Stream of Conscience

What the...?

hergrace — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:00:29 GMT

I just got rickrolled by NPR!! (okay, they were doing a story about it on Morning Edition.)

Happy Birthday Trina!!!

hergrace — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:07:46 GMT

Yay! It's our New Year Girl's birthday today. Many happy returns!!!!!

Happy New Year!

hergrace — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:34:27 GMT

And to start things off...a little motivational poster, just in time for Epiphany!

Tennant!Doctor's Final Episode Title

hergrace — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:21:55 GMT

Over on Facebook, Simon Guerrier has started a delightful post. He simply said:

6-word Dr Who title turns out to be "The End of Time, part one". I'd hoped for "Don't you think he looks tired?"

This has started a list of increasingly silly possible titles for David's last episode. My own include:
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.", "Don't worry, I can handle this", and "Come outside and say that, Master."

So....what's your entry for 6-word final title?

Definition of the Day

hergrace — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:12:08 GMT

From my friend Ellen Wilson:
Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

Since I haven't posted in forever...

hergrace — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:51:03 GMT

...I am being lazy and passing on a delightful video entitled "Seven Reasons Why Homosexuality Should be Banned". Enjoy!

Amazing Meal Tonight -- Thanks Julia!

hergrace — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:03:06 GMT

(apologies to my FB flist -- you may have already seen this)

Today whilst shopping at my local Target (and getting supplies for my older son to take to college {*sigh*}), I came across a copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" which has pretty much disappeared from local bookstores following the opening of "Julie & Julia". Of course, I grabbed it up. And since I had pedestrian fare planned for supper, I decided to see what Julia had to say about the dishes I was planning to cook.

It was an outstanding meal (hubby looked like he hadn't dined so well in years), and Julia Child gets a big thank you for at least part of the meal. The method of cooking the entree came from many sources (combined to make one gorgeous roast), and from being able to get fresh produce at the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

Tonight's Menu:
Herb-Crusted Sirloin Tip Roast, Haricots Verts à la Maître d'Hôtel, Champignons Sautés au Beurre, and Potatoes baked on a bed of Kosher Salt (I need to find the French translation for that)

The French-style dishes were merely green beans blanched, then tossed with salt, pepper, butter and lemon, and baby portabellos sautéd in butter and olive oil. It was an *amazing* meal (if I'm allowed to say so). The beans turned out tender, sweet and savory, and still lovely green. The mushrooms, though. They were amazing. I've sautéd mushrooms many times, but following Julia's recipe, including using a very hot pan and butter (waiting until the foam dies down), and not crowding the mushrooms, they came out ... browned and heavenly. I wish I could describe them better, but this is the way portobellos *should* taste all the time.

If you're interested in cooking a Sirloin Tip Roast (a lovely, inexpensive cut of meat - on sale this week at Publix for $2.99 a pound). Cooking to temperature rather than time is the trick. I have a "remote" thermometer which I love. I can stick the probe in the meat and never have to open the oven to see how it's doing. Here's the recipe: (the rub was originally shared by "Joel" on allrecipes.com, although I've reduced the amount of salt -- it could use even slightly less)

Ingredients
1 1/4 T paprika
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp (freshly) ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 T olive oil

1 (2-3 lb) sirloin tip roast

Method
Heat the oven to 475-500°F. Line a shallow pan with foil and put the rack in.

Take the roast out of the fridge. (It should be close to room temperature before cooking.)

In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the olive oil, and allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes.

Place the roast on the rack , and cover on all sides with the herb mixture.

When the roast is about room temperature, put it into the oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 325°F. Cook to an internal temperature of 140°F (for medium rare), then turn off the oven and let the roast stay in for 15 minutes (it will continue cooking).

Serve, cutting thin slices at a angle. It's tender and juicy!

A Quick Puzzler for You Physics Majors

hergrace — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:36:10 GMT

Or anyone else who's just knowledgeable about this sort of thing.

I have a lovely espresso machine that I use daily to make my morning latte (you wouldn't believe how much money I save that way). Now on the machine there's a steam nozzle (for steaming and foaming the milk). I never heat the milk ahead of time, so when I first start the steaming, the nozzle and steam make a very loud very high-pitched noise. As the milk warms, the noise level decreases and the pitch goes down.

What is the relationship between the temperature of the milk and the volume and pitch of the sound coming from the steam nozzle? I'm sure there's some regular physics-type equation to explain it, but my physics courses were long ago, and I'm sure we didn't cover steaming milk anyway.

Thanks for all answers and explanations!

