Carrie Prejean: Miss Avoidance

Watch as Miss California USA sidesteps virtually every question asked during a brief appearance today at the National Press Club.



That last question? That was mine. I guess I scared her away.

For the record, the politics question came from the Washington Times and the breast implants question came from Inside Edition. Way to focus on the substance, gang.

Cobb Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing

More goodness from Simple and Delicious magazine. I made this recipe Sunday. It was fantastic! I especially loved the dressing. It's got just a bit of a kick, while still being creamy and refreshing. Perfect for a summer day (or an unseasonably hot day, like Sunday).

Cobb Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, undrained
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (10 ounces) hearts of romaine salad mix
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 package (7-1/2 ounces) frozen diced cooked chicken breast, thawed
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup real bacon bits

Directions:

1. Place the first seven ingredients in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Chill until serving.
2. In a large bowl, layer the salad mix, beans, cheese, tomatoes, chicken, avocado, onion and bacon bits. Drizzle with dressing. Yield: 8 servings.

Tropical Pie

The latest issue of Simple and Delicious has been awesome. Lots of great recipes, including this one, which I made over the weekend:

Tropical Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 2 medium firm bananas, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 4 teaspoons sugar substitute equivalent to 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping, divided
• 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (9 inches)
• 4 maraschino cherries, halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place sliced bananas in juice; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar substitute and 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Fold in 1/4 cup whipped topping.
3. Drain bananas. Arrange half of bananas in bottom of crust. Carefully spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with pineapple, remaining bananas and whipped topping. Garnish with cherries and walnuts. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Yield: 8 servings.

All hail the Blue Shirts

What do I miss about Minnesota? I miss my family. I miss my friends. And I miss the good customer service. But the Blue Shirts at Best Buy in Columbia Heights are bringing it back.

You might have noticed in this week's Best Buy circular that "Ninja Gaiden" for Nintendo DS was on sale for cheap. It's a beautiful game that I once played and left me impressed. It was time to finally purchase my copy — or so I thought. Priced at a ridiculously low $9.99, "Ninja Gaiden" quickly sold out at BestBuy.com. I thought I'd lost my chance, but the crew at Best Buy in Columbia Heights saved the day.

I first met the crew via their @DCBlueShirts account on Twitter. They actually reached out to me and told me they were there to help. They let me know that a copy of "Ninja Gaiden" was still available and could be held in my name. I picked it up tonight, following an incredibly long and exhausting day at work. For the assist, I give a specific shout out to John Z. for his help in this instance, but also to Best Buy for reviving the dying art of customer service.

It was a great treat to feel like I had "someone on the inside" at Best Buy helping me. Kudos to John and the others behind the account. Here's hoping that other retailers follow their lead.

I IZ A PIRATE!

Still have some adjustments to make (need a bigger crinoline, need to adjust the corset a bit, need to un-learn breathing from the diaphragm as all my choir teachers taught me), but overall I am VERY HAPPY with my costume!

YARR!

Today's piratey purchases

Today, Josh and I had fun at the Fort Frederick Historic Market along with a couple of our favorite pirates from Pirates for Sail.

Though sadly my costume I ordered from The Wenches Wardrobe hadn't arrived yet, I set about buying the necessary pirate accessories. So here's the rundown:



I'm sure your first question is: Why two daggers?

To which I reply: Why not?

And also: They were cheap.

Dagger #1 looks cool while Dagger #2 has the advantage of having a belt loop built into the sheath.

The wooden flask/canteen thing was a handy find. It'll be great to have at CONvergence so I can keep my, ah, water with me. You know, to stay hydrated. During the parties. Ahem.

The bandanna, though you can't tell from the photo, is actually 100% silk and has a beautiful, subtle paisley design on it.

The belt is absolutely necessary because I plan to hang things on it, including dagger #2 and the money pouch. No need to haul around a non-period-appropriate purse! Instead I can haul my anachronistic cell phone and wallet in there when I go to the Virginia Renaissance Faire next month.

So those are my purchases. I can't wait to try them out with my brand new costume once it arrives this week!

Re: Swine Flu

If you're concerned about the swine flu outbreak, here's an article from The Wall Street Journal that answers many questions about the situation.

I'm reproducing the article below in full in addition to linking to it because archived WSJ articles are not freely and publicly available. Given the rising concerns associated with the outbreak and the need to share accurate information, I wanted to ensure its continued availability.

