seems like so long ago

To Anyone Who Missed It

2008-10-24T13:26:49Z

It seems like every time I meet someone on IM they're saying they didn't know I have a new journal, so here's a reminder.

If you missed it last time, I have a new journal on IJ, it is not much more interesting than this one was, but it is public, and contains far less ranting. My new journal is here. You are not obligated to read it (naturally) but if you comment anonymously, please sign your comments, or else use OpenID, which is super-easy. You just pick the OpenId radio button and put in the URL for your journal.

Oh God, No

2008-03-14T21:31:42Z

Dear Marvel...

Stop threatening to fuck up my favorite characters. The more "Marvel" you try to make the Runaways, the more you ruin them. Leave them out of your tacky, idiotic crossover event.

No love,

Someone who actually appreciates BKV's writing and characterization skill.

Tell Me What to Write About!

2008-03-14T19:37:44Z

From everyone, ever:

Everyone has things they blog about. Everyone has things they don't blog about. Challenge me out of my comfort zone by telling me something I don't blog about, but you'd like to hear about, and I'll write a post about it. Ask for anything: latest movie watched, last book read, political leanings, thoughts on yaoi, favorite type of underwear, graphic techniques, etc. Repost in your own journal so that we can all learn more about each other.

Note: Posts of a personal nature will be f'locked, everything else will be public.

In other news, I have no internet at home. So yeah, I'm sitting at my favorite 7-days internet cafe, and yeah, I'm having a yummy toast for supper. But for the love of all that is good and pure in the world... why does my internet have to go down less than an hour after the ISP tech support center closes for the weekend? Unless they are shutting people's internet off for the weekend to prevent them from violating the Shabbat, which I'm trying not to be paranoid enough to believe.

My Thoughts on the US Primaries

2008-03-07T13:49:27Z

The Sims 2: Elections '08 is seriously the best thing in the universe. Ever. Better than puppies, rainbows, chocolate and sex. With Johnny Depp.

World News

2008-02-25T10:05:23Z

A communist candidate apparently won the elections in Cyprus. What say you, f'list? Can we expect militant fundamentalists, mysteriously armed with M-16s, to stage a coup d'etat sometime in the next year or so?

Or perhaps Christofias and his talk of reuniting Greek and Turkish Cyprus are the Cypriot response to the Kosovar independence declaration last week. On the list of hypocritical fuckwits who believe that only their own nations deserve self-determination: Russian government (Chechnya), Serbian government, Spanish government (Basque Country), Chinese government (Taiwan), us, of course.

Well, actually, the Israeli government has remained totally silent on the subject of Kosovo. Of course, some citizens are clamoring in favor of recognition, on the same grounds as clamoring to accept as many Sudanese refugees as the economy can hold. News site talkbacks, however, don't provide a very reliable indicator of percentage.

It reminds me somewhat of Israeli governments' silence in regards to acknowledging the Armenian genocide of WWI. The United States, also, cannot afford to alienate Turkey by acknowledging it, but not entirely for the same reasons. Similarly, it goes against the instinct of many Israelis for Jewish empathy for the disenfranchised and persecuted.

World politics among terrified, paranoid Jews is a constant headache.

(PS: My favorite political icon is disabled; I wonder if the Russian overlords can be trusted with my money so I can ~~occupy~~ liberate it.)

XKCD

2008-02-20T17:16:20Z

Someone is wrong on the internet!

Sanesha Stewart Case - Media Coverage

2008-02-14T14:11:12Z

I spam you out of love. Really.

If you google Sanesha Stewart's name, most of the top results will be feminist or activist blogs. Somewhere low on the first page will be a couple of news stories. Pretty soon the top results will probably be transgender community remembrance sites. Maybe the results are different if you google her birth name, more news stories or anti-trans blogs. I don't know.

Dwell on this sentence, taken from the top-ranked news story I could find, though: "I called him 'her' out of respect."

What does that tell us?

Another Saint's Day

2008-02-14T10:30:06Z

Also, happy Valentine's Day, since quite a few of my f'list have valentines.

People are funny; dictionary_wotd has amative at the word of the day, and the same word was WotD for Valentine's Day 2006 on Wiktionary.

