And boy are my arms tired.
So are my legs. Or perhaps I should say "sore are my legs" - ha, I love bad puns.
Seriously, my legs look like Dalmatians, if Dalmatians were tan with blue spots. I am covered in small, medium and very large bruises. I look like I've gone several rounds with a midget. I think the midget won.
I'd take a photo, but since the really spectacular bruises are near groin level, I think I'll pass. The best is a cross-shaped one just at the top inside of my thigh. I seem to have burst a rather large blood vessel up there and the color cannot really be described.
I'd love to say that we are settling in, but that would be a big fat lie. We've still got stuff to move and nowhere to put it. Storage is out, since we've already filled up the storage room we have and both rooms we've moved into are stuffed, and I mean STUFFED, with stuff.
The big problem is that we need to organize before we move in more things. Have you ever tried to move a couch in a small space filled with breakables? Yeah, I think the couch is staying where it is. I also need to run A LOT of cables around the perimeter of the room, which is now completely filled with bookshelves. The cables, of course, are still in the other apartment along with routers and plugs and lamps. This is because most of the clean up moving that we're doing now must be done at night, in the dark, because my husband is working during the day.
I, oh lucky me, get the task of unpacking. And moving furniture.
I just rearranged the furniture in the bedroom. Thankfully, since the floor was freshly finished, I can slide most of the stuff around without too much lifting. Ack! You say, that'll leave a mark! So far, not yet. The floor is SO lacquered both the furniture and myself are sliding all over the place. The so-called no-slip floor protector under my desk is anything but. Every time I step on it I suddenly find myself laying on the couch with my legs up in the air.
Yeah, that couch is staying there all right.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Two things.
One thing that really annoys me is the list at the beginning of every cookbook that tell you the things that you MUST have in your kitchen.
Things that I am told I MUST have, but have managed quite well without:
1) a slotted spoon (use a fork or a regular spoon people)
2) a set of mixing bowls (mostly what bothers me is that they give you a size requirement, you know any number of sizes will do, I use my salad bowls and soup bowls and cups depending on how big a mixing bowl I need)
3) kitchen tongs (I'd like tongs, I really would, but a fork and a spoon have done me well over the years)
4) ruler (this is just plain stupid, almost nothing needs to be exactly measured this way and only encourages budding cooks to be overly anal)
5) pastry blender/knife (use your freakin' hands)
6) spreader (as in a thin flat spatula) (use a freakin' knife)
7) custard cups (use your damn water glasses)
8) rolling pin (this is actually something I'd like to get, some day, but a bottle works really well)
9) egg separator (use your freakin' hands if you can't figure out how to use the egg shell!)
10) melon baller (yes, this was listed as a must have and I have NEVER EVER needed one)
The second is the assumption that you have other obscure things as well.
1) double boiler (without fail it is not mentioned in the list of must haves, but always turns up in the dessert recipes)
2) parfait glasses (unless you were married with 300+ guests, chances are you do not have a set of these hanging around your house)
3) local [insert foreign place name] specialty store (my California cookbook is very guilt of this, unless you live in San Francisco, you probably don't have a local asian specialty store)
There are, IMHO, only two things that you really really need to have in order to turn out a meal in your kitchen.
1) water heater
2) the internet
From making a pot of tea to oh-shit-I-don't-have-enough-boiling-water-to-cover-the-pasta, the water heater is in use in my home almost constantly. At least once a day. Back before we got a coffee machine, this is also how we made coffee. Yeah, you could point out that I could have boiled water in a pot on the stove, but I say to you, HA! With a water heater I can make coffee and instant soup NOWHERE NEAR A KITCHEN STOVE!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you don't actually need a kitchen if you have a water heater. That makes it the number one most important thing you may ever own in your life - and you read it here first. Unless someone else said it first on some other blog, but you know, I do not have time to scour the web looking for precedents.
The internet can also save your butt in the kitchen or... get this... give you recipes for things you can make in your water heater WITHOUT a kitchen! It also gives you regular recipes, including a handy search option (I google) to find recipes for, say, all that red cabbage you suddenly have in your refrigerator. Realize you can't get creme fraise in a hundred mile radius from your house? You can find a substitution on the web! But hands down the most important thing the internet can do for you in your kitchen is answer that age old question "you want me to do what with the what?" We all know how to steam veggies (well, except for my dear Dane, but that's another post), but the first time I was asked to reduce the drippings to one half? I took half of the drippings out and poured it down the drain. Lets not talk about that moment, okay? I was also stumped with "deglaze the pan with some wine" the first time I saw it. This is why cooking blogs were invented and I am extremely grateful for everyone who has ever posted how many grams are in a tablespoon of butter (14g btw).
The down side to the internet and cooking blogs is that you may suddenly realize you are not the chef you thought you were. This becomes readily apparent when you are looking for something to do with your left over red cabbage and discover that someone else had the same problem and so just whipped up a hot and sour soup with it. Completely pulled the recipe out of their ass and presto! Brilliant soup.
Me, a throw a bunch of leftover broccoli, an egg, some milk and a bunch of cheese into a pan and try to cook it. Lets just say it would have made a great quiche had I only put it in a crust. As it was... well, it was pretty tasty, if you like salty green mush, but nothing that I would make anyone else eat. Gah! If only I had thought "gee, this might make quiche! I should put it in a crust and bake it!"
Next time I will totally google the shit out of that.
Things that I am told I MUST have, but have managed quite well without:
1) a slotted spoon (use a fork or a regular spoon people)
2) a set of mixing bowls (mostly what bothers me is that they give you a size requirement, you know any number of sizes will do, I use my salad bowls and soup bowls and cups depending on how big a mixing bowl I need)
3) kitchen tongs (I'd like tongs, I really would, but a fork and a spoon have done me well over the years)
4) ruler (this is just plain stupid, almost nothing needs to be exactly measured this way and only encourages budding cooks to be overly anal)
5) pastry blender/knife (use your freakin' hands)
6) spreader (as in a thin flat spatula) (use a freakin' knife)
7) custard cups (use your damn water glasses)
8) rolling pin (this is actually something I'd like to get, some day, but a bottle works really well)
9) egg separator (use your freakin' hands if you can't figure out how to use the egg shell!)
10) melon baller (yes, this was listed as a must have and I have NEVER EVER needed one)
The second is the assumption that you have other obscure things as well.
1) double boiler (without fail it is not mentioned in the list of must haves, but always turns up in the dessert recipes)
2) parfait glasses (unless you were married with 300+ guests, chances are you do not have a set of these hanging around your house)
3) local [insert foreign place name] specialty store (my California cookbook is very guilt of this, unless you live in San Francisco, you probably don't have a local asian specialty store)
There are, IMHO, only two things that you really really need to have in order to turn out a meal in your kitchen.
1) water heater
2) the internet
From making a pot of tea to oh-shit-I-don't-have-enough-boiling-water-to-cover-the-pasta, the water heater is in use in my home almost constantly. At least once a day. Back before we got a coffee machine, this is also how we made coffee. Yeah, you could point out that I could have boiled water in a pot on the stove, but I say to you, HA! With a water heater I can make coffee and instant soup NOWHERE NEAR A KITCHEN STOVE!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you don't actually need a kitchen if you have a water heater. That makes it the number one most important thing you may ever own in your life - and you read it here first. Unless someone else said it first on some other blog, but you know, I do not have time to scour the web looking for precedents.
The internet can also save your butt in the kitchen or... get this... give you recipes for things you can make in your water heater WITHOUT a kitchen! It also gives you regular recipes, including a handy search option (I google) to find recipes for, say, all that red cabbage you suddenly have in your refrigerator. Realize you can't get creme fraise in a hundred mile radius from your house? You can find a substitution on the web! But hands down the most important thing the internet can do for you in your kitchen is answer that age old question "you want me to do what with the what?" We all know how to steam veggies (well, except for my dear Dane, but that's another post), but the first time I was asked to reduce the drippings to one half? I took half of the drippings out and poured it down the drain. Lets not talk about that moment, okay? I was also stumped with "deglaze the pan with some wine" the first time I saw it. This is why cooking blogs were invented and I am extremely grateful for everyone who has ever posted how many grams are in a tablespoon of butter (14g btw).
