Amma: Mother’s Day is so special when you have children.
I’ve been researching tours of Iran, and I stumbled across this website, Iran Trip. If you scroll down, you will notice this gem: Tour of Iran Nuclear Site.
President Ahmadinejad in order to show Iran’s civil use of nuclear energy has asked for arrangements to be made for people interested in finding out about Iranian nuclear program first hand. The details by the government officials are in the works and we will offer a tour of these facilities soon.
Sign me up, please.
Please tell me she’ll go away now.
As her speech staggers on, after the gas tax holiday gambit, and a plea for Burma, she eventually turns to Florida and Michigan. You almost want to look away. But it’s fascinating in a way. She cannot concede; she cannot give an inch; she cannot acknowledge reality. Observing sociopaths in close detail as their world collapses around them and they cannot absorb the truth is always fascinating. And yet some sliver of humanity is discernible: her tone is altered. Even she cannot fake enthusiasm or confidence any more. And Bill seems grim. Chelsea seemed close to breaking into tears.
If you want another president whose own grip on reality has little relationship to the outside world, then you know who to vote for.
- Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish
I’m housesitting again. So far my second attempt has been much more successful than the first one. (Some of you might remember the incident involving a busted water spicket, my car and a plumber.) It’s me by myself this time, and I am loving the time alone.
And I cooked a lot. What has come over me? It’s been caramelised soy roast veggies, tomato and roast capsicum soup, spinach and goats cheese muffins and my piece de resistance, braised pork. It was my first time to cook meat and it turned out well. All recipes are winners, but the pork was especially unique (pork + sage + pears = YUM).
What I’m thinking about can be summed up by the following statements:
Mark Driscoll is a fine writer. (After reading Confessions of a Reformission Rev)
I am enjoying cooking adventurously.
You can never read Anne of Green Gables too many times.
Canned dog food grosses me out. (I have to the feed the dog)
I like old movies. (After watching “An Affair To Remember”)
Could Hillary Clinton make me angrier at her than I was a few months ago? Yes, yes she can.
Dharshi, Niro and I had a sister date today courtesy of Dharshi’s brilliance. We had brunch by the beach and painted ceramics most of the morning. Niro did a plate; Dharshi and I chose bowls. It was a perfect morning.
Niro: Awww girls, look at us. We’re so cute together. Someone should make a movie out of our lives. I mean, how many sisters just like doing things like this together? We’re like “Sex In The City.”
Devi: Without the sex.
Niro: But we’re in the city!
Can you tell that none of us have watched the show?
It must have been a slow day in Washington if President George W. Bush is taking time to guest star on “Deal Or No Deal.” A U.S. president on a pathetic game show? I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think.
Last Sunday, here’s what I said about my expectations for the week:
Making dinner on Monday night for our family night (HIP HIP, HOORAY!)
Making breakfast on Thursday (YES!)
Spending time with my workmates (DREAM INTERPRETATION SESSIONS – GOOD TIMES)
A Lord of the Rings marathon on Saturday – all three movies, extended editions (JUST THE FIRST, BUT NO COMPLAINTS)
Running at least once, possibly twice (DID NOT HAPPEN)
Finishing reading “Off The Rails: The Pauline Hanson Trip” by Margo Kingston (ALMOST FINISHED)
Tuesday night Life Group (AWESOME)
Creative ministries practice and prayer meeting on Thursday night (EVEN MORE AWESOME)
Becoming an Australian citizen on Thursday at 6 pm (AWESOMER STILL, more details to come on that)
What are my expectations for this week?
To write a publishable essay about my citizenship experience
To have an inspiring multimedia team meeting
To enjoy reading Anne of Green Gables
To have powerful creative ministries and prayer meetings
To experience a high while running
To relax during my four-day weekend
To finish the Lord of the Rings extended edition marathon (two more to go)
To have my mind and heart opened and transformed by continued revelation of God’s grace
It was a week of cooking. I’m not sure what came over me, but I couldn’t stop. I was inspired by “Delicious,” an Aussie food magazine; I will be using it more in the future for sure. Monday night is my night to cook at home (so far anyway). Two weeks ago I made guacamole for my mum’s tacos. It’s baby steps, I tell myself, baby steps.
Last Monday night I cooked spaghetti with Sicilian-style turkey meatballs. My family liked it, and I liked it. Meatballs must be every beginner’s favourite thing to cook because of how easy it is. The meatballs had turkey, sultanas, garlic, fresh breadcrumbs, parsley and chili flakes. I won’t put all the recipes on here, but if you want any of them, let me know and I can e-mail it to you.
Thursday I made breakfast for the family. It’s my favourite meal of the day by far. If I could have my way, I would have the whole “family togetherness” and huge fancy meal time for breakfast. Every now and again I get to have my way. I made huevos rancheros, a Mexican breakfast that I’ve never eaten before. The recipe was easy and didn’t have refried beans, which is great. Mexican food is one of my favourites except for the beans.
And for Friday’s dinner I made tomato dahl with spinach. It was a variation on an Indian/Sri Lankan classic, and again, it was easy and enjoyable. I rounded out the evening by baking. Yes! Baking!
I am still in shock that I actually baked something. Cooking is becoming more comfortable to me now, but it caters to my less-than-always-specific nature. Baking does not, but I made chocolate fondants. They were decadent and overwhelming in the way that rich chocolate is overwhelming. But it turned out the way it was supposed to, so that’s a success in my book.
Hamish and Andy are two hilarious radio hosts on Fox FM’s daily afternoon show, and for the last few days the show has been saying that the two are in “the Middle East.” My co-workers couldn’t believe that they would actually go to the Middle East because of how dangerous it could be to the two young pansies cuties. I suggested they could be in Oman or Dubai or some other comparatively safe place.
Today on the show I found out that Hamish and Andy are now in the Middle East, Afghanistan to be specific. Um, since when was Afghanistan part of the Middle East?
We like to simplify issues and people. There’s trouble happening in the Middle East. There’s trouble going on with Muslims. There’s trouble happening, a war to be exact, in Afghanistan. There are Muslims in Afghanistan.
So Afghanistan is in the Middle East. Except that it is in Central Asia, thousands of kilometres away from the Middle East.
It reminded me, again, of how my generation and those younger than me are influenced by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as well as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even our knowledge of world geography, whatever little we had to begin with, is affected after growing up in the era of suicide bombings, guerrilla warfare and terrorism.
Spot The Typo or Tops The Pyto. This could become a regular blog feature. No prizes yet, but come one people, put your grammar hats on. Note: There could be more than one typo, but I’m thinking about one glaring error in particular. This is from an AAP bulletin, and Schapelle is serving a life term in an Indonesian prison.
Thursday April 17, 06:27 AM
Schapelle Corby film to screen in US
An Australian-made documentary on convicted drug trafficker Schapelle Corby will screen first in the US before being seen here.
Ganja Queen was shot during Corby’s 2005 trail in Indonesia with the cooperation of the drug smuggler’s family, News Ltd said.
Produced by Sydney-based documentary maker Janine Hosking and her partner Steve Hosking, the 112-minute international version is due to be shown on HBO in the US on August 18.
News Ltd said it understood the documentary has not been seen by the Corby family.