Thoughts on the Sims 2 Fandom

2008-01-24T21:36:58Z

You know what's interesting? How in the average Sims 2 fan community you go in and immediately start hearing a buzz that Romance Aspiration sucks, and Romance Sims are all whores, and it should be called the Slut Aspiration, and a bunch of other wholesome terms of that sort. Then if you look very deliberately and closely, you find a little corner where people say it sucks that Romance Sims are jealous of their lovers, because it goes against the principles of polyamory.

Sometimes I forget how judgmental people's assumptions can be. Sometimes I even forget that I used to be one of those people. Sex politics give me a headache. The problem with that being: polyamory as a philosophy is designed to eliminate the politicking from sexual relationships, and what it ends up doing is becoming more politicized because of the need to interact with the sex politics of the external world. Then it becomes a Statement about how we should all Live Our Lives, rather than the much more simple, "This is how I am, and this is how you are."

Maxis got so close to getting it right, and then failed, epically.

Recommended Freeware

2008-01-23T11:23:19Z

I would like to take an instant to recommend Unlocker, a Windows freeware utility that finds and unlocks files that are locked for editing/deleting. It's a lifesaver.

Gay Cowboys, the Prequel

2008-01-17T18:04:43Z

Gay cowboys, circa 1987, courtesy of the indefatigable Alison Bechdel.

Just When You Think You're Being Too Paranoid

2008-01-15T10:56:40Z

Just when you think you're being too paranoid, you realize you're not being paranoid enough.

moar funny pictures

My world politics knowledge, let me show you it

2008-01-10T09:06:56Z

A quarter of a million people have been displaced in Kenya since the elections. As goldjadeocean posted about recently in the context of her African History class, until very recently Kenya was one of the most politically stable countries in Africa. Among other things, it had a flourishing tourism industry. I trust that's down the toilet for the next five to ten years (based on my experiences of politics, war and tourism, and how poorly they mix).

To make matters worse, Kenya's stability made it a prime base for the United Nations and other aid-giving organizations from which to send people and goods to other, more troubled regions. The political (and racial) violence naturally inhibits that aid, potentially putting thousands or millions more at increased risk.

More on the UN in Kenya on the UN News Centre. More news on Wikinews, CNN. Wikipedia has an article on what they have (most neutrally) termed the "civil unrest" and several articles on the results of the election. This should give some historical background -- I am gratified to see that the article is fairly well-edited, a reasonable indicator of media attention. Compare the Aurukun rape in Australia, which has barely been edited since the case surfaced.

ETA 12:25: You know what's a really good idea? Playing Russian roulette with blood transfusions. Way to go, British military.

Battleground God

2007-12-31T12:20:11Z

You know what's awesome? Battleground God. It's a test for the internal logic and consistency of one's beliefs about God. I took one direct hit (inconsistency) and bit two bullets (bizarre and/or unpalatable beliefs) and overall I'm quite pleased with my results.

Direct Hit 1

You answered "True" to questions 10 and 14.

These answers generated the following response:

You've just taken a direct hit! Earlier you agreed that it is rational to believe that the Loch Ness monster does not exist if there is an absence of strong evidence or argument that it does. No strong evidence or argument was required to show that the monster does not exist - absence of evidence or argument was enough. But now you claim that the atheist needs to be able to provide strong arguments or evidence if their belief in the non-existence of God is to be rational rather than a matter of faith.

The contradiction is that on the first occasion (Loch Ness monster) you agreed that the absence of evidence or argument is enough to rationally justify belief in the non-existence of the Loch Ness monster, but on this occasion (God), you do not.

This, I think, is the result of mixed definitions. I think that atheism, as distinct from agnosticism, is based on the belief that god does not exist, a belief that stems from internal conviction and not from logic. Belief in the context of the Loch Ness monster is not about what one is convinced of, but what one thinks is likely or unlikely. It is rational to think that god does not exist (and I do think so), but not to believe it.

Bitten Bullet 1

You answered "True" to questions 6 and 13.

