Swackett

what's better than a useless app for your computer, phone, or tablet?

download Swackett for a weather report that tells you not only the temperature, but also what appropriate clothing you should wear.

of course, it is much too difficult in the times of modern technology to simply know that if it is 30 degrees outside, you need a heavy jacket and probably a hat. so no more thinking if you need an extra sweater or not - swackett will just tell you! it's also a free app, so why not? goodbye weather.com, hello swackett!

"IT SEEMS THAT ALL MY BRIDGES HAVE BEEN BURNED,

BUT YOU SAY THAT'S EXACTLY HOW THIS GRACE THING WORKS

IT'S NOT THE LONG WALK HOME THAT WILL CHANGE THIS HEART,

BUT THE WELCOME I RECEIVE WITH THE RESTART.

DARKNESS IS A HARSH TERM DON'T YOU THINK?"

Meatless Monday

I have pledged to give up meat on Mondays.

Along with hundreds of other people across the world, I am going to follow Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health's new initiative to reduce meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal and global health. Hopkins' Meatless Monday isn't the first time the country has created strategies to reduce consumption. During the WWI the US Food Administration stressed how much money and resources could be saved if citizens refrained from eating meat just one day a week. The campaign was so successful that it returned during WWII.

Though Meatless Mondays was implemented in 2003, with the recent surge in vegetarian, vegan, and glutton-free dieting/eating lifestyles, the movement has gotten even more popular. Many celebrities back the cause, including Paul McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali, Kate Moss, Olivia Wilde, Ed Begley Jr., Simon Cowell, and, of course, Al Gore.

Join the cause for a healthier body and world here.

Conrad Birdie//Barack Obama?

SUNDAY'S EPISODE OF "FAMILY GUY" ENDED IN A DEPICTION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SINGING "HONESTLY SINCERE" FROM THE MUSICAL "BYE BYE BIRDIE" - AND YES, HE WAS WEARING THE GOLD LAMÉ SUIT. WHY? WHO KNOWS. BUT I LIKED IT.

WATCH HERE (OR ON HULU), BUT FAST FORWARD TO ABOUT THE 21 MINUTE MARK.

Even Monkey Love is Hard

Bag Raiders - 'Sunlight' from Modular People on Vimeo.

From the debut, self-titled album by Bag Raiders.

Directed by Fleur&Manu

Produced by Division.

Episodes and Shameless

Last night was a big night for Showtime. Not only was it the premiere of the fourth season of "Californication," but the channel also premiered two brand new shows: "Episodes" and "Shameless." I'm not quite sure how "Episodes" will fare. The show follows the writers of a famed British television series who move to LA on the premis a big shot producer wants to make an American version of their show. But, surprise surprise, it turns out Hollywood isn't all it's cracked upt to be. The couple finds out that their huge rental mansion (provided by the studio) was previously owned by The Bachelor contestants and that the big shot producer has never even seen their show. The epsiode begins at the end (of somewhere) with the couple breaking up because the husband has been caught "wanking" a presumably more attractive woman. Yawn. Oh, and Matthew LeBlanc also stars.

30 minutes after the start of this seemingly predictable show aired "Shameless." Here you can find cliches and horribly corny lines, but something new and edgy...for American television. The show is, ironically, a remake of a British tv show of the same name, which is still on air and in its seventh season. In this American version, William H Macy plays the alcoholic, good-for-nothing father of five children. His oldest daughter, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) has to step up and play mother, father, breadwinner, and babysitter. Macy makes most of his appearances in the pilot passed out on the floor, while the episode favors Fiona. She finds herself an unlikely beau who isn't scared off by her nutso family, while two of her brothers confide in one another about their sexual exploits. Though the children must work at incomprehensibly young ages and have little respect or love for their father (almost as much as it seems he does for them), the show toes the line between totally bleak and depressing, and upbeat and funny. If Fiona's relationship with Steve doesn't make me barf first then I'll definitely keep watching.

Forecast: Snow and Pear Pancakes

Usually when it snows I make my blizzard scones but those feel like a Baltimore tradition, so I'm going to do something different for tomorrow's impending storm. Though we really don't need anymore snow (one storm per vacation is enough) and it has royally ruined my travel plans, I know it will be gorgeous and being stuck inside with my labs will be delightful. And what better way to start off a blizzard than with a hearty breakfast?

I saw Jamie Oliver make this recipe on the Cooking Cha

nnel a few weeks ago, and instantly wanted to replicate it. I highly encourage watching both the episode (because Jamie Oliver's daughters are the cutest things in the world) and the station (because it trumps the Food Network like nobody's business - even though it is owned/created by FN).

I couldn't find the "self-rising flour" that the recipe calls for so I improvised/cheated. ((I'll post my ingredients below)) If you're not a big fruit-in-your-pancake lover, don't worry! Instead of tasting really like pear pancakes, the fruit instead gives the pancake a fluffy, moist consistency and a bit of sweetness. If you're lazy or can't find all the ingredients (like me), then this is also a great way to jazz up normal pancake batter.

Organic pancake and waffle flour/mixture (I like 365's whole wheat mix)

Egg

Butter/Oil

Water/Milk

One pear (grated or sliced thinly, depends on how ripe the pear is)

Frozen blueberries (or fruit of choice) - optional

Simply follow the directions on the pancake mix's label. Once everything it calls for is mixed together, then add in your fruit. Using a ladle, pour the batter on to a hot buttered griddle (or frying pan). When bubbles start to form on the top flip the pancake, and cook on the other side till done all the way through. Serve with warm maple syrup and bacon. Tres simple et tres delicieux.

