Sam Sparro - "Pocket", from his album Sam Sparro (2008)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
I'm in love with a man who's not my husband!
Yes...yes I do. But that's ok, it's just loving his music. I spent all day yesterday listening to "Black and Gold", but then I realized the rest of his album is amazing as well!
Sam Sparro - "Pocket", from his album Sam Sparro (2008)
Sam Sparro - "Pocket", from his album Sam Sparro (2008)
Romanian Folk Remedies
Ever since my husband left for New York a few weeks ago my grandma has been calling me just about every day, for one reason or another. Usually it's to ask how the cats are (they're fine), how I am (I'm fine too), if I either put gas in the car or had the oil changed (yes to both), and when my husband's coming home. He told me I should tell her "Never, and it's because of you!", to which I told him that, though it was amusing, the sarcasm would just confuse her. I guess sarcasm doesn't compute well when you're speaking English to a Romanian speaker.
Well, today she told me that her sister told her they've shut down schools in Romania because of swine flu. Actually, I don't know if it really was her sister since the word for sister in Romanian can also be used in a "my friend" context like "Hey bro, wuddup?!" That's beside the point though. So she told me that I need to be careful because swine flu can make me sick, so what I need to do is get some rubbing alcohol and cotton balls and wipe my nose with them to kill the germs. She then asked me if I had a place to wash (my hands) at work and told me how she takes a little baggie with cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol on the bus to wipe her nose with so she doesn't get sick. I feel sorry for the people who have to sit next to her on the bus.
Gotta love those good old folk remedies. I wonder if back in Romania she used vodka or something instead of rubbing alcohol. If that was the case, I bet she stopped when she moved to the US because people on the bus would ask her if they could have some booze too.
I think rubbing alcohol must be her favorite cure-all. Apparently sticking rubbing alcohol soaked cotton balls in your ears will help you get over a sore throat and cold, and if you soak your head in rubbing alcohol it will kill head lice. Personally, I would rather she went with the Victorian era cocaine as her cure all, at least that would be fun and you wouldn't smell like you had a Russian warehouse accident.
Friday, October 30, 2009
The Big City Gazette Headlines:
If you like Chipotle, get out your tin foil and head over tomorrow.
In other news, my alma mater apparently has some medical students who are trying experimental amputation techniques.
Finally, rabbit furs can keep you warm in more ways than one. PETA is going to need a lot of red paint for that plant.
P.S. This made me laugh. Watch the little "Learn How" video on the left.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Bikinis vs Burqas?
So my husband works at the IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) now in New York. They work on behalf of veterans as a whole for more benefits, better rights, things like that.
Anyway, they got a video today from a guy who told them that the best way to combat gender inequality in Iraq and Afghanistan would be to send all the women there Western style clothing. He said something to the effect that he was "using his best instincts as a man".
They got a pretty good laugh out of that one, as did I. I think it's been proven time and again that education is the best way to combat these sorts of problems, not forcing women to wear short shorts like Miley Cyrus. In fact, I think that might just get them stoned to death or something. Combating forced morality and dress by going to the extreme opposite is just fighting fire with fire.
I love this photo I found, by the way. It's Lil Kim actually, if you were curious. Obviously forced covering of the face is a pretty good way to dehumanize someone. You can't see their facial expressions or communicate with them in the same way that you can with someone whose face you can see. For women who choose to wear a niqab that's fine, it's their choice, but I don't agree with it simply because of the fact that it's representative of the oppression that a lot of women face by being forced into wearing it. At the same time, I read a study a few months ago which explained that heterosexual men who viewed images of women in bikinis didn't recognize them so much as human beings but as objects. Women need to be allowed to make their own choices and wear what they feel comfortable in, not told what they should wear because it looks sexy or makes them a more moral or pious person.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Opposite of Spring Cleaning
Yeah...it's been a while. I know. I just haven't wanted to look at this thing for a while. Not exactly sure why though.
Anyway, I've been trying to clean up the house, get rid of old papers and sell some old books, dvds and cds online. Funny thing, looks like I'm not alone! I just thought that was really strange that KimDonesia happened to write a few blog posts about it just as I happened to be cleaning up.
There were two huge boxes of crap in the closet. The last two boxes that hadn't been unpacked after moving in. I went through and cleaned them all out last night and cut the stuff down by half. I will get rid of more once someone comes home around Little Baby Jesus Day time (that means Christmas).
I went to an office supply store today to get some packing tape for shipping off books and I bought a box to put hanging files in for about $15 and thought that it was a bit expensive and I wanted one with a lid. I went back afterword to exchange it and as I walk in the door right there is a pile of hanging file boxes with a lid on sale for $5 each. It's the little things that make me happy :)
Little Cat like helping me clean, she sat in the box while I tried taking things out of it. I'll post a pic once I get it on the computer.
