First Day of Summer

Tonight is the Wilco concert at Merriweather. What a perfect way to spend the first evening of summer. See you all on the lawn!

My husband proposed to be while Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was playing on our turntable. So, it's always a sentimental time.

Finished

I finished my painting last night. I think I might do a series of scared ladies. We'll see.

Because I Know You're Wondering What I Thought

about the Sopranos ending. I thought it was perfect. I'm a big fan of endings without a clear, discernible conclusion, like Twin Peaks. I really don't understand why everyone is surprised and upset about it.

Thanks David Chase for some of the best television I've ever seen.

Help Send My Friend to Napa!

My friend Meg writes a great food blog and was nominated for a trip to Napa! Please help her be #1! Vote for her here by clicking on the "send me to napa" banner.

Thanks so much my fabulous readers!

Support Independent Publishers!

McSweeney's is in trouble. They are perhaps one of the great publishers of thoughtful and quirky media of our generation. Please support them today by buying some books you're sure to enjoy.


(Reprinted from their website)

NOW WOULD BE
A GOOD TIME.
- - - -

As you may know, it's been tough going for many independent publishers, McSweeney's included, since our distributor filed for bankruptcy last December 29. We lost about $130,000—actual earnings that were simply erased. Due to the intricacies of the settlement, the real hurt didn't hit right away, but it's hitting now. Like most small publishers, our business is basically a break-even proposition in the best of times, so there's really no way to absorb a loss that big.

We are committed to getting through and past this difficult time, and we're hoping you, the readers, who have from the start made McSweeney's possible, will help us.

Over the next week or so, we'll be holding an inventory sell-off and rare-item auction, which we hope will make a dent in the losses we sustained. A few years ago, the indispensable comics publisher Fantagraphics, in similarly dire straits, held a similar sale, and it helped them greatly. We're hoping to do the same.

So if you've had your eye on anything we've produced, now would be a great time to take the plunge. For the next week or so, subscriptions are $5 off, new books are 30 percent off, and the entire backlist is 50 percent off. Please check out the store and enjoy the astounding savings, while knowing every purchase will help dig us out of a big hole.

Many of our contributors have stepped up and given us original artwork and limited editions to auction off. We've got original artwork from Chris Ware, Marcel Dzama, David Byrne, and Tony Millionaire; a limited-edition music mix from Nick Hornby; rare early issues of the quarterly, direct from Sean Wilsey's closet; and more. We're even auctioning off Dave Eggers's painting of George W. Bush as a double amputee, from the cover of Issue 14. More special items will be appearing as we go, so check back often.

This is the bulk of our groundbreaking business-saving plan: to continue to sell the things we've made, albeit at a greatly accelerated pace for a brief period of time. We are not business masterminds, but we are optimistic that this will work. If you've liked what we've done up to now, this is the time to ensure we'll be able to keep on doing more.

Plenty of excellent presses are in similar straits these days; two top-notch peers of ours, Soft Skull and Counterpoint, were just acquired by Winton, Shoemaker & Co. in the last few weeks. It's an unsteady time for everybody, and we know we don't have any special claim to your book-buying budget. We owe all of you a lot for everything you've allowed us to do over the last nine years, for all the time and freedom we've been given.

Once this calamity is averted, we'll get back to our bread and butter—the Believer Music Issue is already creeping into mailboxes everywhere; Issue 24 of our quarterly is in the midst of a really pretty silk-screening process; and in July the fourth issue of Wholphin, our DVD magazine, will slip over the border from Canada, bringing with it some very good footage of Maggie Gyllenhaal and a Moroccan drummer who messes up a wedding in an entertaining way. And then, a couple of months after that, we'll publish a debut novel from a writer named Millard Kaufman. This book is exactly the kind of thing McSweeney's was created to do: it came through the mail, without an agent's imprimatur, and it was written by a first-time novelist. This first-time novelist is 90 years old. His novel was pulled from the submissions pile and it knocked the socks off of everyone who read it. Millard may well be the best extant epic-comedic writer of his generation, and he stands at equal height with the best of several generations since.

Please do whatever you can to help. We thank you a thousand times. We'll keep updating everybody on how this is going over the next few weeks; for now, pick up a few things for yourself, for your friends, for Barack Obama. More news soon—thanks for reading.

Dream Job

This article in the New York Times today chronicles a woman with my dream job. I've always wanted to be a scientific photographer and/or illustrator.

Her pictures are amazing. Check them out!

(The picture above is one I took of an Penicillium species on an agar plate)

Progress Report

So, it isn't finished, but hopefully will be this week. I need to tighten up some of the lights and darks and make her shirt look good again. I'm still practicing painting humans, this one is working out okay, I guess.

A finished picture will follow.

