G+ Migration Blog

May the blessings of the New Year be upon you all, especially those of you in the House of the Rising Sun. #hippognudeer

New Year's Eve dinner - pan seared scallops on lemon garlic fettucine in a tarragon avgolemono sauce with a side of mixed microgreens dressed in a vinaigrette with grape tomatoes and sweet corn. Dessert was a homemade Sacher torte - Valrhona chocolate and full-on hipster apricot jam from trees I nurtured, apricots I picked, and jam I made. Ok, I didn't grow the sugar cane and refine the sugar. To be posted later.

Catch up posting - I wanted anise christmas cookies because they have always been one of my favorite christmas cookies even before I knew what anise was and I guess they are not a thing anymore. So I made some. The perfectionist in me wants you to know that the giant snowflake cookie has beautiful sparkly white sugar flakes on it but my phone camera is not helpful with the lighting effects.

Also for me - music sounds all perky and cheerful/mellow but the words are a little weird and intense. Disconnect! first video has words, second is official video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP0gAIOrBGU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcNDGHv9Teo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP0gAIOrBGU

For my own info:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYr96YYEaZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYr96YYEaZY

I have yet to see the photographic evidence, but apparently my SIL and nephew (who is 1) were Mary and Babby Gee in the Christmas Eve pageant at the church where SIL's mom is the minister. Lulz.

And we shall call this Sunset Two. (other half of Not sure why g+ suddenly discovered these, and then split into two different animations, but this is a sunset over Lake Erie, seen on landing approach to the airport.)

Not sure why g+ suddenly discovered these, and then split into two different animations, but this is a sunset over Lake Erie, seen on landing approach to the airport. We shall call this Sunset One.

Wild mushroom soup. It will never be an attractive color, but boy is it tasty. I have several frozen for future consumption. Used about 1 lb. of maitake (hen of the woods), 1/2 lb. of crimini, 1/2 lb. shitake, 1/2 lb. oyster, and 1/2 oz. of dried porcini (boletus) reconstituted in cognac. Also lots of leeks, shallots, and lots of onion. Much sauteeing in olive oil, adding of chicken broth/stock, adding of cognac from soaking mushrooms, fresh thyme, bay leafs, two wide strips of lemon zest/peel, simmering, removing of bay leafs (could remove zest, I didn't), using of the immersion blender, adjusting of seasoning and adding of fresh squeezed lemon juice, a little more blending/stirring. Eh, voilá, wild mushroom soup. You could add cream, but I didn't. You can also use several other varieties of alcohol (sherry, madeira, etc.). I happened to have cognac, so I used that. I like the way just a little bit of lemon juice perks up the flavor of mushroom soup, so I taste and add, taste ...

Apparently Fios set top boxes can die without warning. This is a serious problem, as the only way my parents decompress is sitting in front of a television in the evening. Since my dad watches sports and my mom watches soap operas, this is incompatible. (Normally, there are two working TVs in two different rooms.) They are supposed to be shipping a new box, but they don't send a person to help attach it, they tell you over the phone. This is going to be cute since they will be working with one very stressed out 70 something year old. Who will be pretty pissed off, already, because the way they arranged the TV, the TV cabinet, and attachments they are virtually inaccessible. The posterior is buried in spaghetti that hasn't been touched in years and is covered with death spore releasing dust rhinos. Things are soooo pleasant right now.

Cute gift sent back for me from PA xmas from brother and SIL (which probably means SIL). http://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Salad-Dressings-Jeff-Keys/dp/1423639561 http://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Salad-Dressings-Jeff-Keys/dp/1423639561

Heard this the other day on the radio. Chrissie Hynde is a blunt, challenging person, even to herself. http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/the-pretenders-chrissie-hynde-in-studio-q-1.3219194 http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/the-pretenders-chrissie-hynde-in-studio-q-1.3219194

For whatever reason, I find the Machinarium soundtrack soothing.

My mom really needs to stop with the happy family fantasy. She is creating problems that don't exist, and as unpleasant as she can be towards others, the person she makes the most miserable is herself. If you just accept things the way they are, you will be much less disappointed when they aren't like you wish they would be. You might even find out that what things really are is not the disappointing what you imagine they are.

It was so dark at 7 am I thought it was still the middle of the night. I was very confused.

Sleet and freezing rain mix. Per the meteorologist, we are rooting for the sleet; it does less damage.

