why so stupid, stupid

For this first List Wednesday list in a while (yes, on Thursday), I'm going to have to share all of the instances in which I've experienced the most intense stupidity ever, all within the last couple of weeks.

1. This was at Room and Board. I walk into the 2-stall bathroom. There's a woman standing "in line." I stand behind her. After about 5 seconds of silence, she turns and says to me "I hope there's someone in there." WHAT? My mind is racing. I say "Did you even check?" She says no, and we both move toward a stall door. She does a pathetic little knock while I just open up the door - no one. I look at her. I open the other stall door. No one. Who doesn't check the stalls before standing in line, especially when it's silent? Why would you just stand there and "hope" someone is in there? How long was she waiting there before I walked in? How much longer would she have waited had I not walked in?? I was baffled.


2. The second instance took place in the driveway (see photo below, taken a few days after this incident) we sometimes take into our building parking garage that is shared with the public who patronize the businesses on our ground floor, which includes a shuttered grocery store, as indicated by the sign. (The driveway splits to resident and retail parking.) As we approach the driveway, we see another car just sitting in the driveway, blocking it. We honk. Nothing. We honk again. Nothing. HHOONNKK. Then a man gets out of the car waving his hand in a "take it easy" kind of way, and asks us if the grocery store was open. Let me, once more, refer you to the photo below. What part of "TEMPORARILY CLOSED" did they not understand?? (2 question marks = mind blown by stupidity)







3. If you have the capacity for one more stupid incident, here you go: It's rush hour on a southbound Metro train. A woman on a sit-scooter rolls onto the train, parks her scooter in the opposite doorway, gets up, and walks to a seat! At the next stop, the doors open on the side that her scooter is parked. As predicted, her scooter is completely in the way, creating a bottleneck for people boarding the train at rush hour. Furthermore, she's taking up a seat when she could have just stayed seated in her scooter. I'm looking at her seeing if she gives any inclination of "oops" or "oh sorry, let me move my scooter..." Nope. Nothing. And as expected, once out of DC, the scooter creates a bottleneck for people getting off the train...including me.


4. Here's one more little one: A woman speeds down my street in the early hours of a weekday morning without her lights on (it's still dark). She is proceeded by another car, who stops for a crossing pedestrian carrying a baby. The speedster then honks twice at the stopping car. 'nough said.

Stupidity doesn't deserve civility.

current state

MY GOD, THE HEAT!
Today's heat index has reached 107 degrees. I have no intention on going outside for the rest of the day, which is good because I've now got time to do some online modules for work and spend some time on this here blog. Despite being indoors though, I still feel listless. (My sympathies to those who still don't have power after last week's storm. Shit was cray-cray.)

Since I haven't done a list in forever, here's one on the current state of things around these parts:

:: THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS ::

• Worst weather ever: Right now, in those pink and red zones. I never understand people who claim "I'd rather have it really hot than really cold." Excuse them, for they know not what they say. 

• Top recipe to try from my list of recipes to try: Mario Batali's Linguine with Jalapeno Pesto. Never mind that it made an appearance on the Rachael Ray show. It looks and sounds delicious and is from the brain of Mario Batali (not a fan of the man, but he knows his food).

• Best new addition to our household: The Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 10-cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker. Not only does it have a name that's half supercharged and half cute, but with its programmable settings for different types of rice, it makes brown rice fluffy. Thanks to everyone who gave us money for our wedding; we put it to good use.

• Best thing to watch on t.v. tomorrow (Sunday, 8 July): Roger vs. Andy. Hands down! What a match-up! Of course, I'm elated that Roger made it to the finals. I will not listen to those who say "it may be his last one!" I'm sorry to have seen Rafa eliminated so early, as the two of them make up my favorite sports rivalry of all time. And Andy! That poor chap! He finally made it to a Wimbledon final match, but alas, I will have to root for this continued streak of not winning a single slam. Every summer, I think of how lucky we are to not only be living, but living in the era of Roger and Rafa, and yeah, maybe even Djokovich.

• Best beverage I've had in recent days: Red Onion's Chocolate Malt. Sorry no picture, just know that it was delicious. Not so malty, but tasty nonetheless.

(photo creds: 1, 2, 3, 4 was a screenshot of this)

night essentials

Here's a list of items we picked up from the grocery store at 10pm, right after 1.25 hours at the gym:

• 1 pack of Oscar Mayer® Angus hot dogs 
• 1 pack of Schmidt's® potato hot dog buns 
• 1 slice of Harris Teeter® Grande Finale Chocolate Cake
• 1 bag of Doritos® JACKED Enchilada Supreme chips

 ...each item as crucial as the next...








