Yes. Yes yes yes.
Jul. 14th, 2009 | 08:41 am
mood: 
pleased
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm the value of "listening to the experience of homosexual persons," as called for by the Lambeth Conferences of 1978, 1988, and 1998, and acknowledge that through our own listening the General Convention has come to recognize that the baptized membership of The Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships "characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God" (2000-D039); and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention recognize that gay and lesbian persons who are part of such relationships have responded to God's call and have exercised various ministries in and on behalf of God's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and are currently doing so in our midst; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention affirm that God has called and may call such individuals, to any ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church; and that God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the 76th General Convention acknowledge that members of The Episcopal Church as of the Anglican Communion, based on careful study of the Holy Scriptures, and in light of tradition and reason, are not of one mind, and Christians of good conscience disagree about some of these matters.
(Source here; news article here.)
( Some context, and a few comments on my part. Warnings for copious theology-talk. )
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Adventures in pickling!
Jul. 7th, 2009 | 04:29 pm
There's a dish that's almost ubiquitous in Israel -- you serve it with falafel, on the side of a meal, as part of a spread of appetizers -- and almost unknown here: pickled turnips. They're raw turnips, cut into nice little chunks and pickled with beets, so that they take on a pretty pink color. Crisp, vinegary, and flavorful, they're an awesome alternative to cucumber pickles.
Well, if all continues to go well, we're going to have a whole lot of beets in the next month or two, not to mention carrots, and I decided that I wanted to adapt the dish. I really wasn't sure how it would turn out with beets; while I've seen recipes that serve them raw, shredded in a salad, every single beet-pickling recipe that I found involved cooking them until they were soft beforehand. So I took a few recipes, combined them, and came up with this.
Thanks to my belief that we had more beets than we did, it's a relatively low proportion of beets -- maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of the total pickled vegetables -- but they're enough to color everything else a deep, beautiful red. Even more importantly, the mixture has only been pickling in my fridge for a day, and it already tastes fabulous. The beets are crunchy, super-flavorful, subtly sweet, and not at all dirt-tasting, and everything else is just as yummy. I'll have to experiment more with this, and maybe even try my hand at canning it, depending on how much I make.
( Spicy, Crisp Pickled Beets and Veggies: recipe and photo below )
Well, if all continues to go well, we're going to have a whole lot of beets in the next month or two, not to mention carrots, and I decided that I wanted to adapt the dish. I really wasn't sure how it would turn out with beets; while I've seen recipes that serve them raw, shredded in a salad, every single beet-pickling recipe that I found involved cooking them until they were soft beforehand. So I took a few recipes, combined them, and came up with this.
Thanks to my belief that we had more beets than we did, it's a relatively low proportion of beets -- maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of the total pickled vegetables -- but they're enough to color everything else a deep, beautiful red. Even more importantly, the mixture has only been pickling in my fridge for a day, and it already tastes fabulous. The beets are crunchy, super-flavorful, subtly sweet, and not at all dirt-tasting, and everything else is just as yummy. I'll have to experiment more with this, and maybe even try my hand at canning it, depending on how much I make.
( Spicy, Crisp Pickled Beets and Veggies: recipe and photo below )
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Seeking enlightenment
Jun. 18th, 2009 | 08:42 am
All the Iran election news is colored by the fact that I just read Persepolis two weeks ago.
Anyway, I have a question. Does anyone know of a good, comprehensive overview of exactly what's at stake with all these protests?
I've read most of Nate Silver's statistical analyses, as well as many of the NYT and BBC posts on the matter. So it's not like I'm coming into this totally uninformed. My questions are:
a) Are people demonstrating because there's actually good evidence that the election was rigged, or because their marginally-less-hardline candidate lost "fairly"?
b) If (as I'm totally willing to believe) the voting itself was negatively influenced by intimidation, what is the hoped-for outcome? If that's the case, a mere recount won't change things.
c) Beyond maintaining ways for people within Iran to communicate electronically, what can foreigners do? I mean, the "turn your icon green in support" stuff is very cute, but is there anyone watching internationally whom we're trying to convince of something specific?
Anyway, I have a question. Does anyone know of a good, comprehensive overview of exactly what's at stake with all these protests?