My husband's been in New York since Sunday. I miss him.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
I'm getting behind again....
I just wanted to post this because I think this song is amazing. It's about gaining freedom in Iran, obviously.
Also, I saw this article today and am way more excited about it than I should be. New York Times and Time and I'm sure lots of others had articles about it too, but this is the best I think. So yeah, they found a pre-human ancestors that is about one million years older than Lucy. The really amazing part though is that it's more human-like than ape-like, which suggests our common ancestors with great apes probably was more human like and the really ape like features evolved later on with those species. Thing like enlarged canine teeth, for example. I just love this kind of stuff! I think it's so unbelievably fascinating.
Along the same lines, I'm in love with this man. Ken Miller is brilliant. I especially love the ending of this video where he completely owns creationists. It's one thing to believe God created us and the world, it's completely another to deny something that we have piles and piles of evidence for. Is it so hard to admit that maybe, just maybe, God created evolution. Maybe being created on day 6, according to the Bible, means day 5 was for Homo ergaster, and day for was for Homo habilis, then Australopithecus afarensis, and so on. I just find it extremely naive and prideful that people would consider themselves too good to be evolved from some lower beings. Just get over yourselves already.
In other news, Jason got the job! That means we're moving to New York! So excited and freaked out, at the same time.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
You have to watch this video!
Ok everyone NEEDS to watch this video!
Isn't that awesome?! Right...?!
Yeah...you got got rick rolled...and then that jerk Kanye had to go and interrupt it! I'm way too funny for my own good....
Looks like Rick isn't the only one to by Kanye-rupted.
Ok, back to less ridiculous things now. My husband and I went to visit his family yesterday. It was nice, as visits there usually are. His aunt and grandma and two cousins and one of the cousin's wife were there too, plus the family I normally see. The one thing I hate about family gatherings like that is praying time. Someone always has to say grace before we eat. That's fine and all, but why can't anyone be like "hey, so, is there anyone who's, oh I don't know, NOT Christian?" because I would be more than happy to not awkwardly stand there and quietly say "aumn...." when they're finished so I sound like I said but but I'm really thinking more like "aumnna jump out the window". Maybe it just seems especially rude/offensive that I'm more or less forced to participate because there are people there who know I'm not Christian. So...yeah. Just thought I would complain a little there....
Besides that, things were good, as usual.
Count down until NY! He has his interview on Wednesday, I bought the ticket the other day and just booked the hotel. Ah I'm going to miss him! I think I might go around and take some pictures and stuff tomorrow. It's supposed to be a really nice day, which means the lake (Lake Washington) is even more beautiful than usual, so that would be something nice to do. I will post pictures if I do.
I have a lot of steamed trout in the fridge. I brought two trout to dinner last night, thinking other people would eat it too, yeah...I guess I'm the only one who doesn't eat chicken that isn't halal. Go figure....
If anyone knows some recipes that use steamed trout, let me know. I need to figure out something to do with it all! I think tomorrow is going to be fish tacos...but I have to figure out what to do with the rest!
Isn't that awesome?! Right...?!
Yeah...you got got rick rolled...and then that jerk Kanye had to go and interrupt it! I'm way too funny for my own good....
Looks like Rick isn't the only one to by Kanye-rupted.
Ok, back to less ridiculous things now. My husband and I went to visit his family yesterday. It was nice, as visits there usually are. His aunt and grandma and two cousins and one of the cousin's wife were there too, plus the family I normally see. The one thing I hate about family gatherings like that is praying time. Someone always has to say grace before we eat. That's fine and all, but why can't anyone be like "hey, so, is there anyone who's, oh I don't know, NOT Christian?" because I would be more than happy to not awkwardly stand there and quietly say "aumn...." when they're finished so I sound like I said but but I'm really thinking more like "aumnna jump out the window". Maybe it just seems especially rude/offensive that I'm more or less forced to participate because there are people there who know I'm not Christian. So...yeah. Just thought I would complain a little there....
Besides that, things were good, as usual.
Count down until NY! He has his interview on Wednesday, I bought the ticket the other day and just booked the hotel. Ah I'm going to miss him! I think I might go around and take some pictures and stuff tomorrow. It's supposed to be a really nice day, which means the lake (Lake Washington) is even more beautiful than usual, so that would be something nice to do. I will post pictures if I do.
I have a lot of steamed trout in the fridge. I brought two trout to dinner last night, thinking other people would eat it too, yeah...I guess I'm the only one who doesn't eat chicken that isn't halal. Go figure....
