Good-bye, Deli!

Today was my last day working in the deli. Words cannot describe how happy I am. Never again will I have to slice meat, never again will I have to fry chicken (and have my clothes stink like grease for the rest of the day), and never again will I have to cook a Philly cheese steak. I seriously hate those things. Never again will I have to listen to someone tell me they want me to slice their lunch meat "thin, but not shaved" - which makes NO SENSE, because if you wanted it shaved, you would've told me "shaved," now wouldn't you? And, God willing, never again will I have to hear someone ask me, "Y'all ain't got none more a them there's tater salads?" because I almost couldn't keep a straight face the first time.

In other news...hey! look what I made:

 

It's a Simpsons-ized me. Kinda. I'm not sure if the shirt was supposed to be pro-veggie, or just a twist on Bart's catchphrase, but I love it!

Updatey

If you read this blog in Google Reader, you're probably seeing some really old posts that don't make much sense or refer to some really old events. Sorry about that. I deleted my old Livejournal blog this morning, and I moved a few posts over to Blogger before I shut it down. My 101 things to do in 1001 days post was the important one (to me, at least), although after looking over it for the first time in a few months, I've realized I might need to edit a few of those goals.

It's sad, looking over the list, to see how frivolous and - not naive, exactly, but irresponsible? I can't think of the word I'm looking for right now; maybe immature - I used to be. When I first came up with that list, I was 25, living in Atlanta, working a dead-end job with no thoughts or cares for the future. As you can read in the list, I mostly wanted to travel and spend money that I now realize I didn't even have at the time. In the past two years, my priorities have shifted. I'm not getting drunk and high with my friends on the weekends, living off credit cards and holding out hope that someday I'll win the lottery and never have to really work for what I want in life. Partly because I no longer have credit cards, but also partly because I want to do something with my life that doesn't involve working retail and spending all day in bed. (I should probably note that I'm still in my pajamas, but I actually woke up at 9 a.m., bleary-eyed and bushy-haired, and have spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry. So there.)

I start work on Master's degree at GC&SU next week, so I figure that's a good time for turning over a new leaf. I'll be going through my 101 things list, weeding out the expensive pipe dreams and replacing them with goals that 1) I can actually accomplish, given my limit budget and time constraints, 2) will help me improve in some way, or 3) I have been putting off for a while, but that I need to see through to the end (I'm thinking unfinished scrapbooks, a half-made baby blanket, and FINALLY beating FFVII). Which goes to show that I'm not eschewing frivolity completely - I'll still be checking BWE, I'll still be playing my video games, I'll still be reading my comics, and I'll still be debating whether or not to order this awesome Veronica Mars-inspired T-shirt from Glarkware. Although I only have until Saturday to decide on that last one.

In the meantime, here are some blogs that I've been reading in my quest to Become A Better Person:

Back in skinny jeans - not that I ever fit into skinny jeans in the first place, mind you, but this site has info and encouragement about dieting, exercise, and other stuff dealing with beauty and self-perception.

unclutterer - a blog about minimalizing your life. Anyone who's seen the interior of my car knows I could use a few tips.

Lifehacker - deals with productivity. Their slogan: "Don't live to geek; geek to live." Love!

Think Progress - my progressive political fix.

Presidential-ish links I find amusing

First off, Elizabeth Edwards confronts Ann Coulter about lowering the bar for political discourse and Ann reacts by being, well, her bitchy self. Almost as good as watching this high school kid giving Bill O'Reilly what-for.

And secondly, some guy nicknamed "The Impaler" is running for president. Strangely, I'm reminded of the kid from Real Ultimate Power:

"My name is Jonathon The Impaler Sharkey, Ph.D., L.D.D.D. I am running for Governor of Minnesota in 2006 and for President in 2008. I am a Satanic Dark Priest, Sanguinarian Vampyre and a Hecate Witch. My Magikal Path name is: Lord Ares. I despise and hate the Christian God the Father. He is my enemy. However, it doesn't mean that I hate all his followers. This Country was founded on religious rights and freedoms. This is guaranteed under the 1st Amendment of our great constitution. This right allows me to worship Lucifer and the Goddess Hecate, just as it allows you to worship the Goddess/God of your choice. I have a 13 point platform that includes better benefits for farmers and veterans. I will also give more funding to our school system and fix the pot holes on our city streets. Not to mention the FACT that I will personally impale any and all wrong doers in the steps of the Governor's mansion. If you are a child molester, rapist, drug dealer or terrorist you will be IMPALED!"

...but with Vampires instead of Ninjas.

Georgia vs. Gordon Lee

Via iFanboy:

Gordon Lee Trial Date Set - CBLDF Needs Your Help!

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund urgently needs your help. This August, the long-running case of Georgia v. Gordon Lee will finally go to trial, with court costs expected to hit $20,000.

