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Nov. 11th, 2009

  • 1:06 AM

Another article on Americans' lack of interest in translated fiction: it's not that we're disinterested or ignorant, we'd just like an American context when we're reading about other countries.

As the ­Peruvian-­born writ­er Daniel Alarcón ob­serves, Americans would rather read stories by an American about Peru than a Peruvian writer translated into English. “There’s a certain curiosity about the world that’s not matched by a willingness to do the work,” Alarcón said in a phone interview from his home in Oakland, California. “So what happens is that writers of foreign extraction end up writing about the world for Americans.”

(It sounds like the conversations I've had with my parents about living in Berlin. They have never had passports, and never been farther away than one shallow trip into Mexico. I was the first family member to travel outside of the country. As such, their questions about what life in Germany is like can be funny and frustrating. "What's it like over there?" It's Germany. It's pretty much the same. They have sidewalks to walk on, streets to drive on. Gravity keeps us on the ground at all times. Good lord, they think I'm nuts.)

Nov. 11th, 2009

  • 1:00 AM

NPR is running my review of Elizabeth Wilson's War Damage, along with an excerpt from the book.

From the language her characters speak to the jewelry they wear, everything feels perfectly authentic, as if the book had been written during the time in which it is set. With one exception: Where writers from the 1940s may have used innuendo to explore homosexuality and kinky sex, Wilson goes directly at it. The first page has two schoolboys fooling around on a sofa, and things just get dirtier from there.

Nov. 11th, 2009

  • 12:33 AM

The covers of all 21 of Nabokov's books, redesigned by designers like Chip Kidd and Peter Mendelsund and Carol Carson. The twist: they've all been created in specimen boxes. (Link via Maud.)

Wednesday One-Liner Is Performance

  • Nov. 11th, 2009 at 12:00 AM

20-something woman on cell: So I'm like, "Be a man and go in the ladies' room!"

--19th & 7th

Overheard by: tycho anomaly

40-something suit on cell: Why do I have to be the girl?

--University Place & 14th St

Overheard by: rich

Meathead: To the point where the hottest women in Thailand are men. But I mean, no homo or anything.

--Uptown 5 Train

Overheard by: Can't vouch for this

Woman on cell: So yeah, men and women are different. Anyway...

--High Line Park

Overheard by: hudson williams-eynon

Guy, looking at friend's iPhone: Ugh, I really didn't need to see shemale penis today.

--99 Below Restaurant

Overheard by: Calvin SC


Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2009-11-11

bean soup

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 11:22 PM
wanted to have some soup tomorrow... so:

i bag of 16 bean  mix from the grocery store
1 chopped onion
2 potatoes chopped
1 portabella mushroom, sliced
3 (more like 2) carrots
4 bouilion cubes (chicken)

wash beans
throw it all in a pot
we will see how it urns out tomorrow, but i PLAN to serve it with some steamed spinach and some noodles or something.....

yes, its lacking in spices right now. 
i prefer my soups BLAND so i can season them up to go with different stuff ....
after all, if i am going to serve it over rice, with cheese? different seasoning than by itself in a bowl
however i am almost certain to toss some small amount of seasoning in before morning.

this could easily be vegan with more vegetables and without the chicken bouillion

overwintering seed potatos

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 9:45 PM
how can I do this? I grew potatos this year and I have a couple of nice ones I forgot about, I just dug them up and I'd love to save them for next year

any tips?

thanks!

I'm on the border of zones 5 and 6

Which Goes Well with My Skin

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 9:00 PM

Girl wearing leggings as pants: I love your watch... does it flip open?
(frail elderly woman looks confused)
Girl
: That, your watch.

Frail elderly woman: This is my life alert. If I fall, I can call for help.
Girl: Oh! Uh... well, it goes really well with your outfit.
Frail elderly woman: It doesn't come it any other colors. Just beige.

--Houston & Bowery

Overheard by: misskitty


Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2009-11-10

Nov. 10th, 2009

  • 4:27 PM





Sorry for the double-post, but... she's finished! Haha. That is, she has both shoes, now. =)

http://onetruetree.etsy.com

Um, That's a Vase.

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 6:00 PM

Gay man #1, pointing at Greek statue: What's that?
Gay man #2: I don't know, but it's got a great ass!

--Met Museum

Overheard by: Peed my pants


Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2009-11-10

Cleaning out my Body

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Hi. I was hoping someone could give me some advice. I am new to trying to live a more natural life. Currently I am in a transitional period where I am changing the food I put into my body. I live in a dorm and do not have a fridge. My meal plan isn't so great - not a lot of nutritious options. I don't feel well a lot of the time and I'm convinced it's because of the food I have been eating (classic dorm room food, all highly processed). I want to cleanse my body - kind of like a complete overhaul. But I have two questions about it:
1. Is a complete overhaul a good idea?
2. How can I go about doing it?
Is it as simple as cutting out all of the crap or should I go through some sort of detoxification process to get a clean start? I've been reading up on it but I thought it would be a good idea to hear from personal experiences with lifestyle changes.