If anyone knows some recipes that use steamed trout, let me know. I need to figure out something to do with it all! I think tomorrow is going to be fish tacos...but I have to figure out what to do with the rest!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Interruptions are SO rude!
So I was reading my morning new this morning, and I was interrupted by the RUDEST person EVER!
Just take a look!
Can you believe that?!
Just take a look!
Can you believe that?!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Change will happen, for the banks as well.
This is why booze isn't a good idea....
Sunday, September 13, 2009
One more thing....
So I have one more thing that's been bugging me which I'm going to write about before I go to bed. I just got a facebook message from this friend of mine:
"Friend:
hey
don't the democrats have a veto-proof majority in the senate?
if so, I fail to see why republicans should be blamed for failure on healthcare reform
It always seems like this guy is trying to trap me into saying something about the Democrats. I honestly don't even know what he's doing.... After I wrote that I saw he was "typing" and didn't actually say anything, then signed off a few minutes later. Wtf?! It's so rude...every week or two he'll send me a message about how the Democrats did something wrong or this and that and tries to make me feel like a bad person about it. I just don't get it. Yes, I'm vocal about my opinions, I post links to articles when I don't agree with something the Republicans or conservatives or anyone else has done, but I don't harass him in facebook messages! We used to get along a lot better, but last year he went to DC to work on the McCain campaign (he's Canadian...kinda strange...I know) and ever since then things have been like this. It's like he takes it personally that I find Sarah Palin to be completely insuferable and completely unqualified to lead our country. I would never take someone's political opinions personally. Everyone has a right to their beliefs and I respect that. Sure I don't agree with a lot of the things the Republican party has been doing in recent years but I think there are still good people in the party and I don't hate anyone who affiliates with them.
The other thing I think is sort of weird is I think he might have converted to Christianity (he was a Muslim the last time I checked). I have no idea if that has anything to do with any of this, I won't assume that it does, but it makes me wonder a little if he was drinking the Kool-aid at party meetings....
"Friend:
hey
don't the democrats have a veto-proof majority in the senate?
if so, I fail to see why republicans should be blamed for failure on healthcare reform
Emily:
I don't know if they do now that Kennedy passed away
Plus I think that even if they do have the veto proof majority it's pretty douchy to just pass it through without trying to work things out with the other half of congress"
It always seems like this guy is trying to trap me into saying something about the Democrats. I honestly don't even know what he's doing.... After I wrote that I saw he was "typing" and didn't actually say anything, then signed off a few minutes later. Wtf?! It's so rude...every week or two he'll send me a message about how the Democrats did something wrong or this and that and tries to make me feel like a bad person about it. I just don't get it. Yes, I'm vocal about my opinions, I post links to articles when I don't agree with something the Republicans or conservatives or anyone else has done, but I don't harass him in facebook messages! We used to get along a lot better, but last year he went to DC to work on the McCain campaign (he's Canadian...kinda strange...I know) and ever since then things have been like this. It's like he takes it personally that I find Sarah Palin to be completely insuferable and completely unqualified to lead our country. I would never take someone's political opinions personally. Everyone has a right to their beliefs and I respect that. Sure I don't agree with a lot of the things the Republican party has been doing in recent years but I think there are still good people in the party and I don't hate anyone who affiliates with them.
The other thing I think is sort of weird is I think he might have converted to Christianity (he was a Muslim the last time I checked). I have no idea if that has anything to do with any of this, I won't assume that it does, but it makes me wonder a little if he was drinking the Kool-aid at party meetings....
Today and New York
I was making my sandwich for lunch tomorrow and had some ideas for a post...but then I forgot :-/
My husband and I went to a friend's house today to watch the Seahawk's game. Yeah, I'm not really into football...but when Seattle basically sucks at everything athletic you have to be a little proud when a team wins 28-0. I guess that's what happens when it's rainy and overcast 9 months of the year; the only thing you're any good at is swimming...or being a duck.
The son of the couple who we were visiting was soooo cute! He's 2, but he's really big for his age so I would have thought he was about 3. My husband got up from his chair for some reason and the kid sat in it next to me for a few seconds then he got up to play. When my husband came back he sat in the chair and the kid went "NO! That's my chair!". It was so funny, he was fighting my husband for the chair and basically shoved my husband over to sit on it too.
I always feel old when I go to things like that. I don't know why though, I really should feel young. I'm always the youngest person there (since it was all friend my husband knew first and he's about 3 1/2 years older than me), but everyone else has kids or is having kids, so I sort of feel like I'm older because I'm hanging around older people I suppose. I guess that's why I get for marrying an older man!