The down side to the internet and cooking blogs is that you may suddenly realize you are not the chef you thought you were. This becomes readily apparent when you are looking for something to do with your left over red cabbage and discover that someone else had the same problem and so just whipped up a hot and sour soup with it. Completely pulled the recipe out of their ass and presto! Brilliant soup.
Me, a throw a bunch of leftover broccoli, an egg, some milk and a bunch of cheese into a pan and try to cook it. Lets just say it would have made a great quiche had I only put it in a crust. As it was... well, it was pretty tasty, if you like salty green mush, but nothing that I would make anyone else eat. Gah! If only I had thought "gee, this might make quiche! I should put it in a crust and bake it!"
Next time I will totally google the shit out of that.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
It's my party and I'll cook if I want to!
So, apart from the fact that we're flat broke and so eating out is NOT an option and despite the fact that I desperately needed to use the yeast cake that was in the fridge (how gross does the term "yeast cake" sound? really gross? yeah, me too) I actually did really want to cook my own birthday dinner.
I like coking for an appreciative audience and I like the instant gratification I get from eating the results (provided that they taste good).
I sort of didn't start early enough... but by the time dinner was served (9pm) I'd been on my feet cooking, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and more cooking... for over 9 hours.
What all did I make?
1) Pine-nut Olive Oil Bread: fantastically good, very labor intensive. It came from my Californian cuisine cookbook, which, although it turns out great meals after a fashion, I am not sure if it was particularly designed to be used by normal not-professionally-trained people. The part that had me howling was the "knead in your mixer, using the bread hook, for 8 minutes." My KitchenAid mixer has not yet arrived and I don't know if my Danish Boy ordered it with a bread hook, but I happen to know that my current hand-held mixer does NOT have a low setting (it's settings start at "beat" and end with "dervish") nor the proper attachments. This was a hand made bread. Which means it did NOT get whirled around the bowl for 8 minutes.
2) Tomato-Shiitake Mushroom Bisque: this is a fantastic soup. Really really really good. I do not generally like tomatoes and I am only just warming up the other foreign mushrooms (I'll do button and portobello, no problem, I'm working up to the others) but this is an amazing soup and crazy easy to make, in my humble opinion. (I did just wrestle with the bread, brain surgery would probably have felt easy.)
3) Asian Noodle Salad: and not just any asian noodle salad, but the one on Pioneer Woman's blog. It, uh, makes a lot of salad if you follow it. Cabbage heads are VERY big in Denmark.
4) Apple Dumplings with homemade carmel sauce: I really wish the other food had not been so damn good and that I had not made so damn much of it and that I hadn't, therefore, eaten so damn much of it, because this is my new most favorite desert EVER! I made carmel sauce!! Whoot!
So everything was all ready at the same time, because I had to cool the bread first, so that was out of the oven hours before dinner, and well, you can make a salad earlier in the day and so really the only thing that was cooking was the soup... but that's not the point. I was able to field a three course meal with home-made bread!
It is probably the most cooking I've ever done in a day.
I like coking for an appreciative audience and I like the instant gratification I get from eating the results (provided that they taste good).
I sort of didn't start early enough... but by the time dinner was served (9pm) I'd been on my feet cooking, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and more cooking... for over 9 hours.
What all did I make?
1) Pine-nut Olive Oil Bread: fantastically good, very labor intensive. It came from my Californian cuisine cookbook, which, although it turns out great meals after a fashion, I am not sure if it was particularly designed to be used by normal not-professionally-trained people. The part that had me howling was the "knead in your mixer, using the bread hook, for 8 minutes." My KitchenAid mixer has not yet arrived and I don't know if my Danish Boy ordered it with a bread hook, but I happen to know that my current hand-held mixer does NOT have a low setting (it's settings start at "beat" and end with "dervish") nor the proper attachments. This was a hand made bread. Which means it did NOT get whirled around the bowl for 8 minutes.
2) Tomato-Shiitake Mushroom Bisque: this is a fantastic soup. Really really really good. I do not generally like tomatoes and I am only just warming up the other foreign mushrooms (I'll do button and portobello, no problem, I'm working up to the others) but this is an amazing soup and crazy easy to make, in my humble opinion. (I did just wrestle with the bread, brain surgery would probably have felt easy.)
3) Asian Noodle Salad: and not just any asian noodle salad, but the one on Pioneer Woman's blog. It, uh, makes a lot of salad if you follow it. Cabbage heads are VERY big in Denmark.
4) Apple Dumplings with homemade carmel sauce: I really wish the other food had not been so damn good and that I had not made so damn much of it and that I hadn't, therefore, eaten so damn much of it, because this is my new most favorite desert EVER! I made carmel sauce!! Whoot!
So everything was all ready at the same time, because I had to cool the bread first, so that was out of the oven hours before dinner, and well, you can make a salad earlier in the day and so really the only thing that was cooking was the soup... but that's not the point. I was able to field a three course meal with home-made bread!
It is probably the most cooking I've ever done in a day.
Monday, September 08, 2008
So how is that Danish coming along?
That alone has to be the number one question I am asked.
It has beaten out "Did you find gold?" and "When will you finish your dissertation?" Which shocked me until I realized that most of the people I talk to have already asked me the first and have been told to never ask me the second.
So how is that Danish coming along?
Remarkably, I seem to be picking up some of it as I go. I certainly do not speak it. Oh, no, not at all. However I am spending more time answering questions posed in Danish - correctly. Conversations that used to go like this (italics mean in Danish):
Dane: And how are you today?
Me: No, thanks, I'll have cheese.
Now are more likely to go like this:
Phone rings, I answer...
Dane: This is Anna Jensen, can I speak to the Danish boy?
Me: Oh, he's not here right now, he's at work.
Dane: Do you have his mobile phone number?
Me: Sure it's ###.
Dane: Thanks for that, good bye.
Me: Bye!
It's rather funny when I'll have one of these conversations and then suddenly the Dane realizes I'm not actually speaking Danish. There is usually a pause and then the question Do you not speak Danish?
Sometimes, however, I still have the cheese conversation.
It has beaten out "Did you find gold?" and "When will you finish your dissertation?" Which shocked me until I realized that most of the people I talk to have already asked me the first and have been told to never ask me the second.
So how is that Danish coming along?
Remarkably, I seem to be picking up some of it as I go. I certainly do not speak it. Oh, no, not at all. However I am spending more time answering questions posed in Danish - correctly. Conversations that used to go like this (italics mean in Danish):
Dane: And how are you today?
Me: No, thanks, I'll have cheese.
Now are more likely to go like this:
Phone rings, I answer...
Dane: This is Anna Jensen, can I speak to the Danish boy?
Me: Oh, he's not here right now, he's at work.
Dane: Do you have his mobile phone number?
Me: Sure it's ###.
Dane: Thanks for that, good bye.
Me: Bye!
It's rather funny when I'll have one of these conversations and then suddenly the Dane realizes I'm not actually speaking Danish. There is usually a pause and then the question Do you not speak Danish?
Sometimes, however, I still have the cheese conversation.
Friday, July 11, 2008
How many books have YOU read!?
Snagged this lovely one off of my friend's blog Words... what do they all mean? and I must say, I am not the average adult. In fact, I've read so much that I think there must be some average adults who have never read ANY of these books.
Anyway, on we go...
Apparently The Big Read thinks that the average adult has only read six of the top 100 books on their list.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen Gah.
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte My mom read this to me... I don't remember much of it. I should re-read it.
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible Yeah yeah, I'll get to it...
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens I hate Dickens.
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (ALL OF IT?? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME HERE?? I think for the number of times I've read Hamlet, MacBeth and the number of scenes I've acted out of the complete works, I should get a little credit.)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens (Gah, there he is again.... I've seen the mini-series, does that count?)
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh (Is there a Brideshead: the first meeting?)