I was going to parody this, but then I thought it's kind of on point as is. _ Slip slidin' away, slip slidin' away, You know the nearer your destination The more you're slip slidin' away. _

I give you the whoopie pie experiment. Which was both a success and not a success. The gingerbread cake part came out really well. It was an attempt to see if I could mess with the Trader Joe's gingerbread mix. I cut the water to 1/2 cup and the oil to 1/4 cup and added 1/8 tsp baking powder. I made nice little 3" round mounds of batter and got seven 4-4 1/2" nice little round cake mounds. So they are really too big for one person servings. I'd make much smaller rounds if I did this again, since they both puff up and spread out. I attempted to make a filling without solid fat, because experimenting. In addition, traditional fillings are basically an exercise in making saturated, solid at room temperature fats palatable, meaning a lot of sugar. And fat. So I made a thick, low sugar lemon curd without butter, and a stiff Italian meringue (just the meringue), and combined them. It tastes super lemony and is very light. Unfortunately, there appears to be a difficult to av...

Dinner - baked fresh haddock, breadcrumb topping over a reduced lemon juice, dijon, herb sauce. Would eat again.

One source officially describing weather as "ice pellets", now. That's good. We wouldn't want any confusion about that.

Oh, good. We're supposed to have ice and high winds this evening/overnight. Let's not and say we did, hm?

The pea soup experiment was a qualified success. As a general thing, it seems pretty idiot proof, the devil is in the details. I prefer a bacon flavor to a ham flavor, so I experimented with rendering regular bacon and using the fat to cook the mirepoix. Ended up too much fat and although you got some flavor, because I could only get store bacon, which tends to have very little meat, there wasn't much meat for me to set aside and incorporate later when it was simmering. So it almost had the flavor I wanted, but way too much grease (you couldn't see it, but your tummy could tell). So next time I try this, I will be looking for Canadian or back or peameal bacon so I can get the meatiness, but I will just use olive oil or something for the mirepoix.

Worst villain name ever? "Just the place for a Snoke!" the Jedi cried,    As he landed his rebels with care; Supporting each one on the top of the tide    By force tendrils entwined in their hair.

As yesterday was St. Stephen's Day, it behooves me to post a link to some version or other of Good King Wenceslaus. However, NPR has kindly provided a much more relatable version, also shorter. The link below will not go directly to it. When you get to the page, scan down the listing on the right and click on Good King Wenceslas. It's funny even if you don't get the Minneapolis specific references and has a lovely get off my lawn moment when a mouthy teen gets his comeuppance. You will not be subjected to any unwanted parts of the show, just that one short sung excerpt. http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/listen/?date=2015/12/26 http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/listen/?date=2015/12/26

Today was not productive. So it's a perfect opportunity to write about TFA. Btw, when do we get to stop putting spoiler space? W E H A V E C O O K I E S Having read all the things everyone else posted, and much of the online stuff, mostly everything has been said. I will probably see it again, because my basic thoughts were that it was ok. Meaning, not the travesty of the non-existent movies, but certainly not on the level of the originals. Some of that is probably just due to anticipatory expectations, I assume. Random stuff: 1) Music. Where's my fanfare?! Is that my fanfare?! That's not a fanfare!! It's inextricable from the original films, for me, so put it back. That's all. Separately, and having read some stuff that touched on this, am inclined to feel Abrams doesn't see music as part of the story-telling. You have to give a composer scope, and make them integral, not just background or noise to fill in between dialogue. I don't think John Williams is p...

And our final post of the evening (that's seven total, if you're counting; a perfectly cromulent liturgical number). Although we will inevitably be treated to oboe shepherds (I like oboes, this particular xmas music trope gets a little repetitive, though), this is absolutely one of my very favorite pieces of Classical Christmas music. For this we turn to a composer who crosses between the 19th and 20th centuries, dying young, and who is argued about for classification purposes. This link is to Ottorino Respighi's Lauda per la Natività del Signore (Laud to the Nativity). This is a stunning piece of music, which I've sung, and I will say that the very last of it is very difficult to do and transcendent when well done. It's a generally gentle piece of music, although it does open with a bit of fanfare (JESUS IS BORN - ok, ok, we're awake! and a bit of jubilating toward the end). The very end of the piece, especially the very last note the Angel sings and the follo...

