It's been a fine Nebraska week, culminating with a very festive Xmas Steve with the Aurora Whitneys. I have buckets o' fotos a-comin', but until Popsicle Pirate (my newly souped-up flaptop) and I have a little more private time together, you, my good people, will have to make do without. Now it's on to Ottawa, the capital of Canada (who knew?), and Zach and Timo and tra-la-la-la-la-laaaaaa-la-la-la-laaaa. . .
winks and nods and peace to all,
acmcs
. . .
Dec 24, 2006
Dec 18, 2006
cornhuskers crush stanford, 3 games to 1
The University of Nebraska volleyball team won the national championship game against Stanford last night, their third national championship ever. "Stanford coach John Dunning called the final the biggest game in college volleyball history. The [Omaha] Qwest Center capacity crowd of about 17,200 was the largest to ever watch a college volleyball match."
I watched the game with zillions of red-clad Husker fans (and some Whitneys and some Thompsons and some Lehls) at Heidelbergs, a gigantic sports bar I'd never heard of in south Lincoln. It was the first college-level volleyball game I'd ever seen, and man o man, I had no idea! It's fast-paced, exciting, the court's small enough to see the players, and just loook how terrifically gigantic they are! They're bionic! look at that vertical! (I think #9 is Sarah Pavan: she's 6'5".) and I was in a crowd of at least 250 people, including plenty o' men, all cheering for women, which was a really delicious feeling. I want to go to a real game next year.
. . .
I watched the game with zillions of red-clad Husker fans (and some Whitneys and some Thompsons and some Lehls) at Heidelbergs, a gigantic sports bar I'd never heard of in south Lincoln. It was the first college-level volleyball game I'd ever seen, and man o man, I had no idea! It's fast-paced, exciting, the court's small enough to see the players, and just loook how terrifically gigantic they are! They're bionic! look at that vertical! (I think #9 is Sarah Pavan: she's 6'5".) and I was in a crowd of at least 250 people, including plenty o' men, all cheering for women, which was a really delicious feeling. I want to go to a real game next year.
. . .
Dec 15, 2006
Dec 14, 2006
Individual Retirement Accounts: the hype and the sweet lowdown
Here's a tax take-home for all y'all:
So, the hype is that Roth IRAs are way better than traditional IRAs.
Here's the lowdown. Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are economically equivalent. With traditional IRAs, your contributions are deductible, but you get taxed on everything you take out when you retire. With Roth IRAs, your contributions are not deductible, but you don't get taxed on anything, including the interest, that you take out when you retire. So it might seem that you're getting taxed more on the traditional IRA because you're getting taxed on the interest. But this is wrong, because, theoretically, the deduction that you get when you make the traditional IRA contributions will allow you to invest income in early years that you might otherwise have had to pay in taxes. So, my sources tell me, the amount that you get to invest (plus the interest you make on it) now b/c you get the traditional IRA deduction exactly equals the taxes you save from not getting taxed on the interest on the Roth IRA.
However, this relies on several assumptions. It assumes that your tax bracket will be the same both now and when you retire. This is apparently unlikely--often people's tax brackets go up (at least if they work a lot) in retirement, in which case it might be better to get the Roth IRA because you'll pay the tax now at the lower rate. The reverse is also true--if you think your tax bracket will go down, then better to get the traditional. (For that reason, if your tax bracket shifts around a lot, it might be good to get both, and contribute to the Roth when you're in a low tax year and a traditional when you're in a high tax year.) It also assumes that you'll invest the amount you save with the traditional IRA deduction. And it assumes that the interest rate you get on the Roth IRA contributions will be the same as the interest rate you get with the investments you make with the amount you save from the traditional IRA. Finally, it assumes that you have enough income to offset with the deductions. If you're not making more than the personal exemption plus the standard deduction, you won't pay any income tax, so the deduction isn't worth anything to you.
Also, there are some rules that make the Roth more attractive than the traditional. The Roth IRA is a lot more flexible about when you get to take money out without penalties, so if you wanted to use the money for a down payment on a house, you might be able to without paying any early-distribution penalties. Traditional IRAs also limit how you take your distribution: you have to start getting minimum distributions after you turn 70.5 years old. There are probably a few other differences, but those are the main ones.
This, of course, is not tax or legal advice. Everyone should consult someone (else, who is) qualified before making these kinds of decisions.
(Props to Rob and the boy on the bike)
. . .
So, the hype is that Roth IRAs are way better than traditional IRAs.
Here's the lowdown. Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are economically equivalent. With traditional IRAs, your contributions are deductible, but you get taxed on everything you take out when you retire. With Roth IRAs, your contributions are not deductible, but you don't get taxed on anything, including the interest, that you take out when you retire. So it might seem that you're getting taxed more on the traditional IRA because you're getting taxed on the interest. But this is wrong, because, theoretically, the deduction that you get when you make the traditional IRA contributions will allow you to invest income in early years that you might otherwise have had to pay in taxes. So, my sources tell me, the amount that you get to invest (plus the interest you make on it) now b/c you get the traditional IRA deduction exactly equals the taxes you save from not getting taxed on the interest on the Roth IRA.
