a change of scenery

Our little rag-tag team, Satan's Cheerleaders, finally made good and came in second place at trivia last night. (LaGuardia, Canseco, LCD Soundsystem, Frank Sinatra.) We scored a total of $28, which we promptly used to purchase the Champagne of Beers and just kept on celebrating.

Soon, the others trickled off and he and I stayed to chat about this and that. I was giggly and he was flattering. Went to Bar 4 for a few more and before we knew it, it was way past any reasonable bedtime hour. The decision had been made to play hooky.

We awoke with the best intention to head to Philly for a baseball game. En route, the realization was made that we were collectively broke-ass broke and thus, we instead stopped on Staten Island for big hippie burritos and a tour through the Mafia 'hoods. Entertained the idea of a Cyclones game, but alas, the season doesn't start for another six days. I will take a rain check, thanks.

(Didn't you say something last night about a party in Maine where I'd be the oldest attendee by an average of a decade? Is one of us supposed to be Harold in this situation and the other, Maude? The age thing isn't an issue. Issues are as pointless as the clue "thing" on "Wheel of Fortune". You never make me feel old when I'm with you; in fact, Time Out New York says you've got 12 years on me, Gramps. It's a race to sabotage. Who will get there first? Just hurry up and move to San Francisco, already.)

Returned to Brooklyn. Entertained the IT guys in the next building, was schooled in the ways of the comic books, and then fell fast asleep...

...and now I type and the Blackberry buzzes incessantly and though he doesn't snore, he will ask if he did and I will say "No, really, you don't snore. Do you want Thai food?"

i'm all out of bubblegum

I'm not gonna get all lame and shit and admit that I like this dude and that I had a really awesome time drinking beers and cooking dinner and watching the television and holding hands with him, okay? I'm totally not going to admit it. If you want mush, keep on moving.

The food was awesome: spicy sauce from scratch (with soy meatballs and lotsa garlic), whole wheat pasta, broccoli rabe with lotsa garlic, big loaf o' bread with lotsa garlic and cheese. (He estimated that eight to ten garlic cloves are now in our bellies.) Dessert was biscotti-stuffed baked peaches with marscapone. Some wine was consumed. It got hot in the kitchen. He did all the dishes. "Flight of the Conchords" is funnier than I thought it would be. "They Live" wasn't scary in the least. Noriega had an 11-year old pen pal. Bensonhurst is full of wiseguys.

I like Sundays like this.

(PS: "The Sopranos". Ending. Black screen. Tell me what you think happened, please.)

it was a "jump to conclusions" mat

Um, in a totes "Office Space" moment, I just got a promotion.

Didn't I mention, merely yesterday, that I don't do shit at work? The higher-ups have recognized that I'm not challenged enough and have decided to bump me two rungs up the ladder. The deets haven't been hammered out yet but I'm thinking this may bring some more money. I wouldn't turn it away, of course.

I actually brought in 25 Munchkins to work today to share with co-workers. That's some pedestrian corporate brown-nosing if I've ever heard of it -- and I work for a non-profit!

In other news, Girls' Night Out is tonight, and, oh yeah, I blogged about this shit yesterday...

I'm slipping.

I'm attempting to rally some folks for GYC'ing on Saturday and so if you live in the NYC area, show up. How can you pass up pitchers under the Christmas lights with yours truly? (Of course, I think only three people who read this thing are actually in NYC and one of them has a date.)

Sunday afternoon will consist of a (hopefully) authentic Sunday Dinner with lotsa lotsa lotsa garlic and broccoli rabe and red pepper flakes and maybe a glass of wine pour moi.

Oh, and that movie. With some dude.

...and the word of the day is palliate.

anything i want, he gives it to me

I've been on a regular late-night movie binge as of late. Have watched "Batman", "Star Wars", "Chinatown", "Cool Hand Luke", and "Lost Horizon" (the latter of which I should not have started at 9:30 PM on a school night! Took all I could muster to get through it and I think I still slept through 25% of it). I've started Season One of "The Wire" and I eagerly (I think) anticipate "They Live" with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper to show up in my mailbox on Saturday-ish.

(I also eagerly anticipate a mix CD from my buddy to appear. It better be good or the friendship is off!)

Tomorrow night bring Girls' Night Out with KM, Nicky, and Jendy and I will rock some heels and rock the hips.

"Red Hill Mining Town" by U2 is super duper good. Funny how you forget about good tunes. Morning commutes have been filled with the 1980s -- but the good stuff.

My superhero power is that I can look at any phone number and know who is calling. It's pretty amazing. Are you amazed? Admit it.

They let that ol' tramp Paris free. Celebrity justice!

I feel like baking something.

Hope KB has a good time out west on his sojourn -- and I do hope that he tries at least a bite of a Double Double, if just to be able to describe its deliciousness to me. Fingers crossed. Either way, I hope he and Crog enjoy the game at the Lodge. Y'all should try some seafood at the Hungry Cat.

By the way, did I mention that I do nothing at work? No-god damn-thing. It's true!

the pass

Me and the boys. Challenge from Moose: "Drink six pitchers and numbers seven and eight are on me." Deal made with other 'tender: "Gimme yr iPod and a pitcher's on the house." Nine pitchers. Only me and the boys.

Garett dropped out early-ish because he's responsible and had to work at noon. He knows everything about everything and will be on my trivia team whether he likes it or not. Someone, who had to be at work at the same hour, decided to tough it out 'cause he had The Pass. (I had The Pass last week. Paid about ten bucks when the bill was over $200. Somehow we ended this one with three of us throwing in a mere $50 each.) Paulie was making whispered threats about exposing my blog to the others. Josh tried to force feed me a hot dog to no avail.

Ripped my jeans on a chair. Kathleen Turner was, indeed, in "Romancing the Stone" and I lost a quarter that ended in my cup. Exploding Arzt was, indeed, named by moi. I'm gonna get liner notes credit if it kills me. (Songs: "Boarding Flight 815", something about Locke and Rock[e], "Blast Door Map".) Didn't fall down the stairs this time. Listened to Op Ivy for the first time in a decade, it seems. Was given a nickname that I promptly forgot.

Many, many beers. Never-ending cup.

Too much pressure on Josh when it was his last night in an empty apartment. I thought (turns out, incorrectly) that the train was skipping my stop. Paulie's all the way out in S.I. and God, how do you even get there at that time of night? Can we please crash at yr pad, Joshua? Nope, nope, nope. I have The Pass.

A few pitchers later and we're headed back to President Street.

No strangers on KM's bed, which leaves two boys in bed together. But, Joshua, I've slept in your bed. Yes, but KM didn't give me The Pass. I'd sleep in the bathtub, I say.