 (photo creds: 1, 2, 3, 4)

sports bits

By now, I've figured out that bloggers' gripes about feeling "uninspired" is totally real and not a bunch of whiny crock. Having said this, I hope you'll excuse this week's List, as being one of somewhat stale sports bits from the past week, because we all know that in the sports world, stories get old quick.

Pujols is in a homer draught. HAHA Angels, and your dumb moneybags payroll. I hope you rot in last place amidst your dysfunction and lack of extra cash.

(photo cred: Amy Sancetta/AP)

We went to the A's/O's game this past Sunday at my favorite ballpark, Camden Yards. It was a brilliantly sunny day, just perfect for baseball. I was feeling especially confident that my home team would make me proud. Although a definite minority, we A's fans represented quite well in a sea of orange. Anyway, I saw my new fav, Colon, pitch about 8.5 innings, holding the O's to no runs and setting his team up for a win... until Balfour blew it and the A's lost 2-5. At least it was a nice day. (...filled with Old Bay sausages, rolling crabs and Natty Boh! Yay Baltimore!) 

(photo cred: here, by Christopher Soper)

 

The Brooklyn Nets' logos were revealed earlier this week. Jay-Z's team is going to have some boring uniforms if they stick to this black and white scheme.

(pic cred: NBA.com/nets)

I think they should have orange and black uniforms, since no other basketball team does, or, even better - uniforms that incorporate Jay-Z blue. Duh, Jay!

 (photo cred: here)

The Redskins are idiots. Yes, I'm referring to their drafting a second QB after getting RGIII. They don't even deserve a picture.

While we're on DC sports, that Bryce Harper is an exciting lad to watch. Hot dang, does he have a cannon on him!

Lastly, I know this isn't a news story, per se, but I just wanted to suggest that maybe Tony Reali should have dinner with G and me. His sports knowledge, friendly demeanor and witty use of Seinfeld references have us both giggling like schoolgirls.

hula hooping

Among the various things I do to validate my existence is hula hooping.

(photo cred: here)

I reinstated my love of the pastime a couple months ago, and hooray!...I'm still loving it. My favorite time to do it is after I eat, to aid digestion and to engage my midsection at least for a little bit. Plus, it's just fun. I've also discovered that I could still do my Skip-It move using the hoop.

In celebration of my new favorite activity, this week's List is one of hula hoop fun facts!

• Hula hooping has been around for thousands of years, but is often thought to have been invented in the 1950s, when they started making hula hoops out of plastic.
• During the ancient years, hoops were made of stiff grasses, grapevines, rattan or dried up willow.
• The term "hula" was attached to the hooping activity in the 19th century, after some British soldiers traveled to the Hawaiian Islands. 
• The hula hoop was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.
• The record for the most hoops twirled simultaneously is 132, set by Paul "Dizzy Hips" Blair on 11 November, 1999.
• The current (verified) record for longest hooping session is 74 hours, 54 minutes, held by Aaron Hibbs in 2009.

 (pic cred: here)

All facts from Wikipedia.

is this kosher?

A couple months ago, I was lucky enough to have attended a super-informational seminar at work about kosher foods. As a post-Passover treat (I knew I should have posted this earlier), I'm sharing with you some of the fun facts I learned for this week's List. טשירז!

(figure cred: here)

• Plants are kosher EXCEPT grapes and derivatives of grapes such as grape juice and wine. Also not kosher are produce grown in Israel.
• Non-living and synthetic food materials are kosher.
• Fish is kosher only if it's boney with fins and scales.
• Shellfish, sea mammals and other non-fish sea life are not kosher.
• Birds are only kosher if they are not predatory, kosher slaughtered, and were healthy when they were living. Unfertilized eggs from a kosher bird are also kosher.
• In regard to other animals, they must have split hooves and be huminants to be kosher. Also, there are certain parts that just aren't eaten (e.g. the back half of an animal). Blood is not kosher.
• You may see "natural colors" in the ingredients label sometimes. "Natural color" is not kosher because some natural colors can come from bugs and bugs are not kosher.
• Gelatin is not kosher because of its pork-derived origins and glucosamine is not kosher because it's derived from shellfish.
• You can't mix milk with meat. For example, a cheeseburger is not kosher (cheese=milk), unless either the cheese or the meat patty is synthetic.
• "Parve" means neutral, and denotes a food that contains no meat or dairy.
• Leavened bread is forbidden during Passover. Such bread contains wheat, oats, rye, spelt or barley. Since it's believed that dough containing any of these five grains starts to leaven about 18 minutes from the time it's moistened, permissible bread should be prepared within 18 minutes. Matzo seems to be the bread that fits this bill.
• Here's a super fun fact: Ashkenazi Jews don't consume high fructose corn syrup during Passover, so Coca-Cola makes a special formula of Coke for Passover that contains cane sugar instead. So if you prefer cane sugar over corn syrup in your Coke, stock up right before Passover! (Special formula is denoted by a different colored cap) ...but too bad for Jews in California this Passover...