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame I can't believe I haven't read this. Well, at least I finally read Watership Down last year.
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (you know, I really hate this man)
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis I don't care about the latent christianity any more than I care about the latent homosexuality in LOTR, they are damn fun books for kids either way... Except for the Last Battle. That one still creeps me out. WHAT ABOUT SUSAN!?!
34 Emma - Jane Austen (seen the movie and I have had ENOUGH of Jane Austen)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Um, isn't that considered one of the Chronicles?)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres OMG! I just read this and it's AMAZING! Screw the movie, READ THE BOOK!!!
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell Again, how did I miss reading this book?
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown Seriously? The NEA wants me to read this book??
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving Frustratingly I think this book is on my bookshelf in DANISH
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan Dude, I SOBBED at this movie...
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel If I had a nickel for every time someone has told me to read this book...
52 Dune - Frank Herbert Gets better if you can make it past page 30... Kinda like Fellowship of the Ring.
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens I want the two weeks of my life I spent forcing myself through this book in Mrs. Willerts class BACK!
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley Not as good as 1984.
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon My sister has this book. It's not so much that I deeply desire reading it... but that it's a forgone conclusion that I will this Christmas when I get bored.
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov I've started this book so many times. I really ought to try to finish it.
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (I feel I know this book)
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas Almost read this book this summer. Read Capt. Correlli instead.
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett This was my favorite book when I was young.
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt Started but didn't finish when the owner of the book up and moved and took it with her.
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens For a person who hates Dickens, I sure have read a lot of his dribble.
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle I haven't read ALL of them, but A LOT of them.
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad Apocalypse Now was better.
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery The Danish Boy gave this to me. Odd choice of book to give to your girlfriend, yes/no?
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams Glad to see this on there. Makes me feel better about missing Wind in the Willows.
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute It started so PROMISINGLY - Bataan Death March! Suicidal generals (who die in freak shampooing accidents, doncha know, and if you don't... well, you had to have been there.)
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare FINALLY a Shakespeare I can bold.
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Dude, I've read 46 of these. Forty Six. I'm amazingly well read, it seems. And they didn't even mention many of my favorite authors. I can't believe American Gods by Neil Gaiman isn't on here. It is one of those books I'd bring to a deserted island! I'd also bring Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett too.
Anyway, on we go...
Apparently The Big Read thinks that the average adult has only read six of the top 100 books on their list.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen Gah.
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte My mom read this to me... I don't remember much of it. I should re-read it.
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible Yeah yeah, I'll get to it...
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens I hate Dickens.
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (ALL OF IT?? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME HERE?? I think for the number of times I've read Hamlet, MacBeth and the number of scenes I've acted out of the complete works, I should get a little credit.)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens (Gah, there he is again.... I've seen the mini-series, does that count?)
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh (Is there a Brideshead: the first meeting?)
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame I can't believe I haven't read this. Well, at least I finally read Watership Down last year.
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (you know, I really hate this man)
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis I don't care about the latent christianity any more than I care about the latent homosexuality in LOTR, they are damn fun books for kids either way... Except for the Last Battle. That one still creeps me out. WHAT ABOUT SUSAN!?!
34 Emma - Jane Austen (seen the movie and I have had ENOUGH of Jane Austen)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Um, isn't that considered one of the Chronicles?)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres OMG! I just read this and it's AMAZING! Screw the movie, READ THE BOOK!!!
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell Again, how did I miss reading this book?
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown Seriously? The NEA wants me to read this book??
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving Frustratingly I think this book is on my bookshelf in DANISH
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan Dude, I SOBBED at this movie...
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel If I had a nickel for every time someone has told me to read this book...
52 Dune - Frank Herbert Gets better if you can make it past page 30... Kinda like Fellowship of the Ring.
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens I want the two weeks of my life I spent forcing myself through this book in Mrs. Willerts class BACK!
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley Not as good as 1984.
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon My sister has this book. It's not so much that I deeply desire reading it... but that it's a forgone conclusion that I will this Christmas when I get bored.
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov I've started this book so many times. I really ought to try to finish it.
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (I feel I know this book)
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas Almost read this book this summer. Read Capt. Correlli instead.
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett This was my favorite book when I was young.
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt Started but didn't finish when the owner of the book up and moved and took it with her.
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens For a person who hates Dickens, I sure have read a lot of his dribble.
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle I haven't read ALL of them, but A LOT of them.
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad Apocalypse Now was better.
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery The Danish Boy gave this to me. Odd choice of book to give to your girlfriend, yes/no?
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams Glad to see this on there. Makes me feel better about missing Wind in the Willows.
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute It started so PROMISINGLY - Bataan Death March! Suicidal generals (who die in freak shampooing accidents, doncha know, and if you don't... well, you had to have been there.)
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare FINALLY a Shakespeare I can bold.
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Dude, I've read 46 of these. Forty Six. I'm amazingly well read, it seems. And they didn't even mention many of my favorite authors. I can't believe American Gods by Neil Gaiman isn't on here. It is one of those books I'd bring to a deserted island! I'd also bring Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett too.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
How much do you like quizzes, archaeogoddess?
A) A lot.
B) No, really, I mean a lot.
C) It may possibly be a congenital defect, I like them so much.
D) Yes, I *would* totally marry them.
Here's a few that were rather fun!
And while we're doing food quizzes...
I don't know that I'd agree that I don't get along with other people. I seem to get along with just about everyone. But then, I also think that salsa can go with just about anything.
B) No, really, I mean a lot.
C) It may possibly be a congenital defect, I like them so much.
D) Yes, I *would* totally marry them.
Here's a few that were rather fun!
What Kind of Wine Are You? You Are Sauvignon Blanc |
 Engaging and energetic, you have a lot to offer the world - most of it they've never seen anywhere else! You are the type of person who carves your own path in life... and you invite everyone else to come along. The only thing predictable about you is that you could have anything up your sleeve. You're all about sampling all of life's experiences. Both the savory and unsavory ones. Deep down you are: Laid back and young at heart Your partying style: Anything goes... seriously! Your company is enjoyed best with: Smoked meats or spicy food |
And while we're doing food quizzes...
What Condiment Are You? You Are Salsa |
 You are an extremely outgoing and vivacious person. You are quite tolerant and open minded. You rather accept people than judge them. Adventurous and unpredictable, you have the reputation of a daredevil. Your taste in food leans toward very spicy and exotic dishes. Whether it's thai food or an extra spicy mexican meal, you're into the hot flavors. You get along with hot sauce personalities. Everyone else, not so much. |
I don't know that I'd agree that I don't get along with other people. I seem to get along with just about everyone. But then, I also think that salsa can go with just about anything.
Monday, June 09, 2008
What archaeology?
You probably want to hear about what I'm doing on my dig.
Um. We didn't find the tombs we thought we'd find. We found walls where we did NOT expect to find walls going off in directions we did not expect. And overall we are confused as to the purpose of the... well, it can only be described as a pile of rocks, that turned up in the square where a wall SHOULD have been. No, the pile of rocks is NOT the missing wall.
I'm having a blast! I love the consternation.
But that's not why I'm blogging. I'm blogging because I just discovered that a new show (on Fox, not Sci-Fi like I have told some) will includes as a co-star a delightful young man that I went to high school with - Enver Gjokaj! WHOOT!
And on a completely random note... as I *love* to take quizes, I took one about baby names and this is what it said. Yeah, okay.
Um. We didn't find the tombs we thought we'd find. We found walls where we did NOT expect to find walls going off in directions we did not expect. And overall we are confused as to the purpose of the... well, it can only be described as a pile of rocks, that turned up in the square where a wall SHOULD have been. No, the pile of rocks is NOT the missing wall.
I'm having a blast! I love the consternation.
But that's not why I'm blogging. I'm blogging because I just discovered that a new show (on Fox, not Sci-Fi like I have told some) will includes as a co-star a delightful young man that I went to high school with - Enver Gjokaj! WHOOT!
