Food For The Visually Starved

Maybe it's the long nights at the office, the candy dinners, the microwave lunches, that leave me starving for home cooked meals. Because I'm in front of a computer, I settle for recipes.
More accurately, I settle for pictures of great recipes while remaining malnourished.

I stumbled across this amazing meta recipe blog: http://www.tastespotting.com/

It pulls clean, tasty, getty-quality visuals and links them back to a recipe. So if you're closer to a kitchen than I am, you can try to recreate.
I will keep feasting with my eyes.

En Vogue

I forgot how much I loved this song (and I LOOOVED this song) until I heard it on the radio today:

Needless to say, it's going on the ipod tonight. Will start work on remastering the routine next Tuesday...

Demolition Libby

If you've ever ridden in the car with me, you are familiar with my eccentric way behind the wheel (lead foot, little caution).

I've been like this since day 1, when I took my drivers exam and failed to parallel park, so I flashed the proctor my... enormous smile, and asked him to let me pass anyway.

He did.

Two winters later I owned a very special, very vintage, honda Civic.

On the way home with my sister one snowy afternoon I was driving in my usual manner and happened to careen off the road in my neighborhood. A few kind neighbors came out to rescue my car which had three tiny Civic wheels stuck in the big snow pile.

One particular neighbor came up to me (he was an art dealer and always had art that looked like trash all over his front lawn), "I always see you driving through this neighborhood, what's your name?" "libby" "DEMOLITION LIBBY" he hollered, then punched me in the arm and went back to his house.

The rest of the neighbors kindly helped me, my sis, and the Civ get home.
The art dealer shot himself in the head the next spring.

Legal News

Mr T. has just been selected for jury duty, (cue irony in 3, 2, 1...) "If you're innocent, I'm your best man," he said. "But if you're guilty, I pity that fool."

Since Pigs Now Fly

For tips on how to avoid hamthrax, these 1970s PSAs may come in handy.

¡Bienvenidos!

Pepsi Can't Find G Spot

Sounds like Pepsi's recently rebranded "G" is having some troubles.

Signs aren't pointing to any consumer trends out of expensive/nutritionally lacking bottled beverages. Could this be a result of overly esoteric campaign and brand overhaul?

Once I Rode A Hovercraft

My parents, the sly travelers they were, decided the family should experience something totally unique the first time we were in Europe, to make the trip even more memorable. Their prayers were answered when the opportunity to take a hovercraft ride presented itself.

We boarded in Calais, France for a two hour ride to Dover, England, and took our seats next to European business people and other tourists... perhaps they were also in it for the novelty.

The aircraft looked like an airplane cabin on top of a deflated inner tube when we boarded, when the tube had finally inflated and we took off over the tarmac, I have to admit, I warmed up to the idea and got a little geeked about it. The water sprayed the windows as we hovered over and crashed into the waves. The bob of the cabin made me think of all the rollercoasters I had dreamed of riding if my family were the type to vacation at Cedar Point or Six Flags.

About 20 minutes into the ride we hit some bad weather. There isn't much you can do in a hovercraft to manage rough seas and I'm fairly sure there's only one speed a hovercraft travels in; 'medium fast' doesn't allow much opportunity to maneuver around 12 ft waves, just crash into them and brace yourself as you're rocked in your seat.

The cabin now teetered up and down uncontrollably. People started to look a little green in the face. The 'stewardesses' handed out Dramamine and waste bags in almost eerie premonition.

It didn't take more than 5 minutes for the first of them to lose it. By the end of the hour the majority of the 100+ passengers in the cabin were involuntarily reenacting scenes from a Monty Python movie. A distinguished looking Swiss gentleman sitting across from me carefully removed his Rolex and set it on his tray table, loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar, opened his barf bag, noiselessly settled his stomach, neatly folded the bag, and returned it to the stewardess. A neighbor threw up on my pant leg and I started crying. The bags ran out and the line to the bathroom was 15 deep.When the debacle was over and we landed in Dover, we all stumbled out of the plane single file. I was sure of it then and haven't reconsidered: I'm through with hovercrafts and family adventures.

If only I had remembered that when I was in Mexico and went cliff diving…

Step Up

What started as an impulse decision while half-watching ABDC (America's Best Dance Crew, for those who aren't in the know), has turned into one of my favorite pasttimes; Kelly and I have been taking Hip Hop dance classes.
Word.