For nearly three years the Fund has defended Georgia retailer Gordon Lee, seeing him through multiple arraignments and procedures, and racking up $80,000 in legal bills. The charges stem from a Halloween 2004 incident in which Lee handed out, among other free comics, an anthology featuring an excerpt from the critically acclaimed graphic novel The Salon. The segment depicted a historically accurate meeting between 20th Century art icons Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, the latter depicted in the nude. It was a harmless sequence, no more explicit than the nudity displayed in the award winning Watchmen. Yet because the title found its way into the hands of a minor, Floyd County prosecutors hit Lee with two felony counts and five misdemeanors. The Fund eventually knocked out most of the charges, but must now defeat the two remaining misdemeanor counts of Distribution of Harmful to Minors Material, each carrying a penalty of up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines.

The case is slated to go to trial the week of August 13. We urgently need your support in order to wage the best defense possible against these remaining charges, and that means raising the $20,000 that the trial is expected to cost. Here's how you can help:

Make A Monetary Donation: Every dollar counts, so please visit the cbldf.org and make a tax-deductible contribution today. As a thank-you for making a donation of $30 or more, the Fund will give you a brand new t-shirt displaying the text of the First Amendment in the shape of an American flag. Show your commitment to free speech, and your support for this very important case.

Join The CBLDF: Now is the time to join or renew your membership in the Fund. Your member dollars provide the baseline of support that we need to perform our casework, and defend your right to buy whatever comics you wish. If you join now with a basic membership of $25 you will receive a CBLDF Member Card, featuring new Groo art by the one-and-only Sergio Aragones, as well as a subscription to our news publication Busted!, and special admission to CBLDF events across the country. If you join at a level of $100 or more, you will also receive one of the new First Amendment t-shirts.

Donate Original Art & Collectibles: With summer conventions upon us, the Fund needs original art, high-grade comics, and other collectible items to make the most of our summer auctions. Please e-mail cbldf1@gmail.com for more information about how to donate to our auctions, or with a description of your intended donation. If your donation is accepted for our summer auctions, you will receive a letter of acknowledgment and a 2007 membership. To ensure that your donation is received safely, please do not send physical items until accepted by the CBLDF.

With Gordon Lee's freedom in the balance, the CBLDF needs everyone who values Free Expression in comic books to do his or her part to support this very important case. Please visit www.cbldf.org and make your contribution today.

Donations: http://cbldf.safeshopper.com/12/cat12.htm?479

Membership: http://cbldf.safeshopper.com/7/cat7.htm?945


Other Donations: cbldf1@gmail.com

I find this case especially interesting because Lee owns a store here in Georgia - Legends, to be exact. They're currently having a sale, if there are any comic geeks out there who want to help support the man and his cause.

Jeez. First that crazy Laura Mallory, now this. WTF, GA?

Nancy Grace podcast

I, for one, am no fan of Nancy Grace. So imagine my delight at finding this awesome podcast video:



Seriously, I'm still crying from laughing so hard. NOTHING is funnier than a cow humping a tractor over Nancy's shoulder. Except maybe that min-pin humping the stuffed bunny.

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Recipe Tuesday: Shrimp Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing and Summer Bruschetta

Shrimp Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing:

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
1 bag fresh spinach leaves (6-10 ounces)
2 cups fresh pre-sliced mushrooms (rinsed)
1/2 cup fresh pre-diced tomatoes
1 lb frozen cooked shrimp (thawed)
1 medium peach (rinsed)
1/2 cup fat-free sun-dried tomato vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon green pepper sauce

1. Cut bacon into bite-size pieces. Place in microwave-safe bowl (wash hands); cover and microwave on HIGH 3–4 minutes or until bacon is lightly crisp. Wash knife and cutting board with hot, soapy water.
2. Place spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and shrimp in salad bowl. Peel peach; discard peel and seed. Cut peach into bite-size pieces; add to salad bowl.
3. Stir vinaigrette and pepper sauce into bacon and drippings (Ed. note: GROSS!). Cover and microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until hot. Pour mixture over salad; toss well and serve.

Summer Bruschetta:

Ingredients:
1 Bakery baguette
4 large fresh basil leaves (rinsed)
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh pre-diced tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1 tablespoon diced pimientos

1. Cut bread in half lengthwise, using an electric or serrated knife. Stack basil leaves and slice into thin strips; cut mozzarella into bite-size pieces. Set both aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl; spread onto bread halves. Top with mozzarella and basil. Slice bruschetta and serve.

The major problem I had with this recipe (aside from using bacon drippings as a salad dressing base) was the directive to prepare the bruschetta first, put it aside, and then make the salad. Random people walking by my booth would stop and try to pick up a piece of bruschetta, which I found rude (and unhygienic - that's why I wear gloves when I dish out the samples). And when I told them that it wasn't ready yet (as opposed to, "Get your grubby hands off that!" which is what I very strongly thought in their general direction), they got pissy with me. So I ended up making the bruschetta and putting it in the oven (which was off) until I was ready to serve it.

