See you at the party village at Stonehenge!

Can you imagine? 25 huts, bunch of druids, giant rocks. It would make a great reality show.


CNN's story about villages at Stonehenge.

Scream and wave your hands if you love pandas!

This little peanut...



...became this roly-poly panda!!!!

see pandas!

LOOK AT THIS

The panda's squareness makes my heart ache.

From cuteoverload.com

I pity the fool...

Why would you do this to your dog?

With friends like these...

My friend Frannie forwarded me this article in today's NYT. The article says that scientists have found that stroke victims who have damaged their insula are no longer addicted to smoking.

So Frannie said: "I'll bring my wedge (golf instrument) next time I am in NYC."

She is so kind.

Ironman lives again. (1-25-07)

Oh, what a week. Because of the overwhelming complaints by my intestinal system due to Nutrisystem, I switched to Jenny Craig. You know the one -- they have Kirstie Alley as their pitch woman. So far, so good. The JC food is MUCH better (Nutrisystem tastes ok, but looks like cat vomit) and my intestines have quieted down. You can barely hear them over the street noise now! What an improvement (for me at least, not those down wind of me)!

+======================+
Also, my bro (Frike), sis-in-law (Fren) and nephew (Fraham) have been in town visiting from chilly, chilly Iowa. Yes, they are practically the only Asians in the Greater Des Moines area. You can see them from miles away -- they are the ones with black hair.

Well, you would think that they came a-visitin' to see family and friends, right? Well, partially. But the REAL reason they came to visit was KOREAN FOOD. There seems to be a general lack of Korean food in Iowa. Are you surprised? They have to travel to Chicago to get to a Korean restaurant.

What amuses me most about this is that when we were kids, we used to make fun of my parents for doing the same thing -- traveling far distances just to get mediocre, if not horrible, Korean food (In NYC, it's pretty good; but wait until you have tried Korean food in a tiny Georgia town - mmmmm. not). It wouldn't matter where we were -- if there was a Korean restaurant, we went. Even if it was an hour out of our way. As a kid, I thought - what's the big deal? There are so many other great restaurants to go to -- McDonald's! Wendy's! Pizza! But my parents would sadly shake their heads, rueing the day that they ever stepped on this continent, exposing their young to American culture.

However, now I understand. Korean food is so hard to make -- you have to pound and mush and blend and marinate all sorts of little things in order to get the smallest dish ready. Don't even get me started on kimchee (scroll down for Kimchee recipe) or the spinach side dish . Let me tell you - cleaning 2 bunches of spinach, cooking it and getting back barely a cup full is not worth the effort.

So, I am not the least bit offended that my family comes to New York to eat Korean food. At least I get to see them between bites.

Here's a slideshow of my nephew Fraham -- I think he will either grow up to be a Jedi or a drummer. Not sure yet.

+================================+
Freileen Frillis (aka "Maria Elena") is playing with her band, Pistolera, at the Mercury Lounge (NYC) tomorrow night at 10:30 PM. $10 cover. Check 'em out!

+================================+
Sugar to cure Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)!!!

+================================+
This week's horoscopes go out to:
Frichelle Frertischek
Frandy Free
Frike, Fren and Fraham

+================================+
Check out your weekly horoscope at
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 25
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny

Busted at Whole Foods

I took this picture of satsuma mandarin oranges at Whole Foods (Columbus Circle) because satsumas grow around the place where I grew up in Jacksonville. The neighborhood I grew up in is called Mandarin because - yep, you guessed it -- of the oranges. There used to be tons of orange groves in my neighborhood before suburban sprawl occurred. Now there are just a few farms which grow satsumas. So, in a fit of nostalgia, I took this photograph:


However, immediately after I took the photo, I was told by the produce manager that no photos are allowed in the store. No photos???? I understand if it was the Met or Area 51 or the morgue, but a grocery store? COME ON!

MOCHI

Mochi is this great rice dessert that is very popular in Asia. My friend FrAnnie took this video while in Japan -- it's awesome!



Mochi is not easy to make, as you can see from the video. However, it's worth every penny to buy. My fav in NYC is Minamoto Kitchoan which is near Rockefeller Center.

toot toot, barrroooooom! (1-17-07)

Title thanks to Frim Frecker of Boulder, CO!

