Sand!

One of my greatest goals is to see the world, like many people. I have many wonders that I want to see. I have a fascination with the different colored beaches that exist, and want to set foot upon one in each color. We all know about the white and tan sandy beaches, but I want to share with you the magic of the lesser-known colored beaches. Join me, won't you?

Black sand beaches

These are found throughout Hawaii's Big Island. When I visit Hawaii, this is the island I want to experience first. It is not as touristy as some of the other islands, and many hotels do not have TV, phone, or internet. It's just you, your hammock, and nature. The black sand was created by the volcanic activity on the island; when the lava meets/met with the ocean. Black sand beaches are also found in Santorini, Greece.

Pink sand beaches

These are found in the Bahamas, specifically Harbour Island. I hope the next reuinion I go to in 2012 I can visit more of the outer islands, and Harbour Island is on that list. The pink sand is a result of the color of the shells of a microscopic creature. Check out these lovely pink sand beaches in Barbuda that Farsighted Fly Girl posted about. Pink sand beaches are also found in Bermuda.

Red sand beaches

This is found in Hawaii; Maui specifically. It's secluded and not really meant for swimming. Word on the street is nude sunbathers often visit here. Look at the gorgeous contrast with the ocean; I love it! There is also a gorgeous red-sand beach surrounded by breathtaking cliffs in Santorini, Greece.

Green sand beach

Another Hawaii beach--I am so wanting to do an island-hopping spree--this one is also on the Big Island. The sand gets its coloring from olivine crystals. This beach is supposedly difficult to access; a lot of hiking involved etc. If you have an adventurous spirit, this will be worth it. There are only two green sand beaches in the world--here and in Guam.

Illustration of Why Civil Rights Are Necessary

I just read this heartbreaking post at Clay Cane. Waris Grant's partner of 5 years, Jamall King recently died. While King was in the hospital, he instructed medical staff that Grant would be the one in charge of everything if he could not make decisions. King's parents took over instead and would not allow Grant to talk to medical personnel about King's status and condition, and after King died Grant was not invited to the funeral services. Here are some quotes from the post:

According to Waris Grant, "Jamall's situation in his last couple of weeks took a turn for the worse. One of his lungs had to be drained, which decreased his lung capacity. He had to be put on a restrictive mask that made a seal with his face and forced oxygen into his lungs mechanically. This procedure was only administered once. Jamall was informed that he would have to be placed on a respirator in an induced coma. As I stood there, I was stunned and saddened by this prospect since the doctors also advised him that people do not usually get off a respirator. Jamall and I spoke about this for no more than 5 minutes at the most -- a swarm of doctors and technicians came into the room to ask his decision. He agreed to the procedure since it seemed to be his last resort. One of the professionals in the room asked, 'Who is your next of kin or who do you want to be in charge while you are unconscious?' Jamall promptly answered while pointing to me, 'I want Waris to be in charge of everything.'" Waris was not in charge of everything. He lost all of his rights.

Waris also says, "Jamall had an identical twin brother, Jermell King, who died of HIV/AIDS complications seven years ago. His family has always said his brother died of cancer. Now, his family denies to any of his friends, whom are already aware of his status, that Jamall's illness was at all related to HIV/AIDS. They tried to prevent me from bringing his close friends, loved ones and even his caseworker to see him while he was hospitalized.

Waris continues, "Up until October 17th, which is more than a month after his death, Jamall still had not been laid to rest. My proposal for his final arrangements was refused by his family. It was refused out of prejudice and bias and up until 3 days prior to his mother's supposed arrangements -- I was still in the dark about the location of the venue. I was not invited. They thought I would divulge some closely guarded family secret and were under the impression that Jamall's employer would pick up the entire mysterious tab, therefore, me and all his friends were snubbed."

Imagine being in a relationship with your loved one for years and one day he or she is gravely ill or injured. If you are heterosexual and married (this couple would have married if they could have) you would not have the same worries a couple like this would have about somebody taking away your right to care for your partner in their time of need and to take care of any subsequent arrangements. Imagine standing by helplessly as the person's parents go against their wishes for medical care. Imagine not being allowed in to see your loved one. Imagine not having any say in funeral arrangements. Imagine being banned from attending the actual funeral. Imagine sharing a home with your loved one, but because the home was in your loved one's name, imagine the parents selling your home and all its belongings (this didn't happen in this case but someone in the comments for this post has a friend who experienced this). How can you be aware of all of this and still deny someone their rights? This has nothing to do with your personal beliefs about homosexuality. It is not your business nor your place to strip away basic civil rights of another group because you do not agree with their lifestyle. It is saddening that so many people are so shockingly and willfully ignorant about this.