In all fairness, most of the class is focused on cardio warm up and Pilates ab routines, but what I look forward to all week is the dancing.
It reminds me of one of my favorite parts of being little; coming up with dance routines to MC Hammer songs with my sister and Amanda and preparing for our big break on Star Search.

Needless to say, it's a pretty awesome sight. I'll let you know when we have our recital.

* walks it out *

Hair Baggage

My hair has baggage.

Hair baggage comes from all of the other emotional baggage I carry, because for every experience of trauma I go through, I try to change something, and quick.

Traumatic breakup, self imposed bangs. Horrbile work situation? Super dark locks. Family problems? Highlights! Even the most average of stressful days will leave me, scissors in hand, tending to my split ends.
Currently, I'm working through a 6 month cut hiatus and a box "blonde" that is closer to strawberry. It's not so good.

The problem with hair baggage is that it's out there for everyone to see (and it doesn't always look good). An external manifestation of all sorts of bad choices.

Even though it's mostly semi-permanent, lasting until that 24th wash (or until it grows out), I'm tired of all this in-between. Any thoughts?

TMC

Old story, great recipe:

I went on a few dates with this guy. He was tall and handsome, in a Jeremy Irons kind of way.

Things were good, but the relationship hazard lights went off when I baked these cookies: chocolate cherry peanut butter oatmeal, and he deemed them "too much"(NO - YOU'RE TOO MUCH), saying he was more of a "plain chocolate chip kind of guy".

In the course of our mini-relationship, we went to the driving range (fun), a movie (OK, yes), to dinner (yes, yes), the bar with his friends (nice, thank you for introducing me), and he brought me over to make me dinner one night (I love good cooks, sign me up!).

I got to his place. He disappeared to check on the grill, coming through the door with a plate of plain, unseasoned chicken (eh). He opened a can of green beans (UGH, WTF?), dropped them in boiling water (they've already been boiled tasteless!) and offered me a glass of milk.

Things between us ended shortly thereafter.
But the cookies, they stay with me...

‘TOO MUCH’ COOKIES

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup chocolate covered cherries
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate cherries, baking soda, and oatmeal.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not over bake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

Ready, Freddy

Happy Wednesday

EDIT: Due to popular demand, a link to make your own

Pollyanna In Action

The Pollyanna principle states that at an unconscious level our minds have tendency to attract towards optimism, while at the conscious level we have tendency to focus towards negative.

This always made me wonder at the amount of effort that it must take to be a negative person. The efficiency of the brain won't allow us to operate multiple tasks at the conscious level for an extended period of time, our brains go into autopilot and operate unconsciously (eg. while reedng, teh sifht yru fell tu udnresnatd thes snteence) to allow the CPU to focus on other tasks. Sometimes, however, it's unavoidable. Bad news hits and we have to handle it, and it's tough to focus on the positive.

Reading or watching the news in the past year has become a function of unavoidable, conscious habit. If the constant coverage of the falling markets and financial woes hasn't left us feeling economic depressed, it has at least emotionally so. How have our brains been able to cope with all of this conscious negative effrontery? With the world feeling this crisis, our unconscious must be begging for relief!

Leo Burnett Lisbon has answered our plea by creating an application for firefox in which when “CRISIS” appears in text, it is swapped out with the word “OPPORTUNITY”.
And with the word "crisis" being the biggest buzz word in 2008 and 2009, we sure could use this positive reinforcement.

Check it out: http://www.see-the-opportunity.com/

Synth Mania

I can't stop playing with this Tone Matrix tool from aM labs.

It's like being in the Postal Service without having to sell out to that Creative Director from the Martin Agency with the stupid hair. Bon App.

Being Green

Back in the late 80s, when the doom and destruction of the cold war Regan-era left America looking at a cataclysmic future and possible apocalypse by the new millennium, we started celebrating Earth Day at my elementary school.

This was pre-blue box recycling era; reduce, reuse, and recycle were all new news to most non-hippies. So to help us along at school, lesson plans would begin centering around the environment at the start of the academic quarter. The education was misguided, but thorough, and culminated in a musically fueled march to a local park where we would stand around while our principal and gym teacher would plant a tree.

