DANSUDANSUDANSU!

...you must!

for it's Jazzler's birthday!

and she'd want you to, really. for her own amusement, if nothing else.

c'mon, you know you want to. ^^

(happy birthday, Jazzlah dear. ^-^)

a bit chilli

went to Kumpaar* the other night. hadn't ever been before, but had passed it many times and wanted to try it out. it wasn't spectacular, but it was interesting, the people were nice, and overall it was a fairly good experience. shall have to go again, and take my sister.

hadn't had curry in awhile, so was decidedly in a curry mood. this is the first Thai restaurant i've seen around here that offers duck and lamb as meat choices. so of course, i opted for duck---was curious to see how it would play with the panang.

at first, i was disappointed. the duck by itself was okay, and the panang by itself was okay---just not together.

and then, i had the Famous Chilli Transformation.

i've heard and read about it, but never experienced it myself before---chillis and their amazing power to pull a dish together. i mean, i've had plenty of dishes with chillis in before; i like chillis quite a lot. but i'd never experienced such a complete and utter transformation of what i was eating previous to this.

after i chomped into that chilli, the duck and panang worked wonderfully together. and i couldn't get over it. chillis used properly are amazing, amazing things. ^-^

(still have leftovers, too. shall have to polish them off this weekend. ^^)

* = allegedly, they at one point had their own website, but i can't seem to find it now. for anyone who can't read the Japanese site linked above, apologies. the address and hours are there, though. ^^

...II NE!

wow.

this is SO UP MY ALLEY.

*sparklesparklesparkle*

that's what i want for my erfday. i want to go to this.

and possibly to get a rootbeer float.

the Rally mentioned as going on the day before the auto show takes place might be interesting, too. i wonder if one can merely spectate and not take part...? don't yet have a car which would qualify, unfortunately. ;.;

(what? sometimes i'm very easy to please. XDXD)

rock over london...

should've mentioned Friday, when i found out (courtesy Robnewsmedia), but Wesley Willis is dead at 40.

it was always an exciting prospect to run into him at Reckless Records; he always seemed far more alive than anyone else in the store. or perhaps just less pretentious. in any case, er...yeah. ^^

i keep experimenting and putting together really good things which i want to share recipes for---not sure what my grand total is, but it's come up quite a bit from last time, when i had (i think) 5 or so recipes i meant to post. i might have double that now, although i'm not certain.

expect a flurry coming hopefully sometime this week over at LtS. probably about equal parts vegetarian and non-vegetarian, so everyone can hopefully find something they'll like. ^^

i lied.

right.

so i guess i can go on slightly more about Hopeless Savages.

but why should i when it's done so much more succinctly over here?

wish i'd got into this sooner. but i wish that about a lot of things.

go scoop it up if you can find it---it really is worth a read. and how can you go wrong?!?!? look who's involved! *^^*

streaks in your hair were larger than your guitars

weekend thus far has been relatively quiet. went to visit Sarah and Eric in the hospital with their new baby yesterday. little Xander. have never seen a baby that newborn before. he's quite purple and smooshy-faced and cute. and also very soft. i think peaches will feel rough now compared to his feet. O.O;;;

still intend on posting those recipes sometime soon. have been coming up with more, too---keep trying new things and having them turn out quite tastily. am falling in love with molasses and have to fight the urge to keep from using it in everything.

...hrrm, i want to make pad siew all of the sudden. damn, don't have wide rice noodles. don't have any rice noodles, i think. curses, thwarted again! ;.;

hope to post up reviews of the comics i mentioned a couple of entries back. i'll start by saying that Lenore #10 is a lot better than #9 was. which is good, cos #9 was really not so good. #10's worth a look, though. and really, i can't push Hopeless Savages enough. Jill Thompson's Death manga really makes me want to play dressup...must...fight...urge to whip out copious amounts of black liquid eyeliner...XD

songs about cars

NPIMH: "chansons sur les filles." catherine.

yesterday's C-spot drive party experience may or may not have had to do with the subject of my dreams last night.

as dreams usually tend to, there were lots of strange things that didn't fit together at all in the one i remember from last night. one of these was that Our Favourite Postie Paul apparently had a Mini (not sure if it was Austin or Morris or Rover or what have you) which he needed watched. and so, i was watching it for him at my house, which looked strikingly similar (yet not at all) to the one Mariam's family used to have when we were growing up.

