet online laugh and be reasonably friendly towards me.)
Writer's Block: The long and short of it
Jun. 8th, 2011 08:29 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Hell if I know, as I didn't check the page numbers on most of 'em, but here's a few contenders:
- In college I read The Tale of Genji. It was an abridged version that cut out the umpty squintillion detailed descriptions of people's clothing, but it was still pretty long.
- I've read a four-volume edition of Journey To The West translated by Anthony Yu.
- I read Atlas Shrugged in high school. Still got the copy my parents gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Rather liked it. Still fond of it even though I recognize the flaws and issues and problems it has. Just because I like it doesn't mean I have to believe in it.
- Haven't finished the Shah-Namah of Firdawsi yet. I should get back to that.
- I can't really claim Romance of the Three Kingdoms because even the three-volume edition I have is still abridged.
- Outlaws of the Marsh. Four volumes. Black Whirlwind's favorite epithet is rendered as 'frigging' in my translation. A lot.
- On the James Michener side of things: The Source, Alaska, and Poland. Don't remember which one was longest.
- I can't really claim the Divine Comedy as a single book, as I bought it as three separate volumes by three separate translators. For the record, yes, I read the whole thing. I liked the Purgatorio and the Paradiso.
- I'd say the Bible, New American Bible or Jerusalem Bible translation, but compared to other translations the NAB isn't really all that big. Still, I've read the whole thing, so that's probably a contender too.
On the shortest front, the only one I can peg with any real accuracy is Slugs, by David Greenberg. I still have the copy my parents gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Yes, in the same package as Atlas Shrugged. Yes, I was just as thrilled about this book as I was about Atlas Shrugged. This should tell you something about me.
Hell if I know, as I didn't check the page numbers on most of 'em, but here's a few contenders:
- In college I read The Tale of Genji. It was an abridged version that cut out the umpty squintillion detailed descriptions of people's clothing, but it was still pretty long.
- I've read a four-volume edition of Journey To The West translated by Anthony Yu.
- I read Atlas Shrugged in high school. Still got the copy my parents gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Rather liked it. Still fond of it even though I recognize the flaws and issues and problems it has. Just because I like it doesn't mean I have to believe in it.
- Haven't finished the Shah-Namah of Firdawsi yet. I should get back to that.
- I can't really claim Romance of the Three Kingdoms because even the three-volume edition I have is still abridged.
- Outlaws of the Marsh. Four volumes. Black Whirlwind's favorite epithet is rendered as 'frigging' in my translation. A lot.
- On the James Michener side of things: The Source, Alaska, and Poland. Don't remember which one was longest.
- I can't really claim the Divine Comedy as a single book, as I bought it as three separate volumes by three separate translators. For the record, yes, I read the whole thing. I liked the Purgatorio and the Paradiso.
- I'd say the Bible, New American Bible or Jerusalem Bible translation, but compared to other translations the NAB isn't really all that big. Still, I've read the whole thing, so that's probably a contender too.
On the shortest front, the only one I can peg with any real accuracy is Slugs, by David Greenberg. I still have the copy my parents gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Yes, in the same package as Atlas Shrugged. Yes, I was just as thrilled about this book as I was about Atlas Shrugged. This should tell you something about me.
Writer's Block: Tobacco road
May. 14th, 2011 11:56 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
No. No, I wouldn't.
I don't like tobacco and I don't approve of selling a product that carries as many health risks as it does, particularly not when other, less dangerous drugs are illegal. I do, however, believe that saying 'You can't do something perfectly legal in public' is one step removed from saying 'You can't do this at home' and 'In the name of public health we have the right to go into your home and invade your privacy, you horrible person, you'.
Because that's what it is, really. Laws against smoking in the workplace protect people who may not be able to go anywhere or get away from the danger that tobacco smoke presents. Laws against smoking on the street, where anybody could move anywhere they wanted, are an effort to demonize people who smoke so that other people don't have to be reminded of their existence and can marginalize them away all the more easily. The public's lungs are probably in more danger from car exhaust anyway. You can walk away from tobacco smoke in my city. Walking away from cars? Not gonna happen.
No. No, I wouldn't.
I don't like tobacco and I don't approve of selling a product that carries as many health risks as it does, particularly not when other, less dangerous drugs are illegal. I do, however, believe that saying 'You can't do something perfectly legal in public' is one step removed from saying 'You can't do this at home' and 'In the name of public health we have the right to go into your home and invade your privacy, you horrible person, you'.
Because that's what it is, really. Laws against smoking in the workplace protect people who may not be able to go anywhere or get away from the danger that tobacco smoke presents. Laws against smoking on the street, where anybody could move anywhere they wanted, are an effort to demonize people who smoke so that other people don't have to be reminded of their existence and can marginalize them away all the more easily. The public's lungs are probably in more danger from car exhaust anyway. You can walk away from tobacco smoke in my city. Walking away from cars? Not gonna happen.
Writer's Block: See you on the dark side
May. 2nd, 2011 07:58 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Do I get to come back? Because, seriously, with a question phrased like that, you have to ask.
Do I get to come back? Because, seriously, with a question phrased like that, you have to ask.
Writer's Block: Teenage dream
Apr. 12th, 2011 07:51 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
"PONY!!!!"
