Purim begins February 27 this year (watchout for drunks). Forget the light starters, give me some hamantaschen!
True story: My Hebrew name is Esther.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Pablo Escoparty
What's a gal to wear to a Pablo Escobar-themed birthday party?
Inspiration: Penelope Cruz in Blow
Inspiration: Sharon Stone in Casino
Encouraged by Wikipedia's "1980s in Fashion" page, I borrowed Sarah's amazing zebra print sequin dress. Thank you Sarah!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Eastside Ridaz
"One woman says she has a .22 and is considering bringing it with her to the park so that she can shoot a dangerous dog if it tries to attack one of her four dogs." (from the LAT, from here)
These seems preposterous, but given that the people in piece is quoting people at Elysian Park, I believe it.
If you want to read more about pit bulls, leash laws, and lunatics, please look at this thread in a YoVenice forum.
These seems preposterous, but given that the people in piece is quoting people at Elysian Park, I believe it.
If you want to read more about pit bulls, leash laws, and lunatics, please look at this thread in a YoVenice forum.
Monday, February 22, 2010
LAT 2009 Book Prize
Is Dave Eggers celebrating his nomination by growing dreadlocks? This picture does not rule that out.
For "Mike"
While I think the poster art is lacking, I think the movie sounds neat. (Via)When was the last time anyone was at the California Science Center?
Penne with Lemon and Root Vegetables
I made this last week, it was very easy and tasty (and vegetarian or possibly vegan if you omit Parmesan). My first time cooking with celeriac! It looks like a dinosaur turd but has a nice clean taste and aroma.
Warning: if you include red beets as one of your root vegetables, the entire dish will be magenta.
Friday, February 19, 2010
One dissenting citizen went after a camera with a pick ax.
The upside to Arizona's roadside cameras (that issue tickets to people driving more than 11 mph over the speed limit) is that the fine is only $181.50 (versus $500 here).
The downside is that everyone hates them, they are not the revenue-generators the state had hoped for, and they may not even increase safety.
The downside is that everyone hates them, they are not the revenue-generators the state had hoped for, and they may not even increase safety.
Not as good as sex-confident
but "rococo power mullet" is a great phrase. From the VF piece on John Hughes.
For more on sex-confident, see here.
For more on sex-confident, see here.
TATTOO REGRET
This item and following comment thread about "Tattoo Regrets" really speaks to me, even though I have no tats. I wish it had accompanying photos.
Note to the people at WNYC: When you do your segment on food regrets (subsections: restaurant selection regrets, menu ordering regrets, and snack regrets) CALL ME IMMEDIATELY.
Note to the people at WNYC: When you do your segment on food regrets (subsections: restaurant selection regrets, menu ordering regrets, and snack regrets) CALL ME IMMEDIATELY.
LA County doctors working for free since July 2009
Did you know that LA County suspended payment to doctors treating uninsured patients on July 1 2009, and just reinstated payment this week? These docs have been working for free since then, and are now making almost half of what they were paid a year ago.
On the other side of that coin, Anthem is moving to raise premiums for individual policy holders up to 39%, at a time when its parent compnay (and industry as a whole) is earning billions in profits.
On the other side of that coin, Anthem is moving to raise premiums for individual policy holders up to 39%, at a time when its parent compnay (and industry as a whole) is earning billions in profits.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Roger Ebert Profile in Esquire
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A new zooborn!
Yesterday I started reading this article about the rise of heroin as a cheap alternative to Oxy; it is part of an LAT series called The Heroin Road, and reads like an extended episode of Intervention. I was ready to cry by 10 am which is a record for me.
I quickly pulled it together, switched gears, and read about the birth of a baby elephant at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. Check him out on the elephant cam!
I quickly pulled it together, switched gears, and read about the birth of a baby elephant at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. Check him out on the elephant cam!
Never doubt the healing power of Zooborns.
Dear Swerve Studio, please go jump in a lake.
Guess what Swerve? If you want to encourage people to patronize your business, you could start by improving your customer service!
In the words of Lucy, "F* her. Namaste."
Related question: Who the f spells namaste with an f'ing accent aigu?
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:04:19 -0800
Subject: Re: Groupon promotion
From: info@swervestudio.com
To: Erin
Dear Erin,
We are sorry that you are disappointed in the Groupon promotion at Swerve. However, we do uphold the
New customer only policy for the promotion. The new customer only stipulation was very clearly printed on both the deal page and on your coupon. It is Swerve’s policy to abide by the rules it has set for itself and working with a partner such as Groupon.
There are many reasons that we set a new customer only policy for this deal. One of them being, we actually do lose money on the promotion when you factor in all the costs for a class such as teacher’s pay, desk staff, etc and the fact this is such a deep discount, Swerve does lose money. However, like any business we invest in bringing in new clients through deals such as this in the hopes they will enjoy the classes and decided to buy a package. You expressed you have no intention to buy a package yourself. In giving current clients a discount such a this we are losing a great deal of money.
