-
Snoop brings in the holidays with a rousing reading of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Watch after you set up your Christmas tree, with a frosty mug of eggnog.
Posted on December 13, 2009
-
Jerk Chicken Wings
This will be made. Just not with chicken wings.12 scallions, tops and bottoms trimmed, chopped
8 cloves of garlic
4 dried bay leaves
1 habanero or 2 jalapenos, chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 teaspoons ground allspice
course salt and ground pepper
6 pounds chicken wings or 3 pounds drumsticks
lime wedges, for servingIn a food processor, pulse scallions, garlic, bay leaves, habanero, vinegar, thyme, allspice, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons pepper until coarsely ground. In a large shallow dish, toss chicken with jerk mixture and refrigerate at least one hour (up to 1 day). Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange chicken on foil lined rimmed baking sheet and cook until browned, 35-40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. To grill, cook over medium, covered, until cooked through, 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve with lime wedges.
via Proceed with CautionPosted on December 13, 2009 via Simple Recipes with 3 notes
-
I can’t wait to check this book out. Terry Gross has a great interview with David Bianculli (who New Yorkers may recognize as a television critic for the Daily News back in the day) on Fresh Air.The Smothers Brothers’ losing battle is chronicled in the new book Dangerously Funnyby David Bianculli, a meticulously researched account of how ideological divisions and skirmishes over creative control led to the show’s demise. Bianculli’s implicit argument is that CBS’s censorship limited the show’s potential. You could argue that’s the opposite of what happened. Americans are conditioned to value free speech, and when we see things such as a media blackout in Iran, we’re reminded how good we have it. But censorship is more of a creative asset to television than it is a curse. The complete freedom to create and distribute that is possible in music, film, and the visual arts doesn’t exist in television, which is why hipsters go crazy for the latest indie band or indie movie, but no one ever talks about the hot indie TV show—because there’s no such thing.
Alston, on the upside of censorship.Posted on December 13, 2009 via Newsweek with 25 notes
-
The implicit theory of political change here, that pivotal members of congress undermine reform proposals because of ‘the White House’s refusal to push for real reform’ is just wrong. That’s not how things work. The fact of the matter is that Matt Taibbi is more liberal than I am, and I am more liberal than Larry Summers is, but Larry Summers is more liberal than Ben Nelson is. Replacing Summers with me, or with Taibbi, doesn’t change the fact that the only bills that pass the Senate are the bills that Ben Nelson votes for.
The problem here, to be clear, isn’t that lefties are being too mean to poor Barack Obama. The problem is that to accomplish the things I want to see accomplished, people who want change need to correctly identify the obstacles to change. If members of congress are replaced by less-liberal members in the midterms, then the prospects for changing the status quo will be diminished. By contrast, if members are replaced by more-liberal members (either via primaries or general elections) the prospects for changing the status will be improved. Back before the 2008 election, it would frequently happen that good bills passed congress and got vetoed by the president. Since Obama got elected, that doesn’t happen anymore. Now instead Obama proposes things that get watered down or killed in congress. That means focus needs to shift.
Matt Yglesias speaks truth, in response to Matt Taibbi’s latest diatribe. Taibbi’s piece was briefly fact-checked by Tim Fernholz of Prospect here.Posted on December 12, 2009
-
-James Jean, an endlessly fascinating artist. This is a sketch on a Moleskine.
Posted on December 12, 2009
-
‘They rolled the olive oil-loaded dice, and won.’
Orecchiette with lamb neck sausage, cherry peppers and broccoli rabe. From the prix fixe lunch at Del Posto. E & I must take advantage of this. The review describes the experience as Mario Batali, Mark Ladner, and Joe Bastianich’s “holiday present to serious eaters”. Click through. Especially if your name is Erika. Start with the bread basket. Check out the roasted lamb rack. If that doesn’t arouse your interest, consider the wood-grilled lobster. It comes with semolina-based gnocchi. The dessert alone makes it all worth it. I mean a dark chocolate coffee tartufo! Chocolate olive oil popsicles! !