However, this relies on several assumptions. It assumes that your tax bracket will be the same both now and when you retire. This is apparently unlikely--often people's tax brackets go up (at least if they work a lot) in retirement, in which case it might be better to get the Roth IRA because you'll pay the tax now at the lower rate. The reverse is also true--if you think your tax bracket will go down, then better to get the traditional. (For that reason, if your tax bracket shifts around a lot, it might be good to get both, and contribute to the Roth when you're in a low tax year and a traditional when you're in a high tax year.) It also assumes that you'll invest the amount you save with the traditional IRA deduction. And it assumes that the interest rate you get on the Roth IRA contributions will be the same as the interest rate you get with the investments you make with the amount you save from the traditional IRA. Finally, it assumes that you have enough income to offset with the deductions. If you're not making more than the personal exemption plus the standard deduction, you won't pay any income tax, so the deduction isn't worth anything to you.
Also, there are some rules that make the Roth more attractive than the traditional. The Roth IRA is a lot more flexible about when you get to take money out without penalties, so if you wanted to use the money for a down payment on a house, you might be able to without paying any early-distribution penalties. Traditional IRAs also limit how you take your distribution: you have to start getting minimum distributions after you turn 70.5 years old. There are probably a few other differences, but those are the main ones.
This, of course, is not tax or legal advice. Everyone should consult someone (else, who is) qualified before making these kinds of decisions.
(Props to Rob and the boy on the bike)
. . .
hello friends, welcome to my home!
See what just came in the mail (c/o a very friendly postal delivery person and the charm that is my working door buzzer/talker/listener)!:
The Xmas Tea, "Mélange Noël":
Our old friend, Precious Eyebrows (Chun Mee Moon Palace):
And the Egyptian Chamomile! scrumptious!
The wondrously odoriferous whiffs wafting from these three black tins are wondrously odoriferous!
. . .
The Xmas Tea, "Mélange Noël":
Our old friend, Precious Eyebrows (Chun Mee Moon Palace):
And the Egyptian Chamomile! scrumptious!
The wondrously odoriferous whiffs wafting from these three black tins are wondrously odoriferous!
. . .
Dec 13, 2006
Dec 12, 2006
the books competing for my attention
Contestant Number 1: Fannie Farmer's Cookbook, binder of assorted recipes, and take-out menus.
Contestant Number 2: Federal Income Taxation, Principles and Policies, Fifth Edition, by Michael J. Graetz and Deborah H. Shenk, and Selected Federal Taxation Statutes and Regulations, 2007 Edition, Selected and Edited by Daniel J. Lathrope.
And another distraction: polishing the silver!
Oh what a difference a wee rub makes.
. . .
Contestant Number 2: Federal Income Taxation, Principles and Policies, Fifth Edition, by Michael J. Graetz and Deborah H. Shenk, and Selected Federal Taxation Statutes and Regulations, 2007 Edition, Selected and Edited by Daniel J. Lathrope.
And another distraction: polishing the silver!
Oh what a difference a wee rub makes.
. . .
Dec 11, 2006
in which the vatican upholds my parents' excommunication and I excommunicate the vatican
It's so ludicrous it would be comical, if it weren't so important to my parents. If I hadn't already found it hard to take the Catholic Church seriously for its policies on women, gays, birth control, and AIDS, this would easily have put me over the edge. Good luck with remaining relevant, Catholic Church! Good luck finding moral capital! I hereby excommunicate you from everything I care about. Goodbye forever!
Press release from Call to Action, USA.
December 8, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CATHOLICS WILL APPEAL EXCOMMUNICATION
Today, the Catholic bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska released a letter from the Vatican stating that his excommunication threat against members of Call To Action(CTA)/Nebraska from ten years ago has been upheld. The threat of excommunication originated when a local group of Catholics formed a CTA/Nebraska chapter in 1996. This chapter, who will appeal the recent letter from the Vatican, has advocated for such topics as women’s equality in the church, opportunities for altar girls and protection of children in the sexual abuse crisis.
“Bishop Bruskewitz continues to further alienate himself from the mainstream Catholic Church by trying to suppress the members of his own diocese from talking about matters of justice,” says Patty Hawk, a local member of CTA/Nebraska and national board co-president of CTA/USA.
“Approximately two-thirds of US Catholics want women’s ordination and the pope and every single bishop in the United States has permitted altar girls, except Bishop Bruskewitz. It is clear that he is out of step with the rest of the Catholic Church.”
“How sad that the bishop will not stand up for justice when it comes to women and children in our church,” says Rachel Pokora, President of CTA/Nebraska. “It is additionally disheartening that the bishop felt the need to use a medieval tactic, such as this excommunication threat, instead of just talking with us.”
“For me, the current excommunication process conjures up the Inquisition,” says Rachel. "It is disappointing that the Catholic hierarchy continues to use this method when history tells us that it is a discriminatory and unjust process. Our own experience tells us the unjust nature of the excommunication process hasn’t changed. During the ten years of our appeal, we did not hear anything from the Vatican, we did not have due process, we were not assigned a court advocate for our defense, we were not asked to submit testimony. Bishop Bruskewitz tried to silence us.”
“But we will not be silent! This excommunication letter has no effect upon our work for justice in the diocese of Lincoln. We will continue to attend mass. We will continue to live our lives as faithful Catholics. And, most importantly, we will continue to act for justice, just as Christ called us to do.”