I love an intellectual comic strip

hergrace — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:30:21 GMT

Dog Eat Doug does it again:

Poem 7

hergrace — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:29:57 GMT

(note: okay, so I haven't been writing daily, but I've got to keep going.)

Gifts From My Father

A logical turn of mind,
An analytical point of view,
The ability to love and work with numbers,
The desire to help other people,
An appreciation of classical music,
A competitive spirit -
When the challenge is intellectual,
Being thrifty,
Comparison shopping,
Rarely paying full retail price,
A love of fishing,
Road tripping over flight,
Natural wonders beat man-made hands-down,
Travel well, eat well, live well.

Dog eat Doug KNOWS Doctor Who

hergrace — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:16:05 GMT

A new scary foe for the Doctor?

I LOL'd.

Poem 6

hergrace — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:05:35 GMT

Jump Rope Rhyme for the Digital Age
by HerGrace

Twitter, Facebook, LJ, Blog
Chatroom, game site, YouTube, vlog
LOL, OMG, WTF
Lurkers, trollers, identity thef'
Google, Yahoo, Ebay, News
How many web-apps do you use?
1, 2, 3...

Poem 5

hergrace — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:30:42 GMT

Motorcycle Limericks
by HerGrace

BSA, BMW, Honda
Are cycles my fella is fonda.
He spends more time fixin'
Than getting his kicks in,
So why does he keep 'em, I wonda.

The Harley's pipes aren't very nice,
The loudness is safety for price,
Now, I hate to protest,
But I think 'twould be best
For car drivers to always look twice.

(okay, I wasn't going to comment, but these are rather awful, but I had to get something in under the wire...)

Poem 4

hergrace — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:47:58 GMT

College Decision Haiku
by HerGrace

They say yes
You are accepted
Now to choose

Vermont chills
Maryland dazzles
Georgia calms

Costs lower
When you stay in state
Too near home

Go north then
My wandering boy
Study hard

Poem 3

hergrace — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:02:22 GMT

Serenity Prayer for Lent IV
by HerGrace

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things that cannot be,
To do the things that must be done,
To win battles that must be won.

And let me have the courage too
To accept the things I can't undo,
To accept my fellows warts and all,
To pick myself up when I fall.

God let me not with jaundiced eye
And scorn regard my neighbor nigh.
Let me not judge another's flaws
For my own defects give me pause.

Lord grant peace for my troubled heart,
And let me set a time apart
For healing quiet now and then,
So I may fully say, "Amen."

Poem 2

hergrace — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:13:48 GMT

On Spring
by HerGrace

Spring is here.
The birdies fight
O'er tree and shrub
Who has the right
To build a nest site there.

Spring is here.
The bees seek out
the pollen gold
Where flow'rs peek out,
And each can have her share.

Spring is here.
We sneeze; eyes itch.
It's allergies
That are the hitch
In springtime's savoirfaire.

Poem 1

hergrace — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:59:30 GMT

My Knight in Armour
(a love poem for my fella)
by HerGrace

My knight's armour does not shine
Save when it is shined upon
By auto lights as they pass by.

My knight's helmet is not made of steel,
Yet still bears him protection
Against the ravages of the road.

My knight's gauntlets
Are studded with steel
And encase his hands in leather.

My knight's steed is not one
But many thundering together
Taking him down the road and away.

My knight carries no lance,
Casts no gauntlet down,
Slays no dragon,
Storms no rampart,
And lays no siege.

And yet my knight is
as fair, as strong,
as noble, as brave
as any in olden lore.

Writer's Block: Honey Bear

hergrace — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:31:15 GMT

These days I feel more like Kanga, except she's a sort of mindless mother type. When I was a kid it was Pooh. Because...that's my nickname (the one my big brother gave me.) Yeah -- how's that for embarrassing childhood secrets. Hubby, tho, is definitely Tigger. Bouncy fun fun fun fun fun. :-D

Writer's Block: Clothing Options

hergrace — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:18:44 GMT

Anyone who knows me knows that I am far from fashionable. If I'm lucky, and the gods of shapeliness are happy, I can find in my wardrobe those things which will accentuate the good parts of my figure (bust, well-defined waist) and de-emphasize those things which I'd rather not show off (a huge tush and a fine pair of saddle-bags). Having said that, I am indebted to Gok Wan (of the British version of "How to Look Good Naked") for pointing me in the direction of really good undergarments. I went to one of those specialty lingerie shops and now wear only properly fitted brassieres -- which for the look and support they give are worth the exorbitant amount of money one pays for them.

