Canadians can cast votes for the People’s Choice Awards. (Check the forthcoming URL. It says “cdn”.)
Would you believe that Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are in the same category?
A part of me started to lean towards Chris because of his talented turn as Captain Kirk.
But then I felt the pull of ZQ.
That photo is not mine. I found it here.
*sigh*
What’s a fangirl to do?
ETA: I might abstain. If I vote for one without the other, it’s highly likely that the guilt will plague me for days.
…of this doll?
Maybe ’cause I almost was her–hairwise–a few short months ago.
Check out one of her friends.
Gorgeous, eh?
*sigh*
*walks away* I can’t believe a doll–A DOLL, of all things!!!–is making me wistful.
Have mercy.
Hey Readers!
I’m busy. I hate love my life. I miss writing, and in particular, blogging.
Here’s something I scratched up a while ago…
Enjoy!
I keep scratching up notes for entries on my transition into small-town living. But I’m lazy too busy to develop them thoroughly…In the meantime, let’s talk about food!!!
For health reasons, I’m trying to keep off of sugar. Nevertheless, urges for my favorite banana bread keep coming.
Shortly after this photo was taken, my subject was eliminated.
Banana bread…There are ample ingredients in the pantry. The bananas are getting spotty….
*sigh*
Incidentally, how do you like your bananas? I’m only willing to eat them when they’re golden, with barely-there-green tips. After that, somehow, it’s funny…Once the spots start to come in, they are dead to me. Well…At least as far as eating is concerned. Meanwhile, in my head, the first thing that comes to mind is, “Banana bread!!”
In my book, there are two keys to making a good banana bread. Butter and sugar. Yesterday I was watching Oprah. (Oh. Shut. Up.) The show was all about food. Ms. O played a clip featuring Paula Deen. At one point she asked Ms. Deen what she would tell her health-conscious critics. If I remember right, she said, “I’m a cook, not a doctor!”
Dangit, Jim!!
Now, I’ve never posted a recipe. And to this day, I can’t remember who gave me this one. But I’ll tell you something. I thank the Lord and Baby Jesus* every time I make it.
Bodacious Banana Bread
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tspn vanilla
1 teaspoon allspice
6 teaspoons baking powder
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and set them aside.
As for your ingredients…
First, grab a large bowl. Use a mixer. Whip your butter and sugar into a frenzy. Add the eggs and bananas. Then, add the flour and baking powder.
Next, add the vanilla. And at last…
The time has come for you to have some fun. Here’s your chance to…Improvise.
I know the ingredient list says “allspice”. But I don’t have any allspice. Haven’t for years.
Instead, I use a combination of cinnamon and a cloves. And to be honest…I don’t actually measure the spices. But I do shake in enough cinnamon to season an entire box of Apple-Cinnamon Cheerios. I also add a dash of cloves.
Now…You can do what you want at this point, but if you’re messing with cloves, I should warn you–if you use more than a dash, you’re playing with fire. Cloves are kind of like love dancing nutmeg. Under the right circumstances, their powers can be used for good. But too much of that good thing can turn into evil. If you don’t keep an eye out when you’re shaking the cloves over your batter, it’ll be overpowered faster than you can say “haberdashery”.
And I suggest omitting the ginger inthe this recipe. Unless you really want to. Ginger does nothing for it.
*ahem*
So your mix is all together, yes?
Pour your banana bread batter into your loaf pans. Put ’em in the oven. They’re going to stay there for about a half hour. Be sure to give them a glance and poke them towards the end of their journey. Your banana bread should be golden brown.
Please don’t worry if your loaves come out with a crack on top.
If all goes well, your Bodacious Bread will be fluffy and moist.
And gone within minutes of leaving your oven.
*Once upon a time during my teachers’ college practicum, I met a fellow student named Nick. One day when he was overjoyed about something, instead of letting out a “Cool” or a sugar-laced expletive, he said, “Thank the Lord and Baby Jesus”. I never forgot the phrase, and use it whenever it fits.
Yesterday I saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I don’t know what the critics have been complaining about or hoping for…
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, Revenge has a 21% fresh rating. Again, I can’t help but wonder why.
Nothing was diminished. The quality of the cinematography, acting, effects, etc., were identical to that of the first film. The only difference between the two movies was in the plot and its execution. It was familiar enough to be a sequel, yet original enough to be its own vehicle. And it was every bit as good as its predecessor.
To those who don’t like this version of Transformers…Some of whom seem to be critics who found absolutely nothing wrong with the first film…Let me school you…
*takes out chalkboard and writes in big letters*
Revenge of the Fallen is a Michael Bay movie.