And on a completely random note... as I *love* to take quizes, I took one about baby names and this is what it said. Yeah, okay.
You Like Names that Are Retro and Fashionable |
 You like names that are from the past but becoming modern again. Names with a strong history are very appealing to you. You're a big believer in giving children very adult sounding names. You're not a fan of nicknames or newfangled spellings. Some female names you might like: Audrey, Emma, Fiona, Georgia, Isabelle, Naomi, Rosemary, and Veronica Some male names you might like: Brendan, Colin, Ethan, Jared, Kenneth, Martin, and Nathaniel |
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
True Grit
Okay, I obviously suck at keeping this thing up to date. When did I got to London? Oh yes, MARCH. Have I posted about it? NO. Am I going to? Sort of.
SORT OF?!
Yeah, only sort of, because I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off (yes, I'm bouncing off of walls and everything) trying to finish up some wedding stuff and getting ready for digging stuff and sorting out other odds and ends that I need to do. This includes applying for a health insurance reimbursement. HA! I know, why bother? Well, as I'm constantly telling Danish Boy, "if you don't try you are guaranteed to not get anything, but if you try, you just might win." So now I have to fill out forms and fax the whole lot off in order hold up to my own saying.
Anyway, London. I love London. I love all of England, but I particularly love London. To me, London makes sense in a way few other cities do. When you see something odd in London, you think to yourself, "oh, of course!" and it seems the most natural thing in the world. I am also a whiz on the London Underground. I need a map, of course, but I get how it all works. I like tube stations and I like minding the gap and I like the whooshing noise the train makes as it zips along. Danish Boy likes London because if he takes me, he doesn't have to think at all for the entire trip. He just goes along, enjoying the sights and the food and takes pictures. The only thing that slightly bothers him, and by slightly bothers I mean "makes him laugh quietly to himself about the absurdity of his girlfriend" is that I am highly amused by odd things and then I MUST take a picture of them.
This is the result. It's a sand box, for road maintenance to keep sand in for when it is cold and the roads and sidewalks may be icy. They come along with shovels and scoop the sand out of the box and spread it around on the ground to keep pedestrians and cars from sliding all over the place. In most of the other places in the world, the sand is in barrels or tubs that have little basic wooden cradles to keep them at an angle suitable for ease of shoveling. But in London.... oh no, they have to be rather nice little boxes. Additionally, it is not "sand," it is grit.
True grit.
SORT OF?!
Yeah, only sort of, because I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off (yes, I'm bouncing off of walls and everything) trying to finish up some wedding stuff and getting ready for digging stuff and sorting out other odds and ends that I need to do. This includes applying for a health insurance reimbursement. HA! I know, why bother? Well, as I'm constantly telling Danish Boy, "if you don't try you are guaranteed to not get anything, but if you try, you just might win." So now I have to fill out forms and fax the whole lot off in order hold up to my own saying.
Anyway, London. I love London. I love all of England, but I particularly love London. To me, London makes sense in a way few other cities do. When you see something odd in London, you think to yourself, "oh, of course!" and it seems the most natural thing in the world. I am also a whiz on the London Underground. I need a map, of course, but I get how it all works. I like tube stations and I like minding the gap and I like the whooshing noise the train makes as it zips along. Danish Boy likes London because if he takes me, he doesn't have to think at all for the entire trip. He just goes along, enjoying the sights and the food and takes pictures. The only thing that slightly bothers him, and by slightly bothers I mean "makes him laugh quietly to himself about the absurdity of his girlfriend" is that I am highly amused by odd things and then I MUST take a picture of them.
This is the result. It's a sand box, for road maintenance to keep sand in for when it is cold and the roads and sidewalks may be icy. They come along with shovels and scoop the sand out of the box and spread it around on the ground to keep pedestrians and cars from sliding all over the place. In most of the other places in the world, the sand is in barrels or tubs that have little basic wooden cradles to keep them at an angle suitable for ease of shoveling. But in London.... oh no, they have to be rather nice little boxes. Additionally, it is not "sand," it is grit.True grit.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
If we are what we eat... what the hell are you saying about me?
I was going to write about London. But I seem to not have the right photo. Thus, I am showing you instead a picture of the American food section of our local supermarket. The Mexican food section has tacos, the Asian section has Thai, Curry, and Sushi, the Italian section has spagetti, and Americans have... Budweiser, marshmallows, and Oreo cookies.
If a stores foreign food section reflects what the locals think foreigners eat what does that say about the locals? Next time you are in a foreign food section, take a moment to think about our stereotypes. Meanwhile, I am going to keep laughing at the Danes. Marshmallows? Are you kidding me?
Monday, March 17, 2008
I am remiss.
I am completely remiss in writing. It's just been a bit busy these last few weeks. I'll give you a taste now and hopefully (cross your fingers, but for the love of god don't hold your breath) I'll write an extended post on some of these subjects later.
First to happen was a lightning weekend trip to London. I have gotten my passport stamped and I am visa-ed up for another three months. I finally got to see the Tower of London and the Museum of London, meaning that I am extraordinarily happy and also mad, since now I need to think of something else I need to see in order to have a good excuse to go back ASAP. I love London.
Dissertation update: It will not be done this spring. I'm going to try to have it done in November, when I have to go to Boston for ASOR. Maybe I can combine the trip with defending and filing. I'll walk next spring.
I did just turn in a chapter and while I'm waiting for feedback I took some time off to get some other things done around the house that I've been putting off. Like folding clothes and some cleaning. I am pleased to see that the Danish boy is not just wearing the same three tee shirts again and again and I now have a full complement of socks. We also can now see the living room table, I can see parts of my desk and you can almost walk through the office. This is an improvement, you used to not be able to walk through the office at all. You had to hop, duck and weave.
I wrote up some scholarship applications and sent them off. Not much to say about that but I hope I get them. I am not known for my grant procuring abilities and it'd be nice to get awarded for an application I actually did instead of the kind the schools give out because they know you need it. Although, any money of any kind from anyone would be appreciated.
I have finally finished making what seems to be the final proof of my wedding invitation. I printed it out and glued one up for my dad, who needs a copy to give to his boss in order to get the time off (yes, he might have to provide his own death certificate if he dies so that he can get the day off to go to his own funeral). I was admiring my handiwork when I discovered I'd misspelled my own last name. Curses. Peeling paper that you have just glued is a pain in the butt, peeling paper that you have let the glue dry on is a pain beyond words. Spelling fixed, it may be possible that I will print and assemble invitations this week, before my chapter revisions come in and I am driven back to work.
Meanwhile the newest and happiest news is:
The Danish boy and I have bought a new car! "New" being relative, since it's a 1988 Volvo. I love it. It makes me happy. I am again driving a tank (the worlds safest tank) and swear the car is happy too. It's a family car, which means that when we do have a family to put in it, we'll be ready! Actually, since we'll have to put my family in it in July, it's not an obscene purchase. We'll be selling the other Volvo, which is a total pain in my ass, ASAP. We may actually make money on this trade, because the Volvo we're selling is worth more than the one we bought. But since the one we bought is what we need in a car and the other one is NOT, it makes lovely sense, really.
First to happen was a lightning weekend trip to London. I have gotten my passport stamped and I am visa-ed up for another three months. I finally got to see the Tower of London and the Museum of London, meaning that I am extraordinarily happy and also mad, since now I need to think of something else I need to see in order to have a good excuse to go back ASAP. I love London.
Dissertation update: It will not be done this spring. I'm going to try to have it done in November, when I have to go to Boston for ASOR. Maybe I can combine the trip with defending and filing. I'll walk next spring.
I did just turn in a chapter and while I'm waiting for feedback I took some time off to get some other things done around the house that I've been putting off. Like folding clothes and some cleaning. I am pleased to see that the Danish boy is not just wearing the same three tee shirts again and again and I now have a full complement of socks. We also can now see the living room table, I can see parts of my desk and you can almost walk through the office. This is an improvement, you used to not be able to walk through the office at all. You had to hop, duck and weave.