For the full post and more information, click here.

Compliments

Sidebar: Wtf is going on in this picture? Is this a ladybug? If so, why is it depicted as a fat, bald old man? Why is he wearing sunglasses? Why does he have arms? Wtf are the bottom two arms doing? And what does he have to do with compliments and feeling good? I need answers.

Anyhoo, compliments in our society have gotten tangled up in the web of etiquette. We are expected to have self-esteem and confidence, but often when we actually exhibit it, it is mistaken for arrogance and/or not being humble. It is possible to exude confidence without being stank, stuck-up, or snotty. Too many of us turn down or deflect compliments when given.

You look nice=oh, I'm fat/bad hair/pimply/a mess

You did a good job on that project=oh it was nothing/I could have done better

You are so funny=I'm weird/a lunatic/a spaz/a tard

...and so on.

Our society has taught us that it's polite to say these things so as to appear grounded. But many human behavior experts/therapists, etc. will tell you that rejecting a compliment makes the complimentor feel you are telling them what they are saying does not matter or they don't know what they're talking about, which is rather offensive and insulting when you get down to it. It also doesn't allow you, the complimentee to absorb the compliment and subsequent good feelings that go along with it.

I think a lot of people deflect compliments because they don't know how to handle them, or don't want to feel pressured into responding with a compliment. I have historically had a problem with this. I get embarrassed really easily, have hated being put on the spot (especially in a group) and I blush easily. Once I recognized this about myself, and realized how I was making myself feel (not worthy as a human), I began to just say thank you, I really appreciate it, that was a really nice thing to say, or something similar. There are not many things more attractive to me in a person than one who is confident and sure, one who values the different opinions of the world, but doesn't let nit-picking or regret slow down their lives. I think it's particularly nice when strangers go out of their way to say something nice to someone. I have personally experienced and witnessed someone noticeably brighten up after a kind word was said. The little things make each day worth living and before you know it, you have a life worth living.

It seems fitting to end this post by encouraging you to compliment someone today but that is not the point of this post. Only compliment someone if you really mean it. Accept compliments that you receive and feel good that someone thought something about you was special enough for them to recognize it.

I Love the 90s Friday: Tracie Spencer

I still like this song, lol. If this video isn't the apex of 90s style, I don't know what is. The swing sets, the denim, the locket...lawd. Anyhoo I have always loved her voice. She should have been much more successful than she was. Does anyone remember when she had a semi-comeback in 1999/2000 with It's All About You (Not About Me) and You're Still in My Heart? I actually liked both of those songs and videos. I thought the latter was kind of random with her lover sleeping with her on the beach and then kissing her goodbye to go surf and then presumably getting eaten by a giant octopus or something, but I still liked it. Apparently she is focusing on modeling and acting more now but I wouldn't mind hearing some new material from her.

Unicorns! Charlie the Unicorn and Candy Mountain

Who is responsible for this broke-ass video? Fair warning, don't come complaining to me that you want 4 minutes of your life back after this. This is in keeping with my wish that unicorns rain upon your day, as featured in my About Me section. Dedicated to Lex.



Chaaarlie. Chaaaaaaaaaaarrrrlie. Ok I'm done.

Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae

What a wonderfully unique artist. I love her voice. I love artists who use their voices as instruments. Also, her lyrics and melodies are so fresh and dizzying. Look up her Many Moons video too; it's outrageous. It is so nice to see up-and-coming trailblazers in genres of music. She is the future; her image reflects that. If you like what you hear, visit her website.

I am loving the Sincerely Jane song. Smile showcases her lovely voice, the falsettos, the throatiness, the ethereal. You Are My Everything presents lyrics that many relate to with a nice groove. My Favorite Nothing and It's Not Fair have awesome melodies.

She has been nominated for a Grammy as well. I truly think she deserves it.

Your Personal Moon

I found these images on Unicorn Diaries. She isn't sure where they originate; I think it's from a Russian website/blog. Aren't they magical?