I've read most of Nate Silver's statistical analyses, as well as many of the NYT and BBC posts on the matter. So it's not like I'm coming into this totally uninformed. My questions are:
a) Are people demonstrating because there's actually good evidence that the election was rigged, or because their marginally-less-hardline candidate lost "fairly"?
b) If (as I'm totally willing to believe) the voting itself was negatively influenced by intimidation, what is the hoped-for outcome? If that's the case, a mere recount won't change things.
c) Beyond maintaining ways for people within Iran to communicate electronically, what can foreigners do? I mean, the "turn your icon green in support" stuff is very cute, but is there anyone watching internationally whom we're trying to convince of something specific?
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Star Trek reboot rec
Jun. 4th, 2009 | 10:47 am
As usual*, everywhere she goes, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
quigonejinn manages to write my favorite fic in the fandom. In this case, a couple fragments of Spock/Uhura.
*- Seriously, she's been doing this to me for over ten years. It'd be annoying if she weren't so utterly amazing. As I wrote in a comment today, she has this gorgeous style that blends lyrical emotion, wonderful detail, and subtle geeky jokes.
quigonejinn manages to write my favorite fic in the fandom. In this case, a couple fragments of Spock/Uhura.*- Seriously, she's been doing this to me for over ten years. It'd be annoying if she weren't so utterly amazing. As I wrote in a comment today, she has this gorgeous style that blends lyrical emotion, wonderful detail, and subtle geeky jokes.
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Random poll: food safety edition
May. 30th, 2009 | 02:56 am
mood: 
proving a point
Poll #1408049
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
The following items are left at room temperature at 7PM. At 11PM, which are safe to eat and/or refrigerate for later?
View Answers
An uncooked pound of hamburger meat.
4 (14.8%)
A bowl of beef stew. 11 (40.7%)
A mushroom pizza. 21 (77.8%)
A vegetarian corn-cheese casserole. 18 (66.7%)
A vegan lentil soup. 24 (88.9%)
Raw carrots and celery crudites. 26 (96.3%)
None are safe to eat. 0 (0.0%)
The following items are left at room temperature at 7PM. At noon the following day, which are safe to eat and/or refrigerate for later?
View Answers
An uncooked pound of hamburger meat. 1 (3.7%)
A bowl of beef stew. 3 (11.1%)
A mushroom pizza. 9 (33.3%)
A vegetarian corn-cheese casserole. 7 (25.9%)
A vegan lentil soup. 10 (37.0%)
Raw carrots and celery crudites. 21 (77.8%)
None are safe to eat. 5 (18.5%)
As a rule of thumb, how many hours do you feel safe leaving a cooked vegetarian dish at room temperature before eating?
View Answers
Mean: 6.32 Median: 4.5 Std. Dev 4.71
Mean: 6.32 Median: 4.5 Std. Dev 4.71
| 1 | 2 (9.1%) |
| 2 | 1 (4.5%) |
| 3 | 1 (4.5%) |
| 4 | 7 (31.8%) |
| 5 | 3 (13.6%) |
| 6 | 3 (13.6%) |
| 7 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 8 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 9 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 10 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 11 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 12 | 3 (13.6%) |
| 13 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 14 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 15 | 1 (4.5%) |
| 16 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 17 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 18 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 19 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 20 | 1 (4.5%) |
As a rule of thumb, how many hours do you feel safe leaving a cooked meat dish at room temperature before eating?
View Answers
Mean: 4.11 Median: 2 Std. Dev 4.60
Mean: 4.11 Median: 2 Std. Dev 4.60
| 1 | 3 (15.8%) |
| 2 | 8 (42.1%) |
| 3 | 3 (15.8%) |
| 4 | 1 (5.3%) |
| 5 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 6 | 1 (5.3%) |
| 7 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 8 | 1 (5.3%) |
| 9 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 10 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 11 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 12 | 1 (5.3%) |
| 13 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 14 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 15 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 16 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 17 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 18 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 19 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 20 | 1 (5.3%) |
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Request for help from New Yorkers
May. 26th, 2009 | 11:29 am
mood: 
busy
My housemate, who's a really great, responsible guy, will soon be starting a job at Columbia. He doesn't know the city at all, and he's feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of finding housing that's affordable (I think he's hoping for the $700-800 range?) and safe (he tends to get home late, and he had a bad experience in New Haven with getting mugged and beaten while walking at night).
Do any of you have suggestions for trustworthy realtors or brokers, or other good resources for housing? He knows about Craigslist and the like, but it's hard for him to know how to distinguish deals from scams, or know which streets are safer than others.