I wrote up some scholarship applications and sent them off. Not much to say about that but I hope I get them. I am not known for my grant procuring abilities and it'd be nice to get awarded for an application I actually did instead of the kind the schools give out because they know you need it. Although, any money of any kind from anyone would be appreciated.
I have finally finished making what seems to be the final proof of my wedding invitation. I printed it out and glued one up for my dad, who needs a copy to give to his boss in order to get the time off (yes, he might have to provide his own death certificate if he dies so that he can get the day off to go to his own funeral). I was admiring my handiwork when I discovered I'd misspelled my own last name. Curses. Peeling paper that you have just glued is a pain in the butt, peeling paper that you have let the glue dry on is a pain beyond words. Spelling fixed, it may be possible that I will print and assemble invitations this week, before my chapter revisions come in and I am driven back to work.
Meanwhile the newest and happiest news is:
The Danish boy and I have bought a new car! "New" being relative, since it's a 1988 Volvo. I love it. It makes me happy. I am again driving a tank (the worlds safest tank) and swear the car is happy too. It's a family car, which means that when we do have a family to put in it, we'll be ready! Actually, since we'll have to put my family in it in July, it's not an obscene purchase. We'll be selling the other Volvo, which is a total pain in my ass, ASAP. We may actually make money on this trade, because the Volvo we're selling is worth more than the one we bought. But since the one we bought is what we need in a car and the other one is NOT, it makes lovely sense, really.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Don't read this if you don't like stories about vomit!
Last night was a fairly standard one, where no one gets much sleep for various reasons. But for me there was about 10 minutes of heightened horribleness that will be long remembered.
Unable to sleep I had gone and parked myself on the couch. Saturday nights in Denmark are notorious for bad American Movies, last night was no exception. I watched Phantoms - which is a TERRIBLE movie. Save yourself two hours of your life, don't watch it. It's so terrible that even I, who jump at loud noises and still have nightmares about Resident Evil (don't ask), was not in the least bit scared by this movie.
But that is not the point. I'd gotten very tired and slid very far down on the couch. I really should have gotten up at that point and gone to bed, but lets not dwell on my little mistakes and instead focus on the big one.
I was thirsty, there was a full glass of water, I attempted to drink it whilst lying down. Fatal error, I inhaled it. A lot of it.
I don't care who developed the human throat (this is a VERY GOOD proof AGAINST intelligent design) but having the windpipe attach to the esophagus is a BAD idea.
As I was desperately trying to suck air into my lungs and cough up the water (which is what normally happens when you inhale a BIT of water) my diaphragm went into action. Convulsions occur in order to force that water up and out - putting undue pressure on my stomach as well as my lungs. Then as water begins to come up and out, it triggers the gag reflex and the next thing you know, you are not trying to breathe, you are trying to stop vomiting all over yourself. And the blankets. And the couch. In the movies, people who have just been rescued from drowning vomit up all the water they got in their lungs. Apparently they haven't eaten within the last 24 hours.
Unlike the stomach flu where you get some sort of warning (nausea, over abundance of saliva) you get none from almost drowning. My train of thought went something like: "Gak! Can't breathe! Don't panic! Don't WOW WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STOP THAT!"
At which point I jumped up, opened the door of the living room, ran (with all the blankets, who've had better nights) across the dining room, opened the door to the hallway, took two steps, opened the door to the bathroom, dumped the blankets in the shower and leaned over the toilet - just as I finished the spasmodic vomiting and began to breathe normally again.
As vomiting experiences go, it wasn't that bad. Like the times I've been violently ill after eating pickles, it was pretty much vomit-and-go! No nasty side affects and you can go right back into the kitchen for a glass of water. I recommend it over the stomach flu, where you spend hours draped over the toilet feeling horrible, or alcohol poisoning which would be vomit-and-go, except that you pay for it later.
So I leave you with an important reminder: Remember to sit up before taking a drink! It could save your life, or certainly your upholstery.
Unable to sleep I had gone and parked myself on the couch. Saturday nights in Denmark are notorious for bad American Movies, last night was no exception. I watched Phantoms - which is a TERRIBLE movie. Save yourself two hours of your life, don't watch it. It's so terrible that even I, who jump at loud noises and still have nightmares about Resident Evil (don't ask), was not in the least bit scared by this movie.
But that is not the point. I'd gotten very tired and slid very far down on the couch. I really should have gotten up at that point and gone to bed, but lets not dwell on my little mistakes and instead focus on the big one.
I was thirsty, there was a full glass of water, I attempted to drink it whilst lying down. Fatal error, I inhaled it. A lot of it.
I don't care who developed the human throat (this is a VERY GOOD proof AGAINST intelligent design) but having the windpipe attach to the esophagus is a BAD idea.
As I was desperately trying to suck air into my lungs and cough up the water (which is what normally happens when you inhale a BIT of water) my diaphragm went into action. Convulsions occur in order to force that water up and out - putting undue pressure on my stomach as well as my lungs. Then as water begins to come up and out, it triggers the gag reflex and the next thing you know, you are not trying to breathe, you are trying to stop vomiting all over yourself. And the blankets. And the couch. In the movies, people who have just been rescued from drowning vomit up all the water they got in their lungs. Apparently they haven't eaten within the last 24 hours.
Unlike the stomach flu where you get some sort of warning (nausea, over abundance of saliva) you get none from almost drowning. My train of thought went something like: "Gak! Can't breathe! Don't panic! Don't WOW WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STOP THAT!"
At which point I jumped up, opened the door of the living room, ran (with all the blankets, who've had better nights) across the dining room, opened the door to the hallway, took two steps, opened the door to the bathroom, dumped the blankets in the shower and leaned over the toilet - just as I finished the spasmodic vomiting and began to breathe normally again.
As vomiting experiences go, it wasn't that bad. Like the times I've been violently ill after eating pickles, it was pretty much vomit-and-go! No nasty side affects and you can go right back into the kitchen for a glass of water. I recommend it over the stomach flu, where you spend hours draped over the toilet feeling horrible, or alcohol poisoning which would be vomit-and-go, except that you pay for it later.
So I leave you with an important reminder: Remember to sit up before taking a drink! It could save your life, or certainly your upholstery.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
I think it may be Spring
Although the last time I said that it snowed only a few hours later. But the daffodils are coming up, small tweeting birds have taken up residence in the shopping carts and...
What?
Yeah, so I go shopping today and as I walk by the line of shopping carts chained to the retaining wall and I realized that they were filled with little tweeting birds. Mostly you find these sorts of birds hanging out in shrubs and hedges. But apparently we have slacker birds here, who hang out in front of supermarkets, messing with the carts and whistling at the cute chicks that go by.
Meanwhile we have us a storm here that must be trying out for the Big Bad Wolf because if I doesn't blow a couple of tiles off the old factory down the street, I'll be very surprised. This is where I am very glad that most of our power lines run underneath the street, because just like the house in which I grew up, this is an all electrical establishment. Were the power to go out, I'd be sitting in the dark, in the cold, with no way of heating or cooking anything.
Every now and then the wind actually blows a hole in the clouds and you see blue sky for a second. Well, it's either that or a blue house flying through the air. I would not be that surprised, no I would not.
And now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll try to stay away from the windows for a while.
What?
Yeah, so I go shopping today and as I walk by the line of shopping carts chained to the retaining wall and I realized that they were filled with little tweeting birds. Mostly you find these sorts of birds hanging out in shrubs and hedges. But apparently we have slacker birds here, who hang out in front of supermarkets, messing with the carts and whistling at the cute chicks that go by.
Meanwhile we have us a storm here that must be trying out for the Big Bad Wolf because if I doesn't blow a couple of tiles off the old factory down the street, I'll be very surprised. This is where I am very glad that most of our power lines run underneath the street, because just like the house in which I grew up, this is an all electrical establishment. Were the power to go out, I'd be sitting in the dark, in the cold, with no way of heating or cooking anything.
Every now and then the wind actually blows a hole in the clouds and you see blue sky for a second. Well, it's either that or a blue house flying through the air. I would not be that surprised, no I would not.