Speaking of my husband, he has an interview tomorrow! Omg I hope he does well...I'm really, really, really tied of us working opposite schedules. We haven't had a weekend off together in almost a year :-( If he gets the job though, that means we're moving to New York! The irony of this blog's title will be increased 10 fold if that happens! I'm still a little against moving to NY, but as time goes on (this application process has taken a couple weeks already), I'm getting more and more excited.
New York Pros and Cons:
+ Lots of cool things to go in NY
- I will miss the cool things to do in Seattle
+ Flights to Europe will be cheaper and shorter
- Flights to Asia will be longer...even though I haven't been to Asia yet
+ Lots of halal markets!
- Not so many Asian restaurants
+ Meeting new people
- Missing old friends
- Cost of living is expensive in NY
+ Cost of living is expensive in Seattle
- I definitly don't have a chance at getting a garden
+ Better public transportation. Yay for the subway!
- I would be away from my family
+ I would be away from certain members of my family
Basically, it would be a great job for Jason and an opportunity for me to get into a field I want to. Hopefully I can find a position at a museum, that would be fantastic. I guess we'll see how things go though.
Finally, Kanye West you are a d-bag for ruining that poor girl's night!
My husband and I went to a friend's house today to watch the Seahawk's game. Yeah, I'm not really into football...but when Seattle basically sucks at everything athletic you have to be a little proud when a team wins 28-0. I guess that's what happens when it's rainy and overcast 9 months of the year; the only thing you're any good at is swimming...or being a duck.
The son of the couple who we were visiting was soooo cute! He's 2, but he's really big for his age so I would have thought he was about 3. My husband got up from his chair for some reason and the kid sat in it next to me for a few seconds then he got up to play. When my husband came back he sat in the chair and the kid went "NO! That's my chair!". It was so funny, he was fighting my husband for the chair and basically shoved my husband over to sit on it too.
I always feel old when I go to things like that. I don't know why though, I really should feel young. I'm always the youngest person there (since it was all friend my husband knew first and he's about 3 1/2 years older than me), but everyone else has kids or is having kids, so I sort of feel like I'm older because I'm hanging around older people I suppose. I guess that's why I get for marrying an older man!
Speaking of my husband, he has an interview tomorrow! Omg I hope he does well...I'm really, really, really tied of us working opposite schedules. We haven't had a weekend off together in almost a year :-( If he gets the job though, that means we're moving to New York! The irony of this blog's title will be increased 10 fold if that happens! I'm still a little against moving to NY, but as time goes on (this application process has taken a couple weeks already), I'm getting more and more excited.
New York Pros and Cons:
+ Lots of cool things to go in NY
- I will miss the cool things to do in Seattle
+ Flights to Europe will be cheaper and shorter
- Flights to Asia will be longer...even though I haven't been to Asia yet
+ Lots of halal markets!
- Not so many Asian restaurants
+ Meeting new people
- Missing old friends
- Cost of living is expensive in NY
+ Cost of living is expensive in Seattle
- I definitly don't have a chance at getting a garden
+ Better public transportation. Yay for the subway!
- I would be away from my family
+ I would be away from certain members of my family
Basically, it would be a great job for Jason and an opportunity for me to get into a field I want to. Hopefully I can find a position at a museum, that would be fantastic. I guess we'll see how things go though.
Finally, Kanye West you are a d-bag for ruining that poor girl's night!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Words in Bible and Quran
I just saw this really interesting list posted as a comment on youtube.
"The bible and Quran
Sword:Bible 400, Quran 1(to describe an oppressor)
Kill:Bible 400, Quran 8 (part of do not)
Stone? to death:Bible 20, Quran 0
war:Bible 137,Quran 22
Battle:Bible 208, Quran 2
Sex:Bible 50, Quran 3 (2 for gender 1 part of do not)
Prostitute:Bible 74, Quran 0
Whore:Bible 65 (kjv),Quran 0
mistress:Bible 8,Quran 0
Virgin:Bible 54,Quran 1(as part of pure)
"eat dung drink piss":Bible 2,Quran 0
Mercy:B 124, Q 164
Merciful:B 21Q 219Gracious:B 46, Q 264 Charity:B 0, Q 62 "
Granted, the Bible is longer than the Quran, but I still think it's pretty interesting. I'm curious about the "sex" part of it. Yeah, you know me, always about the sex hahaha. Anyway, it's interesting because it is referred to in the Quran just from the little reading of it I have gotten through so far, but not always directly using the word, so I'm wondering about the comparison of not the literal word but the act and if it's any different. Also, how much of it is positive and negative references. One thing I really don't like about Christianity, at least in the US, is how negative they portray sex and how you basically are a bad person for wanting it. Thanks Puritans! I would have thought this mentality would have died out with the crazed cult who completely abstained from sex to a point where they all, literally, died off. Good job guys!