(Of course, if any of you know good people who're looking for housemates, that would be an option, too!)
Do any of you have suggestions for trustworthy realtors or brokers, or other good resources for housing? He knows about Craigslist and the like, but it's hard for him to know how to distinguish deals from scams, or know which streets are safer than others.
(Of course, if any of you know good people who're looking for housemates, that would be an option, too!)
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Yeah, That Movie.
May. 14th, 2009 | 11:59 pm
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Piña colada upside-down cake, yay!
May. 14th, 2009 | 01:37 pm
mood: pleased
The last few months have involved using up the food in the recesses of my freezer and pantry, and this week, that meant a can of pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, and eggs: piña colada upside-down cake!
I'd never actually made an upside-down cake before, but this one came out so perfectly that I had to take pictures. I followed David Lebovitz's recipe almost exactly, so I'm not going to repeat it here; my only tweak was to stir a half cup or so of shredded coconut into the batter at the end. I used a large can of pineapple chunks, so it doesn't have the typical pineapple-ring appearance, although I tried to make a pretty mosaic. The caramel scared me a bit when it became rock-hard in the cast-iron skillet, but it melted again perfectly in the oven.
( Pictures below! )
I'd never actually made an upside-down cake before, but this one came out so perfectly that I had to take pictures. I followed David Lebovitz's recipe almost exactly, so I'm not going to repeat it here; my only tweak was to stir a half cup or so of shredded coconut into the batter at the end. I used a large can of pineapple chunks, so it doesn't have the typical pineapple-ring appearance, although I tried to make a pretty mosaic. The caramel scared me a bit when it became rock-hard in the cast-iron skillet, but it melted again perfectly in the oven.
( Pictures below! )
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Mothers' Day
May. 10th, 2009 | 03:48 pm
mood: grateful
My mother is an amazing individual; I can't imagine all the dedication and time and love that it took to raise my brother and me, in addition to holding down two jobs, volunteering at church, and still doing most of the cooking and cleaning instead of my dad. She deserves praise. She also doesn't read this journal. :-)
So instead, I want to praise and honor all of you, my flist, who're mothers. As someone who transitioned from being a teenager to a 26-year-old while I've been on LiveJournal, all of you have been incredible models of womanhood for me. I've never even met many of you face to face, but I feel extraordinarily privileged to have had glimpses into your personal lives.
Some of you have careers outside the home; others work at home to be near your children; others devote your full time to their care. Some have biological children; others have adopted children; a few currently have children on the way. Your children are vegetarians and cooks and breastfeeding infants; brilliant and developmentally disabled and just learning to talk; fans of Harry Potter and Twilight and Star Trek. Some of you have no children but honor and treasure others', and I appreciate the glimpse into your lives, too.
I'm awed by everything that you put into loving and raising your kids; it's made me appreciate my own mother more deeply, and understand more fully the joys and trials of perhaps becoming a mother myself someday. So thank you for sharing your lives with the rest of us, and thank you for doing everything you do.
(And I'm hesitant to make a list, because I just know I'm forgetting lots of people [forgive me!], but torikibeth, cordelia_v, anthimaeria, schemingreader, lolaraincoat, cruisedirector, kateelliot, darlas_mom. . . you are such role models to me.)
So instead, I want to praise and honor all of you, my flist, who're mothers. As someone who transitioned from being a teenager to a 26-year-old while I've been on LiveJournal, all of you have been incredible models of womanhood for me. I've never even met many of you face to face, but I feel extraordinarily privileged to have had glimpses into your personal lives.
Some of you have careers outside the home; others work at home to be near your children; others devote your full time to their care. Some have biological children; others have adopted children; a few currently have children on the way. Your children are vegetarians and cooks and breastfeeding infants; brilliant and developmentally disabled and just learning to talk; fans of Harry Potter and Twilight and Star Trek. Some of you have no children but honor and treasure others', and I appreciate the glimpse into your lives, too.
I'm awed by everything that you put into loving and raising your kids; it's made me appreciate my own mother more deeply, and understand more fully the joys and trials of perhaps becoming a mother myself someday. So thank you for sharing your lives with the rest of us, and thank you for doing everything you do.
(And I'm hesitant to make a list, because I just know I'm forgetting lots of people [forgive me!], but to
rikibeth, cordelia_v, anthimaeria, schemingreader, lolaraincoat, cruisedirector, kateelliot, darlas_mom. . . you are such role models to me.)permalink | post a reply (3 so far) | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
Random poll: egg edition.
