Stream a Little Stream - Hellraiser

It's the holiday season, and nothing complements the softly colorful lights of my Christmas tree and the scents of vanilla and cinnamon in the air like a 1987 British horror film about an attic creeper with no skin.

Frank, the skinless gentleman in question, has been held in a state of eternal torture by a posse of sadomasochistic demons called the Cenobites as payback for messing with a supernatural puzzle box. Frank's doofball brother drips blood onto the attic floor one day, and Frank is incompletely reborn. He enlists Julia, his brother's wife (and his former lover) to lure unsuspecting schlubs in business suits up to his lair so he can suck them dry.

The way this movie is shot and edited freaked me out. When Frank and Julia first meet in the attic, she backs herself against the closed door and stares in horror as quick cuts show gooey demonic Frank scuttling across the room toward her. At the climax, the attic door slams shut on Frank, caught by the Cenobites, just after the audience gets a glimpse of his body getting torn apart by hooks. A wild-eyed vagrant who bothers Frank's niece also factors into the story; his purpose is revealed during the "surprise" (i.e., wtf) ending.

Last but not least, look out for that hallway monster (featured here in an accurate 30-Second Bunnies summary of the movie)!

Rollin' in Dough

Today marked the official start of Christmas Cookie Blitz 2011 in my apartment, which I celebrated by falling ill with some sort of inflammatory Martian virus, watching Gremlins, and making the Mexican Wedding Cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking.



















There go dah bawlz into the oven. Joy of Vegan Baking claims that these should take "about 30 minutes" to bake, but my batches took a bit more than twice that. Not to scare you or anything, but...PREPARE YOURSELVES.




















Once the pecan-flavored lovelies are ready, toss them by the handful in a mixing bowl full of powdered sugar and you're ready to stand back and stare wistfully into space as you imagine yourself munching these between sips of espresso at the holiday table.



















Sugar Crunch Divinity. No, that's not my drag queen name - I'm still swooning over these cookies. Thanks to Monica for inspiring me to try this recipe!



















Now that I've started my food frenzy, here's recommendation #1 from my list of songs one should listen to while baking Christmas cookies:

New York City Vegan Cupcake Party

The Power Players: Chocolate cupcakes from Babycakes, Lifethyme, Terri's and Champs.

With a panel of six omnivores, we tasted and reviewed all four of these lovely cupcakes.

Surprisingly, the Babycakes selection turned out to be the Bill O'Reilly of cupcakes. A unanimous complaint was dry, crumbling cake. An unpleasant aftertaste was noted by one reviewer.  (Monica's note:  I'm slightly biased toward Babycakes since they were the first vegan bakery cupcake I had ever had and they were heavenly.  However, this time the cake was a little drier than I remember.  Don't count them out though because they have delicious baked goods.)

Quotables:
"Good mouth feel."
"Dry and crumbly.  Frosting ok, but a little greasy."
"Pretty presentation"
"Taste was good - very chocolatey"
"I liked the cake better than the frosting, which was kind of thin." (Our fault on the frosting, we didn't keep it in the refrigerator.)
"Good amount of frosting."
"Did not fall apart but not as moist as I wanted."
"Cake good, firm and moist"

Terri's cupcake, a chocolatey coffee flavored cake with a vanilla frosting.  We got some mixed reviews on this one.  Some people thought the cake was bland, others liked it.  Some thought the frosting was too sweet, others said it wasn't sweet enough.

So here are some quotables:
"Moist cake and good consistency"
"Frosting not sweet enough"
"Frosting good texture and stiffness, confusing flavor"
"It was easy to bite into"
"Frosting much sweeter - good to me!"
"Good frosting to cake ratio"


The Lifethyme cupcake was unfortunately destroyed by poor handling during transit (Tara quote: "I effed up.") Tasters recoiled at the frosting, which was said by the majority to be the flavor and consistency of mayonnaise.

Appearance aside (and they did look amazing at the store before Tara got her hands on them), these were delicious cupcakes.  The cake was really good, however the frosting was a little iffy.

