new way to heat your house
Other fun pictures at Inspire Me, Now!.
i want to eat everything!
Just discovered this delectable cupcake blog, Cupcake Bakeshop. The engineer-by-day, master-baker-by-night blogger whips up amazing cupcakes and posts her recipes and pictures…all for us to either attempt to make, or just drool over.
Here are a few samples from the site:
From left to right: chocolate ganache; lemon meringue; cashew, carrot, cardamom cupcakes with cashew cream cheese frosting; pomegranate matcha.
You have to check out the blog for more wonderfulness.
There’s an adzuki bean paste filled chocolate cupcake that I’d love for someone to make for me… 
banana republic
No, not my former employer. Musharraf told the press today that Pakistan is not a “banana republic,” which prompted me to look it up.
According to Wikipedia, it is a “pejorative term for a small, often Latin American, Caribbean, or African country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, self-elected, wealthy and corrupt clique.”
I know Banana Republic the retailer started out selling safari/wilderness apparel clothing. I can see the correlation to its “real” definition, but I’m slightly surprised that such a large company maintains a derogatory name. Sort of like the Redskins, I guess.
mobile amazingness
The cell phone will take you so far nowadays.
I just discovered NPR Mobile – you can listen to the news from your cell phone for free! When you call your area’s number, you’re given a menu of choices: press 1 for the hourly news summary, 2 for the day’s most important news, 3 for the business recap, etc etc. How cool is that??
And…last time I was at the National Gallery of Art, certain pieces had an associated phone number that you could dial into to hear a description of the work. Like an audio guide!
Oh technology.
artsy fartsy
Yay! I got an A in my History of Contemporary Art class!
For all you haters trying to get me to go out instead of studying for tests…ok, well actually you were successful there…but anyway, I am pleased. I got an A+ in my previous Seeing Art class too. Not like that required very much but still, I take what I can get.
Sorry, had to take a second to brag. Next week begins my History of Modern Art course. Oh how I wasted my time in college.
if i had a million dollars…
…I’m pretty sure a big chunk of it would go towards splurging at the 2008 South Beach Wine & Food Festival and the 2008 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
Until then, I will continue my plebian lifestyle, reading the menus of the French Laundries of the world and imagining exactly how wonderful a “Medallion of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb” with the natural accompaniment of bluefoot mushrooms (who ever knew their feet were any other color?), Broccolini “Fleurettes,” Marble Potatoes “Rissolees,” and Sauce Bourdelaise, may taste. Good job Thomas Keller, you almost had me believing that these little lambs were indeed happy and blessed to frolick for eternity in said elysian fields.
in no particular order…
1) I am elated that Hillary won New Hampshire!!!!! She looks so happy. But…what was she wearing today?? As my roommate said, a carpet? Maybe a window curtain. It’s ok. Carpet, curtain or not, she won!
Also, check out this video of her being defending her likability (and being quite personable) – and Obama making a slightly snide comment that may have worked against him in NH.
2) I just sampled Trader Joe’s peppermint oreos (officially called candy-cane joe joe’s) and let me tell you, they are absolutely fantastic.
3) I have almost played The Raveonette’s Christmas Song to death. Almost. Coincidentally, my other favorite discovery is The Killer’s A Great Big Sled…both are Christmas-y although I didn’t hear of them until this past weekend. Ooooo. I just realized point number two is sort of Christmas-related as well. Maybe I just want the holidays to come back that badly.
odd man out
So I’m starting to think I’m the only person in this nation who’s not consumed by Obama-mania. I’m not trying to sound original with this argument but…he is just too green. Really.
I saw this statement in the Times today that further convinced me of such: “Political pied pipers often prove ephemeral. Mr. Obama’s support among a focus group at Dartmouth sagged noticeably after students watched him debate more veteran Democrats.”
It’s true. I don’t care how intelligent you are, your years of experience (or lack of, in this case) are of the utmost importance when leading an entire nation. I’m the most convinced of this when I take the concept out of the political arena and position it within my professional life. My older colleagues with years of industry experience often pull insight from past projects, and apply it to our current ones. I’ve come to realize that as sharp as I may (or may not haha) be, they will always be sharper with this bank of knowledge. And so then, returning to politics, I know that the same holds true.
It’s not even about where you fall on the political spectrum. I think all the candidates, Republican and Democrats alike, are all highly intelligent individuals capable of running the country. I do think that Obama is able to make decisions as confidently as Clinton or McCain. But. Regardless of whether or not you agree with their issues, it is a Clinton and a McCain who will always be better informed, and always make a more thought out decision.
I also think it’s highly unfair that the Iowa caucus can provide such a boost to a campaign. Do you realize that this year’s Iowa caucus was based on 220,000 Democrats and 114,000 Republicans? Such numbers barely represent our nation’s true sentiments.
And so I end with this…go Hillary! I think it’s great that she got all misty eyed the other day. It’s great to see her personal side. She wasn’t bawling either, so her tears didn’t expose Desperate Hillary – she just showed us how much she loves our country.
just let me be!
I love this. Amidst the frenzied last minute campaigning in New Hampshire, this man just wants to eat his damn eggs.
Taken at 6:48am at the Daddy Pops Tumble Inn Diner, where Edwards was making a stop. If the diner had one less folksy word in its title, it wouldn’t have been worth the stop.
And I must add – even though I don’t support him, Edwards wins in looks 
ready for iowa?
The presidential candidates certainly are. Sleep deprivation is causing them to make some peculiar (and amusing) declarations. Hillary Clinton thanked a supporter “from one diva to another.” Obama claimed that 10,000 individuals died in May’s Kansas hurricanes when the actual number is 12.
Read here for more.
(oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!)