Post number 6. We're almost there! I'm saving my personal favorite for the last one. This post is probably the most well known of these lesser known pieces of Classical Christmas Music. 20th century British composer Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols . Originally written SSA, it was relatively quickly arranged for SATB and is performed in both versions pretty regularly. What is really special about this is that it is a showcase piece for the harp, which is the only accompaniment and very virtuosic in places. In the performances I've done, the "Procession" and "Recession" were done a cappella, as were other bits like the beginning solo of "Balulalow", but there seem to be some versions where the harp plays, as in the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlCt4FLf9C0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlCt4FLf9C0

The pea soup and gingerbread whoopie pie experiments look promising. More importantly, we are up to link five! For this we head to Romantic 19th century France and present Berlioz' L'enfance du Christ . The most famous bit is a choral excerpt often performed alone titled "L' adieu des bergers", or "The shepherd's farewell". If you wish to skip a bit, brother, it starts around 49:20 . This excerpt is particularly known for the dynamic marking in the score where Berlioz indicates it should be played/sung pppp. Let me explain. How loudly or softly you play/sing is indicated by markings of p for "piano", meaning softly, or f for "forte", meaning loudly. That can be given a relative scale of p=softly, pp=very softly, ppp=extremely softly, pppp=barely audible. Reality checks would indicate that 4p is essentially purely theoretical. It's particularly so with an attempt to sing words; you really can't enunciate anything at that pu...

Falling behind on the linkies. Did go see TFA, comments another day. Making pea soup and cookies. Enough with the excuses. Music Linkages! Link Four will be more Frenchy (not Belgy) stuff. Skip ahead to the early Baroque for Marc-Antoine Charpentier. I have a fondness for his harpsichord music, which this isn't. We herewith link to his Messe de Minuit pour Nöel . Perhaps its most unique quality is that it incorporates noëls, or Christmas carols. In fact, it is entirely based on them, with original music by Charpentier, as well. Afaik, this is the first time anyone did that (that is, they didn't just sing the carols as part of a service, the carols were the basis for the Mass music itself). It's also the only actual Mass I'm going to link to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkuxKTJ0tvE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkuxKTJ0tvE

Next installment is a quick two-fer. Because it's part of the liturgy surrounding Christmas, many composers have written a setting of the motet "O Magnum Mysterium". I know that ever since Chanticleer (I think) recorded it, the Lauridsen has been the go to, but my favorite will always be the one written by Tomas Luis de Victoria. He's even got a whole mass based on it, not that the mass has anything to do with xmas. There are so many recordings of this. Oddly, it's hard to find one that both showcases the flow of polyphony and still is clean, clear, and beautiful. Which just goes to show that polyphony is anything but "simple". In addition, there's a lot of links on YouTube with superfluous stuff other than the music. No thank you. The one I chose to link to is a hair slower than my personal favorite tempo, it has other lovely qualities and it shows you the score so you can follow along. Really heart-rendingly beautiful and wonderfully climactic alle...

Second posting of the day: Arvo Part's "Christmas Lullaby". I have never sung this one. It was commissioned by Jordi Savall (who is a viol god, tyvm). Unfortunately, I don't like the link with his ensemble performing it because I am not fond of the sound of their vocal soloist on it. So I'm linking to a different group doing a lovely job of it. Part is a (very) modern Estonian composer. If you are familiar with his work this may sound somewhat surprising to you because he beautifully evoked a very Baroque period sound in this piece. I had a hard time telling what language this was in, but according to one source I found it's written in Russian. I'm not sure why a commission from a Spaniard (Catalonian) for a Baroque ensemble from a composer who probably writes more in Latin and is paraphrasing or quoting the gospel of Luke ended up in Russian. Who knows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQQu4sqS3uo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQQu4sqS3uo

For today's postings, we will be offering links to classical Xmas music that is less familiar. If you notice a lot of it has literal liturgical use, well, the history of the Roman Catholic Church is pretty much inextricable from the history of Western Classical Music. So good for you and your powers of observation! Many people are familiar with Handel's Messiah , Bach's Christmas Oratorio , Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker , and Beethoven's Night Symphony (credit by adoption from Die Hard). Less familiar are Francis Poulenc's "Quatre Motets pour le Temps de Noel". I think some of them are truly beautiful. Be warned, they have a huge dynamic range so start out barely audible then eventually get pretty loud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A4myTPyBKw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A4myTPyBKw

Item 3, Chaldean (neo-Aramaic?). I think this is a Christmas pageant. The part where Mary starts singing is around 1:36 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s80CKgPrqA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s80CKgPrqA

Item 2, one of the forms of Aramaic (Syriac). There's a series of Christmas hymns to listen to: http://syrianorthodoxchurch.com/pastor/SYRIAC_C/syriac_c.htm http://syrianorthodoxchurch.com/pastor/SYRIAC_C/syriac_c.htm

A final series of posts for the evening: I was looking for something else and serendipitously came across these. There will be 3 (how liturgical). One in Arabic, and one each in two forms of Aramaic (at least, per the limited info I dug up). I couldn't find out if it was a modern or an older form of Aramaic. I love learning about this kind of stuff and wish there'd been more sharing of culture and history and whatnot growing up. I know that freaks some people out, but I think it's all cool and amazing. Obviously, I have been insufficiently indoctrinated into the cult (whichever, pick one, I'm not a one cult kind of person). http://www.antiochian.org/byzantine-hymn-nativity http://www.antiochian.org/byzantine-hymn-nativity

http://www.space.com/31471-rare-christmas-full-moon-guide.html Rudolph's gettin' the night off. Note the conveniently placed star of Bethlehem in our neighbor's creche. That's right, it's all happenin' right here.