And now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll try to stay away from the windows for a while.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I get the whole free speech thing...
but sometimes I wonder if people do it just to create a reaction.
So a while back there was the Mohammed Cartoon Crisis. Everyone has heard about it by now. If you haven't, you've lived under a rock because it was all over the news. The creator of one of the most famous cartoons (the one with the bomb in Mohammed's turban) had received death threats. Police in Denmark tracked the threats to a group of Muslims living in Denmark. Then yesterday they arrested them. The DB had a heck of a time getting in to work, seeing how there were lots of other news organizations hanging around and taking pictures, interviewing people and interfering with the security people and the police who were checking the id of everyone trying to get inside. The DB was very glad he got his photo id card Tuesday.
In a show of solidarity, a number of newspapers decided to YET AGAIN reprint the cartoons. And make big statements about free speech. As expected this set off a lot of other angry people, who are ticked off that the newspapers, having offended a huge population of the planet, would do so AGAIN, just because they can.
I support freedom of speech, but I also think that there should be a measure of social responsibility involved (it's that whole "fire" in crowded theater thing). It reminds me of the scene in Die Hard: With a Vengeance - where McClane is standing in Harlem with an "I hate Niggers" sign around his neck. Sure, a man has a right to go to Harlem and wear that sign, it's his right to freedom of speech, but if he gets the crap kicked out of him, or shot... well, that'll teach him.
I applaud people who stand up and say things that need to be said, even if they are unpopular and sometimes suicidal. But I'm a lot less sympathetic to those who say things for the purpose of creating conflict, fostering negative dialogue, and hurting people's feelings. This is why bullying is looked down on (hey, it's only words, why don't we just explain to the bullied that the bullies are just practicing their right to freedom of speech and they shouldn't let it get them down) and we have "hate mongering" and "sexual harassment" - all of which are ways of using words that are hurtful and in some cases, prosecutable.
Words hurt, and while we have the right to say what we want, we should also think about what we are trying to say and what impact that may have on those around us.
And that's all I have to say about that.
So a while back there was the Mohammed Cartoon Crisis. Everyone has heard about it by now. If you haven't, you've lived under a rock because it was all over the news. The creator of one of the most famous cartoons (the one with the bomb in Mohammed's turban) had received death threats. Police in Denmark tracked the threats to a group of Muslims living in Denmark. Then yesterday they arrested them. The DB had a heck of a time getting in to work, seeing how there were lots of other news organizations hanging around and taking pictures, interviewing people and interfering with the security people and the police who were checking the id of everyone trying to get inside. The DB was very glad he got his photo id card Tuesday.
In a show of solidarity, a number of newspapers decided to YET AGAIN reprint the cartoons. And make big statements about free speech. As expected this set off a lot of other angry people, who are ticked off that the newspapers, having offended a huge population of the planet, would do so AGAIN, just because they can.
I support freedom of speech, but I also think that there should be a measure of social responsibility involved (it's that whole "fire" in crowded theater thing). It reminds me of the scene in Die Hard: With a Vengeance - where McClane is standing in Harlem with an "I hate Niggers" sign around his neck. Sure, a man has a right to go to Harlem and wear that sign, it's his right to freedom of speech, but if he gets the crap kicked out of him, or shot... well, that'll teach him.
I applaud people who stand up and say things that need to be said, even if they are unpopular and sometimes suicidal. But I'm a lot less sympathetic to those who say things for the purpose of creating conflict, fostering negative dialogue, and hurting people's feelings. This is why bullying is looked down on (hey, it's only words, why don't we just explain to the bullied that the bullies are just practicing their right to freedom of speech and they shouldn't let it get them down) and we have "hate mongering" and "sexual harassment" - all of which are ways of using words that are hurtful and in some cases, prosecutable.
Words hurt, and while we have the right to say what we want, we should also think about what we are trying to say and what impact that may have on those around us.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Are you freakin' kidding me?!?
So Friday morning was a pretty normal day in the life of the archaeogoddess. I had to drive in to Århus to get at some hefty encyclopedias (what IS the plural of encyclopedia, encyclopedias sounds stupid... what about encyclopediae?) and I really had only three things on my mind.. which I was planning on posting under the title: "What ever happened to..."
What ever happened to trash compacters as the next big thing in kitchen appliances? I remember, vaguely, hearing this was the case and, way back when I was small(er), I knew someone who had one. The name escapes me at the moment. I remember getting in trouble for repeatedly pushing the button and possibly for also throwing things away just so that I could repeatedly pushing the button and eventually I was told I was not, under pain of death, to touch the damn button again! But that's it. Today, no one I know has one. And it would be a handy thing to have. Keep you from jumping up and down on the trash, in order to pack more in. Especially seeing how my dad has to go out and get into my family's trash-trailer and leap about like a lunatic. I feel it is a rather dangerous pastime my father has undertaken at his age. Bring back the trash compacter!
What ever happened to all of my highlighters? I know I had them around somewhere... Damn, this one is dead too! I swear there is an office elf somewhere eating my highlighters and sucking other ones dry.
What ever happened to my gas milage? Or gas kilometerage (awkward!)? I got 5 km to the liter on the way into Århus! That's less than 12 miles to the gallon - about right for the '72 Chevelle, but not a mid-90's Volvo!?
Funny story about that last one. I drove the Volvo in and then met up with the Danish Boy for some Mexican food (ah, yeah!) and we swapped cars for the drive home. I love my VW Lupo! And then I played the "don't lose the DB" game - which is funny because the DB THINKS he's driving so nicely that I won't lose him, but it takes a bit of weaving and cutting in front of people to stay behind him. (I mean, if he was going to be really nice and easy to follow he could start by GOING THE SPEED LIMIT!) Anyway, I caught him at a red light - and as he gunned it through the intersection I noticed a crazy bunch of liquid pouring out of the back of the car. And then there was a VERY strong smell of gasoline. Now, we'd thought we may have had a leak, because we could smell gas fairly strongly at times, but there was never any puddle where we parked. This is because we forgot rule #1 of gasoline - it vaporizes at a crazy low temperature. So I speed up and tail my dear boyfriend, staring intently at the back of the car. Every acceleration, every curve, every time he shifted, more liquid came pouring out of the car, instantly turning to a misty vapor that was then sucked into my air system. High on gas fumes, I called the DB (disclosure: the archaeogodess does not condone calling while driving - unless it is an emergency, get off the damn phone and drive, people!) and let him know what was up. There was much swearing. We sent the car in for it's 6 month check-up with a "please look at the gas leak" caution, but what is really irking to the DB is that he filled up the tank on Thursday for me. We'd used or lost half a tank (i.e. $50) and would now probably lose the other half when they pump the gas out in order to inspect the tank.
I did have a very good time in Århus, what with the eating and the being out and about, and we probably wouldn't have discovered the leak otherwise, but the DB is right in thinking that we could have just saved ourselves the trip and run up and down Main Street Ebeltoft throwing 20 kroner ($4) coins at people instead. It would have been cheaper.
What ever happened to trash compacters as the next big thing in kitchen appliances? I remember, vaguely, hearing this was the case and, way back when I was small(er), I knew someone who had one. The name escapes me at the moment. I remember getting in trouble for repeatedly pushing the button and possibly for also throwing things away just so that I could repeatedly pushing the button and eventually I was told I was not, under pain of death, to touch the damn button again! But that's it. Today, no one I know has one. And it would be a handy thing to have. Keep you from jumping up and down on the trash, in order to pack more in. Especially seeing how my dad has to go out and get into my family's trash-trailer and leap about like a lunatic. I feel it is a rather dangerous pastime my father has undertaken at his age. Bring back the trash compacter!
What ever happened to all of my highlighters? I know I had them around somewhere... Damn, this one is dead too! I swear there is an office elf somewhere eating my highlighters and sucking other ones dry.
What ever happened to my gas milage? Or gas kilometerage (awkward!)? I got 5 km to the liter on the way into Århus! That's less than 12 miles to the gallon - about right for the '72 Chevelle, but not a mid-90's Volvo!?