These answers generated the following response:

You stated earlier that evolutionary theory is essentially true. However, you have now claimed that it is foolish to believe in God without certain, irrevocable proof that she exists. The problem is that there is no certain proof that evolutionary theory is true - even though there is overwhelming evidence that it is true. So it seems that you require certain, irrevocable proof for God's existence, but accept evolutionary theory without certain proof. So you've got a choice: (a) Bite a bullet and claim that a higher standard of proof is required for belief in God than for belief in evolution. (b) Take a hit, conceding that there is a contradiction in your responses.

You chose to bite the bullet.

I do require a higher standard of proof for god. That is because god is a concept so constructed that it defies logic, or rather, provides a much greater challenge to logic. God is incredible, and evolution is not, at least not if it's properly explained without skimming over any of the qualifiers or pertinent details.

Bitten Bullet 2

You answered "True" to Question 16.

This answer generated the following response:

You've just bitten a bullet! In saying that God has the freedom and power to do that which is logically impossible (like creating square circles), you are saying that any discussion of God and ultimate reality cannot be constrained by basic principles of rationality. This would seem to make rational discourse about God impossible. If rational discourse about God is impossible, there is nothing rational we can say about God and nothing rational we can say to support our belief or disbelief in God. To reject rational constraints on religious discourse in this fashion requires accepting that religious convictions, including your religious convictions, are beyond any debate or rational discussion. This is to bite a bullet.

God exists outside of logic because belief exists outside of logic. As I have said, belief as I define it stems from internal conviction. People either believe or they don't. Furthermore, I think some people require belief for their mental well-being, and others are incapable of it (and that I belong to that latter category). For me to discuss god with someone who believes in rational terms would be a little absurd, I think.

I got a Medal of Distinction. That was nice.

Oh, Hi

2007-12-25T11:10:59Z

Wait, you all have that thing today, don't you? Or was that yesterday?

Hierarchy and Oppression

2007-12-18T13:00:41Z

"I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: "The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that's fair." In these words he epitomized the history of the human race." - Russel, Education and the Social Order, via Wikiquote.

Hegemony depends for its success upon two things: that you should always have someone to oppress, and that you should be either oppressed by the more privileged or, if at the topmost rung, threatened constantly with losing status. In fact, even the lower rungs are threatened constantly with having their privilege revoked, because everyone has a measure of privilege. The more you have, the blinder you are (and the more hegemony can threaten to take away from you, to keep you inline).

This is why, for instance, some straight feminist women get extremely defensive in the presence of lesbianism; it represents a revocation of their hetero privilege, a constant threat for any straight woman who doesn't toe the line.

Happy Human Rights Day

2007-12-10T15:55:28Z

Happy Human Rights Day, everyone. State of human rights: really fucking awful. Things my country has done this year that erode or outright reject human rights: too plentiful (and depressing) to count. Things I have done this year to fight for human rights: almost nothing. Things I can do next year: list compilation ongoing.

It's a secular humanist holiday! That's better than greasy food and fire hazards. Unfortunately, it loses to religious holidays because the religious ones are about celebrating the battles we already won, and are therefore uplifting, not depressing. Funny fact: Hanukkah is about freedom from religious persecution, and has become the unofficial symbol of Jewish diaspora in Christendom, because of its proximity to Christmas. Watch (or re-watch, if you're awesome enough to have seen it in the first place) The Hebrew Hammer with that fact in mind. Then marvel over the fact that we have not yet received a Hebrew Hammer/Undercover Brother crossover.

Point to note: If you or someone you know are shopping for an MP3 player, avoid the SanDisk Sansa Express. I do not know about the company's other models, but this guy has apparently got a nasty habit of dying out weeks or days after purchase and having to be replaced by the manufacturer/retailer. It happened to me and to others. Google for more details; I can't be bothered hunting down the link to the message board I read this on. Next time, I will aim for a Creative product, since my MuVo/Nomad served me well for some three years.

Another google test: If you doubt that the word "homosexual" is a pejorative, google it, and then the word "gay," and take a good fucking look at the results. This is who you're associating yourselves with if you use that word; they would like to dehumanize us by associating our identity as closely as possible with sex and disassociating it with love, companionship, identity, community, humanity, dignity, basic human decency. They do this by invoking most people's basic discomfort with discussing sex closely, and by using a word that sounds more like a disease than anything else -- because, when it was invented, it was one. Never forget: we were removed from the DSM in 1973, and from the ICD in 1992.