Morning: walked Polly to Coffee Den. I text Josh that everyone's gone, Polly's been walked, NYT is on table.

He responds: "Last night's episode is called 'The Pass' -- one for the bill, one for the drama."

30 minutes down memory lane

jurassic pork

Didn't do shit on Friday night.

Saturday, I hit up the grocery store, completed three loads of laundry, and ventured to the 'burg to get my hair cut. (Bangs. Layers. Not a mullet.) Then proceeded to head to cookout in Prospect Heights and ate chipotle veggie dogs and a drank Brooklyn Lager on a rooftop. Met up with Josh in the Slope and drank a cerveza while Spanish was spoken all around me. Headed to Bar 4 and did a shot with Paul. Walked home. Crashed.

Sunday, headed to the city. Binge-shopped at H&M and purchased a terry cloth Old Navy bikini (suit and towel all in one!). Trained it to Coney Island and dodged glass in the sand with Josh and Paul. Ran home, showered, changed, trained it to GYC and had a beer with the aforementioned boys until AC showed up.

Had the most amazing dessert (no, the most amazing DISH) ever at Frankies 457 Sputino: red wine prunes with marscapone. I saw stars as I ate it.

Headed back to GYC. Drank beer with boys. Went on a Sparkz run to no avail. Ended up at KM's pad (sans KM, as she's still on vacation). Drank brandy. Danced. (KM, stop reading! You will regret reading this!) Ate bacon-stuffed sausage. (Okay, KM, you may read now.) Crashed. Bolted in the morning before anyone awoke.

Recovery Monday. Finished BSG: Season Three. Talked to SM for almost three hours. Crashed.

Tonight brings trivia. We are Satan's Cheerleaders. We will not come in last place.

this just in...

KM and I will be in Georgia from July 4th through the 8th, which means...

Who's having the cookout?

Athens?

ATL?

A trip down the Broad River is also warranted.

Get ready.

through the looking glass

I know it's been a while...

More importantly, tonight is the big LOST finale!

(Whatever will I do with myself after tonight, what with this 8 month hiatus looming in front of me? I will need to get a life; I will first, however, need to finish BSG : Season Three.)

There's a bit of a get-together in our borough of Brooklyn (Scarny! I'm sorry you won't be here!), at which I will be the only lady (and you know I like it that way, though I'll miss KM, as she'll be attending an 8-course vegan dinner).

We're gonna order BBQ (I'll have veggie chili, thanks), and drink our Dharma beers...

and eat our Dharma cookie cake...

(It's a piss poor crooked-ass fuzzy picture taken at 7:00 AM with my camera phone, but you get the idea...)

and I'll be wearing my LOST/BSG hybrid t-shirt...


and we'll be pondering my cleaned-up screen cap of Jacob...


and, most fun of all, we'll be betting on the following questions that my friend and I generated:
________________________________________________

LOST : Season Three Finale
"Through the Looking Glass"
May 23, 2007
________________________________________________

$5 per person
Winner takes all, suckers!

________________________________________________

Name:

1. Five characters you think will die by the end of this episode: (two points each)

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

2. Five events you believe will happen in this episode: (two points each)

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

3. Who will be the leader of the Others by the end of the episode? (five points)


4. Who will be the leader of the Losties by the end of the episode? (five points)


BONUS: Who will make an appearance in the flashbacks besides the featured character? (two points per character)


SUPER DUPER BONUS: Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof code-name each season's top-secret finale scene: Walt's kidnapping in the Season 1 finale was known as "The Bagel," Season 2's introduction of Penny was known as "The Challah". This season's secret finale scene is known as "The Rattlesnake". What will The Rattlesnake be? (ten points)

________________________________________________

(Feel free to post your own answers.)

It's the geekiest night of the year so far and I love it!

the man behind the curtain

First of all, next week I'm going out to dinner with family and must (gasp!) miss "LOST", so please y'all, no spoilers! The following week is the Season Three two-hour finale and I'll be drinking beer and eating cookies with KM's roommate and my other male BFFs while she's eating Isa's yummy vegan cooking.

That being said, beware reading ahead if you haven't seen tonight's episode and give a shit about the show. Slippery with serious spoilers! You have been warned.

I know that tonight's show will be Ben-centric and will give us some background on the Dharma Initiative and its history on the island. Should be amazing. Should pose a thousand more questions, I'm sure.

And we're off.

So, Ben was Roger Workman's son, I'm guessing? No coincidence that his father was named Roger, the same name as the decayed corpse in the "Little Miss Sunshine"-ripoff-decayed-corpse of an episode a few weeks back, "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead". Boy, that episode sucked.

Ben's mother dies after childbirth. Who is the couple who rescues them? Could it be the DeGroots? Did they raise Ben?

Jacob is referenced! Ben is Jacob. Or Locke is Jacob. Or Danielle.

Or Vincent. Woof.

Locke calls Ben "The Man Behind the Curtain" -- yet another "Oz" reference. (I mean, "The Wizard of Oz", of course -- though Eko and Michael were both on HBO's "Oz". Oh, and Ben once made a video for the Federal Department of Corrections or something. Does that department even exist? I'll dig that one up for you, gentle reader[s].)

Y'know, Little Ben looks like my little brother, Dylan. And Harry Potter.

This Horace dude who greets Ben & Roger? He reminds me of Robin Gibb. Or Maurice Gibb. Or someone. Either way, we now know that Ben was Dharma, his father was Roger Linus, and he was a "work man". And we know he's gonna die in a (probable) drunken bus crash on the island.

Annie becomes Ben's wife, I think. Right now she's eating a Hurley-favorite Apollo bar. Speaking of Apollo, he's a super-hot character on "Battlestar". Speaking of "Battlestar", I'm halfway through Season Two and though the last couple of episodes have been kinda sub-par, it's still seriously, seriously good... and still seriously recommended to you.

Okay, back to the show at hand: why does Jacob instill fear in and/or elicit awe from the Others? Jacob isn't real! Or Jacob is Ben. Or Vincent. Woof.

Man, Locke is seriously angry! He's ready to take out Patchy one way or the other, yeah? Interesting that nobody is coming to Patchy's rescue. I think the Others are seriously tired of Ben and his charade.

Alex is giving Locke a gun for his trip to see Jacob. What is going on? Does she want him to kill Ben? Why give him the gun in front of Ben?

Wow, my teacher never had a loaded shotgun in the room. They do things differently on this island, yeah?

Ben's dad was being paid by Dharma? $30,000? His mom was outside his window? I'm getting confused.

Oh, God, here's Kate. Tattle tale. She's so on my last nerve. And she's so pregnant, I betcha.

Wait, is Jacob a volcano? Or that big "Simpson"-like foot statue?