Call To Action/USA supports the CTA/Nebraska chapter. “As Catholics, we look to Jesus’ example during these times,” says Nicole Sotelo, Acting Co-Director for Call To Action. “Jesus always sided with justice, even when it meant disagreeing with the unjust structures of the religious hierarchy. As a result, we will continue to follow Jesus’ model and stand up for women’s equality in our faith, stand up for our children and families, stand up for the values modeled by Christ.”
Catholic lay people, religious and clergy working together to foster peace, justice and love in our world, our church and ourselves in the spirit of Vatican II and the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Call To Action. Visit our website at www.cta-usa.org
. . .
Press release from Call to Action, USA.
December 8, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CATHOLICS WILL APPEAL EXCOMMUNICATION
Today, the Catholic bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska released a letter from the Vatican stating that his excommunication threat against members of Call To Action(CTA)/Nebraska from ten years ago has been upheld. The threat of excommunication originated when a local group of Catholics formed a CTA/Nebraska chapter in 1996. This chapter, who will appeal the recent letter from the Vatican, has advocated for such topics as women’s equality in the church, opportunities for altar girls and protection of children in the sexual abuse crisis.
“Bishop Bruskewitz continues to further alienate himself from the mainstream Catholic Church by trying to suppress the members of his own diocese from talking about matters of justice,” says Patty Hawk, a local member of CTA/Nebraska and national board co-president of CTA/USA.
“Approximately two-thirds of US Catholics want women’s ordination and the pope and every single bishop in the United States has permitted altar girls, except Bishop Bruskewitz. It is clear that he is out of step with the rest of the Catholic Church.”
“How sad that the bishop will not stand up for justice when it comes to women and children in our church,” says Rachel Pokora, President of CTA/Nebraska. “It is additionally disheartening that the bishop felt the need to use a medieval tactic, such as this excommunication threat, instead of just talking with us.”
“For me, the current excommunication process conjures up the Inquisition,” says Rachel. "It is disappointing that the Catholic hierarchy continues to use this method when history tells us that it is a discriminatory and unjust process. Our own experience tells us the unjust nature of the excommunication process hasn’t changed. During the ten years of our appeal, we did not hear anything from the Vatican, we did not have due process, we were not assigned a court advocate for our defense, we were not asked to submit testimony. Bishop Bruskewitz tried to silence us.”
“But we will not be silent! This excommunication letter has no effect upon our work for justice in the diocese of Lincoln. We will continue to attend mass. We will continue to live our lives as faithful Catholics. And, most importantly, we will continue to act for justice, just as Christ called us to do.”
Call To Action/USA supports the CTA/Nebraska chapter. “As Catholics, we look to Jesus’ example during these times,” says Nicole Sotelo, Acting Co-Director for Call To Action. “Jesus always sided with justice, even when it meant disagreeing with the unjust structures of the religious hierarchy. As a result, we will continue to follow Jesus’ model and stand up for women’s equality in our faith, stand up for our children and families, stand up for the values modeled by Christ.”
Catholic lay people, religious and clergy working together to foster peace, justice and love in our world, our church and ourselves in the spirit of Vatican II and the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Call To Action. Visit our website at www.cta-usa.org
. . .
Dec 10, 2006
Jay McShann, 90, Jazz Pianist, Bandleader and Vocalist, Dies
I always felt a tie to Jay McShann, for obvious reasons. He's named like my family; he's long-lived like my family; he's a black jazz musician like my family; his nickname is "Hootie" like my family; he trained Charlie Parker like my family. There was once a time when I wished that my name were Anne McCrann McShann. Rest in peace, Jay McShann.
. . .
. . .
happy jealousy
My parents are leaving today for West Africa Extraordinaire: a tour with my sister in Burkina Faso, then the three of them will Xmas in Senegal. I wish I too had my bags packed with pills and visas--I've been missing Ghana a lot lately. The parents are a little trepidatious, with the usual visions of scorpions, meager toilets, and intestinal diseases dancing through their heads, but me, I am so excited for them I can hardly stand it.
. . .
. . .
Dec 9, 2006
email this time of year sucks
My inbox is flooded with crap like this every day, and, as that rosy color highlights, the emails insist that I not ignore them. I think it's actually impossible to read this stuff without skimming. I never took exams in college, so I don't know if this sort of thing is par for the course, but if not, then enjoy your peek into law school hell.
To: All Students
In preparation for exams, we want to stress a few important exam matters.
Exam Period
Please note that the exam period begins Monday, December 11 and ends Friday, Dec 22 at 11:59 pm.
Additional Building Hours
On Friday, December 22, Vanderbilt and Furman Hall will be open until 12:00 a.m. This includes the Law Library and any classrooms designated as available for study space or take-home examinations.
CONTINUE TO READ YOUR EMAIL
Please read your email periodically for any communication sent by Academic Services, Records and the ITS offices.
DO
1. DO look up your exam schedule, print out a copy of the same and review it carefully.
2. DO check the curriculum updates and on-line examination schedule to see any last minute changes.
3. DO INCLUDE YOUR EXAM NUMBER ON THE EXAM. To obtain your exam number please follow the directions in the Survival Guide.