Quotes:
"The texture was nice of the cake"
"Frosting was kind of funky"
"Cake was really good."
"Best cake so far."

Hooray for Champs, swooping in at the last minute to delight everyone! The cake was richly chocolate and moist. The frosting was a light, refreshing vanilla (as taster Natasha noted, "Frosting was the bomb.com.").

This cupcake definitely got the best reception.  A slightly denser cake than the other three with a delicious wonderfully textured frosting.

One review card said, "moist cake, flavorful frosting, cake to frosting ratio perfect."  Pretty much sums it up.

Some more quotes:
"Great frosting - texture + taste"
"Best all around"
"Nice presentation"
"Best non-normal cupcake ever" (I'm assuming that a compliment from a non vegan.)

In Search of Cupcakes...

On Saturday, October 8, 2011 blog 'scuse me set out on a mission to find the best vegan cupcake in NYC. (I think we can safely assume the best cupcakes on earth are all vegan.)  The plan was to travel to Babycakes, Lifethyme Vegan Bakery, Terri, Cowgirl's Baking, and Champs to buy only chocolate cupcakes and throw a party at the end of the day with a handful of taste testers.

Everything went according to plan except for Cowgirl's moving out west.  They had really amazing cupcakes and New York will miss them terribly.  Oh, and their vegan fish tacos were insane. 

Below are some pictures and commentary from our jaunt around the city to vegan bakeries and eateries in search of vegan cupcakes.  Stay tuned for the party post to hear our reviews.


Team 'Scuse Me started at Babycakes on Broome Street in Manhattan. A crowd stood at the counter and tried to decide which breakfast treats it wanted as we ordered our first set of chocolate cupcakes and, out of physical necessity, threw in a couple of scones and coffees.


Strawberry cream scone and Stumptown coffee. The scone was oozing with fresh delicious jam and sweet cream cheese filling. For those who haven't yet tried Stumptown coffee, run for it if it's closeby. You'll savor the magical robustness.

Lifethyme is a natural market with its bakery nestled at the back, so it proved more distracting than Babycakes. If anyone has tried the tofu quiche, please confirm that it was as delicious as it looked.

The spread screamed "return visit". Tons of sweets and savories ready to be torn apart.

We tossed in a couple of Wild Card Cupcakes (banana chocolate swirl).  We didn't eat them at the party, but these we amazing.  Banana and chocolate cake swirled together with tiny chocolate morsels inside.  Their entire bakery is vegan, so good luck not getting something here.


Terri's Sandwich Shop is fresh delicious food served up hot and fast in a basket. (I hope we can one day scream that line in a public access commercial, but everything rests on whether these guys return my calls.)

Terri's has a variety of  sandwiches, wraps, salads, smoothies, fresh juices and baked goods.  Their sandwiches are nothing short of perfection.  I may be embellishing a little, but I wish I lived closer to this place.

Terri's bacon chicken cheddar ranch sandwich. The assumed "wheat meat" chicken was sizzling and phenomenal. Ranch sauce is an easy thing to botch, vegan or otherwise (puke) but this one is on point.

Champs Bakery/Diner in Brooklyn was our last stop. The chocolate cupcakes sold here can rescue a party, so show some respect.  Also, the coffee here is excellent and they serve breakfast all day.  We got food here, but inhaled it before we thought to take a picture.  However, expect a brunch post in the not too distant future.

To Be Continued...

VeganMoFo Field Trip Report: Papa Ganache

To kick off VeganMoFo 2011, we took a road trip to visit Papa Ganache, a wonderful vegan bakery in Keyport, NJ.





Box full of goodies!!


Obscene close-up of the Cookies n' Cream. The frosting was so amazing. It was so light and airy. It complemented the cake perfectly without taking over. I have never had a frosting that was almost as light as whipped cream. It was lush and delightfully different.


S'more cupcake. And yes, that's a graham cracker crust on the bottom. Not to mention a dollop of chocolate ganache just waiting for you on the inside.