(Disclosure: Any false information that appears above is due to my poor note-taking, and I'm sorry if I got something wrong. I invite you to enlighten me by leaving a comment. Thanks.)

wish List

A little lazy today, so for this week's List, here are some items on my current wish list:

• I hate just about everything about J. Crew, except for maybe the Talitha blouse (but I do hate the price).

• These chain link cuffs (especially the rose gold one) by Jennifer Fisher is just perfect for when I want to use metaphors of being tied down or suppressed.

•   The color of this tunic is vibrant, just like me.

•  I'd love to wear this dress with a sensible cardi to work...with my sparkly Converse.

•  This sweater is just fun...and versatile.

• I should have snatched these brogues up during the shoe sale (they were less than $40!), but alas I hesitated way too long. These would actually pair perfectly with the dress or eye test sweater above.

• If I was still living in Brooklyn, I'd want this, but since I don't, I want this for anyone who has a radiator.

• An all expenses paid trip to this year's CSTE conference would be great too (even if it is in Omaha).

• While we're shooting high, I'll take one of these babies, too. 

Thanks!

 

(photo creds: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

answer me this...

Today's List is one of some questions I've had on my mind lately. If you could answer any, that'd be great - thanks!

1. Why is chocolate milk so bubbly?
2. Who will win the season opener - the Mariners or my beloved A's? (Go A's!)
3. Will the affordable health care law be upheld? (I hope so, for everyone's sake.)
4. How much longer before Zimmerman gets arrested already??
5. Why aren't more beers available in pony size?
6. How will I do this coming Sunday?
7. Why don't people face forward in my building's elevator?
8. Whose dog keeps taking a shit in the hallway? 
9. Why do people like to gather in doorways?

oink oink

Thanks to a Modern Marvels film on pigs shown at work, I learned the following...behold this week's List:

(photo cred: here) 

1. Pigs produce four times the amount of waste as humans.
2. Fumes from pigs' waste is highly toxic.
3. Pigs' anatomy is very similar to that of humans.
4. Conventional pigs (as opposed to organic, free-range pigs) are typically market-ready at about 6 months.
5. Darker pork is usually of higher quality (and higher in fat content) than lighter-colored (and leaner) pork.
6. Genes are selected by breeders to create a leaner, longer pig that yields less fat, but more ribs and bacon.
7. Artificial insemination is often used for breeding.
8. Pigs whose destiny is to become prosciutto are fed acorns.

voters' guide

List of people who shouldn't vote/be Republican:

1. If you care about others, especially those who are less fortunate.
2. If you are a woman.
3. If you are working, unemployed, struggling, or know someone who is.
4. If you are sensitive to the fact that the US is interconnected with a global community.
5. If you rely on publicly-funded programs, have ever utilized a public library, if you went to public school or university, are going to public school or university, or know someone who has or currently is.
6. If you think college or higher education is important.
7. If you believe that there should be a separation of church and state.
8. If you believe that everyone should have a fair chance at getting the health care that they need.
9. If you work for the American auto industry, or own or cherish an American car (or did in the past).
10. If you think innocent people dying from gunshot wounds is bad.
11. If you've ever said "It's such a nice day" and/or have ever enjoyed being outside and/or if you like animals (I think you know where I'm going with this one...).
12. If you have ever received government aid.

mmm...chemistry

I had another share-worthy ACS webinar last week. As you recall, I shared some of what I learned from another webinar in a Thanksgiving post and this one is just as fun -  chemistry tips for the kitchen!  Given by Dr. Guy Crosby, a professor of nutrition and science advisor to America's Test Kitchen, the webinar was pretty informative for the home cook. Since I missed a List Wednesday, I will present these tips in a numbered List. Happy cooking! (Bonus point to whoever can name the famous chef who signs off saying that!)