Questions and Answers About Swine Flu

By JACOB GOLDSTEIN

Here are a few basics about the swine flu outbreak in the U.S. and Mexico.

What is swine flu?

It's flu that occurs in pigs. In rare cases, humans contract swine flu from close contact with pigs. The strain circulating now is cause for concern because it can pass directly from person to person. Like routine human flu, cases of swine flu can range from mild to severe.

Is the disease the same in Mexico and the U.S.?

The virus appears to be the same. But the disease has caused at least 20 deaths in Mexico, while it has appeared more mild in the 20 confirmed U.S. cases, with no deaths and most patients recovering without needing to be hospitalized. It's unclear why confirmed cases have been more severe in Mexico than in the U.S. A CDC official warned on Sunday that as cases continue to emerge in the U.S., some may prove fatal.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms are similar to those of regular flu: fever, along with problems such as cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. Some cases have also included reports of vomiting or diarrhea.

What should I do if I feel sick?

People with ordinary flu symptoms do not need to seek emergency care, New York City officials said. But people with certain warning signs in addition to basic symptoms should seek urgent attention. In children, those signs include difficulty breathing; bluish skin color; flu symptoms that begin to improve, then return with fever and worse cough; and fever with a rash. In adults, warning signs include difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, and severe or persistent vomiting.

Can the swine flu be treated with drugs?

Two drugs, sold under the brand names Tamiflu and Relenza, are believed to reduce the severity and the duration of the disease. But most of the patients who contracted swine flu in the U.S. have recovered without taking the drugs. Both drugs have also been approved to reduce the risk of contracting the flu. But, unlike a vaccine, they do not provide long-lasting protection. So their preventive use is typically for short-term situations, such as for family members of someone who has the flu. The drugs, which are included in the federal government's pandemic stockpile, are only available with a doctor's prescription.

Does this year's flu vaccine protect against the swine flu?

The CDC says the seasonal flu vaccine is "unlikely to provide protection" against the swine flu. The agency has created a "seed vaccine" specifically tailored to this swine flu. That could be used to manufacture a targeted vaccine if officials deem it necessary to do so. But manufacturing a new vaccine would take months.

Are there ways to reduce the spread of disease?

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands often. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Avoid close contact with infected people. People who have mild symptoms should stay home from school or work until 48 hours after the symptoms have passed, to avoid spreading disease, New York health officials said.

The cat that goes BOING!

This video is surprisingly compelling.

Weddings: Not just about the bride

"When people talk about a feminist wedding, they mean one that celebrates your love more than the bride’s accomplishment in finding a man. When they say that it’s hard to have a feminist wedding, I suspect part of the problem is that you can’t really get others around you to consent to seeing this as egalitarian as much as Bride’s Big Day. … This is part of the reason that same-sex marriage is such a major league threat to conservatives. Same-sex weddings don’t have the person with power and the person whose status was elevated by being chosen. So you’re stuck with celebrating their love, and that’s going to have an influence on how straight weddings are understood."
— Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon (via KittyKittyBangBang)

When Josh and I got married, we did what we could to deflect the imposition of "the bride focus." We wanted our day to be one in which we celebrated our mutual commitment to each other, not one in which everyone obsessed over me and my fluffy white dress and how great it was that I'd "bagged a man."

It wasn't easy. After we got engaged, I had a coworker who informed me weekly of all the wonderful weddings she'd just attended, what an amazing job the bride did in making it a lavish affair and how great she looked throughout the day. Through offhand comments with, admittedly, good intentions, a large number of people (particularly those who didn't know us well) made it clear that the day was supposed to be about The Bride. And even though I often love being the center of attention, those comments always made me uncomfortable. Whenever I saw one of those weddings I got a bit queasy. (Though to be fair, I also got the same feeling when I went to a wedding that focused on how amazing the groom was, while the bride remained as scenery!)

Reading the quote above reminded me of that feeling, and put it into a new perspective. I fully agree that our society still operates with certain patriarchal attitudes that are deeply shaken by the concept of same-sex marriage. If you're looking for a good book on the subject, check out The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy.

A thousand times yes!

How awesome does this look?

Hee hee.