Pumpkin cheesecake cup. This was dense and sweet with an impressive pumpkin pie/cheesecake balance. The uppercut of chocolate was a lovely touch. A great option to slap on the holiday dessert table. One bit of constructive criticism: This would work best served chilled so it can properly set.

Papa Ganache's menu labels this "The Best Brownie Ever", which will not be argued considering it's a fudgey, chocolate-chip-packed brick of effing yum ready to fool omnivores everywhere. This would be a challenge to finish in one sitting (definitely not a bad thing).

Peanut butter cup...cupcake. Forget the awkward description - this takes the traditional "peanut buttery yet candy-sweet" concept of the Reese's treat and translates it vegan-style to a delicate, whipped frosting. The generous spoonful of ganache saves it from the mediocrity of "yum-o buuuut..." - a little sugary peanut butter flavor can go a long way, and the additional layer of chocolate fabulously complements.

Cocktails and Dinosaurs: News and Libations for the Weekend of September 23, 2011

Semi irregular posts meant to distract you from your regularly scheduled facebook stalking with unless information you heard about earlier this week.

Twitter / @GeorgeTakei: Everyone calm down about n ... via kwout

• Rumor has it Snoop Dogg will be starring as the father in a family sitcom. 
  (For some reason, this news reminded me about the spinach episode of Cookin' with Coolio.)
  
• Earlier this week Steve Martin tweeted some Oscar advice to Eddie Murphy who will be hosting the 2012 Oscars. 
  (I know it may seem as though I'm spending all my time on twitter and I am.)

• R.E.M. broke up this week.  (via Pitchfork) 
  
• Outtakes from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia from Season 6.  And have you seen any of season 7 yet?  Holy shit!  Watch it now!

Twitter / @joelmchale: The Vampire Diary isn't a ... via kwout

That's it, buster, no more military aide. 

One of the greatest parts of the movie Robocop is the commercials.  Thankfully someone has assembled them on youtube to enjoy at your leisure. (via Marginal Revolution)
BONUS:  Korean Robocop commercial for fried chicken

Twitter / @joelmchale: Tonight on Big Bang Theory ... via kwout

Have you seen the season premiere of Community yet?

Twitter / @joelmchale: Simon Cowell has not trimm ... via kwout

Tom Selleck's moustache making the world a better place. (via kottke.org)

Terrible Movie Idea of the Week:The Origin Story of Kuato from Total Recall

Kuato, giving dads the perfect Halloween option when they can't find a babysitter since 1987.


I take it back.  This is a great movie idea.

Recipe of the Week: 
Chimichurri Quinoa Stuffed Artichokes  (Excellent step-by-step photos)
While listening to episode 88 of  the podcast for Our Hen House, I heard them mention quinoa stuffed artichokes.  It sounds delightful and I need to make this immediately.

Cocktail of the Week:
Fresh brewed coffee with a splash of Pinnacle Whipped.

This cocktail help Tara and I get through our last blog-a-thon.  With the Silk creamer, this libation would probably work even without the flavored variety of vodka, but it has introduced me to the world of spiked coffee.  It just occurred to me, I need to get some of that Soyatoo whipped topping, that would makes this perfect.

Send any news tidbits and cocktails ideas to: monicatara@gmail.com

Cocktails and Dinosaurs: News and Libations for the Weekend of September 2, 2011

Quasi-regular posts that involve me skimming through my google reader and regurgitating it in list form on the blog.  Honesty hurts...


It's back to school time, so here's one of my favorite moments from Freaks and Geeks.

• I found myself checking out IMDB (internet movie database) to see what Nicolas Cage was up to because what else do you do when you're stuck at home during a hurricane.  I cannot believe I missed the chance to see Nicolas Cage in 3D!
  I have safely added Drive Angry to my Netflix queue, and mark my words, the next time I get the opportunity to see Nicolas Kim Coppola in all three dimensions of space, I will take it.  