*puts chalk down*
Transformers is an action film. Not a character-driven drama.
And in Revenge, Mr. Bay delivered exactly what I expected–a kick-ass, blow-em-up, CGI-infested visual feast. It ain’t Shakespeare.
And I wouldn’t want it any other way.
My only beef was with the supporting characters. The Twins got on my nerves. But only a little…As for Arcee…She and her sisters(?) were on-screen for merely seconds before they were eliminated.
Ah well…
Overall, it was a fantastic film.
Definitely worth watching… 🙂
Disclaimer: The language in these videos is NSFW. Well…Depending on where you work. Nevertheless, I thought the cast was hilarious.
The image above is not mine. It’s from Futurama. I Googled it myself.
Here’s a confession if ever there was one:
If I was not a Christian, Star Trek would be my religion.
I kid you not.
Given the an opportunity to hypothesize, some may cite Buddhism and other faiths. But me?
Forget deities that have been respected the world over for thousands of years.
I want a phaser and some Romulan Ale.
Remember when I posted the trailer? I said that if I thought the film was awful, then everyone would know?
Today I would like to thank J. J. Abrams. J. J., you have given me a movie that I am going to see in the theatre more than once. And that NEVER happens.
I have a bit of a spotty Star Trek history. The only series I know in depth is Star Trek: The Next Generation. In fact, TNG is the first and only television show of which I have seen every episode.
My viewing of the other series has been admittedly sketchy.
Nevertheless, I feel confident that I have a fairly strong sense of what Star Trek is. Good Trek, bad Trek. I like to think I can tell the difference.
And Star Trek, my friends, is some Very GOOD Trek. 😉
Some critics bemoan the fact that no politically galvanizing storyline was involved. Historically speaking, one thing Star Trek is renowned for is its plots involving social metaphor.
But you know what?
When I stepped into that theatre Saturday night, I wasn’t looking for a brain-bender. I was looking for a good time.
And I got one.
Not that Star Trek isn’t a smart film. (It is.) But the basic function of this effort was to (re)introduce the characters to a new generation of fans. And that it did.
By the by, here are some (spoilerific) things that mess with Star Trek canon:
In the new film, Spock and Uhura are an item. I first heard about this via an interview on Youtube. My brow furrowed, and I think I made a face. I was truly perplexed.
But it works in the movie. And I actually like their pairing.
Mind you, I’d like it even more if in the forthcoming movies they are given something more substantial to do than snogging in the elevator. Or in the transporter room. Speaking of those scenes, I don’t mean to be glib. I know there’s something there.
And quite frankly, I’d like to see more of it. Whatever it is.
Regarding Vulcan: Spock doesn’t have a home planet any longer. Nor does he have a mother. (Masterfully played by Winona Ryder.) Of all the things that happened in the film, I wish she hadn’t died. It seemed to me that Amanda Greyson would have been an interesting character.
Oh well.
“Are you out of your Vulcan mind?” still makes me laugh. The delivery of that line was impeccable.
The film held my attention from start to finish. The special effects, the lighting, the writing, the costumes, the music…From the bits with an orchestra to the Beastie Boys(!)…And of course, the acting…Everything clicked. I–and several other viewers–clapped at the end. The closing credits were gorgeous.
I cannot wait for the next installment.
Dear J. J.
I want another Trek. By no later than 2012, OR ELSE.
Bless you.
~Claire~
This review cracked me up. And quite honestly, I agree with every word.
Lord, we thank thee for imbuing Abrams with taste and conscience enough to guarantee that “Star Trek” will once again live long and prosper. May he do the same.
LOL.
Seriously, though? Now that I’ve seen Star Trek in Abrams’ hands, I really don’t want anyone else directing their movies.
EXCUSE ME????
That’s what an ad said in the margin of my Facebook page just now.
What are these people on?
The last time I checked, girl was 33. Thirty-three. That’s the same age as me.
A week or so ago a woman on the Yorkville stretch of Bloor Street muttered some slur about me being a KID.
You want people to figure out why Ms. Jolie-Pitt looks young, as though it’s a mystery on par with the location of the Holy Grail?
I’ll tell you why Angie looks young, son.
She ain’t old.
Interestingly enough, when I went a-Googling for a photo for this piece, I found one of Angelina without makeup. I should’ve posted it. She looks like one of my friends. Pretty, but still…Young.
What is with our society and its obsession with youth? It’s the greatest irony of all: Even the young aren’t young enough.
claire.she.goes 