+============================+
So I started Nutrisystem yesterday. The food does not have to be refrigerated. Pretty scary, huh? It arrived in a giant box which was full of aluminum foiled packets and strange boxes with titles that said: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, SNACK, DESSERT. I am not kidding. There are pretty photos of the food and they tell you what is inside, but just in case you forget which meal it is, they label it. And it is important because breakfast and lunch pretty much SUCK. I am liable to eat DINNER for all meals, but that would be counterproductive to the diet.

My only complaint about this program is the amount of dairy and fiber. On top of the food being chock full of fiber (my breakfast muffin had EIGHT grams of fiber!!!!!) and protein, I have to eat dairy twice a day, protein twice a day, salad twice a day, veggies at night AND a multivitamin twice a day. My body doesn't know what to do with itself. So instead of just quietly going along with this, it has revolted and is voicing its opinion all freakin' day. Yes, I admit it -- I am sooooo farty right now that i can't take it. I have had to make many a walk outside just to get some relief. That mysterious odor all over Manhattan last week? Yep -- that was me.

+============================+
The Bush Family wants to move W's papers and documents to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. However, some professors and students are against the idea. I think it would be a great thing -- he can't have THAT much stuff, I mean, come on -- it's George W. Can he read? There will probably be just a lot of audio tapes, most definitely of illegal wiretaping. Also, it could have the best motto on the building:

The George W. Bush Library: 10 Million Malapropisms Told.

+============================+
This week's horoscopes go out to:
Fraumya, CROCHET NIGHT!
Frichelle and Frasha, burgers are the way to go! And too bad about your couch, Frichelle
FRYVETTE! HAPPY BELATED!
Frike, Frennifer and Fraham, can't wait to see you this weekend!

+============================+
Check out your weekly horoscope at
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 18
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny

Bad photo gene

I can't seem to EVER take a photo with a straight, normal, smiling face. It's IMPOSSIBLE.


Frasha and me at Frockhits.

Frobi pulls through!

Frobi and Frado

Ta-Da!

I have a friend named Frobi* who lives in Panama (the country) and since she had her little one, she has sent me numerous photos -- all of which are blurry, out of focus or just show a portion of the child's head. Finally, she sends me a good picture - but even though he is about a year old, he looks about 6 months in this photo. So this is a call to action, Frobi -- get someone else to take a photo of your son, Frado, particularly someone with steady hands and with the ability to focus.



Frado and pop Friers

Your weekly, friendly froroscope! (1-10-07)

My friend Frathy* (Names have been changed to protect their identities) invited me to her son, Fram's 1st birthday. Now most of you are probably thinking, whoopee, 1st birthday, but in Korean culture, the first birthday was something to celebrate. Way back when (and if you think about it, even now) children who survived to their first birthday were given a special celebration called the Ttol (or dol). Actually, the first day of celebration (beyond the birth) is 100 days. Because if you lasted to 100 days (Baek-il), you were really doing well.

So the first birthday is called the Chut-tol and at the party, the Toljabi is performed. Here, the child wears a han-bok (traditional Korean outfit) and is set in front of a table of plenty (mostly stacked fruit, candies, sweet rice cakes which show to your guests the wealth and plenty of your family and which later, will be given out as treats for the guests). See Fram's table:


The child has to choose from several items (listed below) which will predict his/her future. They include:

-bow and arrow: the child will become a warrior
-needle and thread/noodles: the child will live long
-jujube: the child will have many descendants
-book, pencil, or related items: the child will become a successful scholar
-rice or rice cake: the child will become rich (some resources say choosing a rice cake means the child is not smart)
-ruler, needle, scissors: the child will be talented with his/her hands
-knife: the child will be a good cook
-money: the child will become rich

Now, most parents want the child to choose money because dammit, someone has to pay for college. Fram chose the noodles, rice and money!

Here's a photo of Fram with his hanbok on -- too cute!!! And he even wore the hat for most of the morning.


Here's a photo of me from my tol.


Just kidding. My friend Freven made this one up. I did have a tol, but no one can remember what I chose.

[Note: most of this text was stolen from this site]
+=============================+
After a week of really weird weather (70F in NYC???), it is now snowing outside. However, from my window at work, the snow is traveling from the ground to the sky. Which shows me that this is Satan's snow and the devil's work. Everyone who said they would be sitting next to me in hell, get ready! I'll see you there!

+=============================+
This week's horoscopes are dedicated to:

HAPPY B-DAY to Fram
HAPPY BELATED B-DAY to my nephew, Fraham
HAPPY B-DAY to Fremily Ferstle
Dedicated reader since 2006, Harris R. (or Frarris Fr.)
Frobyn aka "The Girl Who Ate Everything" (http://www.roboppy.net/food/ ) - WELCOME BACK
Frarey, Freven, Fralex and Frephany - SRIPRAPHAI mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Frasha - sorry I bailed!