Groupon advertised our promotion exactly as we set it up to and it was clearly stated that it would be valid for new customers only. You are welcome to sell it to a friend who has not been here before, sell it on Craigslist, or give it as a gift. Unfortunately, all purchases of the package went directly to Groupon and we do not have any control over them or the income to put towards a single class or package. Groupon runs the promotion as is and we honor it as is.
We hope that you are able to give or sell this to someone and receive your money back that way. We also hope you do enjoy the classes at Swerve enough to continue taking them. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns as we would be happy to answer them.
Namasté,
Swerve
On 2/17/10 11:18 AM, "Erin" wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I am writing to express displeasure at your policy concerning the recent
> Groupon promotion. I purchased the Groupon, not realizing that it was for new
> customers only. When I tried to redeem the Groupon last night to take a
> circuit training class, I was told that it is not possible for me to use the
> Groupon because I have been to Swerve before.
>
> The refusal of my Groupon implies that to honor it would cause Swerve to lose
> money, which is not the case. I purchased the Groupon specifically because it
> was a discounted offer; I had no plans to buy a full-price package. I even
> offered to use it as a credit towards a full-price class, and was told that is
> not possible. I have friends who purchased the Groupon for the same reasons I
> did, and now we are extremely disappointed.
>
> I don’t understand why Swerve would refuse to honor my payment for classes. If
> Swerve is unhappy with the way Groupon advertised this promotion, that issue
> should be handled between Swerve and Groupon, rather than punishing paying
> customers like me.
>
> I was told that my only options are to sell the Groupon or give it away; is
> this true, and if so, why?
>
> Thank you for your time,
> Erin
In the words of Lucy, "F* her. Namaste."
Related question: Who the f spells namaste with an f'ing accent aigu?
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:04:19 -0800
Subject: Re: Groupon promotion
From: info@swervestudio.com
To: Erin
Dear Erin,
We are sorry that you are disappointed in the Groupon promotion at Swerve. However, we do uphold the
New customer only policy for the promotion. The new customer only stipulation was very clearly printed on both the deal page and on your coupon. It is Swerve’s policy to abide by the rules it has set for itself and working with a partner such as Groupon.
There are many reasons that we set a new customer only policy for this deal. One of them being, we actually do lose money on the promotion when you factor in all the costs for a class such as teacher’s pay, desk staff, etc and the fact this is such a deep discount, Swerve does lose money. However, like any business we invest in bringing in new clients through deals such as this in the hopes they will enjoy the classes and decided to buy a package. You expressed you have no intention to buy a package yourself. In giving current clients a discount such a this we are losing a great deal of money.
Groupon advertised our promotion exactly as we set it up to and it was clearly stated that it would be valid for new customers only. You are welcome to sell it to a friend who has not been here before, sell it on Craigslist, or give it as a gift. Unfortunately, all purchases of the package went directly to Groupon and we do not have any control over them or the income to put towards a single class or package. Groupon runs the promotion as is and we honor it as is.
We hope that you are able to give or sell this to someone and receive your money back that way. We also hope you do enjoy the classes at Swerve enough to continue taking them. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns as we would be happy to answer them.
Namasté,
Swerve
On 2/17/10 11:18 AM, "Erin" wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I am writing to express displeasure at your policy concerning the recent
> Groupon promotion. I purchased the Groupon, not realizing that it was for new
> customers only. When I tried to redeem the Groupon last night to take a
> circuit training class, I was told that it is not possible for me to use the
> Groupon because I have been to Swerve before.
>
> The refusal of my Groupon implies that to honor it would cause Swerve to lose
> money, which is not the case. I purchased the Groupon specifically because it
> was a discounted offer; I had no plans to buy a full-price package. I even
> offered to use it as a credit towards a full-price class, and was told that is
> not possible. I have friends who purchased the Groupon for the same reasons I
> did, and now we are extremely disappointed.
>
> I don’t understand why Swerve would refuse to honor my payment for classes. If
> Swerve is unhappy with the way Groupon advertised this promotion, that issue
> should be handled between Swerve and Groupon, rather than punishing paying
> customers like me.
>
> I was told that my only options are to sell the Groupon or give it away; is
> this true, and if so, why?
>
> Thank you for your time,
> Erin
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
La Descarga
Rum is not on my list of things to drink; only gin is more vile to me. However, I am always up for a specialty cocktail, so Mike and I went to La Descarga last night (there is a full bar, so if you hate rum even more than I do you can drink something else). The LAT piece is an accurate introduction to the place: Cuban theme thoroughly explored via decor and music, two different doors manned by two different people before you even enter the bar, and a lot of rum.
Mike had the Tropical Holiday, which was strong and sweet but drinkable (note: it is pink and has a large mint garnish), followed by a Cuba Libre. I had a Pappa's Daquiri, which I liked: tart with grapefruit juice and a lime garnish, it had a nice flavor and wasn't too syrupy or sweet tasting (my chief rum complaints). The Nailing the Admiral (or Banging the Captain, or Smashing the Steward) was fairly described by our waitress as a Manhattan with rum. I started a swift downward spiral after two sips of this. Maybe the fumes from the adjacent cigar bar finally got to me?