It's Ben's birthday and his future wife gives him dolls. Though they're big dolls, this reminds me a little of "To Kill a Mockingbird". Jem and Scout. The tree. Boo Radley. Okay, maybe not.

Roger says: "Kinda hard to celebrate on the day you killed your Mom." Jesus, Workman, you're a dick. Ben runs to the woods, sees his dead mother. Psychotic break? Or island majik? Take us to Jacob!

Ash. Volcanic ash?

Back on the beach: "Turn the tape over and press play..."

Ben is comin' for the ladies. We knew this. This is what Jack and Juliet wanted to tell Kate? Just tell us that she's pregnant so that I can be right about something! Yes, Jack, start talking.

Harry Potter is going through the fence to find his mama. He sees... holy shit. Richard? Is that Richard? He's the same age as he is now? Okay, MIND FUCK. What is going on?! So, Richard is a native. He doesn't age. Is this why Hurley isn't getting skinnier? Is time standing still? How did Ben age, then? Okay, MIND FUCK.

They're at Jacob's residence and wait! I'm guessing Jacob is Richard! Please, writers, tell us something. Give us some crumbs!

"Are you sure this is what you want?" YES! Jesus. Give us answers.

There is nobody there.

Ben is ca-razy. Ben is psychotic. All of a sudden, we're watching "Psycho" and Ben is a regular Norman Bates.

Oh, God. Wait.

"Help me."

Oh, fuck. What is happening?! Holy shit. I need to look at screen caps of that shit tomorrow. "That was Jacob." We still have 14 minutes..!

Now, Ben is in the bus with Daddy and the crash is imminent, I'm sure. Did he cause the crash? Does Ben feel guilty for the deaths of both his parents? Or wait, will he kill his father? Everyone's got Daddy issues on this damn island.

Gas mask. There he goes. Little bug-eyes killed his father! I didn't think Ben had it in him. I thought he had others do the dirty work for him.

OH MY GOD.

He killed everyone.

Are you serious? He killed all of Dharma. This was The Purge? This is giving me the fucking creeps. This is so fucking Jonestown.

Oh, who are the others with gas masks on? The natives? The Others. Richard.

Oh no.

Oh no.

Ben shot Locke. Ben shot Locke. No, Locke can't die. There's no way.

There's no way.

order the biggest dinner you can

As I get older and my patience wears thin, I think I'm warming up to the idea of splitting the bill evenly when going out for big group dinners.

I can remember a time when it took at least 15 minutes to secure all the money from everyone at the table when fellow diners would pay for only what they ordered. I understand not wanting to throw in a lot of money when you've ordered a side of fries, but for a big birthday bash?

Hmmm.

I think it makes things easier to just split the bill evenly, gripe to someone who wasn't there, and then choose a fancy place when it's your special day.

(Even easier would be hosting a dinner at home and then going out for drinks, which may be how I celebrate my next nine birthdays.)

There's an article here about the practice, which also references this piece in the Times.

What do you think?

ladies only

I can't believe that I missed this open casting call for "The Wire".

Y'all know that I own a "so very sexy you will make a gay man want you" outfit, right?

put it in you

Picture this: KM and JBD on a rooftop-with-Chrysler-Building-view, with six others (including male BFFs Josh and Porkchop), engaging in a doo-wop version of "Give it Away" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- complete with a push-up interlude.

All of this after many, many beers at 2:00 AM.

All of this after a busted pinata provided the party with Hershey's Kisses, condoms, and joints.

All of this after I just about fell off the roof, immediately following telling Porkchop that I was "totally not drunk!"

All of this after some papaya salad in Greenpoint.

All of this after a cookout in Prospect Park, where we drank Tecate, ate Newman's ginger molasses cookies, and I was accused of having no original "Lost" theories (which is true).

Wow.

Good, good, good times at the Cinco de Mayo loft party.

This morning, we hit up a screening for the Tribeca Film Festival.



The minister was present and turned the post-screening Q&A into an uncomfortable (well, for us, anyway) quest to save our souls. Many of the kids to whom he preaches were in the audience and at one point, they started clapping rhythmically and in unison.

It was creepy.

We left soon thereafter, lest we be brainwashed by someone I saw as a fraud.

(I've never seen more crocodile tears in my life.)

forbidden fruit, hidden eyes

T-minus two hours 'til the weekend.

Tonight brings rooftop happy hour near Union Square (and maybe a quick trip to the two-story Forever 21 for sundress-shoppin' beforehand), and hopefully a meetup with Scarny and our out-of-town guest, Iceberg.

I'm hoping it will also bring a pre-Drinko de Mayo dinner, 'cause you know there ain't no way we're gonna find a seat at a restaurant to be able to eat enchiladas tomorrow night.

Tomorrow brings a possible trip to Prospect Park for pinata-bashin' and then a loft party in Greenpoint with the new male BFFs.

Sunday, KM and I are going to a Tribeca Film Festival movie and then heading to Paris Sandwiches for bahn mi.

Also, I'm in the throws of putting feelers out there to organize a bake sale for Share Our Strength. Not sure if it's gonna get off the ground, but I have three people who are interested in contributing, two maybes, and one person who will "write a check".

I <3 springtime.

the brig

I chose not to live-blog the episode last night, primarily because I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open, but I'm actually glad I had my full attention on the screen.

Jesus, it was probably my favorite episode of "Lost" ever. If you've been watching from the beginning, I think you'd have to agree with me.

Sawyer kills Cooper-Sawyer. Locke pines for the acceptance of the Others. Juliet and Jack are keeping a secret from Kate. No off-island flashbacks. Sawyer's rage. Ben is walking. Rousseau reappears. Sayid as human lie-detector. The Black Rock. The wreckage in the ocean. Cindy & the kids. The "Hell" theory.

The whole thing just blew me away. (Even though I knew that Cooper was the real Sawyer, so there was no big reveal for me there.)

Thoughts? KM? Scarny? LauraH? Coke Bref?

potent potables

Kate Moss and I (along with her co-worker and possibly a handful of our male BFFs, sans Scarny) are going to try to supplement our income at a local trivia night this evening. Fingers crossed they only ask questions about current sci-fi television shows, culinary anthropology, and/or early-1990s rock 'n roll.

Back in 2001 and 2002, Amber Bear, J. Ro, the Ex, and I used to frequent Taco Stand's rock 'n roll trivia night -- and we really racked up a nice bar tab, thanks to our collective genius. I think we ate and drank for free for quite some time.

Back in 2000, I made $75 a week for about a month at a trivia night hosted at an authentic line dancing bar (whose name now escapes me) in Round Rock, Texas.

Let's hope I can continue this streak...!

jinx

I went out with a guy last night...

...and I think it's the first first date I've had in a long time that inspired me to actually want to see the guy again.