"The bible and Quran
Sword:Bible 400, Quran 1(to describe an oppressor)
Kill:Bible 400, Quran 8 (part of do not)
Stone? to death:Bible 20, Quran 0
war:Bible 137,Quran 22
Battle:Bible 208, Quran 2
Sex:Bible 50, Quran 3 (2 for gender 1 part of do not)
Prostitute:Bible 74, Quran 0
Whore:Bible 65 (kjv),Quran 0
mistress:Bible 8,Quran 0
Virgin:Bible 54,Quran 1(as part of pure)
"eat dung drink piss":Bible 2,Quran 0
Mercy:B 124, Q 164
Merciful:B 21Q 219Gracious:B 46, Q 264 Charity:B 0, Q 62 "
Granted, the Bible is longer than the Quran, but I still think it's pretty interesting. I'm curious about the "sex" part of it. Yeah, you know me, always about the sex hahaha. Anyway, it's interesting because it is referred to in the Quran just from the little reading of it I have gotten through so far, but not always directly using the word, so I'm wondering about the comparison of not the literal word but the act and if it's any different. Also, how much of it is positive and negative references. One thing I really don't like about Christianity, at least in the US, is how negative they portray sex and how you basically are a bad person for wanting it. Thanks Puritans! I would have thought this mentality would have died out with the crazed cult who completely abstained from sex to a point where they all, literally, died off. Good job guys!
Pie and Posting
I need to not post at night time. "Ich have schwer Wanderlust. Schade :/" Ich have? Seriously?! That could have been just a typo, but really now?!
Ich habe schwer Wanderlust! Und kann ich nicht schreiven :( Sehr schade....
I was listening to a news report on YouTube last night in German. I could understand about half of it, the guy was talking really fast, but his wife was easier to understand. I would love to go and live in Germany for a few months to improve my German. I feel like I'm losing it every day.
I'm cooking a shepherd's pie right now. It's lentil and turkey, not lamb, since I had turkey and lentils and not much lamb. Unfortunately, I am out of eggs and I have no half and half, so making the mashed potatoes will be interesting. I think I'm going to have to run out to the store. The pie in the picture is not mine, by the way, since there are obviously no lentils in it and mine is still stewing right now.
Today is supposed to be golfing day, since last weekend was horrible, and the week before SOMEONE didn't wake up in time! We'll see how that does since it's 12:30 right now.
One last thing, I have an official blog follower! :O! Yeah...I know! Not just a stalker blog follower *guilty look*, but an official one! Thanks!
Friday, September 11, 2009
I'm sort of falling behind with the posts....
I'm trying to write interesting things...anything at all really, but it's kind of hard. Since I spend most of my work day on the computer, I don't want to be on it at home much (except to watch tv since our tv is hooked up as a second monitor), and I don't feel like writing blog posts at work with people looking over your shoulder.
I did something that made me feel really good a little while ago. I told American Express to shove it. They send me a letter last month telling me they're raising my interest rate. I told them to f-off, but in much more polite and sarcastic wording. I posted it as a note on my Facebook, if you care to read it, as I wrote them an e-mail instead of talking to "Francisco" in Bangalore again.
I watched a video of a talk Rick Steves did in the bay area about making his Iran special. It was really interesting. I love Rick Steves...he's a man god <3. He's having some classes up in Edmonds on the 3rd, where he is actually doing the speaking, so I might drag my husband along :D Ah...Rick, how I love thee! Actually, a girl I work with lives in a house w/ a bunch of room mates and she said one of her room mates actually knows Rick. He was over there once for a party (his birthday, I think she said, is what is was for) and the girl was hula-hooping drunk with Rick! I don't think Rick was drunk, just her, but I'm soooo jealous!
Since I've been doing so much reading about Islam the last few weeks, I figured it was finally time to start actually reading the Quran. Unless a book has a really good thrilling plot I'm very much a "book jumper", meaning I'll read a little of everything here and there. I got bored with the other Islam books I was reading, though I plan on finishing the one about Muhammad, even though I got bored at the war part. I like the Quran, it's organized a little bit like my brain sometimes is. Basically, it's not ordered chronologically, but from longest part to shortest, so it can skip around a bit. Plus it restates things a lot, which is good for remembering. So yeah, the Quran basically is perfect for my ADD brain that gets bored easily!
I want to go to Turkey so bad. Heck, I want to go anywhere just about now. Ich have schwer Wanderlust. Schade :/
That article made me see this article about drive in movie theaters. I didn't even know those still existed. The only one I've ever been to was in Montana, and my god people, it's Montana!
