Oh the cookbook addiction!

Gave into temptation and bought a new vegan cookbook. I had my eye on Vegan Lunch Boxes, and on The Urban Vegan (I read her blog), but they both have faux-vegan processed food which I don't like. (a) Because I can only buy a lot of those things at the health food store, and I'm way too cold-resistant to go that far (7 min walk) in the winter. Seriously. I don't even go to the library across the street. ALL outdoor activity ceases once we reach 5 degrees C.

And (b) some products we don't have at all in my store, and I don't have a car so I'm not going any further.

And (c) I just don't want to eat a lot of processed food. Yes I'll buy bread and cereal and spaghetti sauce. But if I'm going to buy processed food, I'll buy a whole meal (hummus), or as a treat (vegan cream cheese, ice cream). Not as stuff I have on hand at all times, for any recipe.

Anyway, so I bought The Supermarket Vegan because it's based on 2 things: (1) food you can get at a suburban grocery store, and (2) not very processed.

I tried it tonight. In minutes I found two recipes I could make using the ingredients I have on hand, even though I haven't done a big shopping trip lately; I made them both, and was done, and cleanup done, within an hour. (I like to make big pots of things to eat over a couple days.) I made chilli with pasta, and curried orzo.

...Yes I know I'm the only vegan who read this blog. But I... I needed to shaaare. Probably a good book for people who want to make more vegetarian or vegan meals, but without having to buy kooky ingredients.

Old Men in the Balcony... at the Haiti concert

I'm watching the Haiti concert stuff on fastforward while I do my finances. Jennifer Hudson is on now, and it's the best performance so far. But that's probably not just a factor of her talent, but that in 2008 her mother, brother and nephew were murdered. This has got to be someone who understands tragedy. She chose to sing "Let It Be."

...Why does Brad Pitt look like the Unabomber?

I have to admit that Justin Timberlake and Whoever did justice to "Hallelujah" but it's a song I associate with romantic relationships, and not really with country-wide devastation. Or like Madonna singing "Like a Prayer." It feels like... each artist flipped pulled out the Songs to Sing in Tragic Times folder, and Stevie Wonder found "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in there, while Justin had to choose between "What Goes Around Comes Back Around" and "Hallelujah."

Madonna could have done better. Something from the "Ray of Light" era, methinks.

Beyoncé kinda blew it. She started with a pretty rendition of "Halo" but changed the lyrics from "Baby I can see your halo" to "Haiti I can see your halo." ...I don't know. Kinda cheesy.

Sting probably has lots of good stuff in Tragedy Folder, esp from The Police. He pulled out a good Guilt Song.

Denzel Washington could be reading from the phone book and I'd feel like I need to give money to someone. What a great voice.

Wyclef is doing "By the Waters of Babylon." Good choice. Sadness.
Oh and now he's doing the "enough of the moping" upbeat song thing. Finally! I'm so depressed.


***
Sting's song:

How can you say that you're not responsible?
What does it have to do with me?
What is my reaction, what should it be?
Confronted by this latest atrocity

Driven to tears

Hide my face in my hands, shame wells in my throat
My comfortable existance is reduced to a shallow meaningless party
Seems that when some innocent die
All we can offer them is a page in a some magazine
Too many cameras and not enough food
'Cos this is what we've seen

Driven to tears

Protest is futile, nothing seems to get through
What's to become of our world, who knows what to do

Driven to tears

Where's Sean Penn's boat when you need it?

Hmm... I sense the presence of the Haiti benefit concert on iTunes. K'naan has pulled past Tik Tok and Lady G! And his Troubadour album is in the Top 10.

But this Hope for Haiti album is only $7.99. I usually crow over a good deal (there's 20 songs) but considering this is for charity... I feel they have significantly underpriced. You never see compilations for under 9.99, and this length would usually be 14.99.

Well, I'm in anyway. Sean Penn aside, singing us songs is what artists are supposed to do in bad times. Tell it like it is, or mourn, depress us, cheer us up, give us hope, make us mad -- whatever the emotion, standing at the mic is a good place. Unless you're Sean Penn. Then you need to be in a boat! Rescuing the people! (And because I've still got Chappelle in my head: In a BOAT motherfucker! In a Goddamned BOAT!)

The Connie Cometh

Turns out my parents bought me a second Christmas present which only shipped this week. Why would it only ship now you ask? Because it is Connie Willis' new book! Yippy! (And looks like it might arrive before the release date. Shhhh!)

This one takes place in her time travel setup, which is a good start cause those are her best works. But it also takes place during the Blitz which is a subject she's been enamored of for decades. So this should be a labor of love. It's also, I believe, a part 1 of 2... which sucks! But okay. I'll deal.

What's the appeal of setting stories during the London Blitz?

I love the pluck and stamina of the British and the humor and courage with which they held out against Hitler. And I love the intensified nature of wartime existence, where a few minutes' delay can cost you your life and a mistake or a change in the weather can alter the entire course of the war. I think those things are always true in our lives, but they're ramped up during wartime, where every decision is life-or-death. (Publisher's Weekly)

And here you'll find an interesting bit on how 9-11 played into this book for her.

Connie Willis at Worldcon 2009 Montreal
Photographed by Kyle Cassidy
Series: Science Fiction fans

"I'm finally done with my two-volume time travel to the Blitz novel, BLACKOUT-ALL CLEAR! Oh, frabjous day! Calloo, callay!"

Golz

Well I didn't meet my writing goals this week. Mostly I felt tired because I stayed up too late every single night, and watched a lot of Entourage and Chappelle's Show. So yesterday (first day of weekend) I slept for 12 hours. Then watched Entourage and Chappelle's Show. I did a lot of healthy cooking this week... that's got to count for something right?

But actually I'm not too disappointed, because I did finish my synopsis tonight, which was the biggest obstacle. I can officially say my damned story is done. The first goal I didn't meet was to actually send off some queries. And the second goal I didn't meet was to go back to my new story, and outline what I wrote in November. We'll see if I can catch up this week!

And I still did more work than the weeks when I had no goal set. ;-)

"Charlie Murphy!"

I can't get "Rick James'" voice of out my head.

...I want to be funny tooooo.

web site update

I can't believe I forgot to post a Pets Page on my web site! Very important. All romance authors post pics of their pets. Most authors really.

Alanis Morissette singing The Police's "King of Pain"