May. 8th, 2009 | 06:10 pm
mood: 
stressed
I am stressed and still finishing up this beast of a paper. But I like eggs! And ticky boxes! Don't you?
Poll #1396971
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
Poll #1396971
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
How do you like your eggs?
View Answers
Fried. 25 (51.0%)
Scrambled. 46 (93.9%)
Poached. 18 (36.7%)
Boiled/devilled. 31 (63.3%)
In an omelette. 35 (71.4%)
Baked/shirred. 12 (24.5%)
In quiche/custard/flan/etc. 35 (71.4%)
In bread (challah, bread pudding, french toast, etc.). 34 (69.4%)
Something else (deep-fried, pickled, etc.). 9 (18.4%)
Under no circumstances. 2 (4.1%)
When should egg yolks be runny?
View Answers
In a poached egg. 20 (41.7%)
In a fried egg. 27 (56.2%)
In a boiled egg. 12 (25.0%)
In a baked egg. 5 (10.4%)
Never! 18 (37.5%)
What's in perfect scrambled eggs, besides eggs, butter, and salt?
View Answers
Fresh-ground black pepper. 30 (61.2%)
Hard cheese of some kind (cheddar, swiss, etc.) 22 (44.9%)
Soft cheese of some kind (brie, cream cheese, etc.) 9 (18.4%)
Cream or milk. 19 (38.8%)
Fried onions. 9 (18.4%)
Tomatoes. 7 (14.3%)
Sausage and/or bacon. 10 (20.4%)
Fresh minced herbs. 16 (32.7%)
Spinach and/or other green vegetables. 8 (16.3%)
Something else. 8 (16.3%)
Nothing! 10 (20.4%)
How many eggs do you eat in an average week?
View Answers
Mean: 2.96 Median: 3 Std. Dev 1.96
Mean: 2.96 Median: 3 Std. Dev 1.96
| 0 | 4 (8.5%) |
| 1 | 8 (17.0%) |
| 2 | 11 (23.4%) |
| 3 | 5 (10.6%) |
| 4 | 11 (23.4%) |
| 5 | 1 (2.1%) |
| 6 | 5 (10.6%) |
| 7 | 1 (2.1%) |
| 8 | 1 (2.1%) |
| 9 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 10 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 11 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 12 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 13 | 0 (0.0%) |
| 14 | 0 (0.0%) |
What egg dish should more people know about and make?
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Random poll, dating edition. (Not the sexy kind, sadly.)
May. 6th, 2009 | 04:06 pm
mood: busy
BTW, while I have a DW journal, I haven't had time to set it up, so I'm still posting primarily to LJ. Sorry, all, especially those who've friended me and not been friended back! In the next week or two, I'll work to catch up.
Poll #1395911 Writing break poll!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
ETA: Yes, I realize that the order of the initials and number varies for some cultures/parts of the world (e.g. AD 2009 instead of 2009 AD). Just assume the order that's correct for you. :-)
Poll #1395911 Writing break poll!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
Fill in the blank: "Many believe that Plato was born in 428 ____."
Fill in the blank: "Constantine became emperor in 306 ____."
If you use BCE/CE for dating, what's your primary reason?
View Answers
It's just what I've been taught and seen used. 1 (2.4%)
It's more neutral and therefore appropriate for scholarship. 18 (43.9%)
BC/AD might be offensive to some other people. 4 (9.8%)
BC/AD is offensive to me. 3 (7.3%)
I don't use them in dating. 7 (17.1%)
What ARE "BCE/CE" anyway? 8 (19.5%)
ETA: Yes, I realize that the order of the initials and number varies for some cultures/parts of the world (e.g. AD 2009 instead of 2009 AD). Just assume the order that's correct for you. :-)
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Yes, another Amazonfail post.
Apr. 13th, 2009 | 01:04 pm
mood: awake
I promised I wouldn't twitter more about this, so a quick post so I can get things out of my system. Sorry, everyone who's feeling spammed on this subject.
1) Obviously, for the one or two of you who don't know what's happening, AmazonFail is a terrible, wrong move on Amazon's part, if it's at all intentional.
2) That said, I can believe that it's not intentional. Whether or not this guy did it (and reasonable people have their doubts), it's totally plausible to me that someone managed to hack the system, and there are vile people out there who do this sort of thing "for the lulz." The fact that customer service seemed to indicate an official policy only proves that the book was listed as Adult in her system, not that the listing was deliberate on Amazon's part.