• Milla Jovovich recently put up on twitter the new trailer for her upcoming movie, The Three Musketeers.

• Daryl Hannah was arrested earlier this week in Washington D.C. for protesting an oil pipeline from Northern Canada to the Gulf Coast of the USA.  Watch a clip of Daryl speaking out against this pipeline very eloquently to the likes of Bill O'Reilly.
  In lighter Daryl Hannah news, according to the database (of movies), which is located on the very same internets that blog 'scuse me? resides, a Kill Bill 3 is in the works?!?!?!

• Finally, a place to get vegan stock photos.  Vegistock becomes a reality. (via quarrygirl)

Items I found on Videogum:

• A promo for the upcoming season of Community.

• ABC is working on a 90's girl band sitcom... Be afraid, maybe.

• A Marilyn Manson video directed by Shia Laboeuf (NSFW). 
  However, did you know that Jude Apatow discovered Shia Laboeuf (this is a rumor I want to start!!!  Go with it!!)?  Here's Shia on an episode of Freaks and Geeks.  

Isn't that amazing how I took this thing full circle and bought us all back to Freaks and Geeks?  Have I mentioned that I like that show?


Terrible Movie Idea of the Week:
Speed 3: Savory Revenge... This time there's a bomb on the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile!

Recipe(s) of the Week:
Who needs those stupid seasoning packs with WAY too much sodium?  Do more with your ramen!  I also like to make ramen with a quick peanut sauce, except I use agave instead of sugar and add a little hot sesame oil.  If you're feeling festive, add some chopped cilantro and/or peanuts.
...and for dessert, take the phyllo dough (you bought to make something awesome but than forgot about it in the freezer) and make these cute peanut butter and jelly cigars.

Cocktail of the Week:  Hurricane (too soon?)

Hurricane with rebellious lime wedges

 As per Emeril Lagasse's recipe on the Food Network website, a hurricane consists of 2 ounces light rum, 2 ounces dark rum, 1 ounce grenadine or passion fruit syrup, 1 ounce fresh orange juice, 1 ounce fresh lime juice or sour mix, one teaspoon superfine sugar, an orange wedge for garnish and one hell of a headache when you wake up.

As usual, we want/need your feedback, we cannot do this without you guys.

Send any news tidbits and cocktails ideas to: monicatara@gmail.com

Stream a Little Stream

I love Kindertrauma's Stream Warriors posts because they tell me what disturbing, non-sucking movies are available to watch instantly on Netflix. I think I'll be a copycat, as is my wont, and start my own series of streamer reviews.

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover is the equivalent of walking into a fabulous-looking mansion and discovering it's littered with human shit. A bunch of classless English gangsters with increasingly repulsive revenge tactics and the lead gangster's tormented wife gather at an opulent restaurant for dinner every night, where their Gautier-designed costumes change with the color of their environment to synch moods, the wife goes to great lengths to continue an affair with a patron, various adorable poochies wander outside, and a bleach blonde eleven-year-old sings soprano at the sinks before the gangsters torture him into unconsciousness:


The movie is gorgeously shot and staged to clash with the base, grotesque behavior of the characters. Having the good silver out doesn't matter when Tim Roth is vomiting on it. With all the slicing up and stripping of dignity that the gangsters do to the undeserving, it makes sense that the movie ends with the wife forcing her husband to cannibalize the roasted corpse of her murdered lover. Bon appetit! Three and a half stars.


Otesanek, a bit of horror/surrealism from the Czech Republic, is about a childfree couple who, because the husband is stupid enough to carve a tree-stump baby in jest while his wife is in shambles over their dual sterility, and because the wife's batshit-crazy waves are apparently strong enough to animate objects, become parents to a flesh-eating tree monster. No tenant in their building (or meddling visitor) is safe, even after the parents have locked the monster in the basement; a neighbor tot "adopts" the monster and keeps it fed, which at one point involves leading the pedophile who's stalking her to his death (she accomplishes a lot in a day).
She also has to work to outsmart a prophetic fairy tale that says her elderly neighbor will lay the death smack on the monster with a garden hoe.