Artist Vs. Entertainer

The Black Snob did an awesome post on Beyonce. She really touched on the reasons Beyonce's music leaves me cold. Sure she has some feel-good/dance-y jams but I don't prefer her music overall. For me, I like there to be an element of the personal in my music. When a musician really relates to, feels, or experienced the topic in a song, the song is so pure.

Beyonce has a carefully crafted image and she is like a vessel for catchy music. You don't know anything about Beyonce's life; and most of the time there is an absence of personality from her. A repeated theme you hear from Beyonce is that she wants to be an icon, a true entertainer. Most of the true soul icons are there because they struck a chord in fans through their essence, their pain. Beyonce doesn't share any pain to relate to so all of her songs are very superficial and when taken together create a plastic world of female empowerment skewed toward chicken-headville. It's like she tries too hard to be an entertainer and loses the artist part in the process. Also, whoever keeps sending her acting roles needs to be shot, kthnksbye. Anyhoo, here are some excerpts from Snob's post that I liked:

It's not that I don't think Beyonce has inner drama. Everyone does. Everyone has doubt and failings and pain. My argument is that Beyonce does not want you to know of this drama, any real drama, that is. She's closely guarded with an even more tightly guarded image. She is more about being the fantasy of what she thinks you want her to be (cue "Sasha Fierce!") rather than revealing anything of character.

The pain has to be real for the song to have meaning. And that's what separates someone with a wonderful voice who makes an outstanding pop artist from a true artist.

A true artist brings the pain. Some people say Beyonce wants greatness, hence why she chases those who already have it (see James, Etta). I can't blame her. A lot of us do. This would also explain why at the last few of Grammy Awards she sang with Tina Turner and Prince as if their true measure of pain and "fierce" would rub off by osmosis. She's obviously a hard worker, but no amount of hard work can fake pain. When Prince sang "When Doves Cry" you may not have known what the song was about in 1984. Maybe you still don't. But you know he's broken up over something. A woman. His parents. God. Himself. Ultimately, for me, the song is about obsession. But, sex, Jesus or obsession are good fallback explanations for nearly every Prince song. Turner is the same way. She didn't even write "What's Love Got to Do With It," yet the emotions, the sound, the pain were all Tina's. No amount of wonderful song writing can create that.

I'm not saying Beyonce needs to get in a dysfunctional relationship, be abandoned by her family, pick up a drug habit (or several drug habits), become completely disillusioned by fame and moved to the islands, become a conflicted Christian who went pop or go nutbar on me but the great ones give up some pain. There's really no way around it. Without the pain, you're just a more charming Mariah Carey who can actually dance. Or worse, Janet Jackson with better vocals. Both Mariah and Janet have outstanding pop careers. And if you want to be a wealthy, beloved, popular singer, you're on their heels of catching and surpassing them in sales and accolades. But Whitney, the trainwreck everyone roots for, you will not. Beyonce Knowles can't convince me she knows the blues. It's her only real flaw as a performer. Her kryptonite. But she shouldn't feel bad. It's a pretty common flaw among pop singers.

This makes me want to do a Songs That Make You Feel the Pain post. I think I will! Leave any nominations and thoughts in the comments!

The Rape and Not-Rape Epidemic

Click here to read a wonderfully written essay on the culture of rape, not-rape, and pressure to keep quiet on women in our society by Latoya Peterson of Racialicious. Here are some excerpts that were striking to me:

Rape was something we could identify, an act with a strict definition and two distinct scenarios. Not rape was something else entirely.

My ex-boyfriend had a friend who had been dating the same girl for about seven years. I found out the girl was eighteen at the time of their breakup. Eighteen minus seven equals what? The girl was eleven when they began dating while the man involved was nineteen. When the relationship ended, he was twenty-seven. I expressed disgust, and my ex had told me that while everyone else in their friend circle had felt the same way, the girl’s parents were fine with it, even allowing the guy to spend the night at their home. “Besides,” my ex offered nonchalantly, “she had the body of a grown woman at age eleven.”

Not rape was being pressured into losing your virginity in a swimming pool pump room to keep your older boyfriend happy.
Not rape was waking up in the middle of the night to find a trusted family friend in bed with you - and having nightmares about something that you can’t remember during the daylight hours.
Not rape was having your mother’s boyfriends ask you for sexual favors.
Not rape was feeling the same group of boys grope you between classes, day after day after day.
Not rape was being twelve years old, having a “boyfriend” who was twenty-four and trading sex for free rides, pocket money, Reeboks, and a place to stay when your mother was tripping.