Via I Can Has Cheezburger

Barbeque chicken wraps

This is an experimental week, as I've had minimal time for grocery shopping. Luckily, the experiments have turned out well so far. Here's a great new recipe I developed with ingredients I had on hand:

Barbeque chicken wraps
Ingredients:

• 4 tortillas
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 yellow summer squash
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup torn leafy lettuce (i.e. romaine)
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 Tbsp. barbeque sauce (or more, to taste)

Directions:

1. Spray skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Slice chicken breasts into thin strips and cook in skillet until no longer pink in center.
2. Meanwhile, slice squash in julienne style and warm tortillas according to package directions.
3. Once chicken is cooked, drain and arrange on tortillas. Top with squash, tomato, carrot, lettuce, cheddar, and barbeque sauce. Serve immediately.

Um.

I knew our made-up last name was awesome and all, but I never thought it would be a fitting name for, you know, a puppy.

Weird.

SQUEE! WANT!

The stegosaurus is saying "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" - a favorite quote from "Firefly."

Available at Think Geek.

This should go next to our "Awesomeness" poster at work.

Star Trek motivational posters

(Thanks, Tony!)

A Gaythering Storm

OMG there is a storm being caused by gay marriage and we are all in serious trouble. (Parody video)

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

And look - the website actually exists: www.giantgayrepellentumbrella.com

Netiquette basics

Sigh. This shouldn't be necessary, but it seems some folks need reminding.

Please, people. Stop cluttering the Internet with:

• Chain letters
• Virus warnings (99% of the time, they are fake. Check snopes.com before sending on.)
• Poems. Seriously, people, unless it's Keats, I really don't want to read it. And if it's accompanied by "cute" cartoon figures (read: clip art from 1995), sending it to me may result in me blocking your address.
• Pleas for help: Unless you personally know the missing child, Indonesian boy with no arms, no legs, and no goats, or what have you, don't send it on. Chances are, the kid was found five years ago and the Indonesian boy will never see that donation the email is begging for.
• Anything that claims you will get a gift certificate or money for forwarding the message on. Bill Gates, Disney, and Outback Steakhouse have never, and will never, test the "viral" capabilities of email by asking you to forward stuff. I PROMISE.
• "Charming" quotations about life, love, God, friends, family, etc.

If you're going to forward an email, please do the following:

• If it's a joke, ask yourself: Is this laugh-out-loud funny? If it's not, don't bother sending it on.
• Carefully choose who you are going to send it to. Never, EVER blast your whole address book. Ask yourself, "Would this person appreciate reading this, or would it just be One More Thing for them to deal with in their inbox?"
• If it's politically-charged or religious in nature, make darn well sure you're sending it to people who you know will appreciate it. Unless you've talked politics or religion extensively with someone and know their viewpoints, don't assume you know what they think, or what they will find offensive. (Honestly, this kind of subject matter is often best left un-forwarded.)
• Always delete any remaining headers, footers, and >>'s from the email before sending it on. If it's not worth your time to clean up before sending, it's not worth the other person's time to read it. (And do me a favor and delete any graphics from it, too.)

Have I broken these rules before? Sure. Everyone's a newbie at one time or another. But generally, I've learned from those mistakes, and hope other people will, too.

END RANT.

Steam + lights + us = art

If you feel like making fun of "Star Wars" today...

Here's hoping you're all having nice, lazy Sundays!

If you have a yen to laugh at some "Star Wars" today, and you've already blown through "Blue Harvest" and the two "Robot Chicken" Star Wars episodes, head on over to Rifftrax and download their take on "The Empire Strikes Back".

For those unfamiliar, Rifftrax are MP3 files you can buy and then play synced up with popular movies. It's like MST3K for more current and popular releases, starring Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, and some of the other MST3K alums. They've got all kinds of goodies in their library, from "The Fifth Element" to "The Matrix" to "Harry Potter."

So check it out. And prepare for some funny!

I think I'm learning Japanese/I think I'm learning Japanese/I really think so!

Josh and I are thinking of traveling to Japan sometime in the next year or so. As you've probably surmised, Josh has a vast appreciation for Japanese pop culture, so it's always been a dream of his to go to Tokyo. And me? I just like to travel, and going to someplace so exotic and intense appeals to me. (Come for the Transformers, stay for the sushi.)