Funny story about that last one. I drove the Volvo in and then met up with the Danish Boy for some Mexican food (ah, yeah!) and we swapped cars for the drive home. I love my VW Lupo! And then I played the "don't lose the DB" game - which is funny because the DB THINKS he's driving so nicely that I won't lose him, but it takes a bit of weaving and cutting in front of people to stay behind him. (I mean, if he was going to be really nice and easy to follow he could start by GOING THE SPEED LIMIT!) Anyway, I caught him at a red light - and as he gunned it through the intersection I noticed a crazy bunch of liquid pouring out of the back of the car. And then there was a VERY strong smell of gasoline. Now, we'd thought we may have had a leak, because we could smell gas fairly strongly at times, but there was never any puddle where we parked. This is because we forgot rule #1 of gasoline - it vaporizes at a crazy low temperature. So I speed up and tail my dear boyfriend, staring intently at the back of the car. Every acceleration, every curve, every time he shifted, more liquid came pouring out of the car, instantly turning to a misty vapor that was then sucked into my air system. High on gas fumes, I called the DB (disclosure: the archaeogodess does not condone calling while driving - unless it is an emergency, get off the damn phone and drive, people!) and let him know what was up. There was much swearing. We sent the car in for it's 6 month check-up with a "please look at the gas leak" caution, but what is really irking to the DB is that he filled up the tank on Thursday for me. We'd used or lost half a tank (i.e. $50) and would now probably lose the other half when they pump the gas out in order to inspect the tank.
I did have a very good time in Århus, what with the eating and the being out and about, and we probably wouldn't have discovered the leak otherwise, but the DB is right in thinking that we could have just saved ourselves the trip and run up and down Main Street Ebeltoft throwing 20 kroner ($4) coins at people instead. It would have been cheaper.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
What if...
...the Danes got to vote in the primaries? Who would they vote for? (I know, you've been loosing sleep over this very issue.) Well Søndagsavisen has answered our cries - over 40% for Hillary, Obama was close behind her with 34.5%, with McCain trailing a distant third at just under 4% and last but not least, Huckabee with less than 1% of the vote. (No, I don't know how many people they asked. Geez.)
What does it all mean? Not much, I thought it was rather funny. If you read Slate, you get the feeling all of Europe is for Obama. But not Denmark. Personally I think it is because Hillary is so very much more Danish than Obama. Yeah, she looks more Danish, but I mean that Obama brings a message of hope and promise, two things Danes don't really believe in. Pragmatic, that is a good word for the Danes, and Hillary has that in spades.
So really, what Republicans need to be very worried about is not illegal Mexican immigrants sneaking their way into the voting booths, but Danes.
What does it all mean? Not much, I thought it was rather funny. If you read Slate, you get the feeling all of Europe is for Obama. But not Denmark. Personally I think it is because Hillary is so very much more Danish than Obama. Yeah, she looks more Danish, but I mean that Obama brings a message of hope and promise, two things Danes don't really believe in. Pragmatic, that is a good word for the Danes, and Hillary has that in spades.
So really, what Republicans need to be very worried about is not illegal Mexican immigrants sneaking their way into the voting booths, but Danes.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Things that make the archaeogoddess not happy...
Okay, so I expect a certain bit of ridiculousness from the media. The ongoing "surprise" at ANYTHING. The making mountains of molehills. The jumping to conclusions. And after landing neck deep in it, the lack of apologizing. But sometimes I am quite amazed at the biases in the media that are so blatant that I have to gape.
Take CNN this morning. I check to see if there is anything I missed over the last 24 hours. And I see the following:
Suicide blast in Pakistan kills 4.
Female bomber kills 8 in Columbo.
Lebanese Army: Israel kills citizen.
But the BREAKING NEWS, so big that they have no picture, but instead a huge yellow box with "breaking news" written inside:
Three dead in Israel blast.
If you die in a suicide blast in Israel, you are apparently breaking news, even if MORE PEOPLE DIE IN OTHER SUICIDE BLASTS ANYWHERE ELSE.
Really, the blast in Pakistan should be more important news, because it shows how Pakistan is falling apart. A female suicide bomber in Sri Lanka? She killed EIGHT!? That's a high death count and it looks as if that country is falling apart too, it has got to be more important news. And Israel may have killed a Lebanese citizen... okay, this is actually not really news, because they do it quite frequently. In fact they did it quite a lot the other summer. And don't get me started on the number of Palestinian bystanders that get taken out all the time. (But then Israel doesn't consider Palestinian bystanders to be innocent, no more than Palestinians consider any Israeli to be a non-combatant.)
But OH NO, we have BREAKING NEWS here. Why? Is it because it may show that the peace process is stalled (note: it has been dead for some time now) and Bush's desperate last ditch effort (too little, too late) for a more positive legacy has failed (what, was he freakin' kidding me)? Or is it because we are so tied up with Israel and the importance of Israel that their citizens count as more important that the citizens of every other nation on the planet, except our own, and thus are more newsworthy?
Can you tell I'm jaded?
Take CNN this morning. I check to see if there is anything I missed over the last 24 hours. And I see the following:
Suicide blast in Pakistan kills 4.
Female bomber kills 8 in Columbo.
Lebanese Army: Israel kills citizen.
But the BREAKING NEWS, so big that they have no picture, but instead a huge yellow box with "breaking news" written inside:
Three dead in Israel blast.
If you die in a suicide blast in Israel, you are apparently breaking news, even if MORE PEOPLE DIE IN OTHER SUICIDE BLASTS ANYWHERE ELSE.
Really, the blast in Pakistan should be more important news, because it shows how Pakistan is falling apart. A female suicide bomber in Sri Lanka? She killed EIGHT!? That's a high death count and it looks as if that country is falling apart too, it has got to be more important news. And Israel may have killed a Lebanese citizen... okay, this is actually not really news, because they do it quite frequently. In fact they did it quite a lot the other summer. And don't get me started on the number of Palestinian bystanders that get taken out all the time. (But then Israel doesn't consider Palestinian bystanders to be innocent, no more than Palestinians consider any Israeli to be a non-combatant.)
But OH NO, we have BREAKING NEWS here. Why? Is it because it may show that the peace process is stalled (note: it has been dead for some time now) and Bush's desperate last ditch effort (too little, too late) for a more positive legacy has failed (what, was he freakin' kidding me)? Or is it because we are so tied up with Israel and the importance of Israel that their citizens count as more important that the citizens of every other nation on the planet, except our own, and thus are more newsworthy?
Can you tell I'm jaded?
Someone take me to Vegas...
and sit as far away from me as possible. Not only has the Fed lowered interest rates twice in a week, which "shocks" journalists everywhere, but Giuliani doesn't even make it to the New York primary. (It's very good that he tanked out, not only because he would have made a lousy president, but I CANNOT spell his name.) Then, not long after I finished my last post the other day, complaining about the lack of snow - then it SNOWED. Not for very long and not very much and it didn't stick around, but still snow.
The weather here is playing with my mind. Sun, cloudy, SNOW, sun, cloudy, SNOW! Enough - pick one and go with it! And no more damn wind. I'm sick of the wind.
In the end, since I seem to bring the opposite of what I am thinking/wanting - if you just bet against me, you'll probably win every time.
The weather here is playing with my mind. Sun, cloudy, SNOW, sun, cloudy, SNOW! Enough - pick one and go with it! And no more damn wind. I'm sick of the wind.
In the end, since I seem to bring the opposite of what I am thinking/wanting - if you just bet against me, you'll probably win every time.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
How to make an archaeogoddess happy in the off season
It's very simple.
1) Start with sun. There must be sun. The archaeogoddess is suffering from lack of vitamin D.
2) Second, there must be cookies. This is how I fell to the dark side. I heard there were cookies.
3) Then there must be a reason to go out and drive around. The archaeogoddess loves to drive. Especially if there is some great pop music to bop to.*
4) Send her out on a task that involves going to the hardware store.