3) Still, outrage wouldn't have spread like wildfire if it weren't plausible. Those of us on LJ are still sensitive about all the times when LiveJournal decided to use its obscenity clause to crack down on breastfeeding, rape survivors, and artists. Plus, Amazon has used the "glitch" excuse before when it seemed awfully suspicious.
4) That said, I've been a little disturbed by the way that so many people are vowing never ever ever to patronize Amazon again, when Amazon has barely even spoken yet. It's a big company; if it took them a day (a single day!) to come up with a profuse apology -- "we were hacked and here's how; we're so sorry about the impression that this caused; we honor and value our LGBTQ customers and authors" -- I wouldn't consider it unreasonable. So much of this feels like the annoying fictional cliche where the heroine hears some awful rumor about her partner, and immediately runs away in disgust, without ever listening to the explanation.
5) But. Amazon, it doesn't take a lot of effort to post a quick blog post saying "we're sorry, it's an error, we'll update you more once we understand how our systems malfunctioned." You don't need to consult with the board of directors for something like that. If this really is an error/malicious hack, then they should have responded firmly and quickly once they saw how fast outrage was spreading.
ETA: This may be one of the most sane posts I've seen about the situation, actually.
1) Obviously, for the one or two of you who don't know what's happening, AmazonFail is a terrible, wrong move on Amazon's part, if it's at all intentional.
2) That said, I can believe that it's not intentional. Whether or not this guy did it (and reasonable people have their doubts), it's totally plausible to me that someone managed to hack the system, and there are vile people out there who do this sort of thing "for the lulz." The fact that customer service seemed to indicate an official policy only proves that the book was listed as Adult in her system, not that the listing was deliberate on Amazon's part.
3) Still, outrage wouldn't have spread like wildfire if it weren't plausible. Those of us on LJ are still sensitive about all the times when LiveJournal decided to use its obscenity clause to crack down on breastfeeding, rape survivors, and artists. Plus, Amazon has used the "glitch" excuse before when it seemed awfully suspicious.
4) That said, I've been a little disturbed by the way that so many people are vowing never ever ever to patronize Amazon again, when Amazon has barely even spoken yet. It's a big company; if it took them a day (a single day!) to come up with a profuse apology -- "we were hacked and here's how; we're so sorry about the impression that this caused; we honor and value our LGBTQ customers and authors" -- I wouldn't consider it unreasonable. So much of this feels like the annoying fictional cliche where the heroine hears some awful rumor about her partner, and immediately runs away in disgust, without ever listening to the explanation.
5) But. Amazon, it doesn't take a lot of effort to post a quick blog post saying "we're sorry, it's an error, we'll update you more once we understand how our systems malfunctioned." You don't need to consult with the board of directors for something like that. If this really is an error/malicious hack, then they should have responded firmly and quickly once they saw how fast outrage was spreading.
ETA: This may be one of the most sane posts I've seen about the situation, actually.
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Dreamwidth questions.
Apr. 9th, 2009 | 09:18 am
mood: 
curious
Poll #1380676
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
And a question for those who are DW supporters: what is their business plan? I've read their business FAQ, which does a lot to reassure fans "we're not out to bilk you for profit, we're not going to sell out to an Evil Empire," and does very little to talk about how they plan to keep the site up and running. Are they totally confident that they can keep the site running smoothly with only income from paid users? Are the two board members using it as their main source of income, and what happens if they need to hire more people? See,brad had good ideals too, but good ideals don't necessarily make for a financially self-sustaining business*. If I'm going to make the effort of moving, I want to be confident that DW's going to be able to grow -- and grow beyond fandom.
*- Or a stable internet service. Say what you will about LJ since it went corporate -- and there are plenty of complaints to say! -- it's been far more stable and fast than it was for my first few years here, when it was justbrad and some volunteers.
ETA: One more question: what about locked entries? The majority of entries that I read and post are locked; it's how we create safe spaces for conversation. Yet they're admitting that for the forseeable future, you can only read public entries on your flist (and I don't know if it'll be possible to filter entries for friends on LJ). How much does this concern you?
ETA2: (Last question, I promise!) Denise, one of the two primary owners/operators of DW, was the main figure in the whole breastfeeding icon crackdown. She seems like a nice person, and I know that she and LJ Abuse may have been "just following orders," but a lot of people felt like that situation was very poorly handled. Has she ever discussed this concern of applying community standards in a non-arbitrary way?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
Are you planning to move to Dreamwidth sometime this year?