Of course, this drama is probably moot, as anyone else making this will be doing so in the comfort of their own home and is free to eat whenever they choose (or, conversely, smack the hands of anyone trying to steal a piece), but it was frustrating for me and I felt like venting, so there.

Becoming Jane

I had completely forgotten about the new Jane Austen "biopic" (quotations because one of the plot keywords on the Becoming Jane IMDb page is "Fictional Biography") being released this year until I read this post on Old Grey Pony. I first heard about this movie last year, when I read an interview with Anne Hathaway in which she talked about reading and studying up for the role. Here's the trailer:



It looks interesting. I'm thinking they took a Shakespeare in Love-type approach to the story - just as Viola provided the inspiration for Juliet, Tom Lefroy is the inspiration for Mr. Darcy. Apparently.

I've read all of Austen's novels, and I'm about halfway done with Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sandition, but I'm sadly ignorant of her life. I do know that she never married, although she was once engaged for a day or so before calling it off. So I'll be taking the biographical info from the movie with a grain of salt. I will definitely see it, though, for James McAvoy if nothing else.

The final chapter?

How Harry Potter really ends.

At least, according to Dan Kois. Whom I trust wholeheartedly because he use to write the LOST recaps on TWoP.

Fast Times at Hero High

It's Wednesday, which is normally new comic book day for me, but I won't have a chance to go by the store. Stupid work. Luckily, I found this very funny video to help me deal with the pain of waiting a day for my comics:


Fast Times at Hero High
Posted Dec 24, 2003

Superheroes weren't always super. See what they were like in high school!

Recipe Tuesday: Salmon Barbecue, Smokey Dipping Sauce, and Gourmet Vegetables

Salmon Barbecue:

Ingredients:
2 ounces baby Swiss cheese (1/5 bar)
1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon (ask for skin to be removed)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon roasted garlic

1. Preheat 2-sided tabletop grill George Foreman grill. Cut cheese into 8 thin slices.
2. Cut salmon into 4 portions; then butterfly salmon. (To butterfly, lay salmon flat. Slice through center of salmon, leaving 1/2-inch uncut to hold top and bottom slices together.) Place cheese inside salmon; fold closed (wash hands). Combine barbecue sauce, olive oil, and garlic in shallow bowl.
3. Dip bottom of salmon into barbecue mixture; place on grill (wash hands). Spoon remaining barbecue mixture over top of salmon. Close lid and grill 3–4 minutes or until cheese melts and fish is opaque and separates easily with a fork. Serve.

Smoky Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon roasted garlic
1 green onion

1. Combine all ingredients (except onion) in small bowl.
2. Chop green onion finely; stir into mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

Gourmet Vegetables:

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh snipped green beans
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh microwaveable baby carrots
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1. Place beans, carrots, and water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH 8 minutes, stirring once, or until vegetables begin to soften.
2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add sesame seeds; cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, or until golden.
3. Drain vegetables thoroughly and add to pan; sprinkle with seasoned salt. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are tender. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)

This is probably the greatest meal I've ever made. Mom liked it so much, she made it for dinner tonight. I'm taking the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I might even make it again on Friday (my next night off). It is SO GOOD. Even Ralph liked it, and he usually hates his salmon to have anything other than lemon juice and Mrs. Dash on it. The customers loved it so much, I ran out of food the first time I made it. THAT NEVER HAPPENS - after 30 minutes, I'm supposed to toss whatever is left. Usually, that's half the pan. Today, I ran out of food while people were still waiting in line to try it. My mind = blown. Mind Explosion!

And now, some sad TV news...

One of my childhood heroes, Mr. Wizard, died today. That is too sad. I remember going to a science museum when I was younger (Fernbank, or possibly Sci-Trek, which was awesome and should never have closed) and actually getting the chance to meet him. I still have a copy of the book he autographed and gave out that day - a collection of science experiments you could perform in your kitchen using household chemicals. Good stuff.

Two great tastes that taste great together!

Veronica Mars being canceled? Craptacular.

Reading that DC might be publishing S4 in comic book form? Awesomeness!

I'm guessing we can thank the success of the Buffy S8 comic for this second chance. I'm wondering if more beloved-and-canceled TV shows will be resurrected as comics. There was a Firefly 3-parter to fill in gaps between the show and the movie, but I'd love to see that as a monthly.

I haven't been this excited about anything VM-related since I was flipping channels a few nights ago and realized that Jason Dohring played that obnoxious kid who told Elijah Wood he was going to be getting lots of sex after discovering the comet that was going to destroy the world in Deep Impact. This almost makes up for the fact that the CW is basically forcing me to watch Gossip Girl by casting Kristen Bell to do the voice-overs.

Spins a web, any size...

Interesting article found on Slashdot: New nanoglue shrinks chips and sticks like Spiderman:

A new inexpensive nanoglue that becomes stronger as it heats up could redefine the way computer chips are made and even pave the way for Spiderman-esque web-shooting devices in the near future, according to its creator.

I can just imagine all the trouble kids would get into with something like that. Cool idea, though.