I love hardware stores. I love the smell of nails, that tangy iron smell (I hear blood smells the same, anyone?). I love how hardware stores are always in a large building that has very warm spots and very cold spots (it is ALWAYS cold by the nails). I love all the stuff that I can touch and feel and imagine using. "Hey, I wonder if I should re-caulk my windows!" I love the lumber section, the paint section, and the gardening section. My favorite hardware store, now long gone, was in downtown Sutter Creek. It was in an old gold rush era building, probably had always been a hardware store (now it's antique furniture, which isn't so bad, actually). It had old creaky floors and crumbling stone walls. It was always cold, even on the hottest days of summer. There was a very scary basement - a big hole in the floor that was dark and had a dank draft oozing up the rickety stairs. You couldn't have given me enough chocolate in the world to make me go down there. There was always dust in the air, part sawdust and part antiquity, that had the most fantastic smell. There was a large scale for weighing the nails. I used to pull on it to see how strong I was or to see if I could hold it at 5 pounds without wiggling. I remember going in with my dad several times and I loved to stop by for Christmas Open House (they always had cider). Unlike automotive stores, where I feel as if I'm trespassing or unwelcome, hardware stores never felt particularly sexist. Maybe it's the gardening section, but women in hardware stores is not a sign of the approaching apocalypse. Alas, today, all I needed were mouse and rat traps (though if the Danish boy had just brought me a sample of their feces I would know which we actually needed). Perhaps tomorrow he'll need something else!
*The archeogoddess normally likes heavier music that includes yelling and will induce steering wheel thumping, but happy pop is great for short trips.
1) Start with sun. There must be sun. The archaeogoddess is suffering from lack of vitamin D.
2) Second, there must be cookies. This is how I fell to the dark side. I heard there were cookies.
3) Then there must be a reason to go out and drive around. The archaeogoddess loves to drive. Especially if there is some great pop music to bop to.*
4) Send her out on a task that involves going to the hardware store.
I love hardware stores. I love the smell of nails, that tangy iron smell (I hear blood smells the same, anyone?). I love how hardware stores are always in a large building that has very warm spots and very cold spots (it is ALWAYS cold by the nails). I love all the stuff that I can touch and feel and imagine using. "Hey, I wonder if I should re-caulk my windows!" I love the lumber section, the paint section, and the gardening section. My favorite hardware store, now long gone, was in downtown Sutter Creek. It was in an old gold rush era building, probably had always been a hardware store (now it's antique furniture, which isn't so bad, actually). It had old creaky floors and crumbling stone walls. It was always cold, even on the hottest days of summer. There was a very scary basement - a big hole in the floor that was dark and had a dank draft oozing up the rickety stairs. You couldn't have given me enough chocolate in the world to make me go down there. There was always dust in the air, part sawdust and part antiquity, that had the most fantastic smell. There was a large scale for weighing the nails. I used to pull on it to see how strong I was or to see if I could hold it at 5 pounds without wiggling. I remember going in with my dad several times and I loved to stop by for Christmas Open House (they always had cider). Unlike automotive stores, where I feel as if I'm trespassing or unwelcome, hardware stores never felt particularly sexist. Maybe it's the gardening section, but women in hardware stores is not a sign of the approaching apocalypse. Alas, today, all I needed were mouse and rat traps (though if the Danish boy had just brought me a sample of their feces I would know which we actually needed). Perhaps tomorrow he'll need something else!
*The archeogoddess normally likes heavier music that includes yelling and will induce steering wheel thumping, but happy pop is great for short trips.
"Maybe if you give them some petty cash they won't notice the recession!"
Well, I was wrong about the rates. But anyone who is still thinking that we aren't in a recession already is an idiot. Why do I keep seeing all these reports: are you ready for a recession, is a recession inevitable, will we end up in a recession? The answers are: no, because if we were ready, it wouldn't be a recession, would it? Yup. And we're already in a recession, dumba$$.
And would people stop blaming the various government parties for the recession? It was the bad loans that tipped us all in. There could have been more oversight, or the banks could have stopped giving money away so easily. It's like the dot-com crash, not government induced, idiot induced!
Meanwhile, I had the stomach flu, which was awful in all kinds of ways. The Danish boy was phenomenal, making up batches of re-hydration fluid, peeling apples and boiling up cups of beef bouillon - while still working +12 hour shifts driving the taxi at night.
We then had to shift from the night schedule we have been on to the day shift. This was very painful, as I'm getting over the flu, I have a hard time determining when I'm going to sleep and when I'm not. However, it looks as if we may have succeeded. Alas, here I am at 7 am (I've been up for several hours now) and the sun hasn't risen, the wind may blow down the house and the day is not looking so hot. The weather here has been atrocious. Wind wind and more wind. No snow. Two winters ago we got blanketed and I don't remember so much wind. I guess global warming has robbed me of my snowy winter, this weather feels more like California in February than what one expects from northern Europe. However, it is getting noticeably lighter earlier and staying light for later. This is wonderful. Now if we only would have less cloud cover and less wind, people may actually have a chance at getting some vitamin D.
The dissertation continues and we aren't going to talk about it any more. Because we hates it. It is not precious.
The wedding plans also continue... at a snails pace. There are some rather large financial concerns that must be squared away before we proceed. At this point I am in no hurry. It's not going to be a fancy affair, there will be no frills or favors, and I will probably wear a nice sun dress and flip-flops, so the amazing pressure that normally surrounds a wedding is lacking. Etiquette is out the window - it's not so much a wedding as a casual party. Thankfully!
And on a completely random note - why do none of my cookbooks include a PLAIN oatmeal cookie recipe? I hate dates (unless they are stuffed with cheese and baked) and I don't have chocolate chips. Yes, I am sure somewhere in this god-forsaken country there are chocolate chips, but seeing how it's taken me five years to find the one store that sometimes sells ricotta cheese, I may never find chocolate chips. I also don't want to put all kinds of spices into them. I just want some nice, plain, oatmeal cookies. Is it so much to ask?
And would people stop blaming the various government parties for the recession? It was the bad loans that tipped us all in. There could have been more oversight, or the banks could have stopped giving money away so easily. It's like the dot-com crash, not government induced, idiot induced!
Meanwhile, I had the stomach flu, which was awful in all kinds of ways. The Danish boy was phenomenal, making up batches of re-hydration fluid, peeling apples and boiling up cups of beef bouillon - while still working +12 hour shifts driving the taxi at night.
We then had to shift from the night schedule we have been on to the day shift. This was very painful, as I'm getting over the flu, I have a hard time determining when I'm going to sleep and when I'm not. However, it looks as if we may have succeeded. Alas, here I am at 7 am (I've been up for several hours now) and the sun hasn't risen, the wind may blow down the house and the day is not looking so hot. The weather here has been atrocious. Wind wind and more wind. No snow. Two winters ago we got blanketed and I don't remember so much wind. I guess global warming has robbed me of my snowy winter, this weather feels more like California in February than what one expects from northern Europe. However, it is getting noticeably lighter earlier and staying light for later. This is wonderful. Now if we only would have less cloud cover and less wind, people may actually have a chance at getting some vitamin D.
The dissertation continues and we aren't going to talk about it any more. Because we hates it. It is not precious.
The wedding plans also continue... at a snails pace. There are some rather large financial concerns that must be squared away before we proceed. At this point I am in no hurry. It's not going to be a fancy affair, there will be no frills or favors, and I will probably wear a nice sun dress and flip-flops, so the amazing pressure that normally surrounds a wedding is lacking. Etiquette is out the window - it's not so much a wedding as a casual party. Thankfully!
And on a completely random note - why do none of my cookbooks include a PLAIN oatmeal cookie recipe? I hate dates (unless they are stuffed with cheese and baked) and I don't have chocolate chips. Yes, I am sure somewhere in this god-forsaken country there are chocolate chips, but seeing how it's taken me five years to find the one store that sometimes sells ricotta cheese, I may never find chocolate chips. I also don't want to put all kinds of spices into them. I just want some nice, plain, oatmeal cookies. Is it so much to ask?
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