View Answers
Yes, definitely. 6 (14.0%)
Probably. 9 (20.9%)
I might; I'm still deciding. 8 (18.6%)
Not that I plan on. 11 (25.6%)
What's Dreamwidth? 9 (20.9%)
If you are considering moving, what do you plan to do with LJ?
View Answers
Enough people I know are moving that I'm going to pull up tentpegs here. 0 (0.0%)
I'm confident that I can continue to follow and be followed by LJ friends with DW's features. So, no change. 14 (53.8%)
I'll probably use LJ for some things and DW for other (perhaps overlapping) things. 9 (34.6%)
Actually, that's one of my hesitations about moving. 8 (30.8%)
Something else? 4 (15.4%)
And a question for those who are DW supporters: what is their business plan? I've read their business FAQ, which does a lot to reassure fans "we're not out to bilk you for profit, we're not going to sell out to an Evil Empire," and does very little to talk about how they plan to keep the site up and running. Are they totally confident that they can keep the site running smoothly with only income from paid users? Are the two board members using it as their main source of income, and what happens if they need to hire more people? See,
brad had good ideals too, but good ideals don't necessarily make for a financially self-sustaining business*. If I'm going to make the effort of moving, I want to be confident that DW's going to be able to grow -- and grow beyond fandom.*- Or a stable internet service. Say what you will about LJ since it went corporate -- and there are plenty of complaints to say! -- it's been far more stable and fast than it was for my first few years here, when it was just
brad and some volunteers.ETA: One more question: what about locked entries? The majority of entries that I read and post are locked; it's how we create safe spaces for conversation. Yet they're admitting that for the forseeable future, you can only read public entries on your flist (and I don't know if it'll be possible to filter entries for friends on LJ). How much does this concern you?
ETA2: (Last question, I promise!) Denise, one of the two primary owners/operators of DW, was the main figure in the whole breastfeeding icon crackdown. She seems like a nice person, and I know that she and LJ Abuse may have been "just following orders," but a lot of people felt like that situation was very poorly handled. Has she ever discussed this concern of applying community standards in a non-arbitrary way?
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Meme, what the hell.
Apr. 8th, 2009 | 12:08 am
mood: 
amused
1) Comment to this and I will give you 3 people.
2) Post this meme with your answers.
3) Provide pictures and the names of the 3 people I gave you. (ETA: If I'm not sure about your sexual orientation, I'll probably give you a mix of genders. So, plz specify if you have a preference!)
4) Label which you would marry, which you would shag, and which you would throw off a cliff.
rikibeth gave me: ( Brian Molko, Brian Viglione, Trent Reznor. )
2) Post this meme with your answers.
3) Provide pictures and the names of the 3 people I gave you. (ETA: If I'm not sure about your sexual orientation, I'll probably give you a mix of genders. So, plz specify if you have a preference!)
4) Label which you would marry, which you would shag, and which you would throw off a cliff.
rikibeth gave me: ( Brian Molko, Brian Viglione, Trent Reznor. )permalink | post a reply (9 so far) | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend
A trio of English questions!
Apr. 5th, 2009 | 01:39 pm
Poll #1378488
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All
"My boyfriend is very smart." In that sentence, I _______ intelligence to my boyfriend.
View Answers
Ascribed. 7 (20.6%)
Attributed. 5 (14.7%)
"Ascribed" and "attributed" are basically synonymous here. 15 (44.1%)
"Ascribed" and "attributed" are both appropriate, but they have different nuances. (Explain?) 7 (20.6%)
Which of these is an appropriate way to begin a sentence in an academic paper or book?
When is first person appropriate in an academic paper or book?
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Structural explanation ("In this chapter, I will argue. . ."). 21 (61.8%)
Authorial opinion ("I find this argument unconvincing, because. . ."). 11 (32.4%)
Personal experience ("I once encountered an example of this behavior. . ."). 13 (38.2%)
Academic self-reference ("I have developed this argument more fully in a previous paper. . ."). 16 (47.1%)
There are other appropriate contexts, which I'll explain. 1 (2.9%)
First person is never appropriate, or only in rare contexts not listed here. 9 (26.5%)
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Chicken Wings of Awesome.