He's really funny. He's really smart. He's really tall. He's really down-to-earth. He's really into sports.

He kinda reminds me of Chris-in-Texas.

keywords

As this is doing double-time as an informal "Lost" blog, various individuals are using Google queries to find it...

I like the person who queried "Jin's the baby daddy".

PS: If you haven't listened to Guns'N Roses' trilogy ("November Rain", "Don't Cry," "Estranged") lately, do it. Particularly on full volume while riding the train home from having beers at happy hour with one of your BFFs. You'll thank me!

d.o.c. (date of conception)

Tonight I must change up my live-blogging style. I think I was the only person watching last week that didn't see the picture of Ms. Hawking on Brother Campbell's desk because I was too busy typing. Yikes. Thank God for geeky podcasts. (Oh, Jay & Jack, how I love thee -- you make my commute to work on Thursday and Monday mornings so much brighter.)

So, long story short, I'm going to blog during commercials and keep both eyes on the screen while the show is on. Plus, half the episode will likely be in Korean and thus, I'll have to read subtitles to know what the hell is happening.

A little background on this episode: we know it's Sun- and Jin-centric. We will find out who the baby daddy is. My prediction: it will be Jae's baby and (oh, big sigh of relief!) good for Sun 'cause that means she conceived off-island and will live... but (oh, big groan of disappointment) bad news for Jin. I bet she won't even tell him. I've got such a soft spot in my heart for that guy.

Oh, and I assume we'll find out more about Naomi the parachutist (or, how some fans refer to her... Sanjaya!)...

Commercial Break 1:

Naomi has a branch in her side. Sidebar: I watched "Heroes" the other night (an early episode, actually) and was shocked by how graphic some of the scenes were -- like when Claire's head was impaled by that stick and she wakes up on the M.E.'s table with her chest sawed open. Jesus. (Oh, and have you noticed that the casts of both "Heroes" and "Lost" have a blonde chick named Claire, a heroin junkie, and a hot Middle Eastern man?)

Anyhow, back to the episode. Because they showed Jae in the "Previously on 'Lost', I assume this sets it up for us to assume he's the baby daddy...

Commercial Break 2:

SHUT UP! OMG! WTF?! Patchy is muthafuckin' alive! Patchy is muthafuckin' alive! The last we saw that dude, he was foaming from the mouth and bleeding from the ears!

I love how Juliet tried to play, "Oh, Sun? You're pregnant? Are you sure? How do you know?" Juliet, baby, you are on that beach because Sun is pregnant. You are on that beach because you're hoping that Kate is pregnant, too, because you and your Other cronies baited Sawyer with Kate-in-a-cage, just hoping he'd knock her up.

Juliet does have really pretty eyes, though.

Commercial Break 3:

I think this is when Juliet will figure out Sun's date of conception and thus, the father of the baby. My money is still on Jae.

It's only 10:24 and we're on our third commercial break. Sheesh.

Naomi has spoken Spanish, Chinese, and Italian thus far and was carrying a book in Portuguese. I'm not sure what this means other than she smart and shit.

(Update: Naomi translations here.)

Jin's father is so sweet.

Commercial Break 4:

I've noticed in this episode that Sun is kind of a bad-ass! I love it!

What did Naomi say? I know she didn't say "Thank you for helping me." And, wow, you know the writers are thanking the Lord for the 10pm time slot -- because they can now write in a blood spurting scene! Gross!

Commercial Break 5:

It's Jin's baby! Jin is the baby daddy! Sperm count on the island is 5x the average! That is heartwarming, except for the fact that Sun's been handed a death sentence. I suppose Kate won't end up pregnant after all -- the writers wouldn't write in yet another woman who gets pregnant on the island, right? Damn. I liked my theory.

I wonder where Patchy is sleeping? With Danielle?

Commercial Break 6:

What?! The plane has been found? There were no survivors? What? Huh?

I'm exhausted.

dîner avec mon frère

I have to toot my own horn for a second.

(Isn't that what a blog is for?)

Last night, I had my brother over for dinner. As we don't get together as often as one would think, I decided to go balls-to-the-wall and make individual 4" quiche tartlets with a from-scratch pastry crust.

Rather than going with the traditional flaky crust, mine included a bit of cornmeal for rustic texture and cayenne for bite. The filling was made with slices of red peppers I had roasted, scallions, spinach, cheddar, Greek-style yogurt, and eggs (mais oui). I also put together a simple spinach salad and made some of the best (vegan!) baking powder biscuit-y muffins (like a biscuit, but in muffin shape) ever:

(I think this is the recipe -- I'm going by memory.)

3/4 c. soy milk
1 t. apple cider vinegar (SM, I'm sure lemon juice could be used here.)
2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 t. dried oregano (This doesn't make them taste oregano-y but just gives them a lil' something extra so that they're savory... and so good!)
1/4 c. soy margarine, slightly melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix the soy milk with the vinegar/lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients together. Pour in milk mixture and margarine and combine until well-mixed. (At this point, I also threw in a few shakes of the leftover cornmeal I had on hand.)

Scoop dough into six well-greased muffin tins. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Makes six yummy big fluffy light muffins.

Ta da! Delicious.

his favorite color is beige

Between beers at Abilene, late-night pajama jammy jam Sparks-induced dance party, shoveling compost for what seemed like hours, a rousing game of horseshoes at Pioneer BBQ, cinnamon cranberry pancakes, sunshine-sunshine-sunshine, finishing Season One of "Battlestar", being one of the boys, developing an authentic farmer's tan, chomping on greasy pizza, a group "Lost"-watching party at 8:30 AM, aaaaaand a trip to Coney Island...

...'twas the Best Weekend Ever!

PS: Should I get into "Heroes"?

fake empire

I was silly over The National back in late '05.

I'm so excited to hear that their new record, "Boxer" is finally being released on Beggar's Banquet next month.

Here's something that's tiding me over until then.

billions and billions

This isn't even one of my favorite pictures, but apparently the Village Voice liked it 'cause they asked for permission to use it and I'm on their site today.

With photo credit!

catch-22

Got off the phone with Kennie Bloggins tonight and I promised him a "Lost" live blog. I told him to live blog his evening: eatin' dinner, doin' some school work. Did you do it, KB?

Oh, it's on! I'm watching the last two minutes of "One of Us" and Juliet is giving me goosebumps.

There's no way that Jack has been duped by Juliet. He's got an ace up his sleeve. I have to believe this -- and I don't even love Jack anymore. I mean, yeah, he is Dr. Hero and all, but a touch boring.

"See you in a week," says Ben. Ominously.

Now, reader(s), we know that this is a Desmond -centric episode and apparently there's going to be some Nietzschean philosophy espoused... and here it goes!