+=============================+
Check out your weekly horoscope at
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 4
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny

This is for Frabney and & Frannie

They are addicted to online backgammon and trying to lure me into playing too.

gammon (GAM-uhn) noun

1. Backgammon.

2. A victory in a backgammon game before the loser has removed any piece.

[Probably from Middle English gamen (game).]

3. A cured or smoked ham.

4. The bottom piece of a side of bacon.

[From Old French gambon (ham), from gambe (leg), from Late Latin gamba
(hoof), from Greek kampe (bend).]

verb tr., intr.

To deceive or to fool.

[Of uncertain origin, perhaps from the game of backgammon.]

From A Word A Day

God rest ye merry gavle goat...

The Gavle Goat lives!

Why am I so sleepy? (1-3-07)

Sorry (or for the Canadians, sorrr-ee) for the delay. It's been a busy December.

First of all, I was at a MD appt and THEY found me. THEY are the Falun Gong. Back in September of '04, they chased me down a street. I carefully avoided them since that unfortunate episode. Oh, they still try and get me. Outside of subways handing out their newspaper, The Epoch Times (which in my head sounds like "E-POCK"). On street corners. But I never expected to see them in my MD's office.

I shouldn't have said anything. That was my first mistake. This Asian woman was folding pretty papers into an origami shape. I was intrigued and said that it was very pretty. See, it was my fault: I opened the door. Well, she didn't speak English but she let me know that she wanted me to have the pretty origami flower. I was pleased to accept until I noticed that the tag said Falun Dafa. That and she kept repeating, "FALUN DAFA, FALUN DAFA." (Falun Dafa is the spiritual movement that practices Falun Gong.) Thankfully she didn't espouse the wonders of Falun Dafa/Gong or the oppression of its people by the Chinese government. I was saved.

Here is a picture of the pretty origami flower. I am choosing to ignore the falun part.


+==============+
I went down to FL to visit the folks for the holidays. Due to poor timing, I had 7 days vacation from work which I had to take or else they would disappear into the ether. Yes, Corporate decided that there would be no days carried over into 2007. Bastards. So I spent 9 days in Clermont, FL , which is about 40 minutes outside of Orlando. Most of my days were spent sitting around looking at the sandhill crane family that would come visit.



And watching my parents watch Korean TV on the Internet (mom on left, dad on right).



And looking at the piles of dirt the gophers pushed out while they were digging underneath my parents' home.



Good times.

+===================+
I got this vest for Christmas. And yes, it is made of Skinned Muppets:


+===================+
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!!!!
This week's horoscopes go out to:
Lori & Rick
D
Bob & Russell
Eileen & Michael

+===================+

Check out your horoscopes at
Free Will Astrology
Horoscopes for week of January 4, 2007
By Rob Brezsny
© 1995-2004, Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved.

And finally, I met my cousin, Dong-bin

He was visiting from Korea!

And I spent the afternoon with Bob and Russell at Jones Beach

Bob, Russell and I spent New Year's eve afternoon at Jones Beach. Russell got the hunkering for the beach so off we went.

And I spent the day with Lori and Rick

Lori and Rick were in town for the holidays. They would like me to note that they were in town for a short period of time and though they would have liked to see everybody, they just couldn't. Not enough time. However, I was greatful to see them and enclose the following photo for those who weren't able to catch up with them.



Just to let you know, Rick is studying geography, in particular Mongolia. Lori is currently working on a project in Egypt.

My day in NYC with Ann & Dab

Annie and Dabney (and Fiedler) came to visit NYC in December. They were at Bust's Craftacular. The next day, we spent roaming the city. First we had Korean food. Here's a photo of our ban chan:



And Annie taking a photo of me taking a photo of our ban chan:



And a close-up of the pressed ham hocks, which are a favorite of mine:



We next went aimlessly around midtown for the discount Japanese store which turned out to have closed down. So sad.

So instead, we went to have cupcakes at the Cupcake Cafe. Here are the photos:


pretty cupcakes


annie & dabney with black icing


me & annie with black icing

I have to say though that the cupcakes at Cupcake Cafe are dry. The cakes are tasty, but the cupcakes are no good. I recommend Buttercup Bakery or Magnolia Bakery (if you are willing to stand in the long ass line, which I am not).