Mar. 28th, 2009 | 02:19 pm
I think I need to record this recipe, which I more or less just invented to use up Stuff, because . . . oh, yes, yummmm. The impetus for its invention was the chicken wings in my freezer waiting to be used up, and the fact that I had neither butter nor Red Hot sauce to make Buffalo wings. Also, the fact that I like neither the calories nor the hassle of deep-frying.
( So, instead, honey-Sriracha wings. )
Next time, I want to try simmering the sauce for a minute and reducing the amount of vegetable oil, to see how they affect the end result. Still, fabulous.
( So, instead, honey-Sriracha wings. )
Next time, I want to try simmering the sauce for a minute and reducing the amount of vegetable oil, to see how they affect the end result. Still, fabulous.
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Fandom vs. Geekdom
Mar. 26th, 2009 | 11:20 am
mood: 
annoyed
( Lengthy rant about Boston Zombie Outbreak and giving offense, with allusions to Shetterly and Whedon. )
This kind of 101 crap is why I usually prefer to just hide myself in fandom. For all its wank and all its flaws, it's an inclusive, predominantly-female community that really does its best to act out of respect for others.
ETA: I recognize that there's one very big difference between this example and the others: whereas women and minorities have historically been disempowered in America, Christians have historically held considerable power. So, if it were a question of "Christians being offended vs. a minority group exercising their beliefs," I would unequivocally stand on the side of the minority group. But there's a significant difference between engaging in behavior that may unavoidably offend some by its nature, and deliberately provoking offense.
This kind of 101 crap is why I usually prefer to just hide myself in fandom. For all its wank and all its flaws, it's an inclusive, predominantly-female community that really does its best to act out of respect for others.
ETA: I recognize that there's one very big difference between this example and the others: whereas women and minorities have historically been disempowered in America, Christians have historically held considerable power. So, if it were a question of "Christians being offended vs. a minority group exercising their beliefs," I would unequivocally stand on the side of the minority group. But there's a significant difference between engaging in behavior that may unavoidably offend some by its nature, and deliberately provoking offense.
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Merlin recs. LOTS of Merlin recs.
Mar. 24th, 2009 | 10:51 pm
mood: pleased
Right, so: Merlin! For me, half of the attraction was the canon, and half of it was the absurdly rich corpus of fanfic that's sprung up over the past few months. So, this is my Massive Rec Post of Doom, long in the making. In order to save time, I haven't really said much about my own reactions to the stories, beyond putting asterisks beside stories that really stood out positively; the listings include rating, length, and summary. All of these were delightful for one reason or another, and all are quite well-written.
( Selection and sorting criteria. )
( Lighthearted Stories (21) )
( More Serious Stories (11) )
( Alternate Universes (5) )
( Selection and sorting criteria. )
( Lighthearted Stories (21) )
( More Serious Stories (11) )
( Alternate Universes (5) )
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Corn mush adventures
Mar. 24th, 2009 | 06:02 pm
mood: curious
( My discovery of 'corn flakes,' and what I did with them so far. Cut for those with no interest in my cooking explorations! )
So: other suggestions?
So: other suggestions?
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New York weekend of DOOM.
Mar. 23rd, 2009 | 11:00 pm
As some of you may remember, marphod and I spent the weekend in New York about a month ago. I promised some people (including him!) a write-up, so here it is. The focus is primarily, though not solely, on all the amazingfabulous food we had, including a detailed writeup of our meal at wd-50.
Warnings for MASSIVE LENGTH.
( Friday: 'ino, Milk Bar, Max Brenner, Artisanal. )
( Saturday: Kalustyan's, Baoguette, Central Park, Vosges Haut, Maison du Chocolat, Yonah Schimmel Knishery. )
( Saturday evening: wd-50. )
( Sunday: FAO Schwartz, Apple Store, MoMA, Katz's Deli, Avenue Q, Dessert Truck. )
marphod and I spent the weekend in New York about a month ago. I promised some people (including him!) a write-up, so here it is. The focus is primarily, though not solely, on all the amazingfabulous food we had, including a detailed writeup of our meal at wd-50.Warnings for MASSIVE LENGTH.
( Friday: 'ino, Milk Bar, Max Brenner, Artisanal. )
( Saturday: Kalustyan's, Baoguette, Central Park, Vosges Haut, Maison du Chocolat, Yonah Schimmel Knishery. )
( Saturday evening: wd-50. )
( Sunday: FAO Schwartz, Apple Store, MoMA, Katz's Deli, Avenue Q, Dessert Truck. )