My friends and I confided in each other, swapping stories, sharing out pain, while keeping it all hidden from the adults in our lives. After all, who could we tell? This wasn’t rape - it didn’t fit the definitions. This was Not rape. We should have known better. We were the ones who would take the blame. We would be punished, and no one wanted that. So, these actions went on, aided by a cloak of silence.

Fighting him was out, as he had already proved he was stronger than I was. I considered telling some of my guy friends, but I quickly realized I had nothing to tell them. After all, I wasn’t raped, and it would really come to my word against his. As I was the neighborhood newcomer, I was at a disadvantage on that front. Telling my mom was out as well - I’d only get into trouble for opening the door for boys while she was at work.
I gritted my teeth in frustration. There was nothing I could do to him that wouldn’t come back on me worse. So I got up, took my shower, and stayed silent.

This is how the Not Rape epidemic spreads - through fear and silence, which become complicit in perpetuating the behaviors described here. Women of all backgrounds are affected by these kinds of acts, regardless of race, ethnicity, or social class. So many of us carry the scars of the past with us into our daily lives. Most of us have pushed these stories to the back of our minds, trying to have some semblance of a normal life that includes romantic and sexual relationships. However, waiting just behind the tongue is story after story of the horrors other women experience and hide deep within the self behind a protective wall of silence.

The essay is a lot longer and I encourage you to read it. I think all young women especially pre-teens and teens need to read this or have someone in their lives to inform them, REALLY inform them of how it is out there. Not scare them and not brush it off, but keep it real.

Poodles Take Over the World

Here is my poodle, Pookie:

I would never do to him what you are about to see; but these pics just illustrate further how awesome and versatile poodles are. The full gallery can be found here. I would like to thank InstantVintage for snatching my soul away this morning with these pictures.

Peacock poodle...bitch knows it's fierce too.

Camel poodle. The groomer's costume...I can't and won't deal with this anymore.

Ninja turtle poodle. This is the one responsible for sending me to the Upper Room. I quit life.

Ten Time

Another meme that has been floating around; Muze inspired me to do this one. Since this one is so long, I am tagging everyone who wants to do it instead of specific peeps. Here we go! *dramatic Who Wants to be a Millionaire music*



10 things you wish you could say to 10 different people:

*Please just shut up and leave me alone. Your personality is driving me insane and everyone else shares this thought.
*I love you and your family, but it is a chore to maintain our friendship.
*I wish we had a little more in common; we would be much better friends that way.
*I wish we could hang out more but I fear you would find me boring.
*I think you are a bitter person who hides behind religion to get through your life.
*I have nothing but contempt and pity for you and the way you have lived your life and have affected the people in your life.
*I wish we could have been better friends.
*I am uncomfortable with the way your family is treating this incident, but that's how it goes I guess.
*I am so grateful for the way you have supported me without throwing it in my face.
*I seek your approval.

9 things about yourself:

*I have really big/long hands/fingers and feet in proportion to my body...damn Bahamian ancestry.
*I never got chicken pox.
*I am glad I eat vegan now because I have always been a picky eater and now I have an excuse for turning down food at other people's homes...I hated when people would call attention to that.
*I hate chocolate...even the smell of it...barf.
*I am reeeeealllllly passive-aggressive, trying to change that.
*I have minor internal panic attacks about my career path but I try not to focus anymore because regretting what I did or did not pursue will get me nowhere.
*I am a huge daydreamer...blame my Gemini sign and only-childness, lol. I mean a daydreamer who will imagine all sorts of scenarios and play them out in detail from the mundane to the most absurd.
*I am constantly told I have good handwriting for a left-handed person.
*I have never had the flu...I don't even get colds or other normal illnesses. Instead the most random illnesses/injuries happen to me. Tonsil abscess, anyone?

8 ways to win your heart:

*Possess intelligence and curiosity about the world.
*Understand and exhibit the different nuances of humor, from subtle to extreme.
*Be honest (and keep your word).
*Love animals.
*See the big picture.
*Exude confidence without being stank/arrogant/uppity.
*Fight fairly.
*Be open about culture.