I think the theme of the movie is parenthood as a disease. The ever-growing tree stump monster is disgusting, violent, and uncommunicative, and is ruining its parents' marriage and already meager sanity, but the parents' love and devotion hang on and ultimately cause their deaths. The monster's appetite is never satisfied, it leaves skeletal remains in its wake, and it ends up in cahoots with another child, the only one who really understands him. Sounds like the suburbs to me! Three stars.

Hurricanes and Goslings

Welcome to an informal late Friday night/early Saturday morning version of cocktails & dinosaurs because I don't blog enough, I have a stomach full of fabulous Foodswings nachos and a cold refreshing Indian Pale Ale.

Celebrity News:

• Ryan Gosling is a real life hero, but that was way back in June so let's move on. (via EV Grieve)

• January Jones is apparently a terrible person. I'm still trying to figure out who she is and why I care.

• Jimmy Fallon is a psychic that predicted hosting Saturday Night Live in 2011 all the way back in 1998. This video gives me chills. I nearly took a baldwin in my pants.

• If you had any question at all as to whether or not Nick Cave was the sexiest man alive, I think this letter to MTV should put them all to rest. (via kottke.org)

• Taylor Momsen is retiring from acting... (looks like someone has been getting career advice from Amanda Bynes.)
  But seriously, I can't believe the girl who taught me how to shake 'n bake has chosen to no longer share her unique gift with the world again. Come back, Taylor, we need you! I have a tofu cutlet that needs a crunchy exterior and you're the only one who can show me how.
  

Celebrity Feud of the Week:
Okay, so get this... Anthony Bourdain comments on a few Food Network chefs/cooks in a recent interview with TV Guide and happens to call Paula Deen "the worst, most dangerous person to America." Not completely shocking considering she's the woman who gave us the recipe for bacon cheeseburger meatloaf in a world where childhood obesity has nearly tripled in the last 30 years and heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death.
She responded with,"You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills . . . It wasn’t that long ago that I was struggling to feed my family, too." Interesting, how she turned Bourdain's comments about the American health crisis and her "unholy connection with evil corporations" into a conversation about feeding a family on a budget, which last time I checked a classy rice and bean dish was a lot cheaper and healthier than a hamburger topped with a fried egg and bacon and sandwiched between two donuts, but I've been proven wrong before.
Bourdain's point remains valid. She's selling a lifestyle and it just happens to be a lifestyle that's killing millions of Americans.

Blog of the Week:
Have you ever lost a pen or found a pen? Well then, I've found the perfect blog for you! I found your pen

Stupid Movie Idea of the Week:
Okay, so... Mushroom cut from No Country for Old Men and Leather Face from Texas Chainsaw Massacre meet in a sort of When Harry Met Sally kind of romantic comedy.

Recipe of the Week:
VEGAN Deviled Eggs (via vegansaurus)
I cannot wait to make these for my next party!!!

To all of our Northeast American/ Canadian readers, stay safe this weekend as Hurricane Irene works her way up the coast we can't afford to lose either one of you.

A Good Horror Movie Made After 1992? NUH UH.

It's true. After 15+ years of avoiding new horror releases because they're, you know...this, I read a recommendation of the 2008 direct-to-DVD release Trick' R Treat on Kindertrauma and thought I'd check it out. It's currently streaming on Netflix so give it an instant nosh while you can; it's a ghoulish, blackly comic, straightforward collection of overlapping stories that would be right at home in 1989. There are dashes of CGI, which subtracts one star, but the performances and running theme of sweet revenge balance things out. Plus, we all know it's not Halloween until a curly-haired teenaged dumbbell is vomiting blood onto the school principal's front steps.



Side note: A great opportunity to check out an adult Anna Paquin before she became "Always and Forever Sookie".

My Girl Crush

I'd like to take a moment to talk about my new girl crush, Alison Brie. If you are not familiar with her, you need to start watching Community on NBC right now.