Bitch (Again)

2007-11-27T14:00:16Z

Bitch is a word we use culturally to describe any woman who is strong, angry, uncompromising and, often, uninterested in pleasing men. We use the term for a woman on the street who doesn't respond to men's catcalls or smile when they say, "Cheer up, baby, it can't be that bad." We use it for the woman who has a better job than a man and doesn't apologize for it. We use it for the woman who doesn't back down from a confrontation.

So let's not be disingenuous. Is it a bad word? Of course it is. As a culture, we've done everything possible to make sure of that, starting with a constantly perpetuated mindset that deems powerful women to be scary, angry and, of course, unfeminine -- and sees uncompromising speech by women as anathema to a tidy, well-run world.

(From Andi Zeisler's op piece on the Washington Post. Hell, yeah.

Miscelaneous Fannishness

2007-11-22T20:47:35Z

First, Heroes:

Why, show? Why? Claire was awesome last season, even when you continually referred to her as a "cheerleader" instead of a "person," and even though for the second half of the season she had nothing much to do. Hayden Panettiere is impressive, for such a young actress, managing to make a none-too-meaty part endearing. Why must you ruin her by association with that awful, creepy stalker? Why must she be handed from man to man as though she has no initiative of her own? Why? Why must her powers remain so passive?

Why must every storyline about time travel end with "destiny" and Hiro losing someone he loves? Why can't that beautiful boy catch a break, or, for that matter, get laid? I dislike destiny storylines, strongly. The future is as fluid as we make it. Kaito's death did not serve any higher purpose, and his relationship with Hiro (and Kimiko! He also has a daughter!) was so much more interesting, not to mention his highly dubious --- but fascinating in its potential -- friendship with Angela.

Come to think of it, why was Kaito surprised when Adam killed him? He'd known the man for thirty or forty years, had been complicit in imprisoning him, and was presumably aware 1) that he was dangerous and 2) that he had a grudge against the Company.

Why must Matt retread the morally disturbing use of his powers from the first season? How and why does he justify to himself, not only invading the private thoughts of others, but also ordering them about like their willpower was no significant thing? Why, even if he thought it was justified in the act of saving lives, would he justify doing the same to his own daughter? Why?

Why can't Mohinder, a presumably clever and certainly educated man, seem to step out of the shadow of one man's orders... without proceeding to immediately start following the orders of another?

Why do men like Nathan, Peter, Sylar, Matt and Noah continually dodge certain death, while men like Isaac and D.L., and women like Eden and Candice, do not?

Why were Elle and Angela the only truly gripping, affecting, interesting parts of this episode? Why must I weep for every episode that doesn't include Monica and Micah, them being by far the best part of this season? Why?

Why, show?

Next, comics. We received the package yesterday morning, and while we are still somewhat behind, I do have a better grip on the bits of rumors that I can't quite avoid while online (although it's been easier since I stopped following links from WFA). The comics I read this month are as follows: Fables #66, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24, New Avengers #35, Supergirl #22, She-Hulk #22, Wonder Woman #13, X-Factor #24, Runaways #28 and Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7.

Fables: Willingham does okay as long as he doesn't have to deal with women or characters of color. He does good plot, especially when it comes to long-term payoff. If I ever write a serial comic book, that's pretty much what I'd want to take from him: long storyarcs with plot seeds that don't pay off for months, if not years. I do like Flycatcher, and I like him away from his shoehorned and forced-seeming romantic subplot with Red Riding Hood. Still, yet another clever plan to foil the Adversary hardly seemed impressive, since he's been shown as extraordinarily stupid on previous occasions, and every other character has gotten the better of him. :D 3/5. WTF 1/5.

FNSM: Peter David's run is over, and this issue is part of a crossover arc in which Peter tries -- and fails -- to save his dying Aunt May. Again with the destiny thing. Meh. The cover is lovely, a very nice portrait of Mary Jane that made me excited to see a bit of her in the book, since she was conspicuously absent throughout the run I read. No such luck. She appears briefly in a flashback scene (of sorts). Overall, I'm unimpressed, and remain firmly uninvested in Spider-Man or his supporting cast. :D 2/5. WTF 0/5.