Leave me alone and I find things. Like somebody opened a ramen place in town. They make their own noodles and broth, and what I really intended to get was their soba, but a) it is much simpler than the ramen, with very little to it, and b) they were out of it. They were out of a lot of things today, because they were only open for lunch and are closed tomorrow and apparently make pretty much everything fresh. That's ok. I tried their signature ramen. I wish I had something in the photo for comparison, but that bowl is big enough to stick your head in. It's enough for four people, I swear. The other thing, which I was intrigued by and had to try was their "okonomiyaki fries". I had okonomiyaki in Vancouver, and it's one of the things I'd say fits under the heading of Japanese food I tried and would probably eat again but it will never not seem slightly strange to me. Anyway, the toppings on the fries are typical okonomiyaki toppings. It's sort of like Japan...

I thought about it, and I'm not gonna go to any of the services tonight, even though there are a couple that will have excellent music. I'm feeling anti-social.

For Josh Schoof Get hep to the jive, man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwKNOcVoMyg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwKNOcVoMyg

I thought about posting something more touching or more subtle, but why? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlpCBek1_M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlpCBek1_M

Ok, seriously? Somebody near us has a yappy dog that is either the loudest doggone thing ever, or they leave it outside at night. I have frequently heard it barking in the evening, but it has been barking non-stop since 9pm. Take the d--- dog inside, already, people! It shouldn't be out, anyway.

If you click on the picture in this it will take you to the original post and a larger picture in which it is easier to see the panda. ymmv http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/12/23/dudolf-panda-snowmen-puzzle_n_8865158.html http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/12/23/dudolf-panda-snowmen-puzzle_n_8865158.html

Heard this read on the radio. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/tanya-davis-love-as-well-as-gifts-1.3364509 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/tanya-davis-love-as-well-as-gifts-1.3364509

Good Raleigh, Bad Raleigh (fyi Cameron Village is in Raleigh, been there many times, in fact, it's got a snooty shopping/dining district which is probably where this happened). Sadly unsurprised but think well of the woman in question. http://www.someecards.com/news/so-that-happened/maigan-kennedy-harrassed-headscarf-muslim/ http://www.someecards.com/news/so-that-happened/maigan-kennedy-harrassed-headscarf-muslim

Just saw an announcement that the ice rinks are still closed. They just managed to bring back some of the great outdoor rinks the last couple of years. This is not good for that effort.

Ion, it is much warmer today, but it feels colder because it is all gray and drizzly and chilly and damp.  It appears that my decision not to go to downtown Toronto just to see The Hateful Eight in 70mm has been corroborated by random happenstance. To wit, there was apparently some horrible accident on the QEW in Oakville around 9pm last night and the highway is still closed. The radio says people died, there was fire and damage to the actual road, fog didn't help, and they keep pushing back when they think the road will open again. It's not that there aren't alternate ways to get there from here, but the traffic is bad enough when the major roads are open. Yeah, pretty sure even though the roads will be open again by Fri/Sat I am taking that as confirmation I should not go if I'm not super motivated.

Dead trees on their way, I feel so accomplished.

I didn't know any of this, although having lived in the vicinity I've had all sorts of "peas", all of which were quite tasty, and that smoky bacon/ham thing is delicious. For example, I like it in the "gravy" on shrimp and grits. Didn't really think about, though, as something hard to find. Lastly, you can get it lots of places, now, but the first time I bought Carolina Gold rice was when I visited a former plantation outside Charleston. I honestly can't tell you that I found it all that different when I cooked with it, but it was tasty. P.S. Wow. Is that industry a nasty bit of history. The tour docents are surprisingly direct about it. So anyway, it'd be kind of cool to try to find all these ingredients and use the cooking method mentioned and see if it tastes very different. It probably does. http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/southern-hoppin-john-new-years-tradition.html http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/southern-hoppin-john-new-years-tradit...

Here's what I think is stupid about this (btw, I'm not questioning that things happened, I just think there's a lot of stupid, here): 1. You can train people, and/or specifically hire people who know what they are looking at/for. There is also such a thing as a consulting expert and I think the judiciary needs this input as much as the front line security and law enforcement folks.  2. I don't know what the pilot was actually told. I call BS on any professional passenger pilot not knowing standard meteorology terms and instruments. I also call BS on a pilot physically attacking a passenger like they're in a stupid movie. Although it is becoming less true, the vast majority of American passenger pilots started as military pilots. Don't tell me the military trains its pilots to go around attacking people like they're in an action movie. If he did that, he's an ass. Call security and let them do the Rambo thing, if that's even appropriate. 3. Lastly, wh...