We both decided we should make an effort to learn some Japanese before we go, though (at least spoken, if not written), so Josh has added a Japanese study guide to his birthday list and I found a way to download a ton of free Japanese tutorial podcasts at JapanesePod101.com. When you sign up, you get a free seven-day trial to download as much content as you want (except pdfs), so I grabbed 60 or so podcasts on "survival phrases" and "newbie Japanese." I started listening on Metro earlier this week, and so far I can kind of say, "Hello, my name is Annie Lynsen," and "Yes." Baby steps, right?

If you have any recommendations for where to go, what to see, what to eat, and other resources for learning the language or preparing for the journey, please post them in the comments. We're just in the beginning stages of planning and would love any insight you've got!

You could win a Kindle. For serious.

Got some free time this weekend?

A few minutes of your time earns you the chance to win an Amazon Kindle 2. Seriously.

Get out there and take some photos of your local parks, playgrounds, ice rinks, whatever! (And join my team - First Book. Every three playspaces you enter gets a kid a free book. Neat!)

Random Things of Goodness

Far more frequently than is prudent, I star things in Google Reader. I mean to blog about these things, but often the day gets away from me. And the backlog grows. And grows. And grows.

But no more! For on this day, I unveil Random Things of Goodness, a new feature akin to Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and It's Weird, But True. Because if I've learned anything from weekly publications, it's that you can't have too many standing features.

• I'm looking forward to the July 21 release of "Robot Chicken - Star Wars: Episode II" on DVD. This shall in all likelihood be my final "Robot Chicken" purchase, as the show has lost its luster, but oh, what a sendoff. The opening sequence alone is worth the price.

• When is learning the periodic table of elements fun? When it sports "Final Fantasy" characters! Boring chart: The 17th element is Cl for Chlorine. Awesome chart: The 17th element is Cl for Cloud. I could've really used this thing in high school.

• I was disappointed when I realized this article about "G.I. Joe" characters appearing in the upcoming "Transformers" sequel was an April Fools Day joke. But it gave me hope that someone at Hasbro can make it happen for a future film. Yes? Please?

• Speaking of Transformers, did you know those shape-shifting toys are finally getting the recognition they deserve? The line is getting inducted into the ToyFare Hall of Fame. I approve.

• Language barrier be damned, I only needed to grasp four words from this video: "Kingdom Hearts" and "piano collection." The beautiful score to one of my favorite games is being distilled to its barest essence in this forthcoming CD. Bless you, Square Enix.

• I was heartened to see the "G.I. Joe" movie got a better reception at ShoWest than at its last appearance. I'll take "positive buzz" over "subtle as a sledgehammer" any day.

• And just when I was starting to fear the worst, confirmation has come that the fourth season of "The Muppet Show" will be released on DVD. We just have to wait until 2010 to see it. Why am I so interested in this season? Because it's got Christopher Reeve, Lynda Carter and the incredible "Star Wars" episode with Mark Hamill, C-3PO, R2-D2 and Chewbacca. It's a rough wait, but it'll be worth it.

What's your NPR name?

What would your name be if you were a National Public Radio correspondent? You don't hear any Mike Wilsons or Heather Browns on that network. If you want to speak in the same rarefied air as Korva Coleman or Renita Jablonski, you need a name that combines exotica and whimsy. (via Woot)

Here's how to play:
Your first name is your real first name with your middle initial inserted into it wherever you choose. Your last name is the smallest town you've ever visited in a foreign country. So I am Annime Stanthorpe, for example, and Josh is Joshuaj Brisbane.

What's yours?

'I told you so'

November 18th. That was the day I cautioned you not to financially support the startup company trying to revive HeroClix.

I said the company's fundraising effort was "suspicious in concept and execution" and it was "obvious to me that the money is lost if the startup fails," but I feared "too many people are donating to the cause without thinking this through." I also noted that if people evenetually came to regret their donations, they would only get from me four words: "I told you so."

And what's the title of this post? Yeah.

There's an uprising tonight on the Piñata Games forums as people who once supported the startup are now crying foul. The unrest comes in response to ICv2's latest news on the HeroClix saga, that a deal concerning HeroClix has fallen apart and once-and-still owner Topps might forge ahead with the game rather than sell it.