DO NOT
1. DO NOT PLACE YOUR NAME OR STUDENT ID NUMBER ON THE EXAM (In-Class or Take-home).
2. DO NOT WRITE TO FACULTY MEMBERS ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER, TECHNOLOGICAL OR PERSONAL. Please address ALL,
* EXAM CONCERNS TO: exams@juris.law.nyu.edu
* LAPTOP CONCERNS TO: laptops@juris.law.nyu.edu
EXAMS NUMBERS
Law School exams are graded anonymously. You must use your four-digit examination number as your identification. You may not use your name, your student ID, your Social Security number or your Net ID. To access the exam number, you should log in to Albert. You can access Albert conveniently from within NYUHome (https://home.nyu.edu/). In the registration section, bring up your Fall 2006 schedule. Your exam number will be listed underneath your schedule.
You are advised to obtain this number well before your first exam. Computer terminals are available in the Law Library, D'Agostino Hall, and the Records Office. Remember that this number changes every semester, and you may not substitute your ID number for the examination number.
IN-CLASS EXAMS
1. Time: Please arrive 15-20 minutes before exams so that you can set up your laptop or get situated in the classroom. We would like to begin all exams on time and Proctors may not hold up an exam to accommodate late arrivals. If you do not arrive on time and the proctor must begin the exam before you are ready, you will NOT be compensated for lost time.
2. Exam Room Schedule: Please check the Exam Schedules posted in the lobby of Vanderbilt and Furman Halls to see if there are any updates/changes to exam rooms.
3. Proctor Instructions: Please follow all Proctor instructions. For space reasons or otherwise, you may be asked to move to another room. Prompt and courteous compliance will facilitate a timely exam start time.
4. Photo ID: Please have Photo ID for Proctors to view as they complete your attendance cards and exam receipts.
5. Food and Drink: Please exercise caution with food items in the exam room. Be considerate of your neighbors and do not create excessive noise (i.e. opening food wrappers, crinkling paper, opening cans etc.). Additionally, please be careful with bottles and open containers as spilling their contents may damage papers, notes and laptops.
6. Noise: Please keep your voices down while you are in the hallways. Although you may be finished with an exam, your classmates may still be working.
TAKE-HOME EXAMS - NOTE THE NEW THES CAPABILITIES
1. Upload your answer file WITHIN the designated time period for your exam. If you encounter difficulties uploading, please note that there is a 10 minute grace period built in for the same. The grace period should be used EXCLUSIVELY for upload difficulties and no typing should take place.
2. Please name your answer file distinctly to ensure that you upload the correct answer file to THES.
3. DO NOT CONTACT A FACULTY MEMBER FOR CLARIFICATION ON A TAKE-HOME EXAM. You should use your best judgment to interpret the directions and provide answers accordingly.
NEW THES CAPABILITIES
4. REVIEW UPLOADED ANSWER: You will be required to review and verify that the file uploaded is the answer file. If you do not select "Confirm and Submit", you will be permitted to upload your exam file as many times as you desire by clicking on "Upload Again".
5. UNLIMITED UPLOADS UNTIL ANSWER FILE is CONFIRMED & SUBMITTED: By selecting the "Upload Again" button, you will be able to submit a new exam answer file and the same will REPLACE and OVERWRITE your previous answer file. The time of your last upload will be reflected as the time that your exam was submitted. Therefore, you must complete ALL UPLOADS within the allotted exam period or any applicable grace period, otherwise your exam will be marked late.
6. FINAL SUBMISSION & NO FURTHER UPLOADS: By selecting the "Confirm & Submit" button, your answer file will be printed and sent to the faculty. You are verifying that the exam file is your FINAL submission by selecting this option and no further uploads will be allowed.
7. If your exam is uploaded after the end of the 10 minute grace period, you will see how the late submission is presented to the faculty member on the Answers Submitted page - it will say, "Answers exceeded allotted time by XX minutes and YY seconds"; otherwise it will say "On Time".
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAMS!!!!
. . .Dec 8, 2006
feels like threef
The wicked wicked winter's finally here, I guess.It would be nice to take more control of my weather, but if I did it would be to make it not feel like threef, which I'm guessing clicking on that link is not going to tell me how to do. [Confirmed. It invites me to pay weather.com $25/year to look at more maps, which, they tout, is less than a cup of coffee/month. I wonder if there's anything that doesn't sound cheap compared to various amounts of coffee. In the same spirit, I invite you, my readers, to pay me a million dollars each, which is less than a lot of coffee.]
. . .
Dec 7, 2006
bread update
in case you missed it, from the NYT:
The Minimalist No Kneading, but Some Fine-Tuning
LAST month I wrote about Jim Lahey, the owner of Sullivan Street Bakery on West 47th Street in Manhattan, and his clever way to produce a European-style boule at home. Mr. Lahey’s recipe calls for very little yeast, a wet dough, long rising times and baking in a closed, preheated pot. My results with Mr. Lahey’s method have been beyond satisfying.
Happily, so have those of most readers. In the last few weeks Jim Lahey’s recipe has been translated into German, baked in Togo, discussed on more than 200 blogs and written about in other newspapers. It has changed the lives (their words, not mine) of veteran and novice bakers. It has also generated enough questions to warrant further discussion here. The topics are more or less in the order of the quantity of inquiries.
WEIGHT VS. VOLUME The original recipe contained volume measures, but for those who prefer to use weight, here are the measurements: 430 grams of flour, 345 grams of water, 1 gram of yeast and 8 grams of salt. With experience, many people will stop measuring altogether and add just enough water to make the dough almost too wet to handle.
SALT Many people, me included, felt Mr. Lahey’s bread was not salty enough. Yes, you can use more salt and it won’t significantly affect the rising time. I’ve settled at just under a tablespoon.