1. Preserving salad greens: If you blow into the bag of greens, it preserves the freshness of the greens twofold. Blowing into the bag increases the CO2 in the bag. 
2. Baking soda makes potatoes crispy: I had a call during the webinar but caught something about coating potatoes in baking soda to make them crispy when using them to make home fries (?). It wasn't so clear -  I think this may help explain this tip further (or just watch/listen to the webinar below).
3. Quicker way to make broth/stock: Add gelatin directly to sauces, beef stew, and/or broths and stocks. This gives your sauce or stock the mouthfeel that is provided by cooking bones for a long time. That's because the collagen in bones, when cooked for long period of time, breaks down into gelatin. Well to skip this time-consuming step, you can just add gelatin. I'm going to guess that for most, though, this sidesteps the whole point of making your stock in the first place, so I would just try this in stew or sauces.
4. How to stale bread: Some recipes, such as bread pudding or panzanella, require stale bread. Well apparently it matters how the bread was staled, because if it just got stale sitting on your kitchen counter, there is still some moisture retained in the bread (somewhere) and this can make your pudding or bread salad soggy/mushy. But if you stale the bread by drying it out in the oven, all the moisture is removed from the bread, giving you a better end product.
5. How to make chewy brownies: It all depends on the fat crystal structures of your batter - there are alpha crystals, beta crystals and beta-prime crystals (the ones responsible for chewiness). To accomplish the perfect chewiness, you need to have the right proportion of saturated and unsaturated fats in your batter. Crosby recommended a 3:1 ratio - 3 parts unsaturated oil (vegetable oil) to one part sat fats (butter or cream cheese).  This can also be applied to sugar cookies and chocolate truffles.
6. Just some facts regarding the Maillard reaction (aka browning): It happens when you have sugars and proteins. It's different from caramelization, which only involves sugars. The actual reaction is one of breaking down sugars with amino acids (such as pyrazines). The human nose is very sensitive to the aromas released, hence, explaining why we perk up dog-to-squirrel style when we smell the browning of meat, food being pan-seared or bread baking. To accomplish perfect browning, the surface of the food should be at least 300 degrees, very dry and the pH should be neutral (5-7).

(Tips above were taken down as notes from Guy Crosby's presentation; any inaccuracies in what's above are due to my crappy notetaking.)

mmm...processed...

Oops I forgot to post this yesterday. Happy Thursday!

As much as we'd all like to (or maybe not...), we can't avoid consuming processed foods. Whole foods schmole foods. We make sure to adjust the rest of our diet and physical activity to compensate for our taste for processed foods, so it's all good (we do, however, need to work on our sodium intake).

On this List Wednesday, I present to you another list of food items: a few processed yummies we bought this past weekend.

1. Eat Your Vegetables Chips in Jalapeno Ranch flavor

(photo cred: here)

These are delicious. Spotted for the first time a few weeks ago on a Wegman's endcap, the texture of these crispy delights is akin to that of fried wuntun (or as non-Chinese say, wonton) skins. They're made of dried potatoes, beans and rice flour. The jalapeno ranch flavor is exactly what I love about processed flavors (your stereotypical jalapeno and ranch notes), with the jalapeno surprisingly spicy enough to actually feel on your tongue. I think it's funny but a little disconcerting that you can get these on the Babies 'r Us site.

2. Green Tea Soymilk (Vegemil)

 

(photo cred: here)

A grad school favorite of mine, this soy milk has found another fan in G in recent years as well. We used to get a whole flat of these, but H-Mart has only been selling them individually lately, so we've just been getting handfuls at a time. This image comes from their website, which I was glad to find because now we can order our bulk packs again online! It's by far my favorite soy milk variety, over even the black soy milks, and maybe even over Vitasoy (the nerve of me to betray the brand of my childhood! Gasp! Is that coconut flavor new?).

3. Annie's Organic Pizza Snack Mix

 

(photo cred: here)

Once bought to silence and appease a certain hungry now-5-year-old on a car ride to Pittsburgh, this cracker and pretzel snack mix is a favorite in our household (the 5-year-old liked it a lot too). We previously were only able to find it at Target, but on our last visit to Wegman's, G vigilantly spotted it. A baby-food container full is the perfect snack (among 4 others) for my workday.

4. Betty Crocker's FUN da-middles Cupcake Mix

 (photo cred: here)

Look at it! Enough said. Seriously considering making a batch to bring as our "snack to share" for our upcoming engagement retreat.

5. Uegaki Beika Wasabi Flavored Rice Crackers/Kaki No Tani

(photo cred: here)

We used to just call these chili crackers growing up and they would just come in spicy chili flavor, but ever since discovering these wasabi flavored ones a few years ago, I've never gone back to just spicy chili. These are potent! Occasionally, you'll get a clump of them stuck together and if you pop the whole clump into your mouth, you'll feel the sensation of eating a clump of wasabi. Phenomenal.

6. Tabasco, Buffalo-style

 

(photo cred: here)

Upon watching the commercial for this, we knew we had to try it. Having a love for everything Tabasco, I went nuts on a brief trip to New Orleans, buying some of the Tabasco products that don't make it to our local store shelves...so I was delighted to learn that a new flavor is available everywhere! We haven't tried it yet, but expect nothing less than delicious.