Also, an interesting article about religious diets, especially considering it's Ramadan right now.
Finally, today is 9/11, and we all know what that means. I've seen lots of status updates and what not today about the anniversary, but I think I'm going to try to do it some justice by not trying to sound all "We shall never forget!" and just choosing to remember as oppose to being poetic.
So yeah...that was my ADD post for the day.
I did something that made me feel really good a little while ago. I told American Express to shove it. They send me a letter last month telling me they're raising my interest rate. I told them to f-off, but in much more polite and sarcastic wording. I posted it as a note on my Facebook, if you care to read it, as I wrote them an e-mail instead of talking to "Francisco" in Bangalore again.
I watched a video of a talk Rick Steves did in the bay area about making his Iran special. It was really interesting. I love Rick Steves...he's a man god <3. He's having some classes up in Edmonds on the 3rd, where he is actually doing the speaking, so I might drag my husband along :D Ah...Rick, how I love thee! Actually, a girl I work with lives in a house w/ a bunch of room mates and she said one of her room mates actually knows Rick. He was over there once for a party (his birthday, I think she said, is what is was for) and the girl was hula-hooping drunk with Rick! I don't think Rick was drunk, just her, but I'm soooo jealous!
Since I've been doing so much reading about Islam the last few weeks, I figured it was finally time to start actually reading the Quran. Unless a book has a really good thrilling plot I'm very much a "book jumper", meaning I'll read a little of everything here and there. I got bored with the other Islam books I was reading, though I plan on finishing the one about Muhammad, even though I got bored at the war part. I like the Quran, it's organized a little bit like my brain sometimes is. Basically, it's not ordered chronologically, but from longest part to shortest, so it can skip around a bit. Plus it restates things a lot, which is good for remembering. So yeah, the Quran basically is perfect for my ADD brain that gets bored easily!
I want to go to Turkey so bad. Heck, I want to go anywhere just about now. Ich have schwer Wanderlust. Schade :/
That article made me see this article about drive in movie theaters. I didn't even know those still existed. The only one I've ever been to was in Montana, and my god people, it's Montana!
Also, an interesting article about religious diets, especially considering it's Ramadan right now.
Finally, today is 9/11, and we all know what that means. I've seen lots of status updates and what not today about the anniversary, but I think I'm going to try to do it some justice by not trying to sound all "We shall never forget!" and just choosing to remember as oppose to being poetic.
So yeah...that was my ADD post for the day.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Turkish for Travelers
I just went to the King County Library's website to see if they had a book about Buddhism, since I've been into learning about religions recently. Well I saw they had "Buddhism for Dummies" and 5/8 copies are checked out, but 3/5 of "Islam for Dummies" are checked out. Personally, I think more people need to be reading about Islam so they have something to counteract the Fox News view point than reading about Buddhism so they can be like their favorite cool movie stars who are Buddhist.
By the way, if you're looking for a good book on Islam, skip reading "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)" by Robert Spencer. Really...it's pretty obviously biased and when you look at the other books in the series you can see they it's not just trying to be straight forward but they do have an agenda, and it isn't pro Islam to say the least. I won't say the book outright lies about Islam, but it's very misleading in that it leaves out important details, such as historical context for one. Also, the little side boxes of "Jesus vs. Muhammad" are pretty ridiculous.
I went to a Turkish for Travelers class yesterday at the Rick Steve's Travel Center. It was fun, but I felt really bad for my husband. He got up after only a few hours of sleep to go with me, and was a gumpy-potamus. Well he thought it was at the Edmonds Art Center or something like that and it wasn't, so we checked the e-mail and it said at the Edmonds Theater. We drive over there and because there was a Farmer's Market there was no parking. He dropped me off at the door and drives off to park. I stick my head in the theater and ask if the class is there and a lady told me there's a Turkish class at the Rick Steve's Travel Center, which was just around the corner. So I walk over, thinking that he would be told the same thing when he showed up. I didn't want to wait since it was like 12:02 and we were late already. I also didn't have my cell phone, so I couldn't call him or anything. Well I get to the class and it started a couple minutes late. I kept looking back expecting to see my husband walk in the door...nope. The class went over, until like 1:45...and then he came in. He was mad, to say the least. He had been waiting outside the theater for like an hour and a half :( Too bad he didn't call the phone number on the e-mail confirmation to find out where it was.... I guess I should have waited for him, but I thought he would figure out it was there. I guess he even walked right past the travel center where they had a sign at the front door about the class and just didn't see it. So yeah...I felt bad about that.
At least we got an invitation to a Turkish Iftar dinner tomorrow night! It's like "Iftar for Americans", so white people can see brown people eat really, really fast and eat some good food too. Mmmm I love Turkish food!