YEAST Instant yeast, called for in the recipe, is also called rapid-rise yeast. But you can use whatever yeast you like. Active dry yeast can be used without proofing (soaking it to make sure it’s active).
TIMING About 18 hours is the preferred initial rising time. Some readers have cut this to as little as eight hours and reported little difference. I have not had much luck with shorter times, but I have gone nearly 24 hours without a problem. Room temperature will affect the rising time, and so will the temperature of the water you add (I start with tepid). Like many other people, I’m eager to see what effect warmer weather will have. But to those who have moved the rising dough around the room trying to find the 70-degree sweet spot: please stop. Any normal room temperature is fine. Just wait until you see bubbles and well-developed gluten — the long strands that cling to the sides of the bowl when you tilt it — before proceeding.
THE SECOND RISE Mr. Lahey originally suggested one to two hours, but two to three is more like it, in my experience. (Ambient temperatures in the summer will probably knock this time down some.) Some readers almost entirely skipped this rise, shaping the dough after the first rise and letting it rest while the pot and oven preheat; this is worth trying, of course.
OTHER FLOURS Up to 30 percent whole-grain flour works consistently and well, and 50 percent whole-wheat is also excellent. At least one reader used 100 percent whole-wheat and reported “great crust but somewhat inferior crumb,” which sounds promising. I’ve kept rye, which is delicious but notoriously impossible to get to rise, to about 20 percent. There is room to experiment.
FLAVORINGS The best time to add caraway seeds, chopped olives, onions, cheese, walnuts, raisins or whatever other traditional bread flavorings you like is after you’ve mixed the dough. But it’s not the only time; you can fold in ingredients before the second rising.
OTHER SHAPES Baguettes in fish steamers, rolls in muffin tins or classic loaves in loaf pans: if you can imagine it, and stay roughly within the pattern, it will work.
COVERING BETWEEN RISES A Silpat mat under the dough is a clever idea (not mine). Plastic wrap can be used as a top layer in place of a second towel.
THE POT The size matters, but not much. I have settled on a smaller pot than Mr. Lahey has, about three or four quarts. This produces a higher loaf, which many people prefer — again, me included. I’m using cast iron. Readers have reported success with just about every available material. Note that the lid handles on Le Creuset pots can only withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees. So avoid using them, or remove the handle first.
BAKING You can increase the initial temperature to 500 degrees for more rapid browning, but be careful; I scorched a loaf containing whole-wheat flour by doing this. Yes, you can reduce the length of time the pot is covered to 20 minutes from 30, and then increase the time the loaf bakes uncovered. Most people have had a good experience baking for an additional 30 minutes once the pot is uncovered.
As these answers demonstrate, almost everything about Mr. Lahey’s bread is flexible, within limits. As we experiment, we will have failures. (Like the time I stopped adding flour because the phone rang, and didn’t realize it until 18 hours later. Even this, however, was reparable). This method is going to have people experimenting, and largely succeeding, until something better comes along. It may be quite a while.
. . .is this sweet or what?
[Will this work? I hope so. Just keep watching it for a minit.] Props to Cute Overload.
. . .
woo . . . hoo
New York State (and Nebraska) requires a score of 85 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam to practice law. I busted out a 122. whoop whoop! I am so professionally responsible, in a multistate sort of way! whoop whoop!
. . .
. . .
Dec 6, 2006
ghana youth photo project
A young journalist started her own program a la Born into Brothels in Accra, Ghana and documented it with this ten-minute video. I miss Ghana. For more information on youth photography projects, go to www.kids-with-cameras.org. I'd love to do one of these projects.
. . .
p.s. If you click on that movie it might open up a new window that goes to Youtube. I'm not sure why. But you should just be able to close that one and it should still play right here in the ol' blog. Also, the soundtrack to the music is by Aaron Bebe Sukura, whom Kristin and I saw perform at the Alliance Francais in Accra--he and his band are really jumpin.
Dec 5, 2006
finally, I can just go to New Jersey instead of France
who knew there were nude beaches in the land of the free?
buy your own!
buy a stamp! Friends of Gunnison Beach is 75 years old!
this is so nuts I don't even know where to begin. a stamp? a stamp containing a naked family sandywich? "the message of nude recreation?" rejected because it contained a business logo?
. . .
buy your own!
buy a stamp! Friends of Gunnison Beach is 75 years old!
this is so nuts I don't even know where to begin. a stamp? a stamp containing a naked family sandywich? "the message of nude recreation?" rejected because it contained a business logo?
. . .
it's my blog and I'll post when I want to
A combination of travel, work, work, and work, has resulted in travel, work, work, work, and no blogging (or much sleep). Poor me. Poor you.
Here are some good distractions, if you need them: textwist for the solitary and mad gab for the social. In textwist, you rearrange letters to make words, and you have to get the longest one to proceed to the next bunch of letters. We played Mad Gab while I was home for Thanksmas, and it's great! Here's Wikipedia's description:
"Mad Gab is a game created by Mattel in which you have at least two teams and 2 to 12 players. Each team has two minutes to sound out three puzzles. The puzzles, also known as mondegreens, contain small words that, when put together, make a word or phrase. For example, "These If Hill Wore" when pronounced quickly sounds like "The Civil War." There are 2 difficulties: easy and hard. The faster you guess the puzzles, the more you score."
