Spotted Dick -- Just Desserts

votania's co-worker and friend did her a favor today (bought her lunch when she forgot both lunch and money), so she owes him a favor in return.

She promised him dessert.

"Hmm..." I thought, and I had her ask him if he liked raisins. He did. I cackled with inordinate glee. After she was off the phone with him, I explained. I wanted to practice my hand at making Spotted Dick. She needed to give him a dessert. Spotted Dick is a dessert. He likes raisins. Guinea pig! She cackled with inordinate glee, and then we went on a late-night raid to the store to get the missing ingredients, after I printed out the recipe.

[Yes. There is now a working printer in templeravenmoon.]

I was dubious, at first, because I have no experience in making this sort of thing, but it seems to be working out well. (Mmm, blood oranges. Yum.) The measurements in the recipe were all English, and so were some of the ingredients, but I am fortunate in that I have a basic working knowledge of the language and also of cooking. I had to experiment and improvise a bit, but it is looking quite verily like Spotted Dick under the foil. It steams for two more hours, and then I get to go to bed.

We'll see if it's a proper Spotted Dick or not tomorrow, I suppose...

Walking Tuesday

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More on the Spotted Dick situation

From an IM conversation last night --

azurelunatic: And -- I am making Spotted Dick.
nalidoll: always fun.. and even more fun to be able to slip into conversation.
azurelunatic: Yes.
azurelunatic: This is my practice dick.
azurelunatic: I'll be making more Spotted Dick for April Fool's Day.
nalidoll: see, if only that sentence got more use in society. "this is my practice dick" has so much potential.

At any rate, I mixed up the Spotted Dick around ten last night, so since the instructions say to steam it for four hours, that meant that it was done around two in the morning. Nevertheless, I was out of bed and off to school and at my 7:00 am class nearly on time. (I actually fell asleep somewhat after midnight, and set the timer so that I checked the water periodically and got it out when it was done.)

votania is taking it to work with her to give to her friend who she promised a dessert to. I hope she'll call home and tell me how he likes the taste of my Spotted Dick. I didn't make custard, though, and a Spotted Dick without any juicy custard to moisten it can be a dry thing indeed. I hope that it is not so hard that he won't be able to enjoy it, but just firm enough, because a limp Spotted Dick is a travesty and an outrage.

The Passion of the ... Brian?

Always look on the bright side of nasty politics, flogging, and crucifixion.
(Thanks, zanna_voodoo!)

I think that the re-release of this film is a very reasonable response to the whole torture-fest idea. From the sounds of The Passion of the Christ, I don't think I'll see it, just because I have no real wish to see a film dedicated to the cruelest and worst aspects of human nature.

I think Gibson's aim in creating the film was to show that despite how horribly the political powers and certain of his own people treated the man, he still managed to embrace humanity, transcend humanity, and forgive humanity. I think that's a very ambitious idea, but right now my mind is balking at the "embrace the truth of how horrible human beings can be." If I can't watch the news because looking at the US's political situation with regard to war and human rights, and especially Bush's politics, makes me feel as if I'll vomit, why should I even attempt to watch a movie that I know depicts extreme and deliberate cruelty? (Naomi feels as if we've failed if we can't handle the truth about what people are capable of, let alone forgiveness.)

And what weapons do we have, to fight back against despair? Love, acceptance, forgiveness... and laughter.

We couldn't do it without the laughter.

Bring on the Pythons.

Attention Georgia people...

Female genital piercings banned. Sponsoring House member clueless that anyone actually wants them.

Time for a little action?

(Via the divine Manifestress karlita)

*grin* Guess who?

Caught the Elusive One on the phone. Much yay! I tried earlier and got nothing, and then again and had the bad timing to call right at suppertime. Ooops. Where did I put my Queen of Bad Timing crown again?

I was trying to install the communications with home base software for my new palmtop (dubbed AzureBlue; props to those who recognize the ((somewhat esoteric)) source of the name) and having a hard time. We laughed about that; well, he laughed, and I vented. It eventually did work. I teased him that what he didn't like about the last one was not the machine, but the content. I wondered if he'd ever put Mr. Shallow on my to-do list. He declined to answer.

He actually vented to me about the job search, in his elegant and understated way. Amazing! This is the man who does not tend to complain about things. Well, certain things. And that's one of them. Well, yes, I was inquiring, but he generally doesn't respond at much ... length ... in general.

There was laughter, and exchange of bad jokes. I gave him the Yetisports link. He started reading D & D forum threads to me; I puttered around and found the correct thread. There was much giggling; it's great to be on the same page.

It didn't feel like an hour and a half, in the same way that being held by someone who you love, who cares for you deeply in return, doesn't feel like an hour and a half. But he had to go to bed, and I had to get off the phone -- so we parted. Gently. Warmly. I got to my feet stiffly, my body complaining, and I said "Ouch!" about it; he was concerned. He gently admonished me to take care of myself. (Usually I'm the one who says that to him.) He's always so stiff, proper, and restrained when expressing himself. You might as well ask a Vulcan to share his feelings... but I'm learning the language. I suppose it's most telling that he'll talk so long, and wishes that I sleep well...

Brain hacking linky

http://www.mind-driver.com/

Courtesy agent139. Definitely looks interesting.


Fascinating, the tools people are coming up with these days. I learned how to shift dominant eyes while in the 9th grade (14/15 years old), and learned how to switch a muscle impluse from one side of the body over to the other side, with the switching dominant eyes (possibly dominant halves of the brain?) one afternoon when the parents were varnishing the floor and I was stuck on the couch in the corner with a hand mirror and a slightly fume-fogged mind.