Below is a copy of a summary of some data presented at the American Heart Association's scientific sessions: Salary Comparison Among Male and Female Cardiologists A second study compared the considerably different work experiences and salaries of female and male cardiologists. Despite efforts to increase gender diversity in cardiology, the study data suggest that major differences in job characteristics and rates of pay persist between men and women who treat patients with heart conditions. The researchers found that the ranks of female cardiologists remain disproportionately small compared with those in medicine overall. Women were also less likely than men to specialize in higher-paying interventional procedures. They also earned less than men, even when adjusting for the different types of work they do.

We are having a Vancouver day here (not cold, gray, raining).

Interesting. http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/10/lets-talk-about-thin-privilege/ http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/10/lets-talk-about-thin-privilege

A parting gift in re: this year's solstice. Informative article. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12061231/When-is-the-shortest-day-of-the-year-the-winter-solstice-2015.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12061231/When-is-the-shortest-day-of-the-year-the-winter-solstice-2015.html

I have a demi-gluteal amount of work done on 2/3 things, with a semidemi-gluteal amount done on the other 1/3. Giving up, going home. #totallymotivated #ftn

Oh, the humanity. The video is even worse than the song. Yay for commercially built up songs and singing groups. Not sure if the fact that it was supposed to be for charity makes it better or worse? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCkCqvg6c8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCkCqvg6c8

Ok, srsly, how do you write an essay about why you applied to a particular program? That's a bullet list. Here's how I found out about you, here's what I know about you that appeals to me, maybe here's some personal ties or something. What else can you say?  Not essay-length material, here.

Oh, right. My motivation is getting away from my family. I can probably work that up into something. (Not really humor, unfortunately.)

Does somebody else want to write this stuff for me? I got kinda blown outta the water mentation and motivation wise, or so it would seem, by virtue of the thxgvg and peri-holiday mania. Like, I am oddly sleeping more consistently, now, even if it's on a weird schedule, and yet am staring at walls far more consistently. Did you know a watched wall never moves? You'd think they would. I mean, micro tremors happen all the time, right? Not feeling all hypomanic and energetic and focused. My mom asked me what Dr. Who episodes I don't have because she had some kind of discount and I think that means that's what I am getting for xmas (yay). I think this means I can't say she never listens to me, now. Anyway, I had to sit down and write out a list because the printer was broken and she wanted the list with her so I did that but it took while. Hey, I managed that but I don't think that kind of writing is any kind of sign that I am going to get the whole essay thing going...

We need a Miss Manners or Emily Post or something for the modern age. If you are not in your own home or an enclosed sound proofed space, TURN THE SOUND OFF OR USE EAR BUDS/HEADPHONES. Jfam, people, I do not want to hear your fscking games, conversations, and omg, so awesome ringtones and textones. They Are Not Cute. Note to self: develop portable, directable parabolic reflector. People really shouldn't have to be told this. Being in public makes it more your responsibility to consider others, not less. It's a shared space, not your opportunity to stake a claim on more personal space. Also, any time you suddenly feel a burning need to buy me a present, sound blocking headphones would be The gift. #getoffmylawn #nosrslygetoffthegrass

More thoughts on something inspired by someone else's post about harassment and abuse in the workplace. No HR - I've seen this so many places. Generalization based on my experiences - everybody hates HR, HR is the butt of all the jokes, HR doesn't do anything,etc. This makes it a great idea to not incur the expense of people who don't do anything a company needs, especially a smaller company where one salary and benefits can be a significant percentage cost. Except this is exactly what HR is supposed to be there for, not that it always works this way. An uninvolved third party whose only interest would be to maintain standards, offer education, and set up and enforce problem addressing plans and firing if there's not change to the standards set in those plans. Of course, leadership has to empower HR to do this and not undermine it. Good luck with that. Why don't women report? Because they lose. Even if the company goes through the motions as if they believe you,...

Omg, Brian Setzer, what happened to you? Not even gonna give you a link. It's terrifying. It's called "Yabba-Dabba Yuletide". It's the theme song to The Flintstones with xmas lyrics. Augh!