To my mother's chagrin, the system's plan worked and went all Lorax on her ass. I became a recycling/composting vigilante, hell-bent on making sure our family was doing our part to sustain the earth. Yeah.
But then I changed schools, the 90s came and went, and Earth Day as well as that green mentality all but fell off my radar (and I suspect most of America's).

When the oil price shit storm of '08 hit (and drove commodity costs through the roof), the focus shifted yet again on the long term benefits and cost savings of the new green model. Green became not only a "values" model, but one of actual cost-savings value.

With the "greening" of corporations from local businesses to large MNCs having long since mainstreamed, I wonder if this holiday is relevant anymore? If so, what kind of Earth Day activations will occur?

• GE's been getting railed by the economy, would hearing more about EcoMagination help turn their financial tides?
• Does WalMart stray from the save money bent they've pushed since the recession took hold and renew a focus on the wonderfully wedded "save and live green" value/values concept?
• Will there be a new teaser ad for Chevy's famed Volt (does this 2010 launch date feel suspect to anyone else)?
• Will my local Farmer's Market give out those reusable bags that I love?
• Will Starbuck's offer free coffee to customers that bring their own cup?

Thoughts, comments, wishes, etc welcome below.
XO

Biproxy On A Bun

Totally inappropriate ad placement FAIL

Babies Everywhere

Patton Oswalt on Sex and Science - watch more funny videos

Congratulations to my favorite comedian, Patton Oswalt, on welcoming his first cornish game hen into the world.

Good God Almighty

Imagine this between a pretzel bun and you'll know how I'm feeling.

I made my first trip to the Chicago legend that is Kuma's and I can't stop talking about it.

Ryan and I were there early for dinner, but there was still over a two hour wait. Three PBRs later, to an incredible metal soundtrack, we managed to elbow ourselves a seat at the bar.

I asked the waitress's opinion on my order, she started gushing about how awesome the Plague Bringer was, so I took her lead: 10 oz of rare beef driven to submission by roasted garlic mayo, tortilla strips, chicago CO-OP hot sauce, fresh garlic, pepper jack, and sliced jalapenos. pretzel roll. paradise.

Ryan ordered the Goblin Cock: beef, bacon, cheddar, hot dog, tomatoes, onion, neon green relish, peppers, giardiniara, pickles, celery salt mustard.

I couldn't finish mine (but washed everything down with one or two heavy "apertifs") and gladly ate the rest for breakfast the next morning, still abuzz with pleasure. It was still amazing.

But maybe it was my PB hangover talking...

GO. Soon. And bring me.

Kuma's Corner

2900 W Belmont

773.604.8769

Kid Logic: You are Old and Lonely

Second grade.
It was a time of magic, a time of wonder, a time of pen-pals.

My second grade class had three pen-pal projects: write another second grader somewhere in the country, write someone from a classroom outside of the country (mine was from Korea and basically consisted of us sending flattened origami), and write someone you know.

The first two were assigned to us. I was at a loss on the third. My teacher suggested that I write to someone that might appreciate a letter from me, maybe someone who is lonely... and that sometimes older people were lonely.

I chose the oldest and loneliest person I could think of.
My great-grandmother Baer was 86 and lived at home with a nurse.
Whenever my mom and I would visit her, it would seem like we were the only ones who ever stopped by. I would run around the house and look at the very old soap and make-up collection or sit very still while she looked me over and told me how pretty I was; like her when she was younger. She had been seduced by a movie producer in her 20s and was planning on going to Hollywood to become a movie star. Then she met my great-grandfather. At the time she told me this she must have weighed 85lbs, had peach fuzz all over her face, and a mustache.

Although I didn't have much to say to her and our contact waned over the next 10 years (she moved to Atlanta to be closer to her daughter), at her funeral when I was a senior in high school her live-in nurse came to me and told me how much the letters I wrote her meant. She gave them back to me... and I felt like a bastard.

