Do it now

Chrome is an amazing, browser, and the Arcade Fire is an amazing band. Thus, I recommend you delve into this interactive video immediately. I found it really moving, but I am just a sucker.

Muffins

I'm not a muffin person, but I made these Smitten Kitchen muffins for friends yesterday, and they were fabulous. I substituted raspberries for blueberries. Recommended.

Oh, boo

My dog Skip has a cataract.

See?

This makes me very blue, because he still seems like such a puppy to me. My mom pointed out that he's actually almost ten, but thinking about that puts me into a panic.

Validation

The other day Heidi from 101 Cookbooks retweeted a recipe from Debbie of Smitten Kitchen.

101Cookbooks One for me please? RT @smittenkitchen raspberry limeade slushies http://tinyurl.com/2d2tont

It was a very happy moment for me. And now I am reading Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods", and he quotes John McPhee's "In Suspect Terrain"!

"In three months, as John McPhee notes in In Suspect Terrain, the endearingly named Pithole City went from a population of zero to 15,000."

It's all coming together, guys!

Bahston

Dudeskis, I am exhausted. I've been in Boston since last Wednesday, and I have been living it up. I've caught up with friends and my thesis advisor and family, attended a wedding, and, of course, lost my voice from the indulgence of it all.

Here is a creepy grainy photo of my pub crawl on Friday night, in which everyone looks evil or like night creature. But scorpion bowls! So fun!

I forgot the cable that connects my camera to my computer, so all we're working with are pictures from my phone. We attempted to go to a Red Sox game, which was rain delayed. It did start eventually, though.

And then it stopped after three innings, so we gave up. To make up for it, we reconnected with a long-lost Wellesleyite, Sarah. The reconnection occurred because Maia randomly subletted a room in Sarah's apartment. Wild!

It was a pretty happy thing. Now I am on the bus headed to my parents', which will take hours and hours but will end with me being here.

Hash!

For those of you who have been mystified by my attempts to explain hashing, here is an article. And now that my right butt is pretty much almost better, who wants to hash with me?

Well that might have done it

Time magazine says the average American consumes over 21,000 animals in their lifetime.

21,000

That is just horrifying. I have definitely been eating less and less meat over the years - I now have it only once a week or so, and it's generally just a few bites.

In the same article, Peter Singer, of all people, said this of the growing number of people who eat meat only occasionally: "The surge is due to a sense of plateau. You've already reached out to the base of strict vegetarians, and it's hard to get beyond those numbers. People should go further, but it's progress in the right direction." This from the guy who wrote "Animal Liberation". He is most definitely not an incrementalist.

Word of the day

I have gotten the Dictionary.com word of the day emails for years. Today's is the best, by far.

vellicate \VEL-i-keyt\, verb:

1. To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements.

2. To irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear.

3. To move with spasmodic convulsions.

There are just SO MANY dirty jokes there.

5

Five Books is a site that tells you what to read to become an expert in a given topic - each list is culled by a supposed expert in that field. It's a cool idea, though the execution seems a bit scattershot.

But if you're interested in learning more about electronic literature, food and the city, books that changed the world, early Irish history, evil, feminism, how to be happy, ideas that matter, bestsellers, cakes, guerilla gardening, or a shit ton more, you might want to check it out.

Inspiration

I'm trying to gird myself with biking inspiration - I'd like to ride more than I do, both around town and for fun/exercise (mutually exclusive no more!) on the weekends.

I read the Bike NOPA blog, and saw this post on a dude who bikes everywhere with his kid. On his own blog, he documents an apartment move he did in Boston entirely by bike. Holy crapola. Bike NOPA's series on Women Who Bike (I know this chick) was also key in getting me to think of biking as something you can do while wearing heels - you don't have to sweat if you don't want to.

And today I came upon Velominati's rules, of which I am now enamored. I love rules! Especially when I am only sort of part of a culture that has aspects I don't understand. I appreciate the structure. I also appreciate this quote: "It never gets easier, you just go faster." That makes me feel much much better about how I'm doing - I'm definitely faster, but hills haven't gotten any easier to ride. Every time I'm climbing, I like to think that I'm increasing my pain threshold, and that the next time, that hill will be just a tiny bit more bearable.