Okay, "Previously on 'Lost'": We know that Desmond can see into the future. We know that he's trying to save Charlie. (Oh! Does this mean that Charlie's gonna die in THIS episode?! Fuck!)

Why does Charlie have his guitar on this trek into the jungle?

ljud;sg0238gflejjpf09urwuoujgruffldjfu949tjfwkfnldsjflasdfjlfjofo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT! Okay, um, we just saw one of Desmond's flashes. Charlie got an arrow through his neck and gooey blood just oozed out of his mouth and... shit! Amazing. I love Desmond. "Someone's coming."

Desmond in prison. No, a monastery. His hair is so short. Taking a vow of silence. Your path has led you here, and now you're ONE OF US. "Welcome, brother." Desmond was a monk?

Hurley is the worst liar, albeit an adorable one. And I love his hair in a ponytail. Is that a scrunchie?

Does that cable go to the Hydra? (No, Jen, it went to the Flame before it was blown up.)

I've been wondering lately: did we ever see Sawyer on the plane? I rewatched the pilot episode the other day and there's just something that doesn't sit right with me. Maybe I'm looking for a twist. Was his name on the manifest? What if his name isn't really James Ford? Oh, look! Kate is half-dressed. Is this Sweeps time?

Sawyer's tryin' to get laid again. "You need me to make you a mix tape?" Um, Sawyer, I wouldn't need a mix tape from you.

I swear, Hurley's gotten BIGGER since being on the island.

So, Desmond wants Charlie to die -- or, rather, he wants to fit all of the pieces into a puzzle because the flash included Penny, and if he gets all of the other pieces together, Penny must be that "someone" who is coming? Am I following this correctly? Desmond-centric episodes are a bit of a mindfuck.

They're whistling the theme from "The Bridge On the River Kwai". I should know more about that movie other than that tune.

Moriah wine. Let's wiki that shit, too. while we're at it.

"I'm sure something will go wrong soon enough." No shit, Jack.

Kate is totally hitting on Jack. What a little tart! Oh, but look at Jack cozying on up to Juliet. Kate, honey, you should have thought of that when...

Oh, well look at this. Kate and Sawyer again. This girl is gonna end up knocked up within about ten minutes. I know that this is Juliet's plan: she needs Kate to get pregnant. She needs to do whatever she can (i.e., getting close to Jack) to drive those two fertile kids together.

OMG, something just fell into the ocean.

OMG.

WTF?

Was that a UFO?!

(How many three-lettered acronyms can I use in a row?)

LOL.

Okay, we're back. Who the hell is Ruth? She looks young enough to be Desmond's daughter and she was his fiancee?

Oh, look at this ping-pong pissing contest! "Finally! Something I can beat you at!" Aw, Sawyer. I heart you.

Penny's picture in "Catch-22" in the tree! Is Penny on the island? Are we just gonna bring everyone to the island? (Speaking of which, I have not forgotten about you, Anthony Cooper. Where are you? Where is Locke? Are you partying on that sub that wasn't blown up?)

Awww, Sawyer! He brought Kate a mix tape! "Why'd you jump me last night?" Um, it's because she's jealous AND 'cause the Others need to get her preggers stat! One pregnant Lostie is not enough, you see.

So, it's confirmed: Desmond is gonna let Charlie die so that he can see Penny. Something's gotta give, though. There's gotta be a twist. 13 minutes left.

(Sometimes I forget that the Losties want to get rescued. We don't want them to get rescued. Nothing's been explained yet!)

Okay, here we go, back in the jungle -- the flash that Des saw at the beginning. He sees the arrow. He sees the wire. Will he do it?! Will he let Charlie die?!

He saved him! He saved him again! This is truly a no-win sitch for our friend Des.

Now they're splitting up to find this beacon (aw, and I thought it was a UFO!). Des explains that saving Charlie is pointless because it's like God testing Abraham.

Um, wait. There is someone in the tree.

It can't be Penny, right? It's gotta be, oh, I don't know, that hottie Christian Shepherd or Eko, or Smokie, or Ana Lucia (I really miss her) or someone that we're not expecting. The writers are setting this up too well. It won't be Penny. It won't be Penny.

It's...

Who the hell are you?!

(BTW, that link is a spoiler.)

geekin' out

a) I have a total girl crush on Katee Sackhoff.

b) I cannot belieeeeeve that Jay & Jack didn't broadcast my brilliant theory on today's "Lost" podcast.

c) I'm ready to start on my costume for ComicCon, a year in advance. I'm going as Sexy Alex from "A Clockwork Orange". Who's comin' with me?

nor'easter island

I'm going stir-crazy.

Unlike KM, I decided to stay inside my apartment all day long, lest I be subjected to the harsh weather realities that would menacingly greet me. KM, on the other hand, went to see "Grindhouse".

How did I celebrate the storm? I made peach pancakes, baked hamburger buns, and officially got hooked on "Battlestar". (Damn fine show, by the way. You really should check it out. Yes, you, Mr./Ms. Yeah-but-I'm-totally-not-into-Sci-Fi. You'll still like it.)

Yesterday brought (working backwards), a lil' vino with T.Rich, much overdue quality conversation, a trip into the city, some cell phone trouble, some afternoon beers, a walk around Brooklyn, a much-needed nap, a bagel and coffee from Starbucks in the Slope, and an attempt to maneuver in 3" heels at 9am.

It feels like it will never stop raining.

i never slip, i never fall

While we're on the topic of lists, I present to you fifteen of my favorite words.

1. viscous
2. vapid
3. onomatopoeia
4. tchochke
5. yes
6. vacillate
7. myriad
8. precocious
9. kumquat
10. conundrum
11. vacuous
12. parenthetical
13. juxtapose
14. chiaroscuro
15. undulate

Tonight brings beer drinkin' and birthday party celebratin' in the LES. Cheers to KM's roomie, Josh, for living 29 years.

chowhound

Psmee recently posted her top ten favorite restaurants. It's hard to narrow it down to a mere ten, and I'm sure the second I post this, I'll think of ten more.

In no particular order...

1. The Grit (Athens, GA) -- too many memories to mention but a few of my favorites include me and Mariana, hungover, sportin' sunglasses.

2. Curly's Vegetarian Lunch (New York, NY) -- the best vegan Cuban sandwich I've ever had, and they give you crayons with which you may draw on your paper placemat.

3. Devi (New York, NY) -- a handful of my best friends in the world + the best brother a girl could have + a 30th birthday + halibut that makes you wanna slap your mama.

4. Six Feet Under (Atlanta, GA) -- I'm in Atlanta for a mere four hours and I find time take SM to lunch before catching a flight back to NYC. I just can't get enough of those catfish tacos.

5. Five & Ten (Athens, GA) -- the place for gettin' all fancied up for dinner with the girls; it's not just good by Athens standards, it's good by foodie standards.