Sitting in B&N supposedly working (obs not) and person just plopped a pile of 7-8 books they are looking through. All cookies and baking. Um, hope that's for New Year's or Epiphany, or something. #judging #notjudging

Who knew there were so many versions of this song? (Thank you, independent radio station.) I don't think they've even played whatever special it's from in forever, but the song lives! My favorite is the hard rock version, although I like the faster tempo and driving beat of the punk rock version. The Big Bad Voodoo Daddies have the 1920's vibe down and when their bassist sings in the latter half, the vocals are great. Of course, that's what the original was, so you might as well just go with that, then. Although I kinda like the vocals from the bassist better than the original. He's got that gravelly thing and a classic evil laugh. P.S. Torn between impressed with all the work needed and annoying light displays in the video for BIg Bad Voodoo Daddies version. Yes, there was one without it, but why would I link to that? Note the singing reindeer chorus. hard rock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvVEaCoaVq0 punk rock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XArbwSNroXU b...

Hair update - the clip thing works (thank you Bethany Willick), although I bear a strong resemblance to Sally from The Peanuts . Gave up and did headband when needed off face completely and discovered new fun fact - the haircut is asymmetrical, as well. Like, how, what, ide, hello? Unreal. Other news - when hair is this short, it doesn't move when you shake your head. I have never had that experience. And now I have. Didn't even know it was on my bucket list.

Plan to take advantage of not family and see movies on xmas day rapidly failing. Most of the independent theaters will be closed and the big commercial ones are showing a lot of yuck. Only thing playing I will want to see is TFA, so waiting until then to see it. On the upside, if I like it then I can go see it again.

The hamster is killing me. http://mentalfloss.com/article/72711/here-are-winners-2015s-comedy-wildlife-photography-awards http://mentalfloss.com/article/72711/here-are-winners-2015s-comedy-wildlife-photography-awards

Bugger. If I want to see The Hateful Eight in 70mm, I have to drive 3 hours to downtown Toronto on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Next closest is Cleveland. Somehow, I don't think I'm going to get to see this in 70mm.

Unintended consequences: Another result of too many lemons. See, there were too many lemons, so I made lemon curd. But then there were extra egg whites, so I made coconut macaroons. Plain (i.e., vanilla), plain chocolate dipped, and almond. They're just unsweetened, unsulphured, flaked coconut with egg whites, some sugar (there's roughly 1 tsp per cookie), and the vanilla or almond extract. They're quite decent sized, as well. As an aside, I thought, wow, that's a lot of sugar. Then I calculated it for your average cookies, like chocolate chips or oatmeal or peanut butter. Turns out it's not a lot of sugar per cookie. The lemon sauce for the asparagus was also a result of the too many lemons. So be warned. Always count your lemons before you buy, or you never know what might happen.

Dinner last night. Wild King salmon and asparagus with lemon sauce. The salmon was cooked in the oven in basil olive oil with tarragon, chervil, and marjoram (also a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper). The asparagus was supposed to be three colors of asparagus but it turns out that purple asparagus turns almost entirely green upon cooking (the water turns purple, go figure). White asparagus does taste different, presumably that means chlorophyll has a taste. To me, the white is a little sweeter. The texture is somewhat different, as well. The lemon sauce was lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, shallots, garlic, tarragon. This was one of the consequences of mom overbuying lemons for her baking. There was a lot of leftover lemon juice. So I sauteed some shallots and a bit of garlic in olive oil and added the lemon juice and let it cook down into a syrup. I added a little tarragon toward the end. Then I mixed it with some dijon mustard and took the edge off with...

Jez tribell - I would like to request your snail mail for similar purposes to yours. Preferred methods for doing this?

Based on the date this was very recent. My first reaction was to think that's really cool, until I thought about the fact that this is not way off-shore. It's in Vancouver, so that water is only so deep. Plus, at first I thought they meant an Orca, because that's usually what people mean colloquially by whale in that area, but that's a real whale whale. This particular spot isn't the shipping channels, it's an area where people swim and boat, but it would have to have crossed the shipping channels with the big container ships. So I'm really torn between that's cool, and I hope that whale is ok.  Originally shared by Sherry Sabatine Whale In English Bay  http://www.tobeoriginals.com/videos/whale-in-english-bay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CXDdUd_GC4

Google plus hates me. But that saves you a long entry on all the wrongity wrong wrongness. Here, have a link, Personally, I find it disgusting. I should never watch the news. http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/us/virginia-school-shut-islam-homework/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/us/virginia-school-shut-islam-homework

Ion, haven't gotten around to telling you, but essays and appls have lead to one scheduled interview after the holidays and a request for a secondary application from elsewhere. Thus, one of the things I must do is write more essays. I had started them before the prior holiday and was hoping to finish while in CA, which did not happen for reasons, and am now experiencing brain sludge. MUST FINISH ESSAYS. Hate writing essays.