In response to the news, forum commenters are questioning the wisdom of their cash donations and demanding answers from an unresponsive company. Here's a sampling of the comments:

• "I think the time is nearing that we have to realize that those of us who donated money got ripped off."
• "This isn't just a cause for minor concern. It's time for someone to be straight with us."
• "I am fine with losing money for a good cause, but I am beginning to think that Pinata Games is a fictional company. "
• "This latest piece of news from ICv2 is anger-inducing to say the least."
• "You've really got to start giving us some real information."

Oh, now you want real information? After you donated money?

You do see where you went wrong, yes?

Sigh.

Vote for me!

At the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, I recorded a one-minute pitch for this Pepsi contest, where they’re going to give the winner $4,500. We had to pitch what we would do with the money to advance social good.

My pitch was to develop an iPhone app for the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder, which would increase the number of entries we receive and make the resource even more valuable for everybody. And as it turns out, I am one of the 20 finalists!

Help us get some seed money for new features for the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder by voting for my pitch! You can vote as many times as you want between now and next Monday (April 20).

VOTE HERE! A lot!

And feel free to pass this on! Tell your friends!

Thank you!

Seems appropriate for today.

If bunny = cute
And tiny = cute
And sleepy = cute

Then this picture is cute x 3!

Darn those parts of speech

I think I muttered this under my breath when my elementary school teachers were teaching us the parts of speech for the MILLIONTH TIME. (I swear, we did the same darn lesson for the first week of every year.)

Via Engrish

SXSW podcast on bad economy survival now available

The panel I mentioned in my earlier SXSW recap post called "What Do I Do With Myself, Now That the Economy Has Collapsed?" is now available to download as a podcast. I highly recommend it, even if you're gainfully employed. It's good all-around advice for keeping your job skills sharp.

Don't mess with Fox, bub (part 2)

Apparently, nobody had anything to say about my prior post. That's cool. So to move things along, I'll simply say I think Fox News acted correctly. Illegal behavior — for any purpose — cannot be condoned.

Now let's open a new discussion topic. Marble cake: Best of both worlds, or evil mutant hybrid? My money's on the former. I think it's a wonderful blending of two great flavors. And its fun, visually engrossing nature is far more captivating than simple vanilla or chocolate. Annie, however, says such hybrids end up bland, killing both the chocolate and vanilla flavors. It fails to live up to expectations and its attempt at compromise fails.

It's up to you, fair readers, to settle this argument. WHAT SAY YOU?!

10 wonderful years

People have been stunned to hear that as of this week (today, to be exact), Josh and I have been together for 10 years.

Our first date was at Buco di Beppo in St. Paul on April 10, 1999. It was a murder mystery dinner and we both dressed in period clothing from the '20s. (I'd love to illustrate, but the photo is at my parents' place. So this picture of us at a playground circa 1999 will have to do.) I wore a cloche hat and a drop-waisted dress and he wore a suit with suspenders and his fedora.

Even though we'd been good friends for a few months at this point, I was still So. Nervous. While we were waiting with the rest of our group for the private room at the restaurant to get ready, he kissed my hand. I knew then he was a keeper.

But my nervousness was so bad I couldn't eat all night. And let me tell you, there was some fabulous Italian food in front of us. I missed out. But we still had a lot of fun acting out the mystery dinner (he played a golfer named "Socks" and I played a reporter named "Scoop" or something). It was a classic and fun first date, and I'll never forget it.

We've been through a lot over the last ten years, but I wouldn't trade any of my time spent with Josh for anything in the world. I often wish there were more hours in the day so we could enjoy each other's company more amid all the daily routines and responsibilities of modern life. But at our wedding, we promised to "love, respect and appreciate" each other 'till death do us part, and I'm lucky I'm with someone who has made all three of those promises such a joy to fulfill.

'Krod Mandoon' and the great flame out

For a few minutes, the show looked like it might actually be good. "Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire" reminded me of the wackier "Dungeons & Dragons" campaigns I've played. In a good way.

But then it sputtered and stumbled before finally falling flat. The show's frequent reliance on cliche and stereotypical humor was lazy; its overall presentation was juvenile. And I'm not the only one who thought so. Check out these mini-reviews from Twitter.