New Avengers: Ah, the infamous "Tigra issue." A fairly interesting villainous organization is established, under a fairly interesting premise, largely involving psych-warfare against superheroes, now that the Civil War and Superhero Registration Act has them divided and fighting each other. This important backstory is interrupted by a long, gratuitous and boring scene of Tigra getting the beatdown from the Hood, the man who established said villainous outfit. The girl does not so much as get a single good kick in. What's the point of being a superpowered cat-person and a trained superhero? Conspicuously, the title ensemble barely even appear, or do they not appear at all? I forget. Leinil Yu's art continues to disappoint -- not because his gritty, sketchy, rough-lined penciling is inherently bad, but because the inking and coloring are woefully unsuited to it. In short, while I would like to see the Secret Avengers engage with the Hood and his gang... why couldn't I see it this issue, instead of being bored to death by some hairy orange stranger screeching while her mother was being threatened? :D 2/5. WTF 3/5.

Supergirl: I liked this issue a lot better than the brother did. No, it's not Bedard's finest work, but really, three issues is not a timespan you can cram a Negation-level plot into. It was funny, though, and endearing, and reminded me favorably of his run on Mystic. Renato Guedes' art was, of course, phenomenal, and here is an example where the inking and coloring made perfect complements. I like the idea of the Legion of Superheroes, and their effect on Supergirl. As a lot of people have been saying, she really needs a supporting cats, and not least because she needs friends. I'd be interested to see her with the Teen Titans, and several of the unfamiliar ones look interesting in and of themselves. :D 3/5. WTF: 2/5.

She-Hulk: The first thing I learned from this issue is that Jen Walters is a huge dork. What the hell is that in her mouth? A safety pin? A paperclip? Is that a toothpick? *Dies* I like her already. David, of course, delivers the WTF. I was predicting that She-Hulks amazing gamma-irradiated healing powers would fix her broken neck, but this... is quite different. I also like the look of the two antagonists. Their powers are scary enough in their potential applications, without being over-the-top and godlike. The art is quite nice; She-Hulk is covered in muscles, like a seven-foot muscle-woman ought to be, and Jen is covered in facial expressions, like a dorky ex-lawyer ought to be. While it's rather too soon for me to know if I've fallen in love with the character and her supporting cast, I'm getting a good initial feeling. :D 4/5. WTF 4/5.

Wonder Woman: I called this an exposition issue, while my brother referred to it as wrapping up and starting a new era. It's an issue earlier than the one we wanted to start with, but unlike the first two issues of Supergirl we read, this one actually provided some background on the previous run. I'm ambivalent about Diana having a secret identity. On the one hand, civilian interactions are important, and on the other, she seems so much above all that whole, "Ooh, I have to slip away and change into my superhero costume," thing. Her relationship with Hippolyta looks interesting, and I've got to say, the whole internment thing gets under my skin like only collective punishment of civilian populations can. Piquing my interest, though not much of an issue in its own right. :D 2/5. WTF 1/5.

X-Factor: A good, if somewhat climactic resolution to the Isolationist storyarc. I like him as a villain -- he's horribly unsympathetic while also being awfully understandable. Layla and XFI have yet to reunite, although I like how all the recent plot-points converged into a single strategic plan. Emotional arcs remain unresolved, as they should be: Is Monet pregnant? Will Rahne continue blowing Rictor off? WTF is up with his powers, anyway? Will Guido leave the team, the cast, or neither? I want more! There's never enough XFI in one month for my liking. :D 4/5. WTF 4/5.

Runaways: RUNAWAYS. GLEE. LOVE. JOY. BUNNY-RABBITS. The romantic plot thickets! The family plot also thickens! Chase is (probably) trying to bring Gert back to life again! The German girl is a child-bride! Xavin has developed racial awareness! Whedon has developed racial awareness! A law-enforcing robot is using punched cards as its database. Yes, it's at least several decades too early (as far as I can recall) but it makes a nice parallel to the hyper-advanced way out of reach tech modern superheroes frequently sport. The Punisher's predecessor is a pain in the ass... just like the current version. In short, all is rainbows and unicorns, and I WANT MORE. :D 5/5. WTF 3/5.