Omg, I hate my hair cut so much . It's shorter in front and longer in back by at least 3". It's so short it doesn't even completely cover my ears. And it makes me look old. How do you even do that? I have never had a hair cut that made you look older. What is up with that? Ugh. I have to look at this every morning and whenever I get near a mirror, so every night, too, at a minimum. This is the fourth place I've tried to get my hair cut around here and I am super frustrated. At least it cost less than some of the others? Augh. It's gonna take at least 2 months for enough of this to grow out to be able to modify it at all, and I should probably wait at least 3 before letting somebody touch it mangle it, again. I hate everything right now.

I am not so sure about the black cherry filling, but this is not your average yule log cake and I think it's pretty attractive. http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2015/12/mulled-wine-stump-de-noel-cake-and.html http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2015/12/mulled-wine-stump-de-noel-cake-and.html

Things you want to hear: Oh, I guess I cut it too short. -_- Couldn't get to Meg's awesome hair place as per mentioned reasons, so tried a different new place around here. Sigh. See, it's the curly hair thing. It, you know, curls up shorter than when it's wet and straight while you are cutting it.

I'm confused, the sun came out.

WE HAVE BAO. There's a new stand at the immigrant incubator. Fresh bao! Om nom nom.

Woo, new mirror assembly.

Hangin' at the car shop gettin' the damage from a rogue garbage bin repaired. To wit, the passenger side mirror assembly. Better than if it had damaged the door or window, though.

I cannot quite seem to get readjusted off California time.

Dinner - Main was wild walleye pike, probably from Lake Huron around here, in a sauce made from orange juice, orange zest, shallots, garlic, capers, diced tomatoes with juice, and chunks of roasted pimentos from this summer. Sauteed thinly sliced shallots and minced garlic a bit in olive oil before adding everything else. Sprinkled a little onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and dried oregano on the fish before adding it the the pan. Side was an old Jacques Pepin recipe for braised leeks in tomato vinaigrette. You can find it on the weebs. Dessert was a lemon curd tart because my mom had been experiment baking and bought a lot more lemons than she needed and didn't know what to do with them. So I made lemon curd, because. And put it in a tart, because.

It would seem that, like Scotch Broth, Split Pea soup is no longer a thing. You can buy a couple of brands, still, but most of them are this chunky mass of ham and veggies and some of them are kind of watery. It's too bad, because I like split pea, esp if it's thick and flavored with bacon, but not full of chunks of stuff. It was awesome when I could just eat a can of it. Oh, well, it will be a treat I sometimes make for myself, I guess.

About San Francisco: It's taken a bit of decompression to deal with, but I'm probably over the hump, so the rest will just have to taper. Anyway, the good parts include serendipitously finding Valrhona at the Whole Foods. Not exactly the ones I usually use (Manjari 64% is my go to), but it's more than acceptable (Guanaja 70% and Jivara 40%; I can blend them). Other things: My nephew is a Stepford child. One year olds should complain more and listen less and just generally be more difficult. He's also an object lesson in observable extroversion and charisma. I suppose it's good that his parents are extroverted, because I'd get really annoyed at all the people constantly coming over and wanting to touch and hold him. He gets more and more energized the more people interact with him (number of people). It will make it difficult to turn him off and get him to nap. It's good thing that normally he goes to day care, his parents have a finite amount of energy. Will...

I'm not sure why I particularly like this performance, maybe because it was a little unexpected, but who knows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7oc5tss88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7oc5tss88

Er, so, I saw it a bit ago but haven't posted anything in re: final Dr. Who episode of this batch. Few enough of you probably care, but ok. S P O I L E R S Short version: lots of good ideas that had little to do with each other crammed into a single episode that lacked any cohesive story. I still have no idea who Peter Capaldi's Dr. is. I mean, irascible, inconsistent, dark clothes that aren't nearly as specific as people keep claiming they are, at least, not to my eye. They keep occasionally toying with Guitar Hero Dr., which is the closest to anything I've seen that might be a thing. Dr. who writes with white chalk a lot? Meh. Speaking of which, other than the fact that I immediately sussed out the supposed big reveal on the skulls being the Dr. in the prior episode, likely a strong reason why I thought the whole thing was a bore, I have a persistent question. Why did he have to keep bashing on the impervious adamantine surface with his bare hands? I mean, ok, I'l...

On two subjects of interest amongst some of you. Originally shared by Make: Munch on these Star Wars sweets before Thursday's premiere http://makezine.com/2015/12/14/7-star-wars-gingerbread-houses/

It's was seventy degrees today. 70F. Which sounds great, except that if we don't get a decently long period of time with a good, hard freeze sometime in January or February, we are going to be overrun with critters and insects come March/April through the next time it gets really cold. Also, this is not good for the apricot trees and the moth larvae I am trying to eliminate therefrom.