...and here's an ode to bringing classic processed snacks to a party (although I prefer Coke):

(Recorded from this original Youtube video)

terribly overdue list

UPDATE: I can't believe I left of Primanti-style sandwiches at Giordano Bros! We went there to watch the Steelers-Rams game and what an enjoyable time it was. Ginuwine memorabilia from the 'burgh decks the walls; stuff that only Yinzers would understand, like a Kennywood sign and photos of old-time players unknown to anyone less than a lifetime fan. As for the sandwiches - completely legit. We ordered the classic cap n' cheese (although at Giordano's it's just hot cap), with an egg, of course. The cap was spicier than G and I remember from actual Primanti sandwiches; a definite feather in Giordano's hat. The bread was thick and soft Italian white - just really really good dense bread (they source it from Italian French Bakery). The slaw, however, is less tangy than Primanti's. We also shared an order of wings, which were not as memorable as the sandwich. Everything was washed down with a pitcher of Stella and a pitcher of some beer that was local to western PA, but it was too hoppy or something for our tastes (we actually can't remember what we didn't like about it, but usually hoppiness is my complaint...that or a beer being too citrusy.) Lastly, despite being a bar, Giordano's is lovely and family- and parent-friendly when watching an early game on Sunday morning. On nice days, the windows are wide open onto the sidewalk and plenty of natural light floods the intimate space.
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:
I think I've yet to write a List Wednesday post in 2012. My apologies. In an effort to catch up, and to pay homage to the items in this list and per the suggestion of my Ba, here we go again with a list of food-related items: what I ate during my trip home for the Christmas holiday! (I wish I had pictures, but alas, I do not. Use your imagination.)

•  Christmas goose! My mom is always cooking up new things deliciously. For the first time ever, she roasted a real Christmas goose; one of the many courses of our annual Christmas Eve dinner. I say real because I've always thought of a 'Christmas goose' as something of yore - something I only either read about in Charles Dickens'-period pieces or in Christmas carol lyrics. The bird was much leaner than a duck and the meat was rich in flavor. Indeed, a successful, valid and scrumptious first effort by Ma.

• Coconut and Thai basil sorbet from Scream! This was hella good. I paired it with a scoop of saffron almond, which was incredibly creamy and toothsome despite being dairy-free. But back to the coconut/basil: it was damn refreshing and contrasted well with the almond. Both the coconut and basil flavors came through. I couldn't help but imagine it to be excellent in an alcoholic, blended libation. Tasted like summer! An excellent Temescal suggestion from Ba.

• Cheese from Sacred Wheel Cheese Shop! You could smell the appetizing aromas of soup and hot cheese sandwiches from the curb outside the corner shop. We got 2 kinds of cheese; I can't remember them, but one had a honey-flavored rind, and hence had subtle honey notes. (Clever! So you don't have to dip the cheese in honey!) Yeah, this shop was totally a nod to gentrification (like anywhere else that sells McClure's pickles), but I look forward to trying their sandwiches and soups someday. Another tasty Temescal suggestion, Ba.

• Falafel and samoosas from Oasis Market! My family has been making regular stops into Oasis for some years now since its opening primarily for their meat (lamb, merquez sausage), but also for their hot prepared food. I've, however, never had their falafel or their samoosas (not a typo, that's what their signs say in the store; according to Wiki, it's also an acceptable alternative name for samosas). They were excellent: hot, flavorful, crispy in all the right places. I look forward to my visits to Oasis every time I go home.

• Torta in Concord! If I recall correctly, it was at Los Rancheros. I had a steak torta and it was huge! Complete with avocado, lettuce, tomato, queso blanco, and probably other stuff, it was satiating - I was only able to eat half and you know how I love me some steak-n-avocado sandwich!

• Burmese at Mandalay in the Inner Richmond! This place was craycray the night we went for our Sibling Dinner. Many guessed it was probably because the other good Burmese restaurant (SuperStar?) was closed so Mandalay got the flowover clientele. Besides standard fare like tea-leaf salad, we got their Rainbow Salad (I appreciate how the waitress explained all 20 ingredients to us before tossing it), and other stuff I can't remember now. But I do remember I enjoyed the meal, despite having to wait way too long even though we made reservations online (not suggested if making them after 530pm).

• Kouign amanns from Modern Coffee and Pizzaiolo! Thanks to Tasting Table SF, I found that there were a few places in my neck of the woods that sold these flaky, rich, sweet pastries that were impossible to find in my Northeast Corridor stomping grounds until Dominique Ansel opened up his bakery last year. My search-since-2008 was finally coming to an end! Anyway, so Modern Coffee and Pizzaiolo were listed as places that I could get my hands on some kouign amanns, so my parents and I went. Modern Coffee only had one or two, so we cleaned them out then headed to Pizzaiolo to see what they had. They also had just a couple (at most), so we bought the rest of theirs too. Hot damn was Pizzaiolo a hipster-fest. It was like Portlandia+W-burg+Brooklyn Flea+wherever else threw a big moody-but-at-times-flowery party. To their credit, though, my parents were quite pleased with their to-go cups of coffee; Pizzaiolo brews Blue Bottle. (Another note: Pizzaiolo is a pizzeria but is open in the morning, offering coffeehouse stuff, including slices of bread served with various spreads.) BUT I digress... the kouign amanns were a bit cold by the time we got home so we heated them up in the toaster oven. They came out warm and still flaky, so so buttery and rich and perfectly sweet. They were quite an indulgent and densely satisfying treat. Thank you, Bretons!