Here are a few more examples:
Ace Lip Puff That Hung = A slip of the tongue
Eye Mull of Mush Sheen = I'm a love machine
Bat Tree Snot Ink Looted = Batteries not included
Thesis Pine Alt Hap = This is Spinal Tap
Duet Tomb He Juan Mort I'm = Do It To Me One More Time
Hoe Pin-Up Hits Depot Lease = Open Up! It's The Police
Chick He Tub An An Us = Chiquita Bananas
Anyway, it's a great game and I recommend all y'all who'll be heading home for maxi fambly time to nab one and play it. Might be even better mixed with a little eggnog and hooch.
Most recently, a weekend in Beantown left me all charged up for the LHS reunion that will be Xmas this year.
My first night there featured a going away party for my new friends, Junaki (her name means Firefly) and Amitaba (his name means super duper Buddha). They're going back to India to open a science lab nearish to Calcutta and Benares and repeatedly invited me to visit. Little do they know that I will no doubt take them up on it.
Here's what Rocky made for the party! a fig/apple/ricotta/honey foccacia!
Rocky 'n' me at Jamaica Plains Pond. (by the way, there's a new ROCKY coming out! where he's old! but still wants to fight! and still loves Adrian! and still wears Chucks! looks fabulous!)
Timsky at Chez Chung-Yerry.
Our amazing Veracruz-style fish, rice, and beans meal, concocted by my lovely hosts! Just look how nice! My mother always used to tell us that colorful meals are healthy meals.
A Bagels And Lox! (it has its own song) breakfast. Something of a fishy theme here. If you turn the picture, it looks like a smiley face.
Bocci on top of a big cold hill with lovely views. Rocky came from behind to win. I came from behind to lose.
And the TnR Train Xmas tree, in all her glory.
. . .
Here are some good distractions, if you need them: textwist for the solitary and mad gab for the social. In textwist, you rearrange letters to make words, and you have to get the longest one to proceed to the next bunch of letters. We played Mad Gab while I was home for Thanksmas, and it's great! Here's Wikipedia's description:
"Mad Gab is a game created by Mattel in which you have at least two teams and 2 to 12 players. Each team has two minutes to sound out three puzzles. The puzzles, also known as mondegreens, contain small words that, when put together, make a word or phrase. For example, "These If Hill Wore" when pronounced quickly sounds like "The Civil War." There are 2 difficulties: easy and hard. The faster you guess the puzzles, the more you score."
Here are a few more examples:
Ace Lip Puff That Hung = A slip of the tongue
Eye Mull of Mush Sheen = I'm a love machine
Bat Tree Snot Ink Looted = Batteries not included
Thesis Pine Alt Hap = This is Spinal Tap
Duet Tomb He Juan Mort I'm = Do It To Me One More Time
Hoe Pin-Up Hits Depot Lease = Open Up! It's The Police
Chick He Tub An An Us = Chiquita Bananas
Anyway, it's a great game and I recommend all y'all who'll be heading home for maxi fambly time to nab one and play it. Might be even better mixed with a little eggnog and hooch.
Most recently, a weekend in Beantown left me all charged up for the LHS reunion that will be Xmas this year.
My first night there featured a going away party for my new friends, Junaki (her name means Firefly) and Amitaba (his name means super duper Buddha). They're going back to India to open a science lab nearish to Calcutta and Benares and repeatedly invited me to visit. Little do they know that I will no doubt take them up on it.
Here's what Rocky made for the party! a fig/apple/ricotta/honey foccacia!
Rocky 'n' me at Jamaica Plains Pond. (by the way, there's a new ROCKY coming out! where he's old! but still wants to fight! and still loves Adrian! and still wears Chucks! looks fabulous!)
Timsky at Chez Chung-Yerry.
Our amazing Veracruz-style fish, rice, and beans meal, concocted by my lovely hosts! Just look how nice! My mother always used to tell us that colorful meals are healthy meals.
A Bagels And Lox! (it has its own song) breakfast. Something of a fishy theme here. If you turn the picture, it looks like a smiley face.
Bocci on top of a big cold hill with lovely views. Rocky came from behind to win. I came from behind to lose.
And the TnR Train Xmas tree, in all her glory.
. . .
Nov 29, 2006
handiwork is more fun than brainiwork
Now that the McS Xmas, it is finished, I can display my wares.
Here's a bear in progress for Miss McShane En Route:
And here she is, all put together but minus a face and with left leg yet unattached. Her face is black felt eyes and nose. Her body is a cashmere/merino blend, and her appendages are cashmere.
These are bean bags for juggling, made out of some cloth from ghana, some cloth from who-knows-where, an old shirt as lining, and lots of lentils. A present for my brother Shum.
Fronts:
And backs:
Behold, one of two slippers, knit and felted, for Shum. I think this is pre-felt. Knit with three bulky strands of Lamb's Pride wool/mohair from the Brown Sheep Company of Mitchell, Nebraska.
And the finale, Mom's Hats. An apple/strawberry/tomato, and a pumpkin. I particularly liked the color of the a/s/t. It's Manos del Uruguay wool.
(there's good light in the bathroom)
and the a/s/t hat all snuggled up with Steam Shovel (as my nephew named the bear):
Pumpkin in progress:
and finished. Annie's admiring it too.
. . .