• vikingbastich: Krod Mandoon was..... a dissapointment
• boomstyx: Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire was SO NOT AS FUNNY as I thought it would be. Very lame. Oh wells.
• aaronlease: WOW! Krod Mandoon really really really SUCKS!!! It won't last long...I need a refund on the hour of my life I just lost!
• Dantrel: is so so sad about Krod Mandoon. It blew.
• porcelain72: Not feeling 'Krod Mandoon.' The villain is funny, but most of the humor comes from tired old gay and slut jokes. **yawn**
• MissBert: watching Krod Mandoon. I so want it to be funny, but it's painful.
• zianeu: Krod Mandoon... hopes for gamer-humor, but actuality was just 30 minutes of lame.

Thirty minutes? The show was an hour. I think zianeu was the smartest one of us all and hit eject early.

Ooo! Look at the pretty!

The upcoming Green Lantern animated movie, "Green Lantern: First Flight," looks pretty awesome in this teaser trailer. Now we just need an indication that the writing is as good as the animation…

It's weird, but true!

My classic "thumbs up, thumbs down" shtick works well in most settings. But what to do when there's a wealth of weird info to pass along? Behold: It's weird, but true!

• SPIKE IT: James Marsters, best known as Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," is portraying the big bad in the upcoming Dragonball live-action film, "Dragonball: Evolution." Don't believe me? See the interview and a photo of him in costume as Lord Piccolo here.

• DRUG FREE: The opening sequence to "Katamari Damacy" seems like something one might experience after consuming too many magic brownies. As such, the game's creator recently felt compelled to note, for the record, "I don't use drugs at all." It's unclear whether he then added "…any more."

• GAME ON: Would you believe that a video game magazine has more paid subscribers than Time, Sports Illustrated and Playboy? Believe it. Game Informer has 3.5 million subscribers.

• ODD BALLS: What do Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Jim Carrey have in common? All three are being pursued to take starring roles in the new "Three Stooges" film. Sean is Larry, Benicio is Moe and Jim is Curly, if all goes to plan.

• OH NOES: I hope you didn't sell your used PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 to Circuit City. Because in its final days, the defunct retailer resold said systems without wiping the hard drive. That's right, your credit card info and other personal data now belongs to someone else.

• BIG PLANS: How sure is Paramount Pictures that the new "Star Trek" film is going to do well? So sure that one month before the film releases, the studio has a sequel in the works. I'm not sure whether that's arrogant, or the best sign yet this movie will rock!

• MEGA MAN: If you're not familiar with the glory that is Mega64, you should check it out. The performance troupe takes video-games inspired hijinks to the streets, often to hysterical result. But what happens when they meet Hideo Kojima, creator of one of their favorite games? Play the video to find out...

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Annie edition

Thumbs Up to New Opportunities: Big congrats to my friend Harry Knox, who has just been appointed to President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships. Way to go, Harry!

Thumbs Down to Weird and Suggestive Fortunes: My fortune cookie today said: You are one of those people who "goes places in life." Makes me wonder...what exactly are those quotes suggesting?

Thumbs Up to Iowa: Iowa Supreme Court unanimously approved same-sex marriage last Friday. Amazing!

Thumbs Down to Vermont: The Vermont Governor just vetoed their state's pro-gay-marriage bill. Boo. (Update: lawmakers overrode the veto! Thumbs up!)

Thumbs Up to Good Surprises: I found out today I'm one of 20 finalists in the Pepsi "What's Your Pitch?" contest. I said if given $4,500 to help improve the world, I'd use it to help develop an iPhone app for the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder. I'll post a link so you can vote for me later this week!

Thumbs Down to Useless Endorsements: Does the Andy Capp endorsement still sell snack foods effectively? My guess is no.

Thumbs Up to Blackberry: Loping in the distance after Apple and Google, Blackberry finally released its first app store last week. Now to find time to browse through it!

Thumbs Down to My Height: We went to the Japanese Street Festival on Saturday, and this was my view for most of it. Festivals are decidedly less fun when you can't tell who is selling what.

Thumbs Up to Random Good Ideas: A mug that says your name and how you like your coffee? A simple but genius idea.

International Pillow Fight Day footage

Crap! I missed it again!

Don't mess with Fox, bub

The internet cracked in half last week when an unfinished cut of the upcoming "Wolverine" movie was leaked online. News broke April 1, but the reports were truthful and not some elaborate hoax.