Thanks for your help.

Tags:

Nov. 10th, 2009

  • 3:04 PM
Read more... )




Thissss is my new doll pattern. It needs some tweaking, still, so I'll be selling this lady at a lower price than she'd go for normally. (She's not listed yet, but she will be in the next few hours.) The pattern is quite a bit more painstaking than the simpler one, but I love the results. I'm not at ALL happy with how her mouth turned out (not the best at embroidery, yet, but I'm workin' on it), but I love her hair, I love the new pattern (though it needs a bit of tweaking), and I'm really proud of her dress and... shoe... I have to make her a second one. xD

Speaking of doll dresses... anyone know how to keep the seams from being all crazy chunky? =/ I usually knit their dresses, so sewing them is a little new to me.

Bigger photos at my crafty blog: http://onetruetree.wordpress.com

working with faux fur

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Hello, plushers!

I posted here recently about making a Kuriboh plush out of monster fur. I managed to find some faux fur at JoAnn's, but it seems to be... kind of poor quality. It almost pulls apart if I apply even the smallest amount of pressure from opposite ends of the fabric. I suppose this is what I get for going with the cheaper fabric instead of ordering the long pile fur online, but alas. I am a broke wumples.

The further along I get with my first attempt to draft this plush, the more I realize - I have no bloody idea what I'm doing! :P

Does anybody have any tips/advice/online resources about working with faux fur?
It is short pile fur, if that helps any.

Thank you to everyone for all of your help!
<3wumples

Thermos suggestions

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 4:34 PM
I just acquired a night job and I'm going to be making the transition to being a night owl instead of a day person. I've worked nights before, so that's not really a horrible thing.

I have really good coffee at home and would like to take it to work with me and keep it warm for about 5 hours at least, along with green teas, etc.

I have been looking at this http://mysigg.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=628

My partner has one of the older style thermos and loves it, it keeps coffee hot for 6-7 hours.

I know Sigg is backed up right now due to the recall, since I'm waiting on my cold Sigg to be delivered.

Does anyone have other recommendations for really good thermoses that are not plastic?

I'm mostly looking for a thermos, not really a travel mug because those tend to be harder to wash.

OMG!

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 10:16 PM
Not completely bento-related, but I use falafel in my bento's occasionally:

'In Pita made the Foodbuzz Top 9 today! The Foodbuzz Top 9 is a photo-driven collection of top-buzzed posts within the Foodbuzz community.

Check it out here: http://www.foodbuzz.com/top9 and be sure to let your friends know.

You may also see your photo in some of the dynamic Top 9 ads running today in the Foodbuzz community. Congratulations again, and thanks for being a part of Foodbuzz!


Cheers,
The Foodbuzz Editorial Team'

Now, 'in pita' is the title for my picture accompanying my falafel recipe, and this meant that my frikkin' recipe made it into the top 9!
This morning it was 5th, but now it's 4th! Look!

Click to enlarge

-proud momma-

Tags:

First Post - I'm new, be gentle!

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 2:42 PM
Hi! My name is Natalie, and I've been battling with my weight since early high school. Now, at 22, I'm starting to win this thing.

SW: 225
CW: 182
GW: ~140
Weight lost so far: 43lbs
Weight to go: ~42lbs.

I've been losing weight slowly and steadily, but I'm working on getting over a plateau. My goal weight is set at 140 as I've not been that small since I was 15 and I"m not sure what I'll look like between here and there.

I'm adopting a semi-vegetarian diet for awhile; no red meat or pork, but I can eat chicken, dairy, fish, and eggs. I've also become infatuated with brown rice lately, mixed with a little spicy garlic szechuan sauce.

My question is, do any of you have some yummy recipes you'd like to suggest? :) Go nuts!

She's Really Annoying to Watch Oprah with

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 3:00 PM

Young black girl #1: Why ain't you under the umbrella? You black.
Young black girl #2: I don't give a fuck if my hair gets messed up.
Young black girl #1: You black! You so black!

--Brooklyn

Overheard by: rpk


Alsome | Thumbs up | Thumbs down |
Link · Email · Quote this! · Del.icio.us · Posted 2009-11-10

Strange season

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 2:17 PM
So, yes... I just wrote a comment to the previous post here, went outside and took some pictures. Take a look.
This is my crazy re-blooming iris. I don't know if you can see it on this picture but there're some buds that are still opening



more pictures )

Vessel Drinkware-Part Deux

  • Nov. 10th, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Ok, since my last post got nailed by a bot, let me try this again, but in a shorter form.

I saw these at my co-op yesterday and two of the employees could not say enough good things about them. Does anyone on this community have them and if so, what are your thoughts?

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