Mrs. B

True. It's that same lack of respect that leads some to conclude that people like you are Luddites or old fogies. "Was der Hansel nicht lernt, lernt auch nicht der Hans."

snap

I hate cell phones and then because of this I missed out on the chance to fuck Paris Hilton.

Waitman is pissed.

btw. People need to unplug just as much as musicians do. Try it, it doesn't suck - really - it's okay. Go without the damn thing for a bit. Bake some cookies or make a pate without being distracted, without even thinking about being distracted. Throw it into the Potomac and pretend you work at the Harbor! My sincere sympathy goes out to all the workers there. I hope they don't spend their down time yakking on their cells.

ps btw. Spend a little time watching all the droids people walking down the street with their cell out spending no time whatsoever observing where they are and making special connections with something someplace else.

Since just about everyone has a cell phone I think folks plan/cancel/modify with much more flexibility and don't think twice about late changes.

Guess I'm not just about everyone and I get along just fine.

Even if I did bother to carry around a phone, last minute changes would disturb me and not only do they make me think twice, they make me think I need more reliable friends. They're rude, just like talking on the phone at a table.

(not that I haven't ever made last minute changes myself, I just have the luxury of doing it by mail)

How did people ever manage without phones?

It's called planning.

My problem with cell phones (besides their placement on tables or worse yet, use, while dining)is their contribution to the obsolescense of the public phone. I'd much rather carry a couple of quarters than a a tether.

I have no problem paying an additional .5% income tax. I don't relish the thought but it's better then cutting out services to the needy. (not that they won't do that anyway) Still I'm kind of in a rabid tax the rich/income redistribution is good state of of mind these days.

DCS's suggestion of taxing PAC contributions works for me too!

We always went out to dinner for birthdays. No cake was ever involved for the most part. I did make an outstanding rice crispies treat castle for the boy 15 or so years ago. That was well received.

For a recent birthday, my daughter (the baker ) made a beautiful devil's food cake with yummy buttercream frosting & tiffany blue rolled fondant with pretty goldfish accents. Very nicely executed.

Happy birthday Waitman. You get better every year.

I thought the Cubano was almost better than mine but the fries (delivered) were unpleasant. But any fries delivered would be so. Perhaps substituting a slaw or chips might be a better option?

I had a great brunch with poets and their jub (kin). I am now planning on reading a good book. I'm full. I might enjoy some cheese.

When I eat socca in Nice I always buy a small container of harrissa to have along with it to help add a little zing.

Happy Birthday Zora! Hope you have a great day and have somebody cook a meal for you that tastes as good as the food you cook. I'm not sure such a person exists

It's very hit or miss at Great Wall. Earlier up thread I wrote about a time that I ordered two nights in a row. One night was very good (though I haven't had the chance to try Chang's food so don't have a great barometer), the next night was as you described; heat from the Szechuan peppercord and extremely salty to the point that nothing else can be tasted.

I've taken to ordering from other places that aren't nearly as good as Great Wall on the times I've gotten good food, but much better than Great Wall on the nights I get bad food from them.

Damn it. All the MaLa dishes were so very good last week (mapo dofu, belly, eggplant & chicken w/peanut) but due to an ordering malfunction (ordering typical Chinese american food before the good stuff) everything arrived overly sweetened and in a blech sauce.

Can we make a password or something for gweilo peeps that like real, spicy food?

Okay plain congee

or:

Potato & Leek Soup

Quick grits prepared with cream and or homemade stock (cheez and/or ham as tummy/testines permit)

Jellied consumme

Banana or bread pudding or chocolate mousse with a gigantic batch of creme anglais

Pike quenelles with lobster sauce from La Chaumiere

My Mom was always in favor of a split of slightly over the hill Champagne when I had stomach issues. For me of course .

Tofu. Congee made with chicken stock garnish with sesame oil.

I totally second this. Maybe with a 1000 year egg? No green onions though I love them so.

Heading over to Sichuan Pavillion at 7:30. Anyone is welcome to join us. WIth a wimp {Kay} so it wont all be ass burn hot.

Dang, wish I'd seen this sooner Dean. Given the weather, a little ass burn might have been in order!

Waitman can come I believe. He may be a little late.

Living Social has $50 for $25 for Buck's Fishing & Camping.

Hope you are not the last Rocks. Ms. Edwards was a very strong woman and she deserved better I think. I will keep her children in my thoughts.

My deepest love and sympathy to all of us that have had to deal with cancer either personally or with a loved one. I am now raising one to you.

Dang, this is #500 for me. Thanks Don, for making a place where I have felt so very welcome for the last 5.5 years. I am very grateful for all that you worked so hard to create here. So I'm raising a glass of my favorite plonk which is much less than you deserve.

Well let me be the first male to chime in and say that John Edwards was a fucking scumbag for abandoning his wife when she was sick with cancer.

Hope you are not the last Rocks. Ms. Edwards was a very strong woman and she deserved better I think. I will keep her children in my thoughts.

My deepest love and sympathy to all of us that have had to deal with cancer either personally or with a loved one. I am now raising one to you.

Well, fuck. There goes my favorite restaurant.

not to pile on but

+1

As one of those who's online personality can, on occasion, veer towards the loathsome, and whose idea of a reasoned discussion often includes (along with salient, highbrow points) calling a loved one a "fucking moron," (not personal arguments, mind you, just politics, religion, cooking and the other Liberal Arts), I'd like to suggest a couple of things.

And, finally, I think a little bit of skin thickening is a good thing.

That is probably true. Here's a little over the top lesson you for all you fucking morons

ETA:I hope I haven't offended anyone.

My little girl turns 18 tomorrow, my little boy turned 22 on Saturday, I will not mention what age I reached last Thursday. I'm feeling all Sunrise/Sunset all of a sudden

put me down for a hopeful 1

Oven died so no corn pudding or cake, but the grill had gas and the butterflied leg of lamb with Indian spicing (Gary Danko recipe) came out perfectly. I have declared that recipe to be the new Thanksgiving tradition .