We were supposed to go golfing today...but Jason's still in bed...I doubt it'll happen now. Oh well.
Friday, August 21, 2009
High Cost of Conventional Food
I just read a really good Time article about the real cost of food production in the US. Well worth reading, especially take a look at the last page that compares organically grown, grass fed beef to conventional corn stuffed feed lot beef.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Books and Beef
So this freaked me out a little. I was reading KimDonesia's blog (kimdonesia.blogspot.com, she's awesome) and saw her post about her Muslimness.com icon. It linked to the website, which had an article about preparing for Ramadan. I click it and there's a link to a website called HalalTube. This has a list of contributors. I'm looking at the list thinking "Hmm...I wonder if they have any white people on this website" and I see a guy listed named "Johnathan Brown"...turns out he's one of my husband's Near Eastern Studies professors from UW. 6 Degrees of Kimdonesia! Little bit freaky.... (http://www.halaltube.com/category/jonathan-brown)
Speaking of that, my husband has lots of good books on Islam, which I have been perusing recently, because he took all these classes (and was in Iraq for a year). He has a cool Quran w/ English translation on one page and the matching Arabic on the opposite page. There's a book about the Prophet Muhammad (and yes, pbuh indeed) that I've been working my way though. There as a book that looked promising, Aspects of Islam, but was more of a glorified college thesis paper. Well, I just found one called "A History of God" which isn't necessarily one form college or about Islam, but it was a NYT best seller and looks pretty good, so I think I'll give it a try. I love my well educated husband <3!
I've been thinking, and I've decided I want to open a gourmet halal butcher. It would be pretty awesome. The meat wouldn't be packaged "Beef - stew" "lamb - ground" "goat - steaks" it would be "Beef chuck - good for stewing and braising" "ground lamb - use for burgers, meat pies, etc" "beef tenderloin - grill, sear or another high heat short cooking time method". Just because it's halal doesn't mean you shouldn't make it delicious and use the meat in a way that does it justice. Oh, and I could also make sure my beef is grass fed, same with lamb, goat etc. And that the chickens aren't kept in eensie-weensie cages and fed garbage too.
I bring this up because I bought some "Beef - stew" meat that was way too lean to be stew meat. It tasted like tail or something, definitely wasn't shoulder (chuck) which is the single best cut for stewing and braising. It has fat, I know, but it's not like I'm eating beef every day, or even every week.
So...yeah. I'll probably write about my $400/month experience soon. I've been trying to budget $400 per month for food for two. Kitties don't count. It's the 20th and I have about $80 left for the month. We're going to be eating a lot of lentils....
Speaking of that, my husband has lots of good books on Islam, which I have been perusing recently, because he took all these classes (and was in Iraq for a year). He has a cool Quran w/ English translation on one page and the matching Arabic on the opposite page. There's a book about the Prophet Muhammad (and yes, pbuh indeed) that I've been working my way though. There as a book that looked promising, Aspects of Islam, but was more of a glorified college thesis paper. Well, I just found one called "A History of God" which isn't necessarily one form college or about Islam, but it was a NYT best seller and looks pretty good, so I think I'll give it a try. I love my well educated husband <3!
I've been thinking, and I've decided I want to open a gourmet halal butcher. It would be pretty awesome. The meat wouldn't be packaged "Beef - stew" "lamb - ground" "goat - steaks" it would be "Beef chuck - good for stewing and braising" "ground lamb - use for burgers, meat pies, etc" "beef tenderloin - grill, sear or another high heat short cooking time method". Just because it's halal doesn't mean you shouldn't make it delicious and use the meat in a way that does it justice. Oh, and I could also make sure my beef is grass fed, same with lamb, goat etc. And that the chickens aren't kept in eensie-weensie cages and fed garbage too.
I bring this up because I bought some "Beef - stew" meat that was way too lean to be stew meat. It tasted like tail or something, definitely wasn't shoulder (chuck) which is the single best cut for stewing and braising. It has fat, I know, but it's not like I'm eating beef every day, or even every week.
So...yeah. I'll probably write about my $400/month experience soon. I've been trying to budget $400 per month for food for two. Kitties don't count. It's the 20th and I have about $80 left for the month. We're going to be eating a lot of lentils....
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Things to consider
1. You should see District 9. It was good. And oh so South African! I mean common, Wikus van de Meuwe, that's about as Dutch/Afrikaans as it gets. Baby alien was super cute too <3 http://d-9.com/
2. I think everyone should read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you don't agree with the rights outlined in it, then you can count yourself among the USSR, Saudi Arabia and apartheid South Africa since they were the only countries who did not vote yes on the resolution.