Okay, now that we're familiar with the show, let me explain why she's awesome. Aside from the fact that she was in an episode of Hannah Montana (which gives her instant blog 'scuse me? cred), her twitter feed is a constant source of entertainment for me. I'm having one of those Rebel Girl things with her character Annie on Community. You know, it's like she has the hottest trike in town and I just want to be her best friend, yeah.

Speaking of twitter, did you know that Annie Edison's boobs have a twitter account? I really wish Annie's boobs would tweet more. I'm just saying...

Hormonal Bitch? Lap Up Some Cow Torture

The New York Times ran an article on July 21st announcing the end of the "Got Milk for your PMS-ing Whore of a Girlfriend/Wife?" ads that drew the ire of sexism-sensitive types.


The ads perpetuate the assumption of our cock-controlled society that women are the only ones to experience hormonal upheaval that makes life hell for their significant others. Okay. Where are the ads with the haggard-looking career woman frowning over the caption, "I'm sorry I forgot to DVR the Jets game. You're right, I'm totally a stupid c-word. How 'bout an ice cold Miller?"

To ice the cake, these are effing "Got Milk?" ads. The ads that for 18 years have shown a variety of celebrities staring with bedroom eyes after their upper lips have been smeared with the fluid produced after cows are raped by machines. Health! Fun! Despite numerous contradictory reports urging women to focus on plant-based, animal-friendly, anti-carcinogenic treats rather than fat-pumped dairy products to mitigate the symptoms of PMS, Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners decided to launch this misogynistic series of ads. After the shut-down, Goodby made sure to state to the press that he thinks the campaign has "served its purpose" and that a similar ovary-hating campaign that his firm launched in 2005 was allowed to survive because "it was a different world in 2005". 'Tis true.

Cornholio Returns!

By now, everyone knows that MTV is bringing back Beavis and Butt-Head. Check out this sneak peek footage from this week's Comic Con. Nearly fourteen years have past since we've last seen these two and time has yet to age them or their humor.

Get More: Beavis and Butt-Head, MTV Show

I thought maybe the return of Beavis and Butt-Head would mean the return of some music videos to the channel that put the music in music television, but it seems like the new shows will just have them critiquing shitty reality shows instead of music videos. 'Tis a shame. I guess I'll be okay with it as long as they are ripping Snooki a new asshole.

Between Beavis and Butt-Head and 120 Minutes coming back with new shows, Nickelodeon rerunning classic shows from the 90's, and this new training bra, my awkward pre-teen era nightmares are haunting me.

I Hate the Seventies

When America looks back on vintage decades, its concentration is solely on the good: the soaring power ballads, the chic fashion, the Valium, the rotary phones, etc. But, as Henri Matisse said, "What I dream of is an art of balance..." Don't we need some bitching to pair with the nostalgia?

Let me begin to fulfill Matisse's dream by reviewing the 1973 John G. Avildsen film Save the Tiger. The movie screams "seventies era": We've got a teased-haired receptionist operating a soundboard and speaking in a nasal Staten Island-y accent, a moon-eyed hippie-era leftover informing Jack Lemmon's Harry Stoner that she just happens to have "some really great grass", a prostitute pouring what appears to be blood-colored candle wax on a john, and so on. It all adds up to nothing in a meandering drama that can't be saved by strong acting.




Stoner horrifies his wife by reminiscing about professional ballplayers of the '50s with a fervor skirting hysteria and tells the hippie hitchhiker that he's thirty-three when he could easily pass for sixty, and the audience stares blankly as his bizarre behavior is barely explained (is it all from stress over his failing business? Is he being tormented by prophetic nightmares about starring in The Odd Couple II?)