Awesome

I found this image over at this blog of a guy who really hates Hello Kitty. But, his wife doesn't, and apparently has unlimited resources to buy all of this stuff. This has to be the ultimate Hello Kitty product ever made. I wish it were powerful enough so I could justify getting it for work.

Carnival Skittles (again)

Last night, I saw the one pound bags of the Carnival Skittles at a Safeway in Columbia. I think now that I finally found them, I'll start seeing them everywhere.

If you see them, buy a bag and try them. The retro starburst are also good. And how could they not be with a flavor called "optimus lime"?

Only a few more weeks until the Transformers movie!

The Longest Week of Our Lives

On Monday, it'll all be over, and office mates everywhere will be talking about the end of the Sopranos. Unless, of course, you work at my office where I'm the only one who has HBO. Yes, this week is indeed the longest week of our lives as we await the conclusion of the amazing series, the Sopranos. I am a spoiler reader, but have managed to avoid googling "Sopranos spoilers" for a few weeks now. Alright, I did peek once, but decided it was worth not knowing anything. For the record, the only thing I read was that Tony would kill Christopher and Bobby would die. That's all I knew!

In a mere three days, we'll know whether or not Tony finally kills Phil (please!), and the fate of our beloved gangsters whom we've watched disfigure, kill, and pummel others for the past 8 or so years. I'm sure we won't be disappointed.

The Today Show Sucks

Every once in a while, I watch the Today show to remind myself that I hate network news. This morning, I wanted to see Bob Barker talk about his last Price is Right taping, and saw yet another piece about how Americans are offended about something that is hilarious. Apparently, this video is offensive to most Americans. I'm sure cool people have been watching this for weeks, but my husband just showed it to me last night. And, it's one of the funniest things I've seen since Louis CK.

Take a chill pill America and network media. This shit is hilarious.

The Search is Over!

After a multi-week search for Carnival Skittles, I finally found them! They are at the CVS in Olney, MD (off Route 108). I was almost convinced these were a candy myth. They are tasty (especially the red licorice and cotton candy ones)

For your information, the following locations DO NOT have carnival skittles:

7-11 in Olney, Jarrettsville, Route 40 in Ellicott City
Rite Aid in Ellicott City, Olney
Sheets in Frederick and Burkittsville
Nashville International Airport
Circle K near the airport in Nashville
BWI Airport
Giant in Columbia
Safeway in Ellicott City and Columbia
Wegmans in Hunt Valley
High's in Jarrettsville

I'm sure there are other places I looked for these candies, but I can't remember them all.

I also snagged a pack of the Retro Starburst, but I'm waiting until later tonight to eat those.

Burgers I've eaten - Part 6

It's been a while since I've talked about a burger I've eaten. I have been to many places and tried lots of burgers in the past few months. Most recently, I ventured to Rocket to Venus, in Baltimore, MD.

This is one of the best burgers I've ever eaten. I think this burger rivals the Friends burger, which is my ultimate favorite (especially since Friends no longer puts blue cheese on their burgers). I ordered a medium burger with cheddar and bacon. It arrived juicy, with charred edges, and a perfect flavor. The bacon was extra crispy, and I didn't even have to ask for it!

The kaiser roll was just enough roll without dominating the burger.

The fries were dusted with sea salt and curry, an interesting accompaniment to the tasty burger.

So, if you're in Hampden any day soon, stop by Rocket to Venus for a burger you're sure to remember (and will want to eat again very soon).

Rocket to Venus is located at 3360 Chestnut Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

Bento

I am not super familiar with making Bento boxes, but I do like rice, and this lunchbox.

Favorite Places to Eat

I was watching the Food Network show, "Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives", last night and thought I might start to chronicle some of my favorite places to eat in the United States. Here are some of my favorites. I will update them periodically:

(in no particular order)

In Baltimore:

Friends - Fells Point - best crab cakes in town, blackened catfish sandwich, best crab dip anywhere
Helen's Garden - Canton - good crab dip and overall a bright and sunny place to dine. Staff is super nice and give excellent wine recommendations
Dangerously Delicious Pies - Federal Hill - sweet and savories. The coconut cream pie here rocks.
Birches - Canton - awesome comfort food in a comforting setting
Waterfront - Fells Point - 15 dollar steak nights on Wednesdays
Holy Frijoles - Hampden - cheap Mexican
The Golden West - Hampden - good brunch, better tater tots
Blue Moon - Fells Point - the best cinnamon rolls and hash browns on earth

In DC:

Ben's Chili Bowl - near the 930 club - yummy chili dogs and cheese fries
Fogo De Chao - fancy neighborhood - this is a chain, but it serves up some of the best meat I've ever tasted

Other restaurants of note:

Slice of Pie - Rolla, MO - Sweet and savories. Try a slice of the Tahitian. You won't be disappointed
Dixie Diner - Texarkana, TX - previously reviewed
NOLA - New Orleans, LA - Classic southern. An Emeril's Restaurant
Jestine's Kitchen - Charleston, SC - The best fried chicken and pecan pie I've ever tasted
Magnolia Bakery and Sugar Sweet Sunshine - New York City - My favorite cupcakes.
Katz' Deli - New York City - homemade pickles, hot dogs, and corned beef
Zoe's Garden - Seattle, WA - Awesome place to eat dinner. Inventive and good tasting menu all around. Super nice staff.
That Vietnamese Place That Makes the Hum Bow - Seattle, WA Farmer's Market - These little rolls filled with bbq pork are awesome. I don't know if that's how you spell "hum bow" though.
La Panier - Seattle, WA Farmer's Market - awesome macaroons and lattes
Cafe Du Monde - New Orleans, LA - coffee and beignets
Michael's Pub - Omaha, Nebraska - good flatbread pizzas for lunch
Bangkok Cuisine - Omaha, Nebraska - You wouldn't think this would be a good town for Thai food, but it has some of the best hot soup ever!
Voodoo Donut - Portland, OR - interesting donut flavors like Captain Crunch and Pixie Stick

I'll add more as I remember more places. There was this bbq joint in North Carolina I went to last year that was totally kick ass. And, if any of you are going to Charleston, SC anytime soon, please bring me back some fried chicken and pecan pie. Thanks.

Kitchen Wish List and Tips

I spent most of this holiday weekend either preparing, eating, or thinking about food. May I just say that Wegman's is the best grocery store ever. Quality baked goods and meats at affordable prices. Thank you Wegman's store inventor. Thank you.

I also was reading my new cookbook, "The Best New Recipes". It was written by the people who write Cook's Illustrated Magazine and also produce the show, "America's Test Kitchen" for PBS.

While reading through this book, I realize there are still a few things I would eventually like to have in my kitchen. I also understand that this goes against my previous post about the minimalist kitchen, but not really. They are the following:

- A dutch oven, preferablly 6 quart
- An instant read thermometer
- A roasting pan with a V-rack
- Ramekins
- A large frying pan (not non-stick)

This cookbook is an education. I read through a fair amount of the book this weekend and have already discovered these helpful hints:

- When hulling strawberries or pitting cherries, use a drinking straw. It really worked for the cherries I pitted last night.

- When measuring shortening, line the measuring cup with plastic wrap, and then simply lift the shortening out of it.

- If placing flour into a standing mixer, cover it with a towel to keep the flour from gracing your countertops when you turn on the mixer.

Those were my favorite helpful hints. I'll let you know about more as I think of them.

Through the Looking Glass

The season finale of Lost aired last night. I find that I've been thinking about it all morning. Maybe it's because the makeup department did such a shitty job on Jack's beard, or because I can't figure out for sure who the hell was in the coffin, but they are taking this show in a different direction now. Things noticed/observed on message boards:

-The name of the funeral parlor was an anagram for "flash forward"
-Jack really crumpled up that obituary
-The symbol for the looking glass station is a bunny
-Kate wears alot of makeup in the present. It's like she's making up for not being able to wear it on the island.

My thoughts for the future:

-The boat was sent by Penny's Dad and includes original DHARMA members who are coming back to the island to reclaim it and kill the "natives".
-Kate was with Sawyer in the future. I'm guessing Jack did something to push her away.
-Jack's Dad is still dead, he was just to hopped up on pills to remember.
-Ben or Michael was the person in the coffin.
-Walt was still on the island.
-Locke doesn't leave the island.


I'm hoping that next season (which isn't for nine long months), they'll come back to the Libby story.

While I still think that the first season of Lost was the best, I have to admit to being intrigued by this season. I'm really liking the Alice in Wonderland angle. They won me back a little last night, and definitely did a good job playing the old switcheroo.

Hilarious

I am lucky to have HBO in my life. I didn't for a very long time. One Friday night, my husband and I stumbled upon the Louis CK special, Shameless. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a super long time.

It's coming out on DVD soon. You should watch it if you get the chance.

Read an article about Mr. CK's opinions of Barbara Walters and hear him discuss the cancellation of his awesome tv show, Lucky Louie here.

Cute Animals from Down Under

Deep under the ocean, that is...I grabbed these from this article in the New York Times. I don't know what any of them do, but I think it's cool that the one guy looks like he's wearing sneakers.

More images (including those of super scary fish not seen here) can be found in the book, “The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss” by Claire Nouvian/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Another Fun Show Cancelled

I wouldn't call it brilliant, but the past few seasons of Veronica Mars sure have been a joy to watch. She's witty and smart, like Penny from inspector gadget, only sassy. I found out today that it's been cancelled.

I have been trying to get my friends to watch this show for a while now. Guess they'll have to wait for the DVD.