20 Days Late...

Earlier in the month I made a post entitled, "A Day Late & A Dollah Short...". Looks like it may be a reoccurring theme. This time I am 20 Days late to blog about World Animal Day which was October 4. The comforting thing about this post is that Boston.com, where I got it from, was late posting their article about World Animal Day as well. I love other delinquents.

The photography is UH-MAY-ZING. Gorgeous. Of course, like anything these days, the pictures are bittersweet because so many of these animals are already endangered and alarmingly close to extinction.

In honor of my grandpa, I selected the photo above. As you can see from the article, this polar bear and her cub are from the Stuttgart Zoo in Germany. Too cute. I can't take it.

After 3:33 AM

It's the Design Favela! (ela, ela.)

courtesy of DM at http://3ptline.com/.

This is my signature look.

Watch Deep House Dish in Funny Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

WANT: Uterus Power!

I am a HUGE Etsy fan.  Today I came across these Uterus Undies from Harvey & Eileen's Etsy shop.  Uterus Undies are created by Amber Rowland and Jonathan Hill. They are way cute and only a girl with some ovaries can pull 'em off. 

Ladies, work it out for $10.  They even have a version for the boys.

Garbage Palin Kids

Courtesy of Bust Magazine Blog.

Maxed. Out.

I woke up this morning being stressed about money. I recently read an article about Times Square's National Debt Clock, which has been tallying up money owed by the U.S. government since 1989, is running out of spaces.

In September 2008, the digital dollar sign was eliminated to make way for an extra digit—the "1" in $10 trillion (the national debt is currently $10.2 trillion). Now, a new clock is in the works that will make room for a quadrillion dollars of debt. Anticipated completion is early 2009. So scary.

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 12 Oct 2008 at 06:58:40 PM GMT is:

The estimated population of the United States is 304,895,659
so each citizen's share of this debt is $33,703.26.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$3.34 billion per day since September 28, 2007!

I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of loot.

On a positive note, Blogger Penelope Trunk has posted a guide called, "How to get a six-figure book deal from your Blog."

A Day Late & A Dollah Short

I JUST found this website today. One day after Yom Kippur. (Ok, I am really 11 days late. Why is it so hard for me to be timely?)

The website 10Q invites readers to take part in an online series of questions, one a day for ten days during the time between the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are considered a period of reflection. Fill them in, send to a secure online vault; next year, before Rosh Hashanah, they'll be sent back to you for reflection.

Whether you're religious or not, Jewish or not, introspective or not, literate or not, this sounds like a great exercise in introspection. "10Q: Renew, Reflect, React."

Happy 5769 and a sweet new year to all.

Why re-invent the wheel?

I was just thinking...I am not that novel. I've only had a blog for a hot second (maybe less). Somebody with a real blog must have already blogged about everything I may consider blogging about or haven't even thought of blogging yet. With that in mind, I have decided to apply a 'law-school' strategy to real life. Can you believe it? Don't re-invent the wheel!

For example, why blog about all the artists who have made work in support of Obama when, if I google well, I can link to a blog where someone has done all the work of compiling this blog for me. In March.

Thanks YesButNoButYes.

Thanks Papermag.com.

Thanks NY Post.

Thanks Barack Obama's website.

Thanks Weiner Dogs for Obama.

Sundays @ 10 PM

I FRIGGIN' LOVE MAD MEN. PQ and I started watching this show on Demand, which is totally the way to watch things. No commercials. It is very slow moving, but complex. The show is now in its second season on AMC and has been nominated for and won tons of accolades. The cast, the wardrobe, the set design, the story...its all so well done.

The Mad Men Scrapbook is just a snippet of what makes this show so authentic.

3:33 AM Masala Chai - For Morning or Anytime (makes 2 mugs worth)

I began attempting to make Masala Chai prior to even knowing PQ, but have since refined my technique and recipe. Now when PQ's mom visits, my Chai is one of her requests. (So flattering and a sure sign I am making it well.)

Using a small saucepan, begin boiling enough cold water so that your pointer finger is submerged almost to the top.

Using a mortal and pestle, smash about 6 to 10 cardamom pods (Elaichi) and a palm full of fennel seeds (Somph) and throw them into the water. Next, grate or chop about an inch worth of fresh ginger (Adrak) into the water.

I use tea bags, PQ's mom uses loose tea, but you can use either form of any good black or assam tea -- Decaf or Regular. For 2 strong mugs worth I drop in about 5 tea bags. (If I can find it at the Indian Grocery Store, my favorite is Wagh Bakri Organic Assam Tea.) When the water begins to come to a rolling boil, add a few glugs of milk (Dudh) (or if you are me, Lactaid) so that the water is no longer boiling.

This is the part that I always have problems with. PQ's mom NEVER does. Don't let the milky tea boil over. Keep the flame lowered so that there is a low boil and the milk can heat and the tea can steep.

After about 2 to 3 minutes, strain the tea into mugs. PQ likes his sweet (2 spoons), I like mine less sweet (1 spoon), and PQ's mom even less sweet (half a spoon). You can use sugar, but I prefer Agave Nectar. It is better for you than refined sugar, of course. It has a lower glycemic index and doesn't taste syrupy.