Mandatory: Black Swan

I'll spare you another review of Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, but I do want to give it a few words. I saw all the big titles this winter (True Grit, The Fighter, 127 Hours), and while they each had their highlights, I wasn't completely struck by them. But Black Swan finally gave me something original, thrilling, and all together superb. And if Natalie Portman doesn't win Best Actress, then I will completely denounce the academy.*

* Oscar nominations will be released on January 25, 2011 at 5:30am Pacific Time

Osborn Design x 2

this solidifies that my missed purchase of the summer was indeed catastrophic! now, thanks to Urban Outfitters, every hipster in Williamsburg will have Osborn shoes and I won't. Humph! At least it's good for those little Guatemalan babies...

in other news, is this really a trend? platform shoes & socks? UO is just giving all Birkenstock and wool sock wearing nerds everywhere more validation.

seriously, enrique?

Enrique Iglesias

Tonight (I'm F**king You)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNVBELzQPMA

One of the most absurd (yet catchy) songs I've heard recently. Just be wary that you don't start singing it aloud on the street...that could get you in trouble.

musique pour la nouvelle année

starting the new year in the company of:

Benny Benassi - Cinema, ft. Gary Go

Badly Drawn Boy - Too Many Miracles

Potomac Boys Club - Lights!

The Avett Brothers

Wick-it The Instigator - Afraid of the General

and hoping there may be someone to give me some new, fresh jams.

Law and Order: UK

An avid "Law & Order" fan (usually SVU), I've been getting bored with the show lately. The pattern is too obvious - if the perp has been caught by 25-30 minutes into the show then you know it's not him. It also seems that USA replays the same ten episodes over and over again. And, let's face it, you just cannot watch repeats of "Law & Order," it pretty much defeats the show. But I was surprised to find "Law & Order: UK" on TV the other night while looking for something to watch besides "Family Guy" and "Sarah Palin's Alaska." Maybe it's the English accents and unfamiliar landscapes, but L&O UK has won me over. A bit more refreshing than the original, but same great old theme song.

New from Passion Pit

DIG? DOWNLOAD HERE.

All Good Things (2010)

As the writers of shows like "Law & Order" know, it's difficult to fictionalize a story that is "ripped from the headlines." That's the problem with Andrew Jarecki's lastest film, All Good Things. The story is based on the true events surrounding New York City real estate mogul Seymour Durst's son. Robert Durst married Kathleen McCormack, and what was at first a happy marriage culminated in his wife's disappearance. It is speculated that Durst, with a psychologically unstable past, killed his wife, but the case remains unsolved today.

The Durst family name is changed to Marks in All Good Things, Kirsten Dunst plays the innocent hippy wife, and Ryan Gosling plays the ultimately disturbed husband. Though Gosling, Dunst, and Frank Langella (who plays the Seymour Durst character) all perform extremely well, the film is unsatisfying. Since the plot is mostly speculative, there is great buildup with no payoff. No one knows what actually happened, so the audience is left with numerous questions unanswered. Jarecki takes a stab at the case, portraying Robert Durst/David Marks as a cold-blooded killer who got off scot free. This may or may not be true, but the film's climax must be matched by its ending to appease the viewers, which, unfortunately, it does not.

* *

From Scratch: Shrimp and Cilantro Shu Mai

Recently during a family trip to Ming's Supermarket I picked up a box of frozen shu mai. As I was about to place it into our shopping cart, my brother stopped me and handed me a small package of freshly made wonton wrappers. He told me to make the shu mai instead. I looked confused and he assured me it was really easy.

And so it was. I used a recipe I found on NYTimes.com for Shrimp and Cilantro Shu Mai, which I'll repost below (with a few suggestions and pictures).

Makes about 18-19 shu mai.

Time: 30+ minutes.

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine

1 1/2 sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger

1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

3/4 fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup roughly chopped scallions, white parts only

18-19 round dumpling/wonton skins

Juice of 1/2 a lime

((the original recipe makes twice as much dipping sauce, but I found this superfluous. if you think you'll need more then just double it))

For the Sauce

1. Mix the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and ginger in a bowl.

For the Dumpling

1. Put half the shrimp, half the cilantro, and all of the scallions in a food processor. Pulse for about 15 seconds.

2. Add two tablespoons of the Sauce to the food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles a paste. Put this into another bowl.

3. Chop the rest of the shrimp and cilantro, and add to the paste mixture - stir to combine.

4. On a flat, clean work surface (I used a round cutting board), layout your wonton skins. Moisten the edges of one of the skins (I just dipped my finger in a bowl of water and wetted the edges on both sides).

5. Add about a teaspoon of the shrimp-cilantro mixture to the center of the wonton

6. Pinch the edges of the wrapper up together around the filling - it's okay if some filling shows. When you've made a dumpling, place it on another plate and cover with a damp cloth while you continue to work. Repeat the last two steps until you're out of wrappers and filling.

To Steam the Shu Mai

((you must have a steamer to do this))

1. Place your steamer over an inch of boiling water, then reduce to simmer

2. Oil steamer with a little bit of sesame oil to prevent sticking (especially important if you're using a bamboo steamer)

3. Place as many of your shu mai on the steamer as possible in a single layer

4. Cook about 6-10 minutes until the shrimp is visibly pink and the wrapper is tender.

- Add lime juice to the serving sauce, stir to combine

- Present the shu mai hot on a platter, along with the dipping sauce

- Serve with a cucumber-carrot salad with soy-ginger salad dressing