6. Freebirds (Austin, TX) -- it's certainly not the best, most original, or the most authentic Mexican restaurant around -- in fact, it's a local burrito chain -- but I had many memorable meals with Chris-the-Ex-in-Texas here.

7. Joya (Brooklyn, NY) -- huge portions of spicy Thai, cheap wine, and good times with Kate Moss.

8. Dumpling House (New York, NY) -- standing in line for a $1.50 kimchi sandwich never sounded so good.

9. Union Square Cafe (New York, NY) -- my first birthday in NYC, and I celebrate with a forkful of foie gras and wine pairings.

10. Nuevo Laredo Cantina (Atlanta, GA) -- when I think of Atlanta, I think of rice, beans, beer, chips, salsa, and Holy Tacos.

one of us

Did you know that Juliet was a plant? (I did.)

Did Rachel's cancer really return or was it all a part of a con by Ben to keep Juliet on the island? (I vote for con.)

Kate better hope she ain't pregnant.

Sun better hope that baby ain't Jin's.

Ben must have been conceived off-island but born on-island, just like Aaron and Alex, right? (Yes.)

Is Juliet at the Losties' camp for Sun? To use as another control case? (That's my theory.)

Did I get a little weepy when Sawyer hugged Kate? (Yes.)

Who the hell is Jacob?! (God only knows.)

who dat is?

TEAM BIRKHEAD, y'all!

warm and spicy

Too much baking.

I love it, as you know, but the sugar turns me into a crazy woman. This weekend I was chained to my KitchenAid mixer: I made pumpkin mini-muffins for TH's potluck, Anadama bread and hot cross buns for KM's potluck. All vegan.

All jam-packed with refined sugar.

All making me nutsy-cuckoo.

In other news, today I decided to play the part of a grown-up and begin investing in a mutual fund. Between that, my ING savings account, and my contribution to my 403(b), I don't think I have enough money to eat.

(Which is a good thing -- see paragraph one.)

One refreshing highlight of my weekend, however: I talked to a hot lil' piece of 24 year-old tattooed musician action for quite a while Saturday night -- and he called to invite me to his show.

He's adorable.

...in that "Oh My God I Am Totally Thirty Years Old and You Were Totally Born in the 1980s" I-want-to-pat-him-on-the-head sort of way.

peter & una

"Blackbird" was simultaneously insanely satisfying and emotionally draining.

The relationship (if one wants to label it as such) between a 40 year-old man and 12 year-old girl was not black and white.

Is it possible for a 12 year-old to truly love this man? Is it possible for he to love her? Is it possible for it to not be predatory? If one serves time for committing a crime and is released, should he be able to move on with his life and find happiness again?

What I found most interesting was the woman's (as she is now a woman, 15 years after the incident that led to his incarceration) ultimate interest in becoming physical with the man yet again -- and his interest in becoming physical with her. After so much rage and sadness and shame, their desire to rewrite history was overwhelming.

into the light of the dark black night

Tonight brings one of the more cultural outings for myself in a while.

Going to see "Blackbird" off-Broadway (which is still in previews), thanks to my roommate who scored me a seat and a plus-one.

Actually not sure who will be my guest as of this hour, but even if I go solo, it promises to be a good time.

Jeff Daniels!

ballin'

Knicks game tonight!

My first NBA game.

(Well, I saw a Bulls exhibition game back in 1994 but that's nothing compared to being in the Garden.)

Fingers crossed we are brave enough to sneak court-side and hang with Spike Lee.

Update:

A mere minutes after posting this, I found out that we're actually not going. Long story. I like this pic of Starbury, though, so I'm gonna keep it up. Guess I'll be able to watch "Lost" after all...

accomplished

1. Finish watching both "The Grapes of Wrath" as well as "Tupac: Resurrection".

Finished "Tupac" but just got a bit into "Grapes". Need to finish it in the next day or two.

2. Complete at least two collages worthy of framing.

Started on one, and it may be finished, though it may strike my fancy to add more to it. Started another.

3. Attend my 11:00 AM Total Body Conditioning class.

Check. Did it and it felt great.

4. Shop for and bake cookie recipe to bring to co-workers on Monday.

Check. Made ginger-molasses cookies and ate far too many of them by myself at home (Big Tangerine is a hazard to my health). Did indeed bring in some for co-workers today and they thoroughly enjoyed them. (If I, however, see another cookie this week, I may hang myself.)

5. Attend party in Prospect Heights with KM while laying low on the vino.

It is of this I am most proud. I did attend a party with KM and imbibed in merely one and a half small bathroom-sized Dixie cups (think just a smidge larger than a thimble) of the homemade wine offered up. Prior to party, we hit up a bar and I had soda water and lime. Stayed sober the whole weekend, including during my prix-fixe brunch with a virgin Bloody Mary. Drinking more in moderation is something I've been contemplating and I'm happy that I've started down that path.

6. Check out the UU church in Brooklyn Heights.

Check. Received my palm frond to remind me to work on self for the year.

7. Walk the Brooklyn Promenade.

Check. Took pictures on a cloudy day.

8. Start a new book (an impulse buy this afternoon).

Check. Cannot get enough of this book. Highly recommended to everyone, especially if you're interested in travel, true crime, Yale, feminism, the justice system, PTSD, bicycling, serial killers, the 1970s, camping, the West, AND/OR the memoir genre.

9. Take self out to lunch.

Took self out to brunch, instead. (See above.)

10. See "Blades of Glory" with KM.

Good god, was this movie terrible.

(Oh, and I'll also try to fit in a couple episodes of "Intervention", a load or two of laundry, and some b'ball-watchin'.)

I watched the first half of the G'town/UCLA game before scampering off to meet up with KM. (I'm totally out of the tourney but I wish the best to KB, J.Ro, and Caddy, all of whom are in contention to win the whole thing.)

Did two loads of laundry. I love how Gain smells.

I watched two hours of "Intervention", which did nothing but reinforce my desire to cut back on the vino. (See above.)

monster mash-up

(No "Lost" spoiler -- just a theory.)

Something to think about:

After discovering the episode's script among Nikki's things, Hurley is shocked to learn about Mr. LaShade's deceit and true identity as the Cobra. He describes the Cobra as "this big bad guy" whose identity "has been shrouded in mystery for four seasons."

Mr. LaShade : The Cobra :: ? : Jacob

Perhaps Jacob will be someone we already know -- and when his identity is revealed, we will feel shocked and deceived?