Buffy: Faith is gloriously slashy with Buffy. She gets internal monologue, which she never did on the show. She's reluctant to kill. She should really quit smoking, because I doubt that shit is good for her fighter's physique, and all. I wonder: are there really that many members of the nobility who can afford to maintain such a lifestyle in the current economic climate? I mean, Genevieve (Gigi?) is creepily amusing and all, but one has to wonder. :D 5/5. WTF 3/5.

Oh, this post is gratuitously long. Oh. And Rome is on in a couple of minutes, and who am I to snub a Roman orgy?

Still, I must tell you about my new Sims:

So, I'm creating all-new families from scratch, in an all-new neighborhood. Catch is, I called it Crossover City and I intend to populate it with families from my favorite fandoms. I've already got the Manning sisters from Veronica Mars, and next on my list are Sarai and Zaimid Hetnim from DotL, with toddler Mequen.

I really would like to have Lark and Rosethorn, and Lee and Jude (as a baby or toddler) from Fallen Angel, but I don't have the right outfits for them. If I find a long, green dress that would do, but I really wish I had Lee's Fallen Angel costume, because it's so insanely awesome. I'm still thinking of who else to drop in to really mix it up.

Milk Pocky

2007-11-21T07:30:06Z

You Are Milk Pocky

Your attitude: caring and charming
Smooth and silkly... invigorating and natural.
You are like comfort food for the soul.

What Flavor Pocky Are You?

I've never had it, so I don't know if it's any good.

A Break for Diverse Activism

2007-11-14T15:59:47Z

Things I said in response to a blogpost on The Hathor Legacy, in a discussion regarding positive terms for fat people:

One of the first and most persistent themes in any movement of marginalized people is learning to live with the boundaries of what we can and cannot say to those who are more privileged than us. This is largely a factor of fighting our own self-loathing and internalized bias, and the virulent backlash this invariably produces. Nothing is more natural than hating or resenting those who are more privileged than us on any scale, but the fact that it's natural doesn't mean we don't have to fight it.

Just as we cannot say "anorexic bitch" to any woman who is too skinny for our liking, we will gradually learn that grading ourselves in reverse is counter-productive. Just as we are coming to realize that saying "real women have curves" still puts women's bodies in subservience to their attractiveness.

I have long come to realize that much of the hatred and misconception comes from confusing the meanings of these three terms: fat, overweight and obese. Now I am coming to understand that the medical definitions and population ratios of them are also deeply skewed. In short:

1) "Fat" means a person who has relatively more body fat repositories. It is a neutral and subjective term; fatter, less fat, a little fat, very fat. It is erroneously and maliciously used as a pejorative.

2) "Overweight" means a person who is carrying somewhat more fat deposits that is healthy for them. This is relative to the body in question, especially to the skeleton strength and muscle tissue. It is uncomfortable, and can cause pain especially in the ankles, knees and back.

3) "Obese" means a person who is carrying a lot more fat that is healthy for them, by a factor that can cause serious long-term health problems. It is a disease that needs treatment.

4) Caveat: As ever, health cannot and will not be regarded as a moral imperative. Society does not have the right to require things of an individual's body, as that would be intolerably invasive.

Also: Kay Olson's The Gimp Parade posts a poem by Eli Clare that I found unspeakably touching: read it. Olson's blog is also interesting in that she makes a connection between ableism and transphobia. It reminds me of Amy Reads' guestblog on GRC, The Body Beneath, as well as (peripherally) some of my own thoughts re: pervasive societal anger towards suicidal individuals. People, I think, resent being reminded that they have bodies, and bodies that they cannot be in total control of. This may or may not be related to the philosophy of dualism, a very pervasive idea, I think.

Other blogs I feel like recommending: The Angry Black Woman. Digital Femme. I am becoming actively interested in issues that do not directly pertain to me; can you tell? Watch me initiate the tag "activism," for anything that does not fall under "queerdom," "feminism" or "anti-racism."