The crowd was young and heavily male.
Genius feature: there is a late night taco shop immediately next door. Skip the drive to Benitos!
Friendly tip: This bar is north of Santa Monica Blvd. If you enter the address into Google Maps, it defaults to S. Western Ave, and directs you to a strip mall in Koreatown.
Mike had the Tropical Holiday, which was strong and sweet but drinkable (note: it is pink and has a large mint garnish), followed by a Cuba Libre. I had a Pappa's Daquiri, which I liked: tart with grapefruit juice and a lime garnish, it had a nice flavor and wasn't too syrupy or sweet tasting (my chief rum complaints). The Nailing the Admiral (or Banging the Captain, or Smashing the Steward) was fairly described by our waitress as a Manhattan with rum. I started a swift downward spiral after two sips of this. Maybe the fumes from the adjacent cigar bar finally got to me?
The crowd was young and heavily male.
Genius feature: there is a late night taco shop immediately next door. Skip the drive to Benitos!
Friendly tip: This bar is north of Santa Monica Blvd. If you enter the address into Google Maps, it defaults to S. Western Ave, and directs you to a strip mall in Koreatown.
Duckface
Stop Making That Duckface! Maybe the MySpace CEO resigned out of duckface-enabling shame.
Thanks to Daryn for the tip.
Crack Pie
Cooking Momofuku is all over the place these days. The LAT has a recipe for Crack Pie, and this lady is burning through the cookbook. I'll have a candy bar pie please, thanks.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
So It Goes
Did you know that a lot of people have a "So It Goes" tattoo? This a real meme.
Breaking: people get Harry Potter tats? I die.
The Autobiography of an Execution
Last night I listened to the Fresh Air interview with David Dow, author of Autobiography of an Execution. If the Amazon reviews are accurate, the book may not be a great read, especially if you are looking for info on the death penalty (in Texas, the most active by far of all dealth penalty states). But I found the interview to be very interesting, and recommend it (I do not, however, recommend listening to that interview, followed by this one about a little girl's advice for her unemployed dad, and then watch an episode of Intervention. I did that, with catastrophic, tearful results).
And if you want to learn more abotu the death penalty in Texas, and probably cry, you should definitely read this New Yorker article by David Grann. It is amazing and terrible.
Alternatively, if you feel that we don't have enough capital punshment, move to China!
And if you want to learn more abotu the death penalty in Texas, and probably cry, you should definitely read this New Yorker article by David Grann. It is amazing and terrible.
Alternatively, if you feel that we don't have enough capital punshment, move to China!
Activecat
Don't be a Sadcat, be an Activecat by participating in a cat obstacle course and agility competition!
I am taking applications to be Lewis' personal trainer. Payment (in the form of wet food) DOE.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Your Number
The best part of this article about the average woman's number of sexual partners comes from Crystal, a 22-year-old exotic dancer:
"I've seduced thousands of men, but my actual number of sex partners is one, maybe one and a half. Sex should be special."
"I've seduced thousands of men, but my actual number of sex partners is one, maybe one and a half. Sex should be special."
What is one and a half sexual partners? One guy and one centaur?
Friday, February 5, 2010
A postponed dream is just a dream
I fully support living the dream, but what if your dream is living in a van in Durham to save money while attending grad school at Duke?
Nightmare Rain
I understand that things get ugly here when it rains, but why does the LAT need to use a bizarre nightmare picture to illustrate the point?
Fear the middle-aged women in ill-fitting pants, she will wash over you and your small umbrella when you are most vulnerable!
Fear the middle-aged women in ill-fitting pants, she will wash over you and your small umbrella when you are most vulnerable!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Watch out, Barbara Boxer
Carly Fiorina and her army of devil sheep (or demon sheep according to LAT) are coming to get you!
The Tom Campbell sheep reminds me of Maleficent.
Thanks to Laura for sending me the Wonkette link.
The Tom Campbell sheep reminds me of Maleficent.
Thanks to Laura for sending me the Wonkette link.
Do I need to be debarked?
The ultimate in vocal volume control.
That way, people will be spared the screaming that results from being an enthusiastic participant in life.
That way, people will be spared the screaming that results from being an enthusiastic participant in life.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Mad Men Beards in New York Magazine
I am really enjoying this slideshow of actors on Mad Men with off-season beards.
John Slattery, please call me sometime.
The glaring exception of the group is Vincent Kartheiser (who plays Pete Campbell). He looks like Macauley Culkin in a k hole.
He also appears to be on his way to old lesbian status.
Urine Therapy
Guess what Lyoto Machida and the late JD Salinger have in common?
They both drink their own urine for health purposes.
They both drink their own urine for health purposes.
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