I have made it safely back to Ohio and have started classes for my penultimate semester. Time really flies in a two year program!
I still have some summer catch-up to do on here, including the end of the Cupcake Tour, which I promise will be forthcoming. In the meantime, play this game for some entertainment. It might actually make you think. Then let me know if you figured out the pattern! (I did; it just took a few seconds of thoughtful reasoning.)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Assorted Blasphemies
As I wander further into the blogosphere, I am discovering more and more on Patheos that is interesting to read. One of my favorites is Get Religion, which picks apart the mainstream media's coverage of religious news. I don't like all of their coverage of Catholic news, which makes me question the strict accuracy of their approach to other religions, but at least they add a more reasonable and nuanced voice to the discourse than most, if not all, other media sources I read.
One of the more interesting ones I've read is this piece about the Russian band that was sentenced to two years in prison for their actions in a Orthodox Cathedral. I reacted to the mainstream media as would any good feminist/believer in freedom of speech (shock! horror! outrage!)... then this article made me think again. Take a look-see and discuss!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Red & Blue
That last political post was supposed to go down a different road, but I got sidetracked when I started typing about seeing Romney. Before I do Take II, I want to give a shout-out to Maggie and Frank who answered my trivia question about running mates!
So. Major election coming up in November. Hold your breath and get excited for the upcoming onslaught of promises, attacks, and counter-attacks. I love the energy that grips the nation at this time of year. I hate the partisan lines that get drawn and the foolish inflexibility follows them.
I'm pretty sure I have linked to Leah Libresco at Equally Unyoked before, but since I found her blog it has become hearty food for thought, so you will keep seeing her. She wrote about her experience in a debate group that focused on not just valid but true and convincing arguments -- and the value they found in admitting that they had been wrong.
Leah did not take the topic into national politics, but I want to. Consider Romney's stance on abortion and the flack he is getting for changing it. This issue showcases the Catch-22 of US politics: if you are wrong (and we are all bound to be at some point), you can hold on to the wrong for dear life and be consistent, or you can change views and be thought a flip-flopper. (Is that a word? It should be.)
While we certainly need a leader who can stand strong and firm, there is virtue in taking in new information and letting it inform your views. As Leah points out, there is virtue in knowing how to handle being wrong.
So. Major election coming up in November. Hold your breath and get excited for the upcoming onslaught of promises, attacks, and counter-attacks. I love the energy that grips the nation at this time of year. I hate the partisan lines that get drawn and the foolish inflexibility follows them.
I'm pretty sure I have linked to Leah Libresco at Equally Unyoked before, but since I found her blog it has become hearty food for thought, so you will keep seeing her. She wrote about her experience in a debate group that focused on not just valid but true and convincing arguments -- and the value they found in admitting that they had been wrong.
Leah did not take the topic into national politics, but I want to. Consider Romney's stance on abortion and the flack he is getting for changing it. This issue showcases the Catch-22 of US politics: if you are wrong (and we are all bound to be at some point), you can hold on to the wrong for dear life and be consistent, or you can change views and be thought a flip-flopper. (Is that a word? It should be.)
While we certainly need a leader who can stand strong and firm, there is virtue in taking in new information and letting it inform your views. As Leah points out, there is virtue in knowing how to handle being wrong.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Campaign Season
It's my favorite time of every four years: election season! As of Saturday, all the speculation about who will run with and against whom ended, and we know the players: Obama-Biden against Romney-Ryan. (Random question and a prize for the winner: has any president ever switched his VP when he ran for re-election?) I get fed up with the intra-party politicking that leads up to this moment, but now we have the real players in the game.
In honor of having the real players in the game, I attended a rally for Mitt Romney on Saturday. I would not let my parents get photographic evidence of this event, but now I am admitting in writing. He announced Paul Ryan as his running mate earlier that day in Norfolk, so I had the unexpected luck of seeing and hearing both of them.
After waiting in a winding line and hearing my mother's worries that we would not get in, we made it to the rally and found standing room where, if I stood on my tiptoes and twisted my neck and the lady in front of me was not standing on the edge of the pillar, I could see illuminated faces of politicians floating over the podium.
This prime viewing real estate became extremely valuable when the speeches ended and the crowds rushed forth to watch the buses pull away. We were at the front then, pushed up against the barriers at the side of the street. George Allen was working the crowd from the pavement, so we shook hands with him, and he stopped to chat with each cluster of people along the way.