Here's a bear in progress for Miss McShane En Route:
And here she is, all put together but minus a face and with left leg yet unattached. Her face is black felt eyes and nose. Her body is a cashmere/merino blend, and her appendages are cashmere.
These are bean bags for juggling, made out of some cloth from ghana, some cloth from who-knows-where, an old shirt as lining, and lots of lentils. A present for my brother Shum.
Fronts:
And backs:
Behold, one of two slippers, knit and felted, for Shum. I think this is pre-felt. Knit with three bulky strands of Lamb's Pride wool/mohair from the Brown Sheep Company of Mitchell, Nebraska.
And the finale, Mom's Hats. An apple/strawberry/tomato, and a pumpkin. I particularly liked the color of the a/s/t. It's Manos del Uruguay wool.
(there's good light in the bathroom)
and the a/s/t hat all snuggled up with Steam Shovel (as my nephew named the bear):
Pumpkin in progress:
and finished. Annie's admiring it too.
. . .
Nov 23, 2006
another thanksgiving stupor
i heart it. props especially to the pies this year, from Lincoln Nebraska's own Conroy's Bakery.
gobble.
gobble.
. . .
gobble.
gobble.
. . .
Nov 20, 2006
Nov 16, 2006
hi there
Things have been bizzy--preparing for a nebraska thanksgiving/xmas/baby shower/birthday, the end-of-semester ramp-up, make-up classes, a new client, a delicious dinner with the male half of the Whitney-Thompsons, a cozy visit with JEC. I've got a bunch of ongoing projects that can't be publicized here until they've been given to their designated recipients, but when I do, oh boy oh boy!
I finally heard last weekend from the last judge--my heroic visits to the midwest notwithstanding, neither of them have hired me to become their clerk next year. So it's back to the employment drawingboard. All suggestions are welcome.
I'm leaving tomorrow for Nebraska for the year's family and turkey extravaganzas, and I'm looking forward to it. go big red.
Here's a little of what I've been up to, in picture form:
Jessie at Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant that left something to be desired in the matter of ambience, but the food was good.
Here's some fingerless mittens I made for Jessie from the arms of a felted sweater. They kind of cut off circulation to one's thumb, but we're hoping they'll stretch.
I finally got this Annie poster, a gift from my mother last year, framed. It's a great addition to 1018, I think.
I wish I had taken some before shots of these candlesticks. They were hella tarnished. Now they're as shiny as, um, really shiny things. Polishing silver has a miraculous quality.
And here's Bert's new hat, made from Manos del Uruguay wool. I like it. This photo doesn't do the yarn justice. Good job, me and Manos del Uruguay!
. . .
I finally heard last weekend from the last judge--my heroic visits to the midwest notwithstanding, neither of them have hired me to become their clerk next year. So it's back to the employment drawingboard. All suggestions are welcome.
I'm leaving tomorrow for Nebraska for the year's family and turkey extravaganzas, and I'm looking forward to it. go big red.
Here's a little of what I've been up to, in picture form:
Jessie at Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant that left something to be desired in the matter of ambience, but the food was good.
Here's some fingerless mittens I made for Jessie from the arms of a felted sweater. They kind of cut off circulation to one's thumb, but we're hoping they'll stretch.
I finally got this Annie poster, a gift from my mother last year, framed. It's a great addition to 1018, I think.
I wish I had taken some before shots of these candlesticks. They were hella tarnished. Now they're as shiny as, um, really shiny things. Polishing silver has a miraculous quality.
And here's Bert's new hat, made from Manos del Uruguay wool. I like it. This photo doesn't do the yarn justice. Good job, me and Manos del Uruguay!
. . .
Nov 14, 2006
some more cool websites
I've looked at recently:
shelterrific ("where people who love their homes click")
apartment therapy
John Hung Ha's paintings and photographs (paintings etc. see painting at right. p.s. I want this for christmas.)
100 details in 100 days
foodgoat
diana fayt's pottery
. . .
shelterrific ("where people who love their homes click")
apartment therapy
John Hung Ha's paintings and photographs (paintings etc. see painting at right. p.s. I want this for christmas.)
100 details in 100 days
foodgoat
diana fayt's pottery
. . .
but a lot by it.
*
I tried making this no-knead bread last night that I linked to a couple of days ago. It came out beautifully, to my surprise. It's challenging not in the technique, but in the timing. The bread has to rise the recommended 18 hours, plus another 15 minutes resting, plus another 2 hours rising, plus 30 minutes cooking with the casserole top on, then another 15 minutes cooking with the casserole top off. It's hard to plan it so that the 18 hours ends up at a convenient time to do these things. Between 6 & 8 pm sounds perfect, right? But this means you have to start it between noon and 2 the previous day--which is not a time when most people are home. If you started it at 8 in the morning, it would be prime around 2pm the next day, when, again, is not a time when most people are home. So it's a weekend bread. Unfortunately, I am both stubborn and forgetful. The weekend was running out, and I was afraid that I wouldn't get the bread made. So I started it Sunday at around 4pm, which meant that it should have been done with its first rise around 10pm yesterday. I was going to start the second rising before I left to go out to see Joanna Newsom harp her stuff with emininent lawschoolers RCS, DMB, M?T and DMB's nonlawschooler friend Graham (terrific show, by the way), but I forgot. So I started the second rise when I got home around 1:30 am. This meant waking up at 3am to preheat the stove; 3:30am to put in the bread; 4:00am to take the lid off the casserole dish it was cooking in to give it a good crust (has to do with humidity); and 4:15am to take it out altogether. And then somehow I didn't go to tax class in the morning. Also, if you're doing it for the first time, it can be a little hard to sleep with the oven on at 450 degrees about six feet (including a wall) from your face. There were many worries to worry: what if I sleep through the timer and I wake up inthe morning and the bread is a black lump? what if the bread doesn't rise and I am left with a black lump? what if that blue casserole thing isn't pyrex or glass after all (I forgot to check) and it breaks or starts on fire? What if the bread starts on fire? what if my apartment starts on fire?