We all know piracy is bad — mmm kay? — so I won't go into why the people responsible for the movie's dissemination are crooks and should be held accountable. But there's an interesting subplot to all this involving a freelance journalist who decided to view the early cut and post a review online. What's so interesting about that? The journalist is Roger Friedman and he was writing for Fox News. Yes, that Fox News. The sister company of 20th Century Fox, the film's owner.

In his review, which has since been removed from Fox News, Friedman says he was "amazed about how great Wolverine turned out. It exceeds expectations at every turn. I was completely riveted to my desk chair in front of my computer." You can probably still find his review out there somewhere, but I found that snippet at Cinematical. But whether Friedman liked the film or not isn't the point. The point is he was fired for downloading the movie and publicly boasting about it in his review. You can read more about the situation here.

So was Fox News right to fire Friedman? If so, what do you think was the correct reason for his dismissal? If not, why not? And is there a First Amendment violation in all this? I have some pretty strong thoughts on the situation, but I'd be first interested to hear what you think. Post your thoughts and I'll write about this situation again later in the week.

'I hope you know what you're doing'

I'm not one who generally cares about my hair. I shampoo it. I buzz it. And that's about it. So I don't need a lot from a barber. But I do need competence.

I've been growing my hair out since the turn of the year so I can appear as Dr. Horrible at CONvergence in July. But in the last couple weeks, my mop had become rather unruly, so it was time today to tame the beast. Knowing I didn't yet have the length to reprise my NPH haircut, I nonetheless printed out the picture so I could explain what I ultimately was working toward. You know, so the stylist didn't screw things up.

To her credit, the stylist didn't completely screw things up. But that's about where the complements end. My confidence was shaken when I showed her the picture and she responded with a somewhat blank expression and the words, "I hope you know what you're doing." I tried to take it all in stride and told her I did, in fact, know what I was doing. But did she? Not really.

I left Brian's Barber Shop about 20 minutes later with what can best be described as a sloppy businessmen's cut. I was essentially given a traditional men's cut, but the stylist left things a bit messy. And not in that intentionally tussled kind of way. It looked bad. And the best thing she could think to say when it was all said and done was, "At least those wing tips are gone." Sigh.

It wasn't what I wanted. I knew it. She knew it. And as soon as I left the barber shop, everyone else knew it.

I regret the cut, to be sure, but it's not a disaster. If I play my cards right, I can still achieve my desired look in time for con. But this experience affirmed to me that you really do get what you pay for. And you're much better off taking the $15 you would spend at Brian's Barber Shop and applying it to a pricier cut done by a competent stylist.

Two things...

1. We were featured in Express again. Woohoo! (They pulled from my post about the Evil Brownies.)



2. The Iowa Supreme Court just unanimously approved same-sex marriage! OMG!

Red alert - new Thai restaurant in Silver Spring with free delivery!

Our kitchen was a mess. There was no way I was cooking.

Josh was working late.

We needed food.

So I started paging through our delivery options in downtown Silver Spring, which are few. Pizza? Nah. Chinese? Haven't found a good place yet. Both of us realized we had a hankering for Thai, but our one experience with Thai in Silver Spring was awful. Still, I remembered there was at least one more Thai place nearby we hadn't tried, so I visited SilverSprung.com, and as it turns out there are at least FIVE Thai places near us. Who'da thunk? (I love living in a major metropolitan area!) I was looking for websites and menus (both of which were few and far between, sadly), and came across Thai Flavor, a brand-new place that not only had a website with all the information I needed, but FREE delivery, too! Wow!

I called them up, and the woman who answered was extremely nice, which startled me. I'm used to the "We'rebusywhatdoyouwant?" attitude when placing an order, but she was not only attentive (repeating my information back to me to ensure accuracy) but pleasant. For a minute, I thought I was back in Minnesota!

The delivery arrived in half an hour, brought by another nice person, a young man (possibly the owner?) who noted I was a new customer and asked how I'd heard about the restaurant. He thanked me for ordering and invited me to post a comment on their website if I liked the food. On the whole, it was the most pleasant delivery service I've ever had, and one of the best customer service experiences I've had since moving out here three years ago.

To top it all off, the food was delicious, too. The chicken paneng (my perpetual favorite) was just the right level of spiciness and the crispy crab rolls were great, too. My only slight quibble is that the rice was a bit overcooked, but that's not a huge deal.