Now I have recently gone in the direction of 'fashionable' for the occasional evening out -- just to please my dear husband (who is worth the occasional bout of discomfort). We went out to celebrate the birthday of one of his best friends. An evening of adult company and fine dining called for the fashionable in me. Last year I begged my mother-in-law (a woman with a fine eye for great-looking clothing) to find me a "little black dress". Every woman, especially when she reaches a certain age -- which I think I have, needs to have a "little black dress". My LBD is a lovely sleeveless number, tucked in at the waist, with a nice flair to the skirt which gives me a fantastic hour-glass figure. In addition, it has a nice little jacket that covers up my rather chubby upper arms, but has 3/4 sleeves which allow me to show off my rather nice wrists and hands. In addition to the LBD (under which I wore an *incredibly* uncomfortable, but beautifully form-shaping girdle), I actually wore hose (which I detest) and my very first pair of spike-heeled shoes. These things are dead sexy -- wine-coloured, with three little straps across the foot. I knew hubby would love them - and they were marked waaaaaay down (otherwise they'd never have come home with me).

Well, my dears, I looked (if I may say so) as gorgeous as it's possible for me to look (yes, hair and make-up were all there, as well as appropriate jewelry). I had a *horribly* difficult time walking, so hubby dropped me off at the restaurant door while he went to park the car. I was the best-dressed of us, but also just a tad overdressed. Who cares? It was a once-in-a-long-long-time thing to do. By the time the evening was ending I actually was walking pretty well, though I longed to be out of the shoes as they were pinching my toes. I was also more than ready to shed the girdle, which had kept me well-shaped, and equally unable to eat too much.

As for the original question: I don't thing it has to be either/or. If you understand your body shape, and shop accordingly (and you don't have to pay full price to do this), you can be both fashionable and comfortable. There are some very attractive yet affordable shoes out there. Jeans and trousers don't have to be unbearable to look good. Dresses abound which flatter without discomfort. And, yes, I've even been able to find form-shaping undergarments which do their job without pinching too much. I used to be a person who put comfort above all. But lately I've found that it isn't necessary to ditch good looks just to be comfortable.

Chocolate Mousse Pie Recipe

hergrace — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:24:29 GMT

Because dark_pheonix requested it.

The only trickey item for folks not in the U.S. is Cool Whip. This is a non-dairy whipped topping product usually found in the freezer section of the store. You let it thaw before using in this recipe. It could only be better if you substitute real honest-to-God whipped cream. (come to think of it, I may try that next time.)

This recipe came from the Keebler company who sell quite yummy ready-made graham cracker crusts. However, for those who may prefer to make their own, I include at the end my father's recipe for graham cracker crust which we use when making his amazing cheese cake.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE
1 (6 oz) Keebler Ready-Crust Graham Cracker or Chocolate Flavored Pie Crust (I used chocolate)
1 1/2 c milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 6 oz. pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 c frozen whipped topping, thawed (this is less than one 8oz pkg of Cool Whip -- you have to measure)
Optional garnish: whipped topping and strawberries dipped in dark chocolate (had no strawberries, used whipped cream)

In saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over milk. Let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate chips and continue cooking, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted; stir in vanilla.

Cool 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds when dropped from spoon. Fold in whipped topping. Turn into crust. Garnish with whipped topping and strawberries if desired. Chill 4 hours.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1 pack cinnamon graham crackers (from a 3-pack box) -- crushed
1/2 c crushed pecans
4 T melted butter

Crush graham crackers in a blender or food processor. Ditto with the pecans. You want a them to be pretty well ground up so as to make a nice crust. In a medium bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and crushed pecans until well blended. Pour on the melted butter and mix well. Put by spoons-full into an ungreased pie pan or 8x8 pan. Push down on the mixture to spread it evenly over the pan. Push gently on the mixture to get it up the sides of the pie pan or 8x8 pan.

Okay this part is pure conjecture, because I've never made this crust without putting cheese cake mixture in it. BUT...if you're going to use it for the mousse recipe, you'll probably need to bake it for a little while to set it. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 350 F. Let it cool before adding the mousse mixture.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Gil!

hergrace — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:50:18 GMT

A Big Happy Birthday to one of my newest friends. gillo, you are a heck of a hostess, and I'm delighted we got to meet. Many happy returns of the day!

Life On Mars -- American Style (spoiler-safe)

hergrace — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:54:03 GMT

Just finished watching the new show. I had grave misgivings both from the idea of an 'American version' of the original, spectacular Life on Mars, and after seeing the two different versions of the preview (one with Colm Meaney as Gene Hunt and the other with Harvey Keitel, who replaced him). Disclaimer: I *hate* that the American television hierarchy felt it necessary to reshoot the story and change it around for the American audience. I hope one day that a brilliant British programme like Life on Mars can be brought to the American market intact for Americans to see what the fuss is all about. But I digress...