...and there you have it! What a round-up. I had this post in draft pieces for a while so I'm glad to finally get it out. Also in the draft post were the following links of excellent new year lists from the Times:

74 Things New Yorkers Talked About in 2011
45 Places To Go in 2012

back again with a potpourri list

Due to a bad case of Lifemademelazyanduninspired-itis (inflammation of my lazy gland) last week, there was a dearth of posting. In the meantime, however, I learned a few new things and thanks to some lazy time and figuring out how to access Midnight Train from work, I'm feeling a sparkling of blogging energy. So now I share with you the things I've learned recently in the form of a much needed and overdue List (though some or all of you probably are already aware of some or all of these things).

=== THINGS I'VE LEARNED RECENTLY ===

• Applesauce is a great replacement for oil or eggs when baking!

• Cetaphil is the best, mildest yet effective lotion. I like to think it cured my scary goosebump rash on my face. (I'd like to use a more natural alternative, however. Anyone know of one that is comparable to Cetaphil?)

(photo cred: Cetaphil)

• Copying and pasting in Excel can be a tedious and hand-cramping task when you have many long columns of data to which to apply an input, format or formula. I recently accidentally found a shortcut that can eliminate all that clicking-and-dragging-down. Please see the figures below:

Let's say you want to apply the year 1999 to all the cells in column A. Instead of clicking on the little black box at the lower right corner of cell 2A and dragging all the way down column 2, you can simply double-click on that little black box and '1999' will be applied to all the cells down column 2. Excel miraculously knows to only apply the entered data (or formula) in the subsequent cells that are in rows with other data (and not in leftover blank rows, like in rows 12 and 13 and so on, as seen below).

• Concatenating in SAS is such a helpful function when you need to create a new variable created from smooshing 2 existing variables together, particularly when de-duping your data. The CATX function is something I learned a while ago, but never put to real use until recently. (Nothing beats relearning something in SAS and having it actually work!) The figure below shows the CATX function in the context of some code. Let's say some SAS-savvy pet hoarder wants to keep track of his/her cats and dogs in a nice spreadsheet and wants to consolidate some variables - pet name and age - into one variable. In the data step below, a new dataset named 'pets_ages' is being created out of the existing dataset 'hoarder.' Two variables - CatName and CatAge - are being combined by the CATX function. The result would be something like 'Bud, 2' for a cat named Bud that is 2 years old. The same is repeated for dog names and ages.

 

• I didn't know until this holiday season that Christmas tree lights come in LED varieties, including those that look just like traditional 'soft/warm white' lights. What a great and long overdue innovation! ...makes us feel less guilty about energy usage when leaving our tree lit in the evening.

• I can't remember where we got our Christmas trees growing up, but G and I recently got our cute tabletop tree from the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad's tree lot. I suppose it depends on where you are, but now I know one way to support local groups in their holiday season fundraising efforts is through purchasing a tree from a sponsored lot. On a side note, I remember tree-shopping in the East Village involved checking bodegas, that one Rite Aid, and maybe a random lot. Good times!

• I'm sure much to a friend's dismay, we only recently discovered and experienced the wonderful food options in Wheaton, despite her urging us to visit Wheaton more regularly a long time ago (except for Ren's... I was on top of that like a cat on a yarn ball).

(photo cred: Just Up The Pike)

We enjoyed getting ensaymadas and pan de coco at the Filipino market, Italian sausage and meatball subs at Marchone's and chicken 'n' yuca fries from El Pollo Rico (just as good as the Arlington location), all within 20 minutes and .25 miles.

two birds with ...

If anyone noticed, I've been behind on my posts this week. I have no real reason, but with increasing my running mileage to 20 miles a week, an increased workload at well, work, and general vitamin-D-deficiency-brought-on-by-the-shorter-days blahs, I can only offer excuses.

So to make up for missed Toothsome Tuesday and List Wednesday posts, here's a list of food-related items.

• The Pepin/Richard lunch has been cancelled. I was sad to have received a phone call from Citronelle informing me that the event was cancelled. Naturally, I went online to find out why. It turns out Jacques Pepin had to get a hip replacement. Good enough reason, but I'm sad nonetheless.