the Mini itself was a bit like a Mini Designer (scroll down and click the link so designated to learn more about the Mary Quant connection), only it didn't have the big flower on the bonnet---instead, it had places on the upholstery inside where it was obvious some sort of horrific big flower-motif prints in that same general shape had been removed fairly recently, so the outline could still be seen on the fabric that was left.

it got stolen out of the drive in front of the house (which is strange, since there was no drive in front of the real house). and then i woke up.

so, er, not that he ever would---but i think this dream clearly illustrates that if Postie Paul happens to have need of someone to watch a Mini for him, it really shouldn't be me. XDXD

(for the record, i think at least part of the blame for this dream lies on the shoulders of Mini Magazine, who had a feature a couple of issues back on a diamond white Mini Designer that some lady had restored. and my horrified fascination with the big scary flower across the bonnet. XDXD)

subliminal rotary club!

THEY'RE COMING. THIS AUTUMN.

*.*;;;

MSRP = $14.99/ea.

(you may even be able to pay for them with pennies. unlike Svetlana.)

picked up a few things this weekend as well, aside from photos. XD got the first Hopeless Savages TPB that Oni Press put out (by Jen Van Meter and Christine Norrie, with various bits contributed by Andi Watson, Chynna Clugston-Major, Guy Major, and others); it's loads of fun and i highly recommend it if you haven't already read it. Skanky Zero = my new hero. <3 <3 <3 speaking of Ms. Clugston-Major, also picked up the first two issues of Scooter Girl, which i'd been meaning to for some time. grabbed Jill Thompson's Death #1: At Death's Door as well. oh, and apparently there's a new issue of Lenore out, so i also grabbed that. was mightily interested in Days Like This (more from Oni Press), but showed restraint and left both that and the other Hopeless Savages book on the shelf at Chicago Comics' booth where they were. (and incidentally, they had a whole section aimed at me. nearly everything i was looking for was on two shelves. *.*;;; i <3 ChiCom. my wallet, however, thinks they're Big Mean Teases. XDXD

(that's the other thing about the comicon the past few years---haven't really found much that was exciting, and certainly not enough to buy---and anything i have has been found at ChiCom or a few other places i would've shopped anyway. hrrm. XD)

there were also bagels. about 16, in fact. here's the first batch:

and perhaps subconsciously in honour of the RX-8 being released here not long ago, i present the following bagel, which i SWEAR ended up this way entirely of its own volition, and with no intentional help whatsoever on my part:

and then there was the C-Spot Drive Party. the giant tent part was the stuff of very surreal dreams. including random refrigerators popping up and videotaping you (and no, i'm not kidding). a Mercedes-Benz event promoting their C-class vehicles which felt like some odd cross between a fashion show and a gallery opening. the two driving courses (one featuring professional drivers taking you for hot laps in AMGs and such, and one featuring you [well, if you're licensed] driving the C-class of your choice with very unfortunate speed restrictions around a closed course) were way, WAY too short. which was a bit of a let down, considering this event was meant to promote these cars and try to not-so-subliminally convince people to buy them.

('twas a weekend of foodporn and carporn, what more could you want? XDXDXD)

katsu you, katsu me....

today was quite a busy day.

at the Chicago comic convention from today through Sunday. so far, it's about as expected. there's a rather fun game in the PlayStation booth, although i forget now what it's called. hopefully i'll get to play it again. it involves the player standing in front of a blank screen and some sort of motion-detecting device monitoring you as you beat imaginary things (which show up onscreen, which is how you track them). i'm not terribly good at it, but i was better than some people. hee.

also, met Paul Dini. again. forgot we'd met him before, because am a dork with no memory. ^^;;; was reminded upon pulling out my Mad Love comic and seeing that oh yes, evidently we'd met before because he'd signed it. ^^;;;

hee. anyway, this time round, i got my Batman Animated book (done by Chip Kidd, and really REALLY spectacular) signed. (Spaz was lovely enough to take a picture. ^^)

other biggest amusements of the day were had by visiting the Toynami booth, which has many fun Robotech toys---but the really amusing things were the I-Men, which seem to amount to their versions of Kubrick block figures. witness for the prosecution below, one Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law:

we go back for more punishment tomorrow morning, bright and early. and on Sunday. unfortunately, they seem to have taken away the Trailer Park, which was this block of time where they'd string together a zillion or so trailers of things scheduled to be released theatrically in the next couple of years. which was usually one of the more interesting things about the con---but alas, it has gone.