Spoiler-free part
First I have to admit that it wasn't as bad as I feared. The cast did well enough with their parts, although I could have asked for more edge from Ray (Michael Imperioli) and a less gorgeous Annie (Gretchen Mol). Harvey K. is a fine actor and gamely took on the mantle of Gene Hunt (but he's no Philip Glenister). Even Jason O'Mara (who I feared would make me want to chew nails or gnaw off my own leg taking on Sam) did a fair job -- but he's far from touching John Simm's intense performance.

If I have a general grouse with this Americanized LoM, it's weakness of characters, too much exposition (intrusive exposition), and copycat editing. There were one or two nice surprises, but not enough. Will I watch next week? Possibly -- but only to see if anything has improved.

For a more in-depth and spoiler-laden review, click below.

Let's get down to it, though. If you're going to do your own version of a previously-made show, don't film shot-for-shot with the original. As an example, every move that Sam makes just after getting hit by the car (which is different in the US version, and is wonderfully abrupt) mimics the original. Hell, even the way O'Mara lies on the ground and twitches is the mirror of Simm's performance. The camera angles, pans and zooms are pretty much shot-for-shot with the British version where the script hasn't been changed to Americanize it. My feeling is, if you're going to make it your own version, you should come up with your own shots and angles. (yes, I know the ones in the original were perfect, I guess that's why they were copied.)

The hackneyed "evil twin/copy-cat murderer" plot device was one place where the scripts diverged, and I wish they hadn't. One of the most difficult things the original Sam had to do when he first came to 1973 was to go against everything he felt he stood for by tearing up the letter from the perpetrator's doctor. It was the only way he was given to save Maya. It grated against his better judgement, it was tough, it was painful. But he did it, and it enhanced his character and sympathy for that character. In this one, Sam's "talk" with young Colin Raimes changes the boy's life for the better (judging by Maya's 'safe return' message on the radio). It's weak, and that's a pity.

As for the actors:
Jason O'Mara is too tall, too muscular and too conventionally handsome. O'Mara's vague resemblance to Mel Gibson (looks and voice) doesn't help. Part of what makes Sam Tyler a sympathetic character is John Simm's small, somewhat out of shape frame, baby face and slightly weak chin. He's pale where O'Mara is tanned. Simm's Sam is reasonably athletic (jumping fences, chasing suspects) without looking like he works out daily. Having said all that, I can't moan too much about the way O'Mara plays Sam *except* that he looks like he studied Simm's performance, aping some his same movements. Perhaps it was the director who told him to hug himself after the first confrontation with Gene, but it's rather sad to watch a nearly carbon-copy character study. I'd like to see O'Mara do more to make Sam his own, rather than a weak-tea American version of Mancunian Sam.

Harvey Keitel arguably has the harder job of making us love Gene as much as Philip Glenister did. I actually enjoyed Keitel's Gene, even though he's not quite as sexist (yet) nor violent (yet) as original Gene. If I have a quibble, it's that Keitel plays Gene too low key. Gene should be bigger than life, and I haven't seen that yet. The good thing is that this NY Gene is Keitel's Gene and not an attempt to mimic Glenister. I find it interesting that Keitel has (apparently) decided to make Gene a non-smoker. That puts him at odds with the Gene Genie, but it seems to work for him. One enjoyable part of the new show is watching Gene come out of his office cooling himself off with a hand fan, rather than stalking out with a ciggie dangling from his lips. His abrupt treatment of Sam is more startling for it.

Gretchen Mol is a good Annie, she's even funny and cute, but she's not believable as a police woman (even one from the early 70s). Liz White *looked* like a girl from 1973. Cute, but not gorgeous; smart in a subtle and surprising way. She was stalwart and steady. Mol's Annie tends to be a bit more whiny. And what's this with her putting Sam's hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat?? That was one of the most amazing moments of the original -- Sam testing Annie's heart. Why would Annie be the one to make that first move, especially in 1973? Would Americans react with "eeewww...he's touching her chest -- that's sexual harrassment!"? Sam doesn't believe any of this is real anyway, so why would he worry about touching Annie? White's Annie was a strong character who *showed* what she was thinking without having to say it out loud, like this Annie does. There's also a lack of chemistry between Annie and Sam. It wasn't instantaneous in the original, but Sam came to rely on Annie fairly early on. I'm not sure I see the seeds of that trust yet.

