Archive for June, 2009
One of the pleasures of reading David Lebovitz’s new book, “The Sweet Life of Paris”, besides the scrumptious recipes (absinthe cake, fromage blanc soufflé, dulce de leche brownies), are the spot-on observations he makes about what it’s like to live as an ex-pat food writer and Chez-Panisse-trained chef in the City of Lights. Lebovitz writes an entertaining blog that, like his book, does not merely concentrate on food topics, but he is of the belief that to know the culture of a place, you really have to know its people.
Having spent a couple of years living in the French capital myself, I found myself nodding my head as Lebovitz attempted to answer the question: what is a Parisian like? We all know the expected answer –that they’re arrogant and rude, and almost a year ago, we wrote about how the French were the world’s rudest people. We also have heard that the French think of themselves as truly special and unique, with a rich culture of literature, art, music, fashion, food, theatre etc., that is the envy of the world.
The National Park Service has announced that starting this weekend, over 100 national parks around the country that normally charge admission will be absolutely free. This is an amazing opportunity to be able to visit such jewels as Yosemite National Park (normal fee $20) and many others, and really be proud of what this nation has to offer in its scenic natural beauty. Read the rest of this entry »
We love our root beer. We like it ice cold, maybe a little foamy, but there is this unmistakable taste that makes it a uniquely American soft drink. Something downright wholesome; it may even make you think of when you were growing up. Read the rest of this entry »
Uber-Twit Ashton Kutcher, occasionally outraged global citizen, took to sending a Tweet yesterday to all 2 million-plus other Twits that follow his every move and utterance. He is apparently livid at the brutal prison sentence handed down on Sunday to American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee by the North Korean government. Ling and Lee, who both work for Current TV, based in San Francisco, were captured and arrested on March 17 for, in North Korea’s view, crossing illegally into its territory. Read the rest of this entry »
Kri-kor-i-antics
We have now hit rock bottom. In the annals of utter stupidity and in the dark depths of political desperation, we can now crown a champion in the current smear campaign against Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor. That person’s name is Mark Krikorian.
That’s K-R-I-K-O-R-I-A-N, and pronounced
”Krik-O-Ree-An”, and it may well be a variation on “Kirkorian”, like the old dude who used to own part of Chrysler and married the young trophy wife. Read the rest of this entry »