loads of bootlegged Invader ZIM stuff, which kinda pisses me off. i mean, not on Nickelodeon's behalf---they're the ones who shot themselves in the foot with how they treated it. but on behalf of everyone who worked so hard on that show, well---argh. argh argh ARGH. --;;;

oooh, i should mention also that the Smokescreen Transformer (Makkinen edition) is on display at the Hasbro booth. that thing is REALLY gorgeous. i'm still amazed asking price (so far) is only going to be $50. i really would've thought it would be more. i mean, not that i'm encouraging it to be...but. XD

finally, there was dinner. which i'll include here just to say OMFG YOU SHOULD EAT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DO YOU REALISE HOW LATE IT IS?!?!??!

hrrm. would this count as "torikatsu"? haps. XDXD

(this post brought to you by: Shirakiku honey panko is TEH WIN. <3 <3 <3)

i can hardly wait for my stars to fall in line

you and you are way too cute for words.

i <3 you to bits. who else would address a package containing a box of nyummy Swiss chocolate to "Ultimate 3v331 c/o Janaki," after all? XDXDXD and write such great letters. letters which demand warning labels, in fact.

XDXDXDXDXD

*sqwishees you both*

in other news, i doubt very much that i shall ever not be Entirely Too Busy Ever Ever Again. in some ways it's nice, as i'm somewhat less bored than usual. at times i want to claw my eyes out, but at least it's for different reasons. XDXD

must make adjustments to that eggplant parmesan; tried making it without peeling the eggplant, as i've never done it before. am not so very fond of it unpeeled---it's got a strange bitterness that isn't really pleasant. allegedly this can be removed if one salts the eggplant first, but as i suspect i won't often think quite THAT far ahead, must peel next time. and bread. tried making it without breading, which was okay---but the breading is nice and crispy. nyum.

made lasagna last night which will probably last just about all the way through the week. turned out fairly well, although perhaps not the prettiest possible. and i left out the basil. d'oh. fresh basil makes EVERYTHING better. but asiago cheese in the lasagna works wonders, oh yes. ^^

have at least three recipes i'd like to post up at LtS, but haven't had time yet. will do it soon, though---and i s'pose i ought to plan on posting up that pumpkin soup recipe i've promised Sarah Dyer soon too, as by the time i actually get around to posting these, chances are good it'll be prime autumn soup time again. :D

how does your garden grow?

(i wish i could say this came out of my garden. unfortunately, it did not. it came instead from the good people at River Valley Ranch.)

and alas, this mushroom is no more. but it went the way of all mushrooms in our house in quite a nice way, really---marinated in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a bit of rosemary and then broiled (as it was too rainy out to grill).

nyum. ^^

candy is dandy...

but liquor really is quicker, innit? XD

lunch was fairly nice; reheated eggplant parmesan (and no, not parmigiana, for such would intimate that proper parmigiano reggiano the undisputed king of cheeses was used, which it wasn't because lo, am too po' for such niceties at the moment) from dinner a couple of nights ago coupled with William Gibson's "The Gernsback Continuum." Gibson is a strange case for me---it feels like something i should like, something i want to like---but for some reason, i've remained quite unimpressed so far in what i've read of his writing. don't really think it's horrid, but haven't really cared for it much, either.

in that spirit, of course, i insist on trying over and over again when the urge strikes---i think i'm bothered by the fact that a lot of people whose opinions i actually do value pretty highly seem to think highly of him. part of me worries that there's something i'm just not seeing that's right in front of me. (recommendations...?)

at any rate, in reading Burning Chrome, which is a collection of short stories (and which i picked up for free from the boxes one of the local bookstores puts out for people to rummage through of things which they were given and don't want, for whatever reason) from 1986 or thereabouts---i'm discovering that so far, i vastly prefer his short stories. granted, this is having read about two of them. XD but already, i like "The Gernsback Continuum" a whole lot better than, say, Idoru. (and there's the matter of that absolutely crap episode of X-Files he wrote, but that's another story altogether. XDXD)

the idea of semiotic ghosts makes me snerk. and am particularly fond of the line about how "really bad media" can quite effectively exorcise semiotic ghosts. ehehehhe.

this explains the early career of Peter Jackson, maybe? XDXDXD

*waits for sizzle that never comes*