Another rule I love: "Cornering confidence generally increases with time and experience. This pattern continues until it falls sharply and suddenly." I now corner at an angle slightly beyond my comfort level, and I am sure that gravity will get the best of me soon, and I will go boom.

Also, the site calls Lance Armstrong a twatwaffle (Rule 4).

Boy is my face red

I just had to use Google Translate for an email from my cousin who lives in Dublin - he asked if I knew any San Francisco bars where his friend could find some "ceol agus craic". This means "music and fun", apparently. I'm flattered he thought I'd understand him.

Net neutrality

There is a lot of anger and confusion about the Google-Verizon net neutrality proposal. I think debate is very good, but don't get too stressed before you read this article by the Electronic Frontier Foundation; as usual, the EFF has a clear explanation of what's going on. It helped me wrap my head around things a bit more. And if you're wondering about Google's motivations, this blog post may be interesting to you.

Nom nom

This Eater post is a pretty good summary of the NYC vs SF food debate. New York is obviously a global culinary stage, but so, in its own way, is San Francisco

Better in NYC:

• Pizza. Oh hell yes.
• Celeb chefs. It's true that New York has more famous chefs, and flashier ones. But I don't have enough money to really care all that much.
• French food. I have noticed that there are more, and better, French restaurants in New York - but maybe it just seems that way to me because the Google NY office is near Pastis, and my friends were regulars at Bar Tabac in Brooklyn.
• Burgers. Eh, maybe. New York definitely created the $30+ burger phenomenon. Thanks for that.

Better in SF:

• Mexican food. Oh hell yes.
• Coffee. I don't really drink coffee, and when I do it makes me too much of a spaz to enjoy it, but I do know a lot of serious hardcore it's not even funny coffee nerds.
• Celeb chefs. Ours are a bit dippity-doo, but they are also nice and grandmotherly. Alice Waters is, anyway.
• Breads/pastries. I'm torn here. While I think San Francisco bakeries are some of the finest on the planet (come to my local farmer's market and try not to make sexy noises while eating an almond croissant), I would really kill for an Italian bakery or two. Whenever Mike and I are in New York we wind up with at least three huge grease-stained bags of sfogliatelle and biscotti and cannoli and wedding cookies.

And now I am hungry.

I'm descended from royalty

My aunt was crowned Queen at a very different kind of Senior Prom than we all have experienced.

I love this.

You ain't got no alibi

The NYT has an amazing article on ugly animals. I mean, they are U-G-L-Y.

Behold the star-nosed mole:

And the blobfish (great name):

That's just nasty.

A dream come true

This flight attendant on a flight in NY cursed out a passenger, got on the PA system of the plane to curse out everyone on board, then jumped on the emergency slide to make a break for it. He is my hero.

I pounced on him like a tiger

A San Francisco ballet dancer beat up a dude who stole his phone. A tiny, wiry little ballet dancer. It's a heartwarming story, really.

Update from Teppi: I LOVE PUPI

Let me tell you something

Yesterday was a good day. I was in my car when the Prop 8 decision got handed down, and I whooped and hollered like it was my job. I also clapped, but that is a bad thing to do when you are driving. I also teared up a little bit too.

Then we went out to celebrate yet another leave-taking. Meesh and Jaime are leaving San Francisco (following Ronak and Uchenna, who moved last week), and I am going to miss them. We sent them off with a big drunk night on Haight St., with the Prop 8 ruling euphoria pumping us up.

Which brings me to a less happy item: why do people go? Friends in San Francisco, do not be surprised if I am a little clingier than usual; I am determined to suck the very marrow out of our friendship before you can get away. Doesn't that sound friendly?

Finally, I got word that the Hayes Valley Farm (recent victims of a terrible bee massacre!) gives away free produce on Sundays. Well boy howdy, I will be there.