Oh, and check this... but be patient for 00:56.

short-term goals

Tasks to be completed by weekend's end:

1. Finish watching both "The Grapes of Wrath" as well as "Tupac: Resurrection"
2. Complete at least two collages worthy of framing
3. Attend my 11:00 AM Total Body Conditioning class
4. Shop for and bake cookie recipe to bring to co-workers on Monday
5. Attend party in Prospect Heights with KM while laying low on the vino
6. Check out the UU church in Brooklyn Heights
7. Walk the Brooklyn Promenade
8. Start a new book (an impulse buy this afternoon)
9. Take self out to lunch
10. See "Blades of Glory" with KM

(Oh, and I'll also try to fit in a couple episodes of "Intervention", a load or two of laundry, and some b'ball-watchin'.)

TGIF.

unanswered questions

If you follow "Lost" and have not seen "The Man From Tallahassee", stop reading now.

Do you have theories on these mysteries? (Coke Bref? Scarny? KM?)

1. Why hasn't the island cured Ben of his tumor?
2. What happened to Kate during the unexplained time after lunching with Ben on the beach?
3. How did Cooper get to the island?
4. How did Patchy know that Locke had been paralyzed?
5. Why was Locke soaking wet after supposedly planting the C4 in the submarine?
6. Is Cooper the "real" Sawyer?
7. Is the "magic box" metaphorical?
8. Who is on Jacob's list and why?
9. Was Danielle once an Other?
10. If the Others were considered Hostiles by DHARMA, and DHARMA has been purged from the island, why do the Others continue to acquire DHARMA food drops? And how do they acquire fresh (rather than the typical canned DHARMA-labeled) food?

Yeah, this is what I think about.

not likely

edibles

I've pretty much shelved my food blog but that doesn't mean I haven't stopped loving food. Oh no. I still love cooking it in my spacious kitchen and I still love trying out new restaurants.

My brother really stepped it up for my birthday this year: he purchased for me a private cooking lesson with a personal chef. 'Twas amazing. We made a shrimp, cod, and veggie kielbasa gumbo (which included making our own seafood stock -- and I loved making the dark roux in my new Crueset), dirty basmati rice, and cauliflower with Indian spices. A bit of Cajun-Indian fusion, yes? I still have a good portion of the gumbo (sans seafood) frozen, and I'm thinking about throwing it in an 8x8 pan and topping it with cornbread batter and baking it. A Cajun tamale pie of sorts.

On Wednesday, I made a trip to the Hong Kong Supermarket, two blocks from work. Having more items than you can shake a stick at (and most in a language I couldn't read), this place filled me with awe. I settled on purchasing some lemongrass, ginger, tofu, shitake mushrooms, Thai chilies, and coconut milk and whipped up my vegan version of tom yum soup to enjoy during an hour-long date with Jack, Sayid, and the rest of the cast of "Lost".

10 cups vegetable broth
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
2 thumb-size pieces ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 small chilies, minced
4 carrots, chopped
1 package tofu, pressed and cubed
2-3 handfuls mushrooms, sliced
1/2 can coconut milk
3 tablespoons tamari, or to taste
Sliced scallions
Chili sauce
Lime

Place broth in a soup pot along with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chilies. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium.

Add the carrots. Allow to simmer 2 minutes.

Add tofu and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes longer.

Turn down heat and add coconut milk and tamari.

Serve with sliced scallions, chili sauce, and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 6-8.

Next time I'll add kaffir lime leaves and garnish with cilantro.

I used Big Tangerine to whip two egg whites and a half-cup of superfine sugar to stiff peaks and then piped them onto a Silpat. I baked at 225 degrees for 60 minutes and then left the oven door ajar and let the cookies cool for another hour. Voila! Meringues.

Sunday brings another cooking class, this time at ICE, thanks to a gift certificate from Mom & Jim that I received as a Christmas present. We'll be making Hot and Sweet Sesame Nori Fins; Watercress Salad with Cucumber and Green Mango in a Lime-Peanut Vinaigrette; Galangal, Lemongrass, and Kaffir Lime Leaf-Baked Tofu Medallions; Baked Salmon with Fresh Thai Curry Paste; Spinach-Thai Basil and Yellow Pepper-Coconut Milk Sauces; Red Bhutanese Rice with Roasted Vegetables; Indonesian Sambal; Crispy Rice Noodles; and Mango-Lemongrass Ice Cream Parfait with Lemon Tuiles.

Oh, yummy yummy yummy.

you know this

9:44 left to go in the 1st and Butler is up by 6.

Posted on the boards by my sweet friend, J.Ro:

...[I] suspect a bunch of you fuckers are gonna be welchers and in the off chance Jen wins this thing (oh dear god how i pray that will happen if i can't win ...not cuz i don't love Jen, but because i love the idea of someone who knows nothing about basketball crushing a bunch of shittalking dudes who think they know everything about everything in something that they obviously all suck at alot) is gonna have some trouble collecting those dollars.

Fingers crossed I win this fucker and everyone pays up.

Update:

9:22 PM -- Florida just beat Butler, though damn if that team didn't look good for an upset. God damn. I'm out. For reals this time.

the architect and the sith

The White House won't allow Rove or Miers to voluntarily testify under oath.

So, the Judicial Committee will issue subpoenas.

So, Rove and Miers will plead the Fifth.

This is fucking ridiculous. Three scandals in the last month (Libby, Walter Reed, Gonzales) and we have not revolted yet. Clinton was nearly destroyed for much, much less.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

breaking out the big guns

My parents stepped it up this year for my big 3-0.

Dad and Rachel presented me with my pride and joy, a gorgeous kiwi-green Le Creuset dutch oven...


And Mom and Jim honestly made my dreams come true by purchasing this fantastic tangerine-orange KitchenAid stand mixer...


(My Mom said, "You were either going to get one when you married or turned 30, whichever came first.")

I made dinner for KM and Scarny on Saturday: a seitan and Guinness Irish stew with potatoes and carrots and a loaf of beer bread with raisins and walnuts to sop it all up. KM contributed a delicious salad with radicchio, apples, and poppy seed dressing and Scarny brought over some Killian's Red brew. We ended things with green tea soy ice "cream".

Having the right equipment in the kitchen makes all the difference. If you're reading this, you have a standing invitation for dinner at my place any day of the week.

we fly high

Because things won't stay this way, I had to keep this screen capture for posterity.

Unfortunately, I had Wisconsin going to the championship.

It's been fun, yo.

the big dance

Whoo hoo! I'm currently ranked 10th 8th in a pool of 17.

In honor of me not being in last place (yet) with my NCAA bracket, let's watch some muthafuckin' NBA action.

Can you feel it?



By the way, I know nothing about basketball.

legalese

Those of you who went to law school: what would you have done differently, even from the beginning?

Would you have taken an LSAT prep course, if you didn't?

Taken the LSAT more than once, if you didn't?

Would you have gone to a different school?