So if you're in the Silver Spring area, check them out. You won't regret it!

Evil brownies

I made brownies from scratch for the first time last weekend, and oh my goodness...I fear I will never use brownie mix again. These turned out so chocolatey, buttery, and amazing. The only problem was that the middle refused to set. I used four eggs, and I think that's the culprit...next time I'll try two or three.

Evil brownies (listed as "Merry Brownies" in the Penzey's Spices catalog)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 12 Tb. (¾ cup) cocoa, natural or Dutch process
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2-4 eggs (each added egg makes the brownies richer but also higher in calories/fat)
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• ½ cup powdered sugar to sift on top of brownies (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9x13 inch glass pan.
2. Melt butter in a small pan over low heat, then sift in cocoa and whisk until smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl; let cool.
3. Add sugar and vanilla; mix well.
4. Lightly whisk the eggs, then add to batter and stir to blend.
5. Add flour; stir until combined. Brownies should be stirred by hand until just blended.
6. Add nuts if desired; spoon into baking dish.
7. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the middle springs back when lightly pressed and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
8. Let cool, and then sift powdered sugar over the top if desired. Cut into small squares or use a festive cookie cutter and store in a covered container.

UPDATE 4/25/09: After reading an article in Cook's Illustrated, I realized one of the problems that caused the brownies not to set: I used salted butter. I tried again today with unsalted butter, three eggs, and cooking for 50 minutes, and they turned out much better in texture.

Online grocery shopping: Pros and cons

I used to love grocery shopping.

When I was growing up, my mom used to bring me along to Hy-Vee (or occasionally, the defunct Barlow's) to do the week's grocery shopping. They had a free cookie program for kids, and sometimes we'd go on Saturday morning and get really yummy pancakes for $2. There were always free samples offered by smiling employees, the store was bright and clean and easy to navigate, and it was just a pleasant experience. And other than the free cookie program, not much changed when I grew up and started shopping there on my own.

But since moving to the East coast, grocery shopping has become more of a chore. For one thing, I live in a tall apartment tower, and hauling up a week's worth of groceries, even with an elevator, often requires me to check out a cart (which, on weekends, is often being monopolized by people moving in or out of the building) or make multiple trips. The stores out here don't have the wide selection I'm used to (except in the deli) and the employees are often unfriendly. On the weekends, it's tough to find a parking space anywhere in the lot at my local store, and they don't have a drive-up or even cart stalls in the parking lot, which means there are stray carts everywhere.

After a few weeks of tearing my hair out when we first moved out here, I decided to investigate ordering groceries online. Our two options were Peapod and Safeway. To test them out, I went through a week's grocery list and saw who carried all or most of the items I needed to buy, and Safeway won, hands down. So I took a deep breath and began ordering groceries online.

Things I liked about this system:

• I didn't have to worry about how to haul all the groceries upstairs - they were delivered right to my door.
• I saved time.
• I didn't have to deal with rude customers or employees. (In fact, the delivery folks were often very nice.)
• I dramatically cut down on impulse buys and ordered less junk food (which is how I justified the $10 delivery fee).
• I could select how I wanted substitutions handled (if I wanted a different size or brand, for example).

But there were a lot of drawbacks, too.

• Things I needed were out of stock. A lot. Which often meant I ended up at the grocery store anyway.
• On at least a dozen occasions, things I paid for were not included in the order I received, inexplicably. Usually, this was one of the most expensive things I ordered, like a roast, and we'd need to call Safeway and ask for a store credit, after which I'd end up at the grocery store again to pick up the missing item. We had to meticulously go through the list each week and check things off as I put them away, to make sure we weren't ripped off.
• They didn't take manufacturer's coupons (Peapod does, for the record), which means I spent more money on groceries than I would in the store.
• They recently increased their delivery fees to $13 for a 2-hour window and $10 for a 4-hour window, which starts to outweigh my "fewer impulse purchases" argument.

So, in light of those reasons and some general belt-tightening at Casa Lynsen, I stopped ordering groceries online. It's still handy to be able to do so on occasion, when I'm sick or have a crazy weekend planned, for example, but overall I don't miss it. Though going to the grocery store is a much less pleasant experience than it was back in Minnesota, saving money is important, and I just got tired of all the back-and-forth with Safeway.com.

Have you ordered groceries online? What have been your experiences?