February, 2010

  1. I Put A Spell On You

    February 26, 2010 by ChiaLynn

    I shared this on Twitter already – it came in via Elizabeth Bear, who had it from Warren Ellis. But it deserves a place here, too.

    The proceeds go to benefit Haiti. You can pre-order here, though the US purchase site doesn’t appear to be set up yet.

    Incidentally, Christy Moore had something interesting things to say about benefit gigs in the Christy Chat I received this morning.

    John Spillane and I have been putting a few chords together… “Haitian Girl” is the current working title of a song that is emerging. We will perform a gig in Vicar Street, Dublin on Tuesday, 23rd March. All proceeds will go to GOAL in Haiti. Ticketmaster have waived their commission and Vicar Street their rental fees.

    An increasing number of people seem to be becoming critical of benefit gigs. They question the motives and claim that tragic situations are being exploited. One Dublin journalist wrote a scathing attack on those who do benefit gigs. (Presumably getting well paid for the piece) I have heard stories of NGO’s in areas of war and catastrophe, of aid workers behaving inappropriately … But I have also witnessed the courage and commitment of volunteers giving their time and sometimes their very lives to help others. I am in awe of their commitment. I believe that the courage and compassion of thousands far outweighs the errant behaviour of a few. Also I know that certain performers cannot resist any PR opportunity, sometimes cynically, more times unwittingly, but I believe they too are in a minority. Then there are the political arguments, the ethical dimensions, the opportunism of donor nations, the fashionable ladies and gents who lunch for charity … I simply don’t have the time to work it all out, I need to keep it simple. If I can give a dig out I will, and if some want to put a slant on that … so be it.

    Category Music & Movies & Such, Random Babbling | Tags: ,,,,, | No Comments

  2. Pitchforks and torches!

    February 19, 2010 by ChiaLynn

    I made a mistake on Tuesday.

    I went to OSH for supplies – a rosemary bush, some stripper (for the cabinets, you perv), a tube of epoxy, and a pitchfork.

    I walked out with a tulip, some stripper (still for the cabinets – what is wrong with some people?), a tube of epoxy and, yes, a pitchfork.

    Going to OSH was not the mistake.

    Going to OSH at 4:30 on a weekday – that was the mistake.

    The drive there was fine, but coming home? Yeesh.

    I got so fed up with the traffic on Bundy that I turned off, planning to take Pico to 23rd and come home past Santa Monica Airport.

    Never, ever take 23rd past the airport during rush hour.

    A couple of miles north of the airport, I posted this to Twitter.

    (Before you chastise me for tweeting while driving – I wasn’t driving. I was sitting through two light changes, in the middle of a blocks-long tailback, waiting for the cars in front of me to move. They finally did – after the light turned red for the third time.)

    Some time later, I made it home with my pitchfork. (And my tulip, and my epoxy, and my stripper. Which is still for the cabinets.)

    And NovySan said that we just don’t use pitchforks often enough in this modern world.

    He had an idea for how we could change that, though.

    Not by pitchforking people in traffic, but by escorting trick-or-treating groups armed with pitchforks and torches.

    Imagine it – a cluster of princesses, mutants and monsters, flanked by a sizeable group of (possibly tipsy) adults waving the implements of B-movie riots proudly aloft.

    Halloween may never be the same.

    Category Los Angeles, Love, Random Babbling | Tags: ,, | 3 Comments

  3. In lieu of pictures, a recipe (of sorts)

    February 16, 2010 by ChiaLynn

    When NovySan posted a description of our Mardi Gras dinner to Twitter, Slackmistress asked for pictures.

    It was, alas, too late.

    So, in lieu of pictures, here’s the recipe (more or less) for spiced date and pecan-crusted catfish and balsamic greens.

    Start with about a cup of pecan halves. Add three dates (sans pits – does that sound like romantic advice?), two or three cloves of garlic, a dash of salt, and a generous measure of garam masala. (I have two varieties in the cupboard. One contains more cumin, the other more black pepper. For sweeter dishes, like this one, I use the one with more pepper. If you don’t have garam masala, it’s a mix of sweet and savory spices – pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove and cardamom, maybe some saffron or nutmeg. It’s like a shortcut to yummy.) Pulse in a food processor until everything’s mixed – but try not to completely pulverize the pecans. Spread the mixture in a baking dish – mine’s 11X7. You might want to drizzle a little olive oil in there first, just to make sure nothing sticks. Lay two catfish fillets on top of the pecan mixture, then flip them over a couple of times until they’re completely coated. You might need to dig some of the mix out from under them and ladle it over the top. I sprinkled them with some peppercorns, fennel seed and a little more salt. (I’d stick with black pepper – I used a peppercorn mix, and we discovered the white pepper was still a bit crunchy at the end.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, covered.

    As for the greens, they were cooked over a medium flame in a cast iron skillet with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a bit of salt, until they wilted. These were collards, but any greens you like would do. (And actually, I think the collards do better to be slow cooked – they don’t have a lot of moisture in them, so they don’t soften in the pan the way chard or spinach will.)

    Category Eat, Drink & Be Merry | Tags: ,, | 4 Comments

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