Posted on December 12, 2009 with 3 notes
-
I don’t eat a lot of meat, but this is fascinating. Food Curated takes a look at the smoking process used by chef de cuisine Andrew Pressler at Fatty ‘Cue, a new barbecue joint in Williamsburg. According to Serious Eats (h/t, by the way), the spin on the restaurant is that they flavor smoked meat and fish with Southeast Asian flavors.
Posted on December 12, 2009
-
‘[R]omantically primed’ men (that is, men induced to think about sex by means of being shown pictures of attractive women) were more likely to splurge on items of conspicuous consumption, like a new car, a fancy watch or a new cellphone. At the same time, romantically primed men were not likely to increase their spending on inconspicuous items like an alarm clock or household cleaners.
The researchers’ conclusion: Men use purchases as a signal to potential mates, to show that they’re fit and have access to resources.
(Do women display the same behavior when romantically primed? At least in this study, no. Instead, women responded to romantic priming by reporting more willingness to spend time volunteering.)
So, guys, watch out for that cute salesgirl. And if she touches you on the arm, be especially careful — human touch releases a brain chemical called oxytocin, which is important to social bonding and trust. In the lab, oxytocin has been shown to make people more generous with their money.
Ryan Sager, with a timely holiday shopping tip. h/t Patrick Appel (The Daily Dish)Posted on December 12, 2009 with 2 notes
-
Tiger Woods, in designating himself truly a mutt rather than Black By Default, is ahead of the curve. There are those who think he was supposed to declare himself “black” because of how, say, police might see him. But to do that would be to deny that his Thai mother contributed half of his genes and raised him – raised him, unable, as someone not Black American, to do so as a Black Mother. So, Tiger was brave enough to – brace yourself, Soul Patrol – be what he is. Two things. Not just black – and not even mainly black.
Something we can all agree on – in fifty years a lot of people will see it as odd that in our times that was seen as news. We’re mixing, a lot. There are now increasing numbers of self-avowedly “biracial” people – the days I knew as a kid when the black-white “mixed” kid was faced with having to “admit” that she was “black” when she was about thirteen, crying at forums where such issues were discussed out of ambivalence over disowning her non-black parent, are past. Tiger isn’t, from what is evident publicly, especially deep – but he’s prescient. He is the future, just as FDR, hardly deep himself, gave us Social Security, the FDIC and so much more. Sometimes we need to hearken to people who are not given to thinking too very much.
-John McWhorter, via Post-Bourgie (Shani-O). Shani-O goes on to discuss how McWhorter’s perspective seems to have shifted over the last year, possibly as a result of the Obama campaign. For a quick look at why McWhorter was considered a controversial thinker/writer, click here, and read his piece on Zora Neale Hurston. I partially agree with Shani-O’s point, but think the campaign may have had some impact on the views/priorities of McWhorter critics as well.
My opinion of McWhorter began to shift in response to his frequent appearances on Bloggingheads. I find that I have a greater appreciation of intentionally provocative, disagreeable or contrarian arguments when they are expressed in conversation rather than with the written word. Unlike a lot of other shows/panels featuring pundits, journalists and academics, the debates that take place on Bloggingheads are pretty conversational in tone, which really gives me a better understanding of McWhorter’s approach (or at least make me more willing to hear him out).
I really agree with what he says here, even though he’s still a little too enamored of the view that he’s “telling hard truths” to a culture that doesn’t want to hear it. The “Soul Patrol”, to the extent that it exists, is far less homogenous than McWhorter allows himself to believe.
Posted on December 12, 2009
-
![thedailywhat:
Lunchbreath: “How”
[more.]
Heh.](http://16.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuhrxgbQ7I1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
Posted on December 11, 2009 via The Daily What with 436 notes