Queer FAQs

2007-11-01T16:18:19Z

This glees me. Some of the terminology seems a bit softcore/outdated (I can't remember ever hearing a socialized person referring to themselves as "a bisexual," let alone as "homosexual") but nontheless, much with the awesome.

Beef and Veggie Phyllo Pie

2007-10-30T21:20:44Z

As per wottie's request, my recipe for last Friday's pie. It is loosely based upon this recipe, which I did not make because corn bread mix is not widely available in Israel. I may look up a quick mix recipe and try it some other time.

Ingredients

1 pound/500 grams lean ground beef (defrosted if frozen)

2 pounds/1 kilo frozen phyllo dough, sheets or roll, defrosted

1 jar (~ 400 ml) tomato sauce

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

one small can (~ 250 grams) kernel corn

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F/180C degrees.

In a large skillet over a middle-low flame, stir the ground beef until thoroughly browned. If you forgot to defrost it (this happened to me) use a fork and a knife to break it apart gradually and ensure all the meat is cooked.

Add in the vegetables and continue cooking until they are warm.

Stir in the tomato sauce. Once the combination is well mixed, lower the flame and leave the skillet on it to keep the mix warm.

Spray a large, deep, rectangular (preferably) baking pan with oil spray, or else spread a small amount of oil or butter over the walls and floor.

Line the pan with sheets of phyllo dough almost to the top of the walls. You should have roughly enough dough left to cover the top of the pan.

Turn off the flame under the skillet and spoon the mix into the lined pan. Cover with the remaining phyllo dough.

Bake for ~ 20 minutes or until the crust is browned to your satisfaction. Serve hot.

The whole ordeal should take less than an hour. Ingredients are easily substitutable: use carrots, peas, green beans, mushrooms or any other vegetable you see fit. It should also be possible to substitute the meat with soft cheese, perhaps ricotta or cottage cheese, but that may require further alterations and improvisations.

When I made my pie, I wasn't sure I had enough dough to cover the top. I ended up double-doughing the bottom of the pan, creating a thick and doughy bottom layer, and baking until the top of the meat mix was slightly crusted. I also folded in the edges of the crust and pinched the corners, to make the pie easier to cut. The crust corners were tasty.

To prevent excess spam/foment spoiler segregation, I will defer my thoughts on this week's episode of Heroes to a different post.

My Only Word on the Matter

2007-10-30T09:18:38Z

This is the only thing I'm ever going to say about the whole gay Dumbledore debacle:

Exhibit A: Straight girl falls in love at age ten. Rebuffed. Accepted. Gets married, has children and lives happily ever after.

Exhibit B: Gay man falls in love at age eighteen. Unrequited. Object of affections turns out to be a mass-murdering tyrant. Never falls in love again. Lives to be a hundred and fifty and dies alone.

Do the math.

In Rowling's world, first time is not only the charm, it's the only option. The only people who die alone are Sirius (crazy), Snape (selfish) and Dumbledore (gay). The latter two are the only ones who ever actually loved the wrong people, Snape because his greasiness was unworthy of Lily's beauty and perfection (yes, JKR, we hear you loud and clear) and Dumbledore because hey, gay men are a security liability, what with constantly being seduced by enemy troops.

Not making that last bit up. This has appeared in security questionnaires for gay soldiers in the IDF, and has frequently been cited as an argument against gays in the military.

Belatedly, a Revival

2007-10-19T07:13:38Z

So. The Tamora Pierce Wiki is pretty much languishing. There's an edit or a new article maybe once every three weeks, and I don't really have the time to create new articles -- even stubs! -- frequently enough. Since probably at least half of my f'list can contribute something to the wiki, and quite a few have already contributed some, I'm posting here.

Please edit. I'm not talking about creating hugely long and involved articles, or whole series with matching infoboxes and navigation templates. Just: check the recent changes once a week or so. If there's a new article, try to add a small edit, fix some spelling or formatting, or add one sentence to it. If there are no new articles, create a one-line or two-line stub about a minor character you like, or something like that.

There was a flood of activity way at the beginning, and then it just... slowed to a trickle.

Anyway, it's Chore Friday, and I'm awake uncommonly early. This is probably good, since there's usually so much to do I barely have time to relax.