I was also surprised that it went well because the bread didn't seem to rise at all (to my blearied 3:30am eyes) during the second rising. And it was still VERY sticky. It's supposed to do its second rising between two floured dish towels--lots of it came off with the bottom dishtowel. But just see!
and it tastes good too. And it was amazingly easy**, despite my own 4am second rising.
. . .
* Alan has had one of these Not By Bread Alone tin ads on his wall for many long years. I was pretty happy to find a picture of it online (I heart google image search).
**One piece of advice, though--if you wash dishes in the sink by hand, and you have a tiny little grate in there to keep big stuff from washing down the drain--take that grate out before you wash stuff with lots of little bits of bread dough on it. The dough's sticky, will clog up the grate, and be hard to come out.
I tried making this no-knead bread last night that I linked to a couple of days ago. It came out beautifully, to my surprise. It's challenging not in the technique, but in the timing. The bread has to rise the recommended 18 hours, plus another 15 minutes resting, plus another 2 hours rising, plus 30 minutes cooking with the casserole top on, then another 15 minutes cooking with the casserole top off. It's hard to plan it so that the 18 hours ends up at a convenient time to do these things. Between 6 & 8 pm sounds perfect, right? But this means you have to start it between noon and 2 the previous day--which is not a time when most people are home. If you started it at 8 in the morning, it would be prime around 2pm the next day, when, again, is not a time when most people are home. So it's a weekend bread. Unfortunately, I am both stubborn and forgetful. The weekend was running out, and I was afraid that I wouldn't get the bread made. So I started it Sunday at around 4pm, which meant that it should have been done with its first rise around 10pm yesterday. I was going to start the second rising before I left to go out to see Joanna Newsom harp her stuff with emininent lawschoolers RCS, DMB, M?T and DMB's nonlawschooler friend Graham (terrific show, by the way), but I forgot. So I started the second rise when I got home around 1:30 am. This meant waking up at 3am to preheat the stove; 3:30am to put in the bread; 4:00am to take the lid off the casserole dish it was cooking in to give it a good crust (has to do with humidity); and 4:15am to take it out altogether. And then somehow I didn't go to tax class in the morning. Also, if you're doing it for the first time, it can be a little hard to sleep with the oven on at 450 degrees about six feet (including a wall) from your face. There were many worries to worry: what if I sleep through the timer and I wake up inthe morning and the bread is a black lump? what if the bread doesn't rise and I am left with a black lump? what if that blue casserole thing isn't pyrex or glass after all (I forgot to check) and it breaks or starts on fire? What if the bread starts on fire? what if my apartment starts on fire?
I was also surprised that it went well because the bread didn't seem to rise at all (to my blearied 3:30am eyes) during the second rising. And it was still VERY sticky. It's supposed to do its second rising between two floured dish towels--lots of it came off with the bottom dishtowel. But just see!
and it tastes good too. And it was amazingly easy**, despite my own 4am second rising.
. . .
* Alan has had one of these Not By Bread Alone tin ads on his wall for many long years. I was pretty happy to find a picture of it online (I heart google image search).
**One piece of advice, though--if you wash dishes in the sink by hand, and you have a tiny little grate in there to keep big stuff from washing down the drain--take that grate out before you wash stuff with lots of little bits of bread dough on it. The dough's sticky, will clog up the grate, and be hard to come out.
Nov 13, 2006
npr is not for listening to so loud
They're redoing floors in my apartment building's hallway today, so I'm not allowed to be there from 8 am to 6 pm. Monday's my big homework day, so I thought I'd migrate across the street to Cafecito, a new coffee shop with free wireless. It's a nice enough place, although the ugly face paintings have been up for way too long. AND THE NPR IS ON TOO LOUD. NPR is perfect for mumbling along in the background. NPR is not for listening to so loud! no.
. . .
. . .
Nov 12, 2006
menu du soir
appetizer: olives, eaten while stirring up the
main course: pancakes with real maple syrup, eaten with hands, standing up at the stove, while cooking up the rest of the batter for future frozen eating
palate cleanser: super salad (mixed greens, tomato, celery, avocado, shallot, dried cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese, & dressing of oil & vinegar, salt & sugar), eaten while discussing Xmas presents with my sister Jeanne Elizabeth.
the pancake process:
. . .
main course: pancakes with real maple syrup, eaten with hands, standing up at the stove, while cooking up the rest of the batter for future frozen eating
palate cleanser: super salad (mixed greens, tomato, celery, avocado, shallot, dried cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese, & dressing of oil & vinegar, salt & sugar), eaten while discussing Xmas presents with my sister Jeanne Elizabeth.
the pancake process:
. . .
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