Dear Great-Grandmother,
Our class is writing to pen pals. My teacher told me to choose someone who was lonely. You are the oldest person I know. You are lonely.
I got these glitter pens when school started. I like the purple one. I like Lisa Frank.
Summer is over. My cousin Kelly's birthday was last week. I went to a birthday party at her house. You have had a lot of birthdays.
OXOXOXO,
Love,
Elizabeth

Dear Great-Grandmother,
My other pen pal lives in California. She watches Dirty Dancing. I am not allowed to watch Dirty Dancing. I drew her a picture of horses and a mountain and a rainbow.
I practice piano every day. My recital is later. I can't think of anything else to say.
Love, Hugs, and Kisses,
Elizabeth

Dear Great-Grandma,
I can't read your writing. Thank you for the card. It smells like old people like your house.
We got a dog named Zeke. He is fast. I walk him after school.
XXOOXX,
Love,
Elizabeth

Dear Great-Grandmother,
It was Halloween last week. I was Cleopatra. My mom made my costume. My dad told me I looked beautiful. My sister was a princess. We got a lot of candy. My favorite is Snickers. My mom will only let us have one piece a day.
I don't like the candy at your house. You can have some of my candy.
XO.XO.XO.
Love,
Elizabeth

99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet

For all y'all who aren't up to speed on your viral, here's a pretty comprehensive list:

http://www.youshouldhaveseenthis.com/

01) Grape Stomp
02) Charlie Bit Me
03) Chocolate Rain
04) Dancing Baby
05) Post Secret
06) Charlie The Unicorn
07) Mentos and Diet Coke
08) Numa Numa
09) Peanut Butter Jelly Time
10) George Lucas In Love
11) You're The Man Now Dog
12) Yatta
13) Star Wars Kid
14) Bubb Rubb
15) The Flying Spaghetti Monster
16) Dramatic Chipmunk
17) Homestar Runner
18) GI Joe Pork Chop Sandwiches
19) Fail Blog
20) Skateboarding Dog
21) All Your Base Are Belong To Us
22) Winnebago Man
23) We Like The Moon
24) I Can Has Cheezburger
25) Barney Vs. Tupac
26) Shining
27) Cute Overload
28) Rick Roll
29) Lazy Sunday
30) David After The Dentist
31) Powerthirst
32) Christian The Lion
33) Bert and Ernie Rap
34) Lady Punch
35) Leprechaun in Alabama
36) Where The Hell Is Matt
37) Boom Goes The Dynamite
38) Breakdancing Baby
39) Drunk Jeff Goldblum
40) Scarlet Takes A Tumble
41) Sepultura - Refuse resist (cover) By Gauchos
42) Gay Mount Everest
43) Afro Ninja
44) Cop Shoots Himself In Leg In Classroom
45) Tron Guy
46) "Leave Britney Alone"
47) Laughing Baby
48) I'm the Juggernaut Bitch
49) The Chairperson Falls
50) Take On Me The Literal Version
51) Bill O'Reilly Flips Out
52) Don't Tase Me Bro
53) The Landlord
54) Breakdancing Baby Kick
55) The Pet Penguin
56) Ms. South Carolina Answers A Question
57) I'm F*#king Matt Damon
58) Will It Blend
59) Spaghetti Cat
60) Tom Cruise Kills Oprah
61) Little Superstar
62) Chad Vader
63) Pretty Much Everywhere It's Going To Be Hot
64) I Like Turtles
65) Who Needs A Movie
66) Jake E. Lee Shreds
67) Hawaii Chair
68) Aussie Party
69) Hitler Plans Burning Man
70) Flirting with Magic
71) Look At The Horse
72) Asian Backstreet Boys
73) Leroy Jenkins
74) Pinky The Cat
75) Monkey Sniffs Finger
76) Sneezing Panda
77) Prison Inmates remake "Thriller"
78) Techno Viking
79) Ask A Ninja
80) Best Man Trips and Ruins Wedding
81) Best Wedding Toast Ever (Amy's Song)
82) Kitten Surprise (how to break up a cat fight)
83) Katana Sword Infomercial Goes Wrong
84) Matrix Ping Pong
85) La Pequeña Prohibida
86) Angry German Kid (translated)
87) Evolution of Dance
88) Ok Go – "Here It Goes Again"
89) Battle at Kruger (lions vs. buffalos vs. crocodiles)
90) Daft Hands
91) Human Beatbox
92) Most T-Shirts Worn At Once
93) Zero G Dog
94) Cuppy Cakes Song
95) George Washington
96) Scary Maze Prank
97) Gay Referee
98) Tranquilized Bear Hits Trampoline
99) Reporter Gets A Fly In The Mouth

plus my all time favorite: Kittens
and a new one: Mother of All Funk Chords