... look, my first love was horses, okay?
"PONY!!!!"
... look, my first love was horses, okay?
Writer's Block: What's my motivation?
Aug. 30th, 2010 09:16 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
When I saw Minority Report in the theaters, about twenty minutes into the flick my brain replaced Tom Cruise with Jet Li. I'm not sure why, since I had nothing against Tom Cruise. I just suddenly realized I was watching Jet Li in the part instead. I think I had a lot more fun than the rest of the people in the theater.
The woman at the place with the precogs also got replaced by Tyne Daly but that was relatively minor compared to Jet Li leaping from car to car instead of Tommy boy.
When I saw Minority Report in the theaters, about twenty minutes into the flick my brain replaced Tom Cruise with Jet Li. I'm not sure why, since I had nothing against Tom Cruise. I just suddenly realized I was watching Jet Li in the part instead. I think I had a lot more fun than the rest of the people in the theater.
The woman at the place with the precogs also got replaced by Tyne Daly but that was relatively minor compared to Jet Li leaping from car to car instead of Tommy boy.
Writer's Block: Forever young
Dec. 11th, 2009 01:52 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Fascinating as a one-way trip into the future might be... no. Warren Ellis took all the shine off whatever appeal this idea might once have had. The people of the future are not likely to have much use for a bunch of weirdoes from the past who decided to just up and skip the development of history, culture, science, etc. in favor of 'I have money, now fix me'. And that's assuming the thawed-out folks are even able to pay for whatever the future has to offer.
So, no.
Fascinating as a one-way trip into the future might be... no. Warren Ellis took all the shine off whatever appeal this idea might once have had. The people of the future are not likely to have much use for a bunch of weirdoes from the past who decided to just up and skip the development of history, culture, science, etc. in favor of 'I have money, now fix me'. And that's assuming the thawed-out folks are even able to pay for whatever the future has to offer.
So, no.
Writer's Block: Theme Dining
Aug. 15th, 2009 07:36 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I would have two. I've been planning this a while, as it happens. One would be the Cafe' Allerge', which would be insanely complicated to run because it would require several separate kitchens. Its theme would be Food For People Who Can't Eat That. Possibly there would be multiple floors: restricted against dairy, restricted against nuts, restricted against wheat and/or gluten in general, restricted against other things that cause horrible food reactions, etc. The goal would be to ensure that anyone who had a medical reason to need to eat specialized food would be able to find at least one nice restaurant where they could do so. Possibly I might consider getting the dairy floor certified kosher, for added kick. There would have to be a section for diabetics, too, or at least full glycemic index information and whatever else they'd need to know to manage their blood sugar on the premises. No specifically vegetarian floor, as that's a philosophical choice and the definition of 'vegetarian' varies too much from person to person for me to be able to make them all happy, but there'd be vegetarian selections on the menu.
The other would be called Eat, Dammit. Which would be pointed at people who don't have any medical issues and don't have any religious issues. If you ask how many carbs are in the pasta or the dessert, you're not allowed to have any.
I would have two. I've been planning this a while, as it happens. One would be the Cafe' Allerge', which would be insanely complicated to run because it would require several separate kitchens. Its theme would be Food For People Who Can't Eat That. Possibly there would be multiple floors: restricted against dairy, restricted against nuts, restricted against wheat and/or gluten in general, restricted against other things that cause horrible food reactions, etc. The goal would be to ensure that anyone who had a medical reason to need to eat specialized food would be able to find at least one nice restaurant where they could do so. Possibly I might consider getting the dairy floor certified kosher, for added kick. There would have to be a section for diabetics, too, or at least full glycemic index information and whatever else they'd need to know to manage their blood sugar on the premises. No specifically vegetarian floor, as that's a philosophical choice and the definition of 'vegetarian' varies too much from person to person for me to be able to make them all happy, but there'd be vegetarian selections on the menu.
The other would be called Eat, Dammit. Which would be pointed at people who don't have any medical issues and don't have any religious issues. If you ask how many carbs are in the pasta or the dessert, you're not allowed to have any.
Writer's Block: On Your Tombstone
Jul. 30th, 2008 10:25 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
"Andiamo." 's Italian for "We go", but my track coach in high school used to use it instead of 'Let's go!'.
Also, the gravestone should just be a memorial marker or something, because I intend to let them gut me like a fish, send the organs where they need to go, and if they have any usable bones left, string up a wireframe and get me into medical school at last as a teaching skeleton.
"Andiamo." 's Italian for "We go", but my track coach in high school used to use it instead of 'Let's go!'.
Also, the gravestone should just be a memorial marker or something, because I intend to let them gut me like a fish, send the organs where they need to go, and if they have any usable bones left, string up a wireframe and get me into medical school at last as a teaching skeleton.
Writer's Block: The Last Time I Sang...
Jan. 21st, 2008 10:48 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Yesterday, Along with the tunes on Pnakotus, my iPod. I know it's not all that common for iPod listeners to sing along but I've been doing it for a while now, off and on. Depends on the song.
Yesterday, Along with the tunes on Pnakotus, my iPod. I know it's not all that common for iPod listeners to sing along but I've been doing it for a while now, off and on. Depends on the song.