Chris and Ray (Jonathan Murphy and Michael Imperioli) are actually quite good. Imperioli's Ray could be edgier, and I miss Dean Andrews's porn-star looks. Even with the curly hair and long moustache, this Ray just isn't quite as skanky-looking. I should be happy -- even though they've copied Ray's look, it doesn't come out the same. Murphy's Chris is wonderful so far. He's got the sort of puppy-dog friendliness that made Marshall Lancaster's Chris so endearing. I could have done without the expository dialog in the morgue ("and this is the guy they chose to promote instead of you, Ray") which was merely hinted at in the original series. I guess they have to make things plain as day for us dozey 'merkins.

Okay, good things. I *loved* when Sam looked up after arriving in 1973 and saw the twin towers. I *knew* they'd have to feature somehow. It was brilliant and touching all at once. The sets, the cars, the people -- all great -- it looks like 1973. The music choice I love when they don't replicate the original. It's from an American POV, it should have the music that was being played in the U.S. at the time, which was different to some extent from that being played in the U.K. at the time (I should know, I was here.)

The thing I'm trying to figure out is how I would feel about this show if I hadn't seen the original. Sadly, I cannot turn a blind eye to my love and feelings for the original. It was so well done that any attempt to copy it seems trite at best, disastrous at worst. Life on Mars could be so much better, even though it's a remake, if the producers and directors had the courage to completely make it their own. But so far all they've got the original seen through a glass darkly.

I've found a new cartoonist

hergrace — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:42:38 GMT

Okay, he's not new, but I've just started looking at what he does. His name is Robert Lovely (yes, really) and he's got a wonderful pen and ink style.

I found his work at http://www.comics.com/comics/thunder/

An example for music lovers here.

Found this in my in-box

hergrace — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:55:02 GMT

As part of the Forbidden Planet newsletter.

One of the Best Paul Newman Tributes

hergrace — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:05:22 GMT

I don't usually get all weepy over NPR. I'm far more likely to get angry at the politicos in Washington and injustices in the world. But this morning, during the sports segments, of all things, Frank DeFord gave a lovely, humorous and touching tribute to Paul Newman that made me cry. If you're in the mood for a bit of sweet tears (which makes a nice change from angry and worried tears brought on by our current economic mess), go to NPR.org (link here).

Paul Newman: A Sportsman And A Hero

There's an old French expression: "An actress is more than a woman, and an actor is less than a man."

No one ever thought that of Paul Newman. In a way, men and women alike saw him more as a hero than an actor.

Certainly, it's hard to think of anyone else in show business who had as many sports connections as Newman did. He was the decathlete of Hollywood. You read the tributes to him, and people from various disparate sports all write about him so fondly, all crediting him with helping their sport.

Of course, Newman's connection to automobile racing was real, not celluloid. He was an authentically outstanding driver. He loved the sport so much.

Newman made a point of going back to Indianapolis this past May to see the trials for the 500, one last time. I guess it was his way of taking the checkered flag, holding it out the window and doing one more victory lap.

But as race people embraced him as their own, ice hockey people adored him for his performance in Slap Shot. That movie was such a boon to hockey, just as he made pool more glamorous, playing Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler and then in The Color of Money.

If Paul Newman was connected, it must be good.

Now, I happen to live in Westport, Conn., where he was absolutely beloved, as a citizen, as a neighbor. Oh my, how we've always loved to say that we lived in the same town as Paul Newman. What a cachet that's always been!

Of course, we're supposed to be sophisticated in Westport, so the rule was you didn't make a fuss when you saw him around. But, of course, everybody kept watching him out of the corner of their eyes.

One time, years ago, when he was still indisputably the handsomest man in the world, my wife ran across him in a bookstore. All the other women were pretending not to notice, bumping into the aisles.

Newman was with one of his daughters. At the checkout counter, he called over to her, "OK, honey, let's go."

And, my wife says, every woman in that store — including my wife, I'm sure — gave an involuntarily head feint toward the door. It was better than watching a vaudeville sketch.

The last time I saw him was a few months ago. There were already rumors that he was dying. He was never so large as he appeared on the screen — but now, even as he was still in good humor, he looked positively frail.

We were at a small concert and, just by chance, he and his wife, Joanne Woodward, sat right next to me and my wife.

When the lights dimmed, I happened to glance over, and I saw that, right away, he'd taken Joanne's hand. They'd only been married 50 years. He kept holding her hand all the way through, just like they were teenagers.

I reached over and took my wife's hand. There are not many things any of us could do so well as Paul Newman, but, I thought, if you could follow his lead in any way, then you'd be a fool not to.