7 things that cross your mind often:

*Will we make it? If not, how long do we have?
*My graduate degree
*My career path
*My lost artistic potential
*Travel
*Family
*Finding meaning in life

6 things you do before you go to sleep:

*Take dogs out
*Snuggle
*Brush my teeth
*Braid my hair
*Stare into my closet
*Check alarm

5 people you couldn't live without:

*The Mr.
*Marmee
*Certain friends...that can round out the 5, lol.

4 things you're wearing right now:

*Glasses (soon, Lasik...soon my pet)
*Ponytail holder
*Indian scarf
*Blue flats

3 songs that fit your life perfectly:

*Didn't Cha Know-Erykah Badu
*My Torture-Esthero
*X&Y-Coldplay

2 things you want to do before you die:

*Visit every continent
*Publish

1 confession:

*I assume people are more intelligent/have more common sense than they actually do and get extremely irritated when they don't measure up.

Another Racially Profiling Incident Leads to a Shooting?

A former high school classmate of mine was shot last night in his own driveway, next to his car that the police claimed was "stolen". He and his cousin were laying on the ground of the driveway per police orders, his mother came outside to protest, one cop pushed her up against a wall, Robbie tried to complain and was shot as he stood up...he had no weapons. They live in an affluent part of Houston, the suburb Bellaire. They were black; the cops white. The car was not stolen. He was unarmed. 2 other shots missed Robbie. He is expected to recover and there is an investigation going on now.

Here is the full article.

There are over 1000 comments on that story already. This one stuck out to me:
Did the idiot cop by any chance think the house was stolen too? j/k-How else do you explain shooting someone outside of their house with a car registered to that address?

Update: The bullet is lodged in his liver; he will likely have to live with it the rest of his life. Click here for an updated article.

Have a Magical New Year...YOU CAN DO IIIIT!

Any New Year plans, resolutions, goals, etc.? I hope to exude more confidence, stop procrastinating, and manage my finances more responsibly. I plan to travel to Detroit and hopefully San Antonio, time will tell the rest. I hope to get some new furniture this year. I hope to take some fierce pictures for my 25th birthday (coming this Memorial Day). I hope to begin my thesis. Tell me your hopes for 2009 in the comments!

1st of the Month Book Discussion: Jurassic Park

I figured I should start living up to the 'bookworm' part of my blog title, lol. I am a heavy reader, but have just been too lazy to post about books I read/have read. I will try to make this a montly thing but it depends on my classes for the Spring semester and how they go. I am going to begin with a favorite book of mine from childhood; Jurassic Park. This book is like comfort food to me for some reason and it has remained a timeless classic. If you do not want to be spoiled on the plot or any details, please scroll past the rest of the post.

For those who are thinking of the movie; this book is nothing like it. The cheesiness, corniness, and kid-friendly-ness of the film is not replicated from the novel. It had to be watered down heavily to make it more palateable to the family masses I suppose.

Anyhoo, Jurassic Park is a science-fiction/thriller novel about an island where genetic experimenting has brought dinosaurs to life in a zoo-like theme park. Archaeologists, mathematicians, lawyers, and other relevant people visit to get a preview of the park and to verify accuracy and mention any safety concerns (besides the obvious safety concern of FRICKIN' DINOSAURS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE!). As Ian, the mathematician mentions frequently in the book, chaos is inevitable; what can go wrong will go wrong.

The magical thing about this novel is its darkness. It is a very dark, chilling, creepy thriller. Included in the novel is anthropology, archaeology, medical facts, history, geography, biology, mathematics (chaos theory), and psychology. Crichton is a master of suspense and most importantly, detail. Authors who can vividly paint a picture with words and put you into the story are heroes of mine. If you are into any of the subjects I just mentioned, you will love this book.

If anyone has read this, be sure to de-lurk and put your favorite parts from the book in the comments! One of my favorite parts is when the velociraptors are stalking a group of the visitors and have them trapped in a room and are attempting to come through a window in the ceiling...the window has steel bars that are usually electrified but electricity has failed and they are chewing through the bars. Another favorite part is when one of the archaeologists is with the 2 children (by the way, in the book the girl is younger and very obnoxious and the boy is older and quite intelligent) and they are trying to evade the dilophosaurs (spitting venomous dinosaurs) and the T-rex.