Weird. I have had this thing happen where the gas pump insists the tank is full and keeps shutting off but it is not full a couple of times in different places the last few months. What is up with that?

Today I am disappointed to discover that the reason I have been unable to find my favorite inexpensive but tasty canned split pea soup is that they have stopped making it. I shall have to hunt for another. My life is hard.

So many live cams, such animals, wow. http://explore.org/live-cams/player/china-panda-cam-2

It's all lies. Never using Nielsen-Massey vanilla again. I swear it didn't used to, but when did I last look? Well, I did today and they add sugar to their extract. What the? It's a super premium product at a super premium price that became widely used because people like Chuck Williams and Martha Stewart promoted it and touted its virtues when pretty much everyone was still using corn syrup, propylene glycol, and beaver glands. Oo, real vanilla bean in real bourbon left to age, nom nom nom! Maybe it was 20-30 years ago when they started promoting it, but it sure ain't now.  Ugh. Now I have to go around trying different vanilla extracts. I don't bake sufficiently often to do that, nor do I really have the money to do that. I could make my own, but then I'd have to sample a bunch of bourbons to see which I liked best as the base flavor, also a costly proposition. Besides, while the basic flavors are there after about 48 hours, the stuff keeps aging for up to two...

Speak to me of your preferred blind baking technique - pie weights? beans? nanobots? I am debating buying something like reusable pie weights, because it is kind of not helpful to have all those parcooked beans or whatnot around. P.S. Tiny lead weights are not an option.

Don Zack is legit; I know him. This technique, if replicated in other labs, would be a huge improvement over having to isolate and culture RGCs (retinal ganglion cells), something only a handful of labs really do consistently and well. It's a much bigger leap to transplant the cells into eyes, connect the whole pathway to the brain, and get the brain to recognize them, have them function, and be able to use them to see. Still, it's a potentially impressive move forward. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep16595 http://www.nature.com/articles/srep16595

Ion, I just can't seem to like Shaun the Sheep as much as Wallace and Gromit. Carry on.

I guess I was tired last night, because I really slept like I haven't in a long time.

I may be overtired and a bit wound up.

Back at house. Mother being charming. By which I mean demonstrating that she and my brother have a not surprising when you think about it amount in common. Don't know why I am surprised, really, but woo insight at 1 something am local.

On the ground again. Touring tarmac at final destination.

Hanging out on the plane at the gate. But we should leave soon. Probably to hang out on the tarmac.

Wow. I didn't think they flew planes this un-full anymore. Yet there is still entitled behavior. smh

Ok, slight delay in departure. So far not bad.

Hi, MDW. Sched dep: 2:55 Push back: 3:05 Take off: 3:14 Land: 6:41 (8:41) Gate: 6:48 (8:48) Turbulence not constant, tolerable. Now for the next leg.

@ SFO TGIL - thank god I'm leaving (yes, on a jet plane. woo)

All I can say is, it's a good thing I'm leaving tomorrow.

Wheels up: 8:38 Terminal: 10:50 Nice job of making up some time. Still, long day. Will be pleased when can sleep.

Ok. We did not need that excitement. Boarding, someone punches gate agent, police instantly appear, pin and cuff and remove him. The consensus is better at the gate than forcing us to divert the plane. O.o o.O O.O

Took off at 6:15 Touched down at 6:38 At gate at 6:45 Connecting flight: not delayed, but not far away Enjoyed turbulence, not hoping for more of same. Wow. Parts of Midway have very little seating. Is this only weather related, or have they been talking to United?

Sitting at the airport. Good thing: Greeted by a Maltese while waiting to check bag, got pts and doggy kisses. Bad thing: Flight half hour departure delay. Good thing: Connecting flight also possibly delayed.

Heading for the airport in a bit. Hoping airports in Chicago are functioning when I get there (Midway, I am looking at you). Hopefully arriving in San Francisco late tonight. Hi, Kenn.

As chauvinist as it is, it is still a classic. And catwoman. Inspired by a posted elsewhere thing. #waybackwednesday   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMyF9fDKzE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMyF9fDKzE

You know what it's a shame they don't show regularly on TV for Christmas? The Denholm Elliott A Child's Christmas in Wales .

Apparently strong drugs work on my brother like a moderate amount of alcohol. He called my parents tonight and kept talking and talking and talking and ... for like an hour and a half. Guess they're the good drugs, then, 'cuz he seems pretty happy. For certain values of "happy".

I should be finished packing by now. HAHAHahahahahaha .... hah.