Apparently some people think that "warm shelter" and "clean and healthy food" are not basic human rights and I'm just appalled by that. The sheer selfishness of some people, especially ones who claim to be Christian, is absolutely sickening. Trying to justify who is entitled to having health care is so despicable that I can't even begin to describe it. Why is it that for being the single greatest best country, or whatever the idiotic line Glen Beck pulled out of his ass was, we let people die every day because they can't afford basic preventative health care? There are a lot of things that are great about this country, but this delusional mind set that we ARE the greatest country in the world and always will be is dragging us down. If we believe we're at the top and don't realized that other countries are climbing up over us, then we're doomed to fail.
3. Our world is changing, and it has been changing dramatically over the last 100 years or so. People are getting fat because humans are not meant to sit on their asses eating subsidized GMO corn Doritos all day long while watching Desperate Housewives of New Jersey, or whatever that idiotic show is called.
This has nothing to do with your political party or being conservative or liberal. It has to do with realizing that our world is changing and it doesn't look like we're going to go back to the way things were before. Are we really going to give up cars and electricity and all these other things that have made life easier? No, probably not, so we have to learn to deal with the new problems that are arising due to the changes that we have put in place. Global climate is real and a huge treat to our planet and way of life. Human population has exploded in the last 100 years and they are predicting the world will have 7 billion people in 2011. We're upsetting a delicate balance, and we have to start tipping the scales back.
P.S. It may have been Sean Hannity, not Glenn Beck.
2. I think everyone should read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you don't agree with the rights outlined in it, then you can count yourself among the USSR, Saudi Arabia and apartheid South Africa since they were the only countries who did not vote yes on the resolution.
Apparently some people think that "warm shelter" and "clean and healthy food" are not basic human rights and I'm just appalled by that. The sheer selfishness of some people, especially ones who claim to be Christian, is absolutely sickening. Trying to justify who is entitled to having health care is so despicable that I can't even begin to describe it. Why is it that for being the single greatest best country, or whatever the idiotic line Glen Beck pulled out of his ass was, we let people die every day because they can't afford basic preventative health care? There are a lot of things that are great about this country, but this delusional mind set that we ARE the greatest country in the world and always will be is dragging us down. If we believe we're at the top and don't realized that other countries are climbing up over us, then we're doomed to fail.
3. Our world is changing, and it has been changing dramatically over the last 100 years or so. People are getting fat because humans are not meant to sit on their asses eating subsidized GMO corn Doritos all day long while watching Desperate Housewives of New Jersey, or whatever that idiotic show is called.
This has nothing to do with your political party or being conservative or liberal. It has to do with realizing that our world is changing and it doesn't look like we're going to go back to the way things were before. Are we really going to give up cars and electricity and all these other things that have made life easier? No, probably not, so we have to learn to deal with the new problems that are arising due to the changes that we have put in place. Global climate is real and a huge treat to our planet and way of life. Human population has exploded in the last 100 years and they are predicting the world will have 7 billion people in 2011. We're upsetting a delicate balance, and we have to start tipping the scales back.
P.S. It may have been Sean Hannity, not Glenn Beck.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
First Real Post!
Ok, so I've had this blog for a while but I just haven't had any real ideas about what to write. I mostly just use facebook to do quit updates with interesting articles or ideas, so I'll try to move that over here.
I got to work this morning and pulled up cnn.com, like I do most mornings and the headline article really surprised me.
Yeah...a major American news network with a headline article that doesn't bash Muslims. I was quite surprised and impressed. CNN has had several "Generation Islam" articles that I've noticed on the front page in the last week or so, but I think this one stuck out because I'm a woman who does not see women who wear hijab as being oppressed. There is a difference between religion and culture, and I think 99.9% of women in this country who wear hijab do it because of their faith, not because a man forces them to. In other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, where culture has taken over Islam, that isn't the case.
People need to stop fearing and pittying women who wear hijab and be proud that there are still people who don't think showing off their boobs to everyone is appropriate.
I got to work this morning and pulled up cnn.com, like I do most mornings and the headline article really surprised me.
Yeah...a major American news network with a headline article that doesn't bash Muslims. I was quite surprised and impressed. CNN has had several "Generation Islam" articles that I've noticed on the front page in the last week or so, but I think this one stuck out because I'm a woman who does not see women who wear hijab as being oppressed. There is a difference between religion and culture, and I think 99.9% of women in this country who wear hijab do it because of their faith, not because a man forces them to. In other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, where culture has taken over Islam, that isn't the case.
People need to stop fearing and pittying women who wear hijab and be proud that there are still people who don't think showing off their boobs to everyone is appropriate.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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