Enjoy. xoxoxox

T:TT AM + POOSSLQ = <3

POOSSLQ and I had a great day yesterday. This post is dedicated to him. As everyone knows, he isn't jussst my POOSSLQ, I adore him.

We attended the Annual Sikh Film Festival at the Asia Society & Museum. Specifically, we wanted to catch the Documentary Film Section. This was also my first time being at the Asia Society & Museum which, if you haven't been, you should check out. I plan on going back sometime to see the museum itself. Yesterday we didn't get to visit the rest of the museum or see the current exhibit, Art and China's Revolution, or go to my favorite place in any museum, the gift shop.

Before I get to the film screening, I wanted to mention our particularly great commute to the Museum. As everyone knows, the trains on the weekend are a HOT MESS. Service changes and re-routing in addition to the usual ass-stink and inexplicable delays. Waiting for the 6 Uptown with us was a young gentleman and his daughter. POOSSLQ complemented this young gentleman on having the cleanest black sweater either of us have ever seen. While they discussed the latest in men's wear and clothing care, I chatted with his daughter about possibilities for her Halloween costume. She wants to be Dora or a ghost. Both are great choices and she has quite a decision to make. They were on their way to the Met and we got off first, but our short time together was great. We talked politics, fashion, costumes and art. Too bad neither of us thought to get his contact information. Meetings like this restore my faith in NYC, the MTA, and in people. You can't underestimate the power of good vibes and good peoples. A nice start to a great day.

First stop at the Museum was the Restaurant, another favorite place in any museum. I have my priorities. The Garden Court Cafe was perfect for pre-film screening nosh. POOSSLQ had the turkey burger with wasabi ketchup and I had the special salmon burger. DEEELISH. POOSSLQ (PQ, for short) thought he spotted an old friend from his United Sikh Association Days at NYU in the mid-90s. Sure enough, it was her! Now she is a successful immigration attorney with her own solo-practice, a husband and two little kids. They enjoyed catching up and she sweet talked us tickets into the sold-out Documentary portion of the Film Festival.

My almost 5 years of domestic partnership with PQ has exposed me to so many amazing things. Amongst them, a glimpse of Punjabi culture. PQ's immediate family is Punjabi-Sikh by way of Chicago.



The Sikh community in America is as diverse as any other, but faces particular challenges within their world-wide communities as a result of political turmoil in India, the Middle East and 9/11 in America which has often made the Sikhs feel like outcasts and mistakenly viewed as terrorists. The films featured in the Documentary Session were Pahelwani - History, Tradition and Art of Punjabi Wrestling, Sikhs in America, The Sky Below, and A Dream in Doubt. Not to be a corn-bag but, I laughed. I cried. I learned. Sikhs in America has won an Emmy award. A Dream in Doubt, the final film, was particularly moving. Sarah Singh, spent two years traveling alone in India & Pakistan served as Director/Producer/Screenwriter/DP/Editor/Music Composer for her amazing work, The Sky Below. All of these films, filmmakers, and film subjects BLEW me away.

[Another wonderful photographer I have come across in the past is Fiona Aboud. This is a link to one small part of her portfolio, Sikhs in America.]

The audience was also amazing. It was full of many Punjabis, Sardar-jis, and other 'friends' of the Sikh community. Now that I have been introduced to the Punjabi-Sikhs, I can't help but feel a connection as a member of the Jewish community. I am not the only one who has sensed this similarity. There are many others within both communities who feel a sense of connectedness to one another.

Later that night, of course, I had a craving for Punjabi Cuisine. Once we saw the sign for Dhaba Indian Restaurant in 'Curry Hill', we were SOLD. Not only was the food reasonably priced, delicious and the service and decor great -- there were many items on the menu that neither PQ nor I have seen elsewhere that were SUPERBLY done. We started with AMRITSARI ALOO TIKKI CHAAT (Shallow fried potatoes, chickpea masala, onions and chutneys). We shared METHI CHICKEN (Chicken curry, fresh fenugreek leaves and coriander), SHALGAM SAAG
(Mashed turnips, mild spinach puree), CHILI ONION NAAN and BOONDI RAITA
(Yogurt, besan crunchies, cucumber, carrots and cumin). UGHHHHHH! So good. (LEFTOVERS!!!)

NOTHING can compare to PQ's moms. She is one of the best cooks ever. No joke.

AND SO, in conclusion, I am attaching a short version of one of the first Indian recipes I learned to make. I woke up craving this and made some first thing this morning.

Me Like Free: Make Screen Pretty

Unplugged, a project of Apartment Therapy.com, has done a Roundup of the Ten Best Looking FREE Screen Savers. DM and I are both fans of the Fliqlo screensaver from way back (BEFORE September 2008). There are a lot of other free downloads available along with the Fliqlo, as well.

I am a fan of most of the free screensavers featured however, I could do without the Steve Job's quotation screensaver. It is esthetically pleasing, but you need to REALLY be kind of a Mac Dork to be downloading it. Sorry Nerds. I love my Ipod, but he ain't no Nietzsche.

Oh by the way, you're welcomeeeeeee.