• BVBC met up! I'm way behind on writing up a post-brunch review but it was great to see everyone, and I'll work on getting the post up soon.

• I'd like to say that I'm behind on my Toothsome Tuesday posts because I'm too busy reading my new issue of Lucky Peach, but that's not even true (though I wish it were). Anyway, Issue 2 has arrived (!) and I'm excited to find time to read it. I've even sealed in the next year's worth of issues and splurged on a subscription (that was discounted 40%) that starts with Issue 3. Goodbye, newsstand price!

• Komi's sister restaurant, the Thai joint named Little Serow, has opened at last and I'm curious to try it, but am reluctant to go there before experiencing the heralded cuisine of Komi first. Not sure why I'm treating it as if I was watching a book-based movie before reading the book, or watching a sequel before watching its predecessor, but I feel like Komi should come first. Although from a cost perspective, it may be good to start with the lower price point of Little Serow and work my way up...like the Jeffersons.

• I'd like to go to the new Dominique Ansel bakery in NY. They have kouign-amanns. 

(Dominique Ansel from Lam Thuy Vo on Vimeo.)

classy

List Wednesday 4 days late - sorry! Since this is already late, let's just cut to the chase: I'm not one to be super stuck to gender roles nor am I the most feminine woman, but should a female evolve into a woman with a certain degree of femininity, I believe there are things that one can adopt that would make one just a little more lovely, or at least can help one avoid committing things that make people like me say "that's not cute."

== 7 WAYS TO BE A LITTLE LOVELIER OR TO KEEP ME FROM SAYING 'THAT'S NOT CUTE (N.I.A.P.O.) ==

1. Use a handkerchief (this is actually something I wish everyone would do - it could save some resources/trees in tissue production).
2. Cover your mouth when you yawn (this also can actually be a rule for everyone).
3. Wear a slip! (especially with skirts or dresses made of stretchy or thin fabrics)
4. Wear the correct bra for the garment you are wearing. No one wants to see bra straps, even when they're cute.
5. Don't burp out loud (at least not outside of the home - hmmm...also can be applied to men).
6. Don't wear flip flops to work (this also can apply to men who dine in restaurants - no one wants to see your feet when they eat).
7. Just don't be a bitch (or for men, a douche).

...perhaps this List should be renamed to 7 WAYS MEN AND/OR WOMEN CAN BE EASIER ON THE SENSES.  So I guess femininity is not the issue at hand, but rather refinement and civility. 

sorry

Wednesday has arrived and due to everyday life, I am sorry to report that I am uninspired to provide you a List worthy of following last week's excellent List...but I'll try, so here's my 

==TOP 6 CURRENT ANNOYANCES==

1. People who hail cabs from the wrong side of the street or wrong corner of an intersection.
2. Congress holding completely irrelevant votes, wasting time and not approving the jobs bill.
3. Bicyclists
4. US Public Health Service recruitment staff
5. Early sunset
6. Bank of America not selling paper savings bonds months before the scheduled switch to online sales of bonds (January 1, 2012)

can't...turn...the...channel...

Folks, we're treated to another guest post by G today! Enjoy this week's List.
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It's an honor to bring you yet another guest post for LIST WEDNESDAY, coming to you a day late.  My apologies.  

We've all been stuck inside on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and randomly flipping through the channels hoping to find something entertaining to watch.  Assuming it's not football season, it's sometimes a pleasant surprise to land on a channel that is showing a movie you love that you haven't seen in a while.  Thanks TNT, AMC, TBS and FX.  With that being said, here are 7 movies that I just can't stop watching whenever I unexpecedly find them on TV (in no particular order, or INPO):

==TOP 7 MOVIES I CAN'T STOP WATCHING WHEN THEY'RE ON TV==

1) A FEW GOOD MEN - Star Power Galore:  Cruise, Nicholson, Demi Moore, Keifer, Kevin Bacon, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Rob Reiner directing.  Everyone remembers "You want the truth? You can't handle the TRUTH!" but how about "Oh I'm sorry, you were sick the day they taught law at law school".  Reminds me of my days in law school.

2) MY COUSIN VINNY - A TBS Classic with so many funny moments and lines.  "The two yutes", "Uh, What's a yute?" -  "I wore this ridiculous thing for you" (when Vinny was forced to wear a ridiculous red tuxedo because the dry cleaner was closed) - Vinny, going from "What's a grit" to "I love grits too, do you like yours creamy or al dente?"  Just a coincidence that this is a courtroom "drama" like "A Few Good Men."

3) SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - "Place the lotion in the f-ing basket!"  Sir Anthony Hopkins is so creepy and so convincing and even though I've seen this movie at least 15 times, I can still feel the suspense build and am constantly entrigued by the interactions between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling.  When Clarice walks down the hall to Lecter's cell only to see him standing there smiling and waiting for her is genius filmmaking.    