Ancillary characters mention Stoner's snappy gray suit roughly 19,874,284 times. Fine, the movie wants to remind you that fine threads cover a wreck of a human being, but why is he a wreck? Why is he suddenly tormented by WWII flashbacks rivaling Lifetime movies in terms of cheesiness? We're talking stuff a half-step above this:



The focal point of the movie is the decision of Stoner's and his colleague's to hire an arsonist to torch their warehouse and send insurance dollars their way. The movie ends before the action: no perfect-scheme-gone-wrong, no tense aftermath, nothing. The movie's final payoff is Stoner watching some obnoxious kids in a playground baseball game. Fine, not all dramas have to take the traditional route, but if one isn't going to, it still has to work to engage the audience. This movie consists of compliments on a silk suit, a guilt-ridden call girl who is never fleshed out, and a wife who keeps saying her husband should see Dr. Frankfurter. Grade: D

Cocktails & Blog-A-Thon Mania!

The last time we tried to do a blog-a-thon, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was on and fun size candy bars were $5.00 US a bag. Since the blog has been a little quiet lately and a heatwave has blanketed the northeastern region of the United States, we decided to set the A/C to tundra and sip some cocktails while we narcissistically rant about the really lame t-shirt that Beiber wore yesterday.

So sit back and relax, while we continue to stab pop culture in the neck right before your very eyes.

Lovingly yours,

blog 'scuse me?

Cocktails and Dinosaurs: News and Libations for the Weekend of July 15, 2011

Semi monthly posts that pose as weekly posts in an attempt to receive more hate mail.

"Touch my seitan again and I'll stab you in the throat. That's my protein source motherfucker!!" #VeganThugLifeless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet ReplyAziz Ansari
azizansari

So #VeganThugLife seems to be trending on twitter this week.

There best not be casein in this soy cheese!! #VeganThugLifeless than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet ReplyAbel Arias
Abelg81

...and I just couldn't be happier!

What are people pissed off about this week:

• Netflix released their new plans starting September: charging everyone more for the same service. Netflix, you're starting to sound like a cable company.

• Emmy Nominations for 2011 are out and everybody is talking about who got snubbed like The Daily Beast, Amy Poehler, and many more (I'm sure - I haven't looked into it).
  
  (photo via fujiidom)
  I know I don't have TV, but Matt LeBlanc has a show? Has anyone seen this "Episodes" they speak of?
  

• Corgis are assholes! What's wrong with Steely Dan?

What you should be excited about:

• Nickelodeon brings back the 90's starting July 25th at Midnight! (Obligatory Double Dare Video)
  
  
• In other unrelated Nickelodeon news, if you didn't already know, Michelle Obama, our first lady, will make a guest appearance on iCarly. And if you didn't already know, I'm a HUGE fan of iCarly.
  
  
• Could copyright laws someday be extended to monkeys, if they are responsible for the work in question? Monkeys copyrighting their own work? "It's a mad house! A mad house!"(kottke.org)
  
  
• Austra is on tour! See interview and tour dates on BrooklynVegan. Listen at CBC Radio 3.
  

Harry Potter Fans (I didn't forget about you!):

• Need a quick refresher on Harry Potter before seeing the 7th movie? Look no further! These cats can sum it up for you in under 90 seconds. (The Daily What)
  
  
• Need some vegan treats before the movie? Go to Dumbledore's Vegan Army for recipes like Chocolate Covered Pretzel "Wands", Dumbledore's Gay Cake, and Butterbeer Sandwich cookies. Yummo!
  

MY NEW "OF THE WEEK":
Terrible Movie Idea of the Week:
Freddy Vs Jason meets Total Recall and I'll call it...
Jason's Total Nightmare: The Return of Quaid

Recipe of the Week:
Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Fries with Chili Coconut Fry Sauce, Pickle Fries, and Sesame Lie Sweet Potato Fries - Awesome, simple recipes with freezer section french fries.

Cocktail of the Week: White Russian

I had this at Vegan Drinks in NYC right before Halloween. A wonderful blend of vodka, Kahlua, and soy or rice milk. Easy enough to make at home when you're watching The Big Lebowski or maybe The Big Lebowski 2. I find myself oddly attracted to Donny in the second one.

Send any news tidbits and cocktails ideas to: monicatara@gmail.com