Friday, August 17, 2012

Don't You Kinda Wish You Were Brazen Enough to Spin Reality This Hard?

Here is Doug Feith's equally noxious offspring arguing that sanctions against Iran aren't having the desired effect:
Yes, the Iranian rial has lost half its value in 12 months. Oil exports are down by about half, too. And Tehran admits that inflation is above 20%, with unemployment above 13%. Yet this isn't an economy in freefall. The volume of oil exports is stabilizing, and the government has an estimated $60 billion to $100 billion in foreign currency reserves.
In case you were wondering what "Chutzpah" means, wonder no more.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

The Best Thing I've Ever Done With Brussel Sprouts

Wow, this was good: brussel sprouts and carrots with chilis, hoisin and black bean sauce.

I took maybe two cups of brussel sprouts, cleaned 'em, split them in half and blanched them (a fancy way of saying I boiled them in salted water for about 3 minutes and then threw them into ice-water). Don't over-cook 'em -- you don't want them soft just yet.

Then I cut up two carrots into bite-sized chunks (not huge ones). I sauteed the carrots and brussel sprouts in a frying pan over medium heat -- in a half-tablespoon of olive oil -- with maybe a third of an onion, chopped medium fine. I added black pepper, but no salt -- black bean sauce is super-salty stuff.

After about... 3-4 minutes, I added a half clove of garlic (this is huge, very fresh garlic, so you might want to use a whole clove of supermarket stuff), a third of a jalapeƱo -- both chopped fine -- and let that cook for about a minute.

Then I added a tablespoon of chinese black bean sauce, an equal amount of hoisin sauce (you can get both at the supermarket) and a little bit of water to thin it out. After a few more minutes -- until carrots and brussel sprouts are soft ... Yum! Try it!






Saturday, May 26, 2012

Thomas Friedman, Beautiful Artichokes and Weird Dreams

I went to the Yankees-A's game last night, enjoyed a number of very expensive beverages and some wildly unhealthy food. Some hours later, I had quite a bizarre dream.

I was working for some sort of organization -- it was a publication, but we were putting on an event of some kind. As is often the case when I remember dreams, these details are lost to the mists of the early morning hours.  

I had a mission: to secure a large quantity of artichokes. I had to go to a wholesaler, and there were many obstacles before me, although I don't quite remember what they were. Anyway, I had to navigate a labyrinthian route through back alleys in a deserted industrial neighborhood.

I came across a warehouse, and asked a guy with a forklift where I could find artichokes. "Right here," he said, and then he had a huge box full of the most beautiful artichokes I'd ever seen. They were big, and their leaves were tight, and they glowed purple and pink in the muted light streaming in from these small windows at the top of the structure.

I filled a smaller box, and -- I don't know why, but this is the detail I remember most vividly -- he shocked me by saying, "$2.50." 'Wow,' I thought. 'That's a bargain!' 

Then he said: "But You can't give any of them to that guy who's obsessed with China." "Thomas Friedman?" I asked. "Yes," he said, "that guy's an idiot and he can't have any."

The End.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Note I Had to Slip Under My Tom Petty-Obsessed Neighbor's Door


Dear Neighbor:

Sure, Tom Petty's great. But did you know that being forced to listen to Tom Petty's Greatest Hits over and over and over for weeks on end is actually recognized as a form of torture under international law? It's true!

Of course, it's a free country – you have every right to stand your ground, or seek out good love (which, God only knows, is hard to find). But how about indulging just once per day? As it stands, it's gotten so my friends don't come around here no more, and I'm getting close to a breakdown. Sometimes I just have to flee the building, and I shouldn't have to live like a refugee.

Or how about using headphones if one dose of the Pettster isn't enough? Am I chasing down a dream, here? I don't think so -- there is an easy way out!

Thanks!

- YOUR NEIGHBORS 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Does @HeatherChilders Eat Babies?

Rumors persist that Fox "News" anchor Heather Childers eats babies, perhaps with a refreshing roasted red pepper coulis.