To my blue friends: do not worry -- I am not turning red! To my red friends: do not worry -- I still don't like Obama. I simply loved the chance to be in the middle of our beautiful, messy political process and feed off the emotional energy of the excited crowds. Also, I got to snap a few photos for a little old lady standing next to me and enjoy her delighted gratitude, possibly the best part of the day.
In honor of having the real players in the game, I attended a rally for Mitt Romney on Saturday. I would not let my parents get photographic evidence of this event, but now I am admitting in writing. He announced Paul Ryan as his running mate earlier that day in Norfolk, so I had the unexpected luck of seeing and hearing both of them.
After waiting in a winding line and hearing my mother's worries that we would not get in, we made it to the rally and found standing room where, if I stood on my tiptoes and twisted my neck and the lady in front of me was not standing on the edge of the pillar, I could see illuminated faces of politicians floating over the podium.
This prime viewing real estate became extremely valuable when the speeches ended and the crowds rushed forth to watch the buses pull away. We were at the front then, pushed up against the barriers at the side of the street. George Allen was working the crowd from the pavement, so we shook hands with him, and he stopped to chat with each cluster of people along the way.
To my blue friends: do not worry -- I am not turning red! To my red friends: do not worry -- I still don't like Obama. I simply loved the chance to be in the middle of our beautiful, messy political process and feed off the emotional energy of the excited crowds. Also, I got to snap a few photos for a little old lady standing next to me and enjoy her delighted gratitude, possibly the best part of the day.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Buzz!
I looked back over my last few entries before starting this post... It would appear that my entire summer consisted of eating cupcakes. I will try to post some other adventures soon, because there have been a good number of them this summer that do not involve cupcakes. Cupcakes are just easier entries, so I can dash them off in just a few minutes.
The adventure to Buzz Bakery in Ballston involved my mother and Wendy along with Larry's mom and myself. It started out with a gift of Muppet cupcakes decorated by Wendy's fiance. I felt awkward walking into a bakery already holding cupcakes, but since we bought deliciousness and coffee, I got over the awkward.
Unfortunately, I do have to distinguish between the deliciousness and the coffee here. I ate a "Buzz" cupcake, a sweet mocha-flavored concoction. It is one of the more sugary cupcakes I have eaten, so Buzz lived up to its name here. The coffee was mediocre at best, to my vast disappointment, because a great cup of coffee could have cut through the sweetness.
The bakery had a variety of pastries along with the cupcakes, from personal sized carrot cakes to unbelievable-looking pies. They also offered a tea and alcohol in addition to the coffee. To my surprise, the ambiance of the shop fit this unusual combination of menu selections. The whole place was sleek, smooth, and upscale, yet remarkably comfortable. It was filled with young professionals, many of whom were plugged into their laptops. When I made it back a week or so later for coffee (poor choice, but it offers coffee and alcohol, so was a good compromise), they had a bubble machine going to entertain small children playing in a fountain outside.
I give it 4.5 of 5 stars for a great shop and good cupcakes, but sad coffee.
Larry's mom was indecisive and gave it a 3.5-4 out of 5.
I had the PB cupcake.
Cake part not too dry.
Frosting about right not overly sweet or greasy.
I liked having a little bit of a filling, that could be what kept it from being dry.
Shop - welcoming, customers & staff friendly. It was busy with people reading & doing school work which made it feel like you could stay for a while. Nice variety of teas.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but if I was in the neighborhood & wanted a cupcake I would.
Good company always makes a difference :)
The adventure to Buzz Bakery in Ballston involved my mother and Wendy along with Larry's mom and myself. It started out with a gift of Muppet cupcakes decorated by Wendy's fiance. I felt awkward walking into a bakery already holding cupcakes, but since we bought deliciousness and coffee, I got over the awkward.
Unfortunately, I do have to distinguish between the deliciousness and the coffee here. I ate a "Buzz" cupcake, a sweet mocha-flavored concoction. It is one of the more sugary cupcakes I have eaten, so Buzz lived up to its name here. The coffee was mediocre at best, to my vast disappointment, because a great cup of coffee could have cut through the sweetness.
The bakery had a variety of pastries along with the cupcakes, from personal sized carrot cakes to unbelievable-looking pies. They also offered a tea and alcohol in addition to the coffee. To my surprise, the ambiance of the shop fit this unusual combination of menu selections. The whole place was sleek, smooth, and upscale, yet remarkably comfortable. It was filled with young professionals, many of whom were plugged into their laptops. When I made it back a week or so later for coffee (poor choice, but it offers coffee and alcohol, so was a good compromise), they had a bubble machine going to entertain small children playing in a fountain outside.