What do you regret, if anything?

small town secrets

Regarding the alleged D.C. Madam case, does anyone have bets on who the "reputable and respected investigative news organization" is? And who the alleged clients are?
Palfrey ran the organization from her Vallejo, California home -- Vallejo is adjacent to my hometown of Benicia, California, known to be the site of the first Zodiac killing.

A few years ago, Benicia High School suffered the loss of one of their teachers who was murdered by her son. He strangled, beat, and stabbed her -- and then stuffed her body into the trunk of her car, parked in their garage.

His name is Patrick Scarpaci, his family lived across the street from mine, and I used to baby-sit him when he was a kid.

cook 'em in a pot like gumbo

I forgot how good this song is. (If, y'know, you can get over all the misogyny.)

Totally NSFW without headphones, kid.

taking up head space

* Spinner.com's Sailing Away and XM 70s stations

* "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001"

* "The Sound and the Fury"

* Jonestown

* The slanguage of "Variety"

* Three of Cups' whole wheat pizza

* Impact evaluation instrument design

* Seattle

* A.C.

* Frosted Shredded Wheat

* The gym

* Hawaii

* Making a dark roux with the private chef who is coming to my apartment tomorrow night

* "Lost" theories

* Chuck Hagel's possible run in '08

onward, christian soldiers

"Jesus Camp" has got to be the scariest fucking movie I have ever seen.

everybody steals from everybody; that's hollywood

Seems I've been all up in L.A.'s grill lately:

* Gearing up to read the biography of Louis B. Mayer

* Having just watched "Hollywoodland", thinking about re-renting "Mulholland Dr." (a mind fuck, yes)

* Skimming Craigslist for pictures of charming bungalows

* Learning more about the town in which I was born (betcha didn't know that I am a bona fide born-in-the-Valley girl)

*Dreaming of a trip to the LOST Weekend Fan Party in Hollywood

*Pining for sunny weather during a couple of bitterly cold New York days (though it's warming up soon -- upper 50s next week!)

And on and on...

...BUT this documentary was an educational respite from all of that cushy L.A.-ness.

It's a film directed by Cle "Bone" Sloan, a member of the Bloods from the neighborhood of Athens Park and he delves into the history of gangs in L.A. with an insider's eye.

If you have HBO on Demand, I recommend you check it out before it's removed on March 11th.

(So, um, Crogers? I'm, like, gonna come visit, a'ight?)

sky rockets in flight

I bought a bottle of Shiraz in which to indulge tonight because...

a) I just spent two and a half hours at the gym (in which I took a total body conditioning class AND a cross-training cardio class AND ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes -- a bit excessive, I know, I know)

and

b) because "Lost" is on tonight (!) and I'm hoping that the episode will single-handedly make up for the last two weeks of disappointment and lack of plot progression. (Right Deeg?)

Update:

10:24 PM: This episode is f'ing awesome so far. KM argues that it's due to Sayid's presence and I don't discredit that, but I noticed that Damon and Carlton wrote it and I think their writing is the last great hope for the show. (Oh, and though I have grown tired of Sawyer's snarky comments, the whole "Who are you?" to Nikki made me chuckle.)

Update:

11:01 PM: Best episode of this mini-season yet! Did you see the preview for next week? It may be the obvious guess, but my money is on that the "surprising connection" between Losties is that Jack and Claire share a father. (At least, that's what fans have been suggesting on the boards for over a year now...)

lolz

My love for this website is like a sickness and I blame Scarny!

After bringing the site to the attention of others, I'm surprisingly not getting the "OMG I is in luv with innerweb lolcats!" response that I had hoped for. Nevertheless, I just can't stop laughing.

It brings me joy.

Nooooo they be stealin' my sockses!

to catch a predator

Call me crazy or insensitive or a nut-job civil libertarian, but will one of the number of attorneys I know (Huevos? Psmee? Il Gato?) please explain to me how it is possible for Dateline NBC to be in-cahoots with law enforcement and have these men arrested for merely chatting with decoy children?

They are disgusting pedophiles, yes, and I'm sure they're in need of serious counseling, but haven't they yet to commit a crime? Or is it a crime to chat with and bring condoms to an individual that you THINK is a minor? How is this constitutional?

Just school me. I'm not justifying their behavior at all. I just feel like I'm missing something here.

Update:

In doing some research, I have found that US Code: Title 18, §2422(b) states:

Whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 5 years and not more than 30 years.

So, key words here are interstate commerce, entices, individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, and sexual activity.

HOWEVER, the decoys were not minors, and so the behavior falls under the "attempts to do so" clause?

I don't know. I'm no lawyer. I'm just wonderin'.

in the kitchen, i found the answers to all my curiosities

What we ate at Devi on the birthday night:

APPETIZER:
Shakarkandi Ki Chaat (sweet potatoes, toasted cumin, chaat masala, lime juice)

MAIN COURSES:
Vegetarian:
Khatte Meethe Baingan (baby eggplant, sweet & sour tomato, tamarind sauce)
Mirchi Ka Salan (green bell peppers, hot peppers, coconut, peanuts and tamarind)
Green Bean Poriyal (green beans, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut)

Seafood:
Mirchi Walee Machi (halibut, tandoor baked, roasted pepper marinade, rice)
Goan Spicy Scallops (spiced radish rice, balchao sauce)

Meat:
Tandoor-Grilled Lamb Chops (pear chutney, spiced potatoes)

...and for dessert, a homemade vegan peanut butter, coffee, and jelly cake (sounds like an interesting pairing, yes? It WORKED.) made with love by Kate Moss and SM. The waitstaff presented it to the table, candles illuminated -- and after Scarny and I had made our wishes, plated it for us.

An amazing meal, indeed.

powered by the cute and insane

Oh, good lordy, y'all.

I'm just worn out. It's been the best birthday celebration ever.

Between the fancy Indian food, the multiple vodka sodas, the gifts, the Prosecco, the peanut butter and jelly cake, the multiple walks across bridges, the shopping-'til-dropping, the sleeping on floors, the shoulder rubs from Scarny (the most action I've had in a while), the shrimp enchiladas, the 2 Live Crew, the wasabi peas, the tulips, the Steve Keene art, and the bloodys, I need a vacation to recover from my elation.

If you want to see a ridiculous amount of pictures of me either attempting to kiss my friends and/or look sassy and/or keep from passing out (unsuccessfully) check it here.

Maybe more about the plentiful good times later, but sheesh: some people say they have the best friends in the world, but it's the damn truth for me. I'm a lucky bitch.

(A lucky 30-year-old bitch who's happy to live in Brooklyn and who will still rock a babydoll dress [despite being almost 6 feet tall in heels] and some bangs on a birthday.)

Ahem, "thaaaaaat's niiiiiice!"

30

I'm all growns up.