4) OLD SCHOOL - Another TBS Classic and my favorite moment among many includes a short cameo from Terry O'Quinn (Locke from LOST).  Luke Wilson is talking with his boss (Locke) and Locke's daughter walks in.  Earlier, Luke had hooked up with Locke's daughter and Locke says something along the lines of "It's amazing how fast they grow up, and to think in a few months she'll be graduating high school." Luke choking on his coffee always makes me chuckle.  

5) NATIONAL LAMPOONS EUROPEAN VACATION - Whenever I hear Big Ben referenced, I will always think about Chevy Chase driving around in circles going nuts saying "Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament.  I just can't get left."

6) JURASSIC PARK - The T-Rex breaking free from his pen and looking into the SUV where the kids were is classic Speilberg.  Of course, as with so many Speilberg films, John Williams does the score and the music playing when everyone first sees the dinosaurs is sweeping and unforgettable.

7) THE WEDDING PLANNER - Not sure why I can't turn away from this not-particulary-good movie.  As the author of this blog can attest, I must have a thing for Matthew McConaughey romantic comedies because I also enjoy "HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS".

Hope you enjoyed this "List Wednesday" list on Thursday.  

clue: it weighs a ton

This week's List is superfun - it's a list of 

==WHAT'S IN MY BAG==

(This looks like a really bad eBay photo, but it's not. I'm not selling my bag.)

This is my red Foley + Corinna mid city tote bought from a sample sale in the LES.  I love its rich color and that you can wear it multiple ways, but it's pretty heavy even when empty. So what do I do? I stuff it with lots of stuff, of course.

... so here's ==THE STUFF THAT'S IN MY BAG==

• Kindle
• Government ID
• Sunglasses (from Target) in a Brooks Brothers case (from an old pair of glasses)
• Orbit gum
• Extra maxi pads (Always Infinity, if you must know)
• Black foldable reusable shopping bag (thanks, Ma - it's the best for unexpected shopping)
• White hankerchief (because every lovely lady should use one - thanks again, Ma)
• Ipod in a Totoro case (from HK) dirtied by a leaking pen (case courtesy of Ma too)
• Eos mint lip balm
• Green leather dual mirror from Crabtree & Evelyn (from Ma also)
• Black Muji mesh zip case of various cosmetic and toiletry items
• Coin purse from the National Native American Museum, which holds my Harris Teeter VIP shoppers card, my SmarTrip card and a few extra bucks (this serves as my giveaway wallet should I ever be held up...walking through DC at night makes you think of these things)
• Keys on keyring with a library of tiny club cards, library cards, etc..., keychains and rape whistle
• Hand sanitizer
• Forever-reliable DayMinder (model SK-48 - I dedicated a whole post on it here)
• Ro wallet from Century 21 years ago (original price $100, but I got it for $14.97!)

...and here's a more detailed look at what's in my Muji case (bonus list!):

• Shiseido blush
• Crabtree & Evelyn lip conditioner (Remedy line)
• Stila lip glaze in starfruit
• Mini hair clawclip
• GUM toothpicks
• Pill box in the shape of a bear's head
• Other items in the case include bandaids, floss, hair clips, hair ties, Bliss breath freshening mint lip balm

Hope you enjoyed that look into the intimate world that is my bag...plus, you got a bonus list! Score!

public transportation etiquette for dummies

This week's List addresses some of the offenses I witness everyday on public transportation. As a current daily rider of the bus and train, and as a customer of public transportation in three major metropolitan areas since the age of 8 (many of my years using it daily), I consider myself a seasoned rider.  So, yes, consider your source, because in this case, I know the subject well.


==TOP OFFENSES WHEN RIDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION==

1. Taking too long to board and de-board (includes not getting up from your seat until people are already boarding)
• What are you waiting for?
2. Talking too loud on your phone
• Age-old problem in any public space
3. Not de-boarding through the back door, especially when you are not close to the front door
• I don't think people realize that this could really speed things up. People can board the bus through the front door while you de-board out the back door.
4. Not taking off your backpack or shoulder bag in a sardine-packed, super crowded train or bus
• This frees up a lot of space - a full backpack can take up as much room as an additional body. Plus, holding your bag or backpack rather than wearing it on your back or shoulder keeps your belongings secure and in your vision, or out of reach for pickpockets.
5. Staring
• Even a 5-yr old knows not to stare (or they should know). Don't do it.
6. Standing by the door when you have no intention of getting off at the next stop.
• You're in the way of someone actually de-boarding, or you're taking up room for someone who is actually planning on getting off at the next stop.

I know there are more, but I can't think of them right now. If you think of any, please post them in the comments. As for the items that are listed above, now you know - don't do them!