I give it 4.5 of 5 stars for a great shop and good cupcakes, but sad coffee.
Larry's mom was indecisive and gave it a 3.5-4 out of 5.
Cake part not too dry.
Frosting about right not overly sweet or greasy.
I liked having a little bit of a filling, that could be what kept it from being dry.
Shop - welcoming, customers & staff friendly. It was busy with people reading & doing school work which made it feel like you could stay for a while. Nice variety of teas.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but if I was in the neighborhood & wanted a cupcake I would.
Good company always makes a difference :)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
That Awkward Conversation
... that seems to happen too often in my life. This is the reason why new social situations are so tiring. Click to read the mouse-over too.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Warm-Up Exercises
My mother, who is adapting quite well to the technological age: "You have to warm up your computer first with Facebook and Gmail before it can do anything else... Yes, Pintrest helps too."
Stop VII: Cupcakes Actually
I am fallen lamentably behind in the grand cupcake tour. Stop VII at Cupcakes Actually happened longer ago than I would care to admit. Cupcakes Actually is a tiny little cupcakery (smaller than Alexandria Cupcakes) in the middle of Fairfax Corner, so basically in the heart of Yuppie-ville. We came in after a day of shopping, which tends to put me in a bad mood. (Why do I go shopping if it puts me in a bad mood, you ask. I recently asked myself the same question and gave up shopping malls.)
The girl behind the counter looked like she was having a bad day and I wanted to make her smile. So I made a joke about her apron, which she appreciated. Then I ordered the Italian Stallion, a cannoli cupcake. My mother and sister did the same, and Larry's mom got peanut butter. The cake itself was merely okay, but when the combined experience of it with cannoli cream (is there a name for that?) and almond frosting, bumped it up significantly. Not enough to bring it up to par with some of the other places we've been, but definitely up, and I appreciated the way they played with combining flavors.
Like Alexandria Cupcakes, this place serves primarily as a take-out place and had limited seating. We had to sit outside and pray the rain held off, and even outdoor seating was limited. I had a tough time deciding stars for this one, but I ended up with a 3.5 of 5 stars: they lost a fraction of a star for their prices: higher and not worth the difference.
Larry's mom gave them an even lower ranking: 2.5 of 5 stars.
Cupcake Actually in Fairfax Corner:
I had the Peanut Butter/Chocolate cupcake.
The cake was basic chocolate
The frosting was a bit of a surprise. The shiny chocolate was tasty w/the PB right under it like a layer instead of mixed into the frosting as others had done.
The shop was small so we sat at a small outside table. It seemed like it was more of a take out place. We were the only customers I saw come & go when we were near the store.
The clerk was friendly.
The price was high. The cupcakes ran from $3.25 - $4.00. Mine was $3.75 & I didn't feel it was worth it.
I wouldn't go out of my way to return here despite the clever, cutesy names. I think the Cannoli filling w/almond frosting may have been better.
The girl behind the counter looked like she was having a bad day and I wanted to make her smile. So I made a joke about her apron, which she appreciated. Then I ordered the Italian Stallion, a cannoli cupcake. My mother and sister did the same, and Larry's mom got peanut butter. The cake itself was merely okay, but when the combined experience of it with cannoli cream (is there a name for that?) and almond frosting, bumped it up significantly. Not enough to bring it up to par with some of the other places we've been, but definitely up, and I appreciated the way they played with combining flavors.
Like Alexandria Cupcakes, this place serves primarily as a take-out place and had limited seating. We had to sit outside and pray the rain held off, and even outdoor seating was limited. I had a tough time deciding stars for this one, but I ended up with a 3.5 of 5 stars: they lost a fraction of a star for their prices: higher and not worth the difference.
Larry's mom gave them an even lower ranking: 2.5 of 5 stars.
Cupcake Actually in Fairfax Corner:
I had the Peanut Butter/Chocolate cupcake.
The cake was basic chocolate
The frosting was a bit of a surprise. The shiny chocolate was tasty w/the PB right under it like a layer instead of mixed into the frosting as others had done.
The shop was small so we sat at a small outside table. It seemed like it was more of a take out place. We were the only customers I saw come & go when we were near the store.
The clerk was friendly.
The price was high. The cupcakes ran from $3.25 - $4.00. Mine was $3.75 & I didn't feel it was worth it.
I wouldn't go out of my way to return here despite the clever, cutesy names. I think the Cannoli filling w/almond frosting may have been better.
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