Slumdog Millionaire

This is my favorite movie of 2008 and one of my favorite all-time movies. The protagonist, Jamal, is a contestant on India's Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and he has answered all the questions correctly up until the final question for the big money prize. Officials suspect him of cheating and have detained him and torture him to figure out how he cheated. Jamal and the officials go through how he came to know the answer to each question and this takes the viewers through his life. This is a wonderful film about love, life, fate, and timing and it is beautifully done (I may be a bit biased because I love Indian culture). It is mostly in English and subtitled for the non-English parts. It's out in the theaters now; consider seeing it! I think you will really enjoy it.

Here is the trailer:

2008 Meme

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Push my boundaries...I mean reeeeeaallllly push them.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember making any resolutions for this year. I think resolutions are best made in bite-sized pieces. I do strive to exude more of the confidence I have been harvesting, though.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandpa, a cousin, and a friend of my family all died this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
The Bahamas.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Stability.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 17. A day on which I didn't matter.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making high grades this semester while working full-time and taking an overload of graduate courses. Being promoted is a close 2nd.

9. What was your biggest failure?
See number 7.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Ugh, gum infection...

11. What was the best thing you bought?
NYC plane ticket.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My poodle.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
See number 7.

14. Where did most of your money go?
To living a bit beyond my means, lol.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
NYC and Bahamas.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Green Eyes-Erykah Badu

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- i. happier or sadder? Sadder...and happier, lol.
- ii. thinner or fatter? A little thinner.
- iii. richer or poorer? A little richer, shame you can't tell, lol!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Planning, cooking.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Crying, procrastinating.

20. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes.

21. How many one-night stands?
None. I do however, have one night-stand next to my bed.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
I Survived, Jon and Kate Plus 8, Snapped.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No; hating gives the other person too much power.

24. What was the best book you read?
The Alchemist and Durkheim's Elementary Forms of the Religious Life

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
More Amel Larrieux songs, Cottonbelly, Esthero.

26. What did you want and get?
A promotion.

27. What did you want and not get?
IPOD home speaker thing, straight A GPA (came close), gray sweater boots (lol), peace and stability.

28. What were your favorite films of this year?
Slumdog Millionaire, Milk

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went out for lunch with my girlz. 24.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To rub it in her face.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Tasteful color wheel, lol.

32. What kept you sane?
Autopilot.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The Obamas.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay civil rights.

35. Whom did you miss?
A like-minded friend, my brothers and sister.

36. Who was the best new person(s) you met?
Some of my classmates, family from the Bahamas reunion.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
If you don't believe it, nobody else will.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Each tear that flows from my eye/Brings back memories of you to me/I go to sleep/And imagine that you're there...with me-I Go To Sleep: Sia

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! I am looking forward to reading your interpretations on your blogs (especially you, Blog About Nothin').

More Holiday Cheer

...Just...why? Why, Lord, Why? LOL

Vegan Xmas-Now with Pics!

This semester I hadn't been able to cook very much with a full-time job and an extra-full load of graduate courses, so I was understandably a little crunk about cooking for the holidays (I had Thai noodles and french fries on Thanksgiving...yeah). So here is the very amateur yet muy delicioso vegan feast I cooked:


Clockwise from turquoise bowl:
White bean salad: Great Northern beans, red and green peppers, balsamic vinegar, olive oil (doesn't need to be heated...ChocolateOrchid, this is for you! I think this qualifies as raw, correct me if I'm wrong).
Marinated and fried tofu: Extra-firm tofu, olive oil, garlic, your choice of spices for the marinade...I used season salt, thyme, savory, basil, dill, rosemary, and some other spices.
Baked ziti: Ziti-pasta, diced tomatoes, bread crumbs, olive oil, homemade vegan alfredo sauce (soy milk, soy butter, pepper, flour) baked in the oven for about half an hour.
Corn: Just some ghetto corn in a pot, lol.
Broccoli: Nothing more to see here folks.
Not pictured: Vegan cornbread and Mr. Pibb.

My blog posts may be a little paltry for the next few days. I work at a university and it's closed from Christmas Eve until January 5 so I am RELISHING this break, doing your typical beached whale/sloth activities.

All I Want For Xmas...

The dance moves when there's about 1:36 left have ruined my life. The dramatic cunt gestures when there's about :38 left have destroyed me. The clothes. The facial hair. The gold chains. The waterfront location. I ain't no mo' good (ghetto) after watching this video. Happy holidays!

The Birds

Poltergeist Birds @ Yahoo! Video
Amazing/creepy, huh?