Monthly Archives: February 2009

A bit o’ nostalgia

Here you go, enjoy some nostalgia:

I hope that when I have kids there’s something just as cool as Square One around on PBS.

Signal Boost

Go my minions, go and spread this far and wide because it is pure awesomeness. Even if you don’t live in the Boston area, you should tell people about this:

Fred Phelps’ clan is coming to Cambridge Rindge and Latin School! The God Hates Fags Westboro Baptist Church is planning to picket the school because it has a gay/straight alliance. Fred Phelps and his group travel all across the United States spreading their message of hate and lies about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

However, when the Phelps group comes to Cambridge to protest Project 10 East (the school’s gay/straight alliance) they will actually be raising money to make CRLS an even more welcoming place for LGBT students and families.

Driving Equality is hosting a Phelps-A-Thon to counter Fred Phelps’ hateful message. For every minute the “God Hates Fags” clan is protesting, we will be collecting donations for Project 10 East and Welcoming Schools Cambridge (the school’s resource center for LGBT families). (Pledge Online)

The Phelps clan will be protesting at the school from 11:10 AM to 11:45 AM on March 13th. You can pledge any amount you chose, whether it be $0.25, $0.50, $1, or even $2 for every minute they protest. You can even pledge a flat rate for the entire time the group will be demonstrating. (Pledge Online)

The point of this Phelps-A-Thon is two fold. First, we are using Phelps’ own hateful message to raise funds for a good cause, one that will help counter the lies that are being spread about LGBT people. Second, we will be displaying a sign in front of the “God Hates Fags” clan tallying how much money they have helped raise for LGBT equality. This will certainly upset the group and it is possible that they will leave early to stop our fundraising. After the event, we will send Phelps a thank you card, telling him how much money he raised for LGBT equality.

On the “God Hates Fags” website, Phelps has this to say about the upcoming protest in Cambridge:
Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School – God Hates Fags! 459 Broadway While we are in the area picketing the Laramie Project at Reading – we will stop by this High School because you know they have a GSA in that place? WTF?! It is NOT good to enable others to sin, and encourage rebellion against God. Read these words, and know why we will be at your school with these words on some signs: God Hates Fags, God Hates Fag Enablers, You’re Going To Hell and Fag Sin = Death! Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. AMEN!”

We can turn these hateful words into positive change.

Driving Equality is a trek across America to raise awareness of the various forms of discrimination faced by LGBT people in each state of the nation. Highlighting the differences in rights, laws, and amendments between the states will shed light on the current social standing of queer individuals today. I hope to create a dialogue about the disparities across the nation, and what can be done to end discrimination for all.

Final Fantasy Yo

For the old-school gamer in you.
If you don’t have one, you’ll want to skip this. If you do then go watch it…you’ll thank me later.

Craziness

People at work seem to keep getting upset with me when I wipe their dirty foreheads off. Seriously if I had schmutz smeared on my forehead I’d want someone to let me know.

I’m kidding of course, but Ash Wednesday is kind of weird. Is there a follow-up “Exfoliation Thursday” to get the penitence out of your pores? I mean nothing says to me “I’m washing away my sins and faults” quite like a good face scrub IMHO.

Vanilla Bean Loaf

Vanilla Bean Loaf

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature.
2 1/2 cups vanilla sugar (1 split vanilla bean stirred into 1 pound of sugar; let sit for a few days)
1 vanilla bean.
1 Tbs vanilla extract.
8 large eggs at room temperature.
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour.
1 1/2 tsps baking powder.
1/2 tsp salt.

For the syrup:
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped.

  1. Heavily butter two 8X4X3-inch (or similarly sized) loaf pans and preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Using a paddle attachment in your mixer, cream the butter and vanilla sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape the vanilla bean and flick its seeds into the mixer, along with the vanilla extract and eggs. Beat to mix.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add this to the batter and mix just until smooth–a few turns of the paddle should do it. Take the bowl off the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the bottom and fold the mixture a few times, to make sure everything is blended. Divide the batter between the buttered pans. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the pans around, and bake until a cake tester or skewer comes out almost clean, another 25 to 40 minutes.
  3. While the loaves bake, prepare the syrup: in a small pan, dissolve the sugar in 1 cup of water over medium heat. Add the vanilla beans and stir a little so their seeds and fragrance disperse. Take the pan off the heat.
  4. When the loaves are done, cool for 10 minutes on baking racks, then turn them out of their pans and set back on the racks. Place the racks over parchment paper or a baking sheet and brush generously all over–bottoms, tops, and sides–with the syrup. Brush a couple of more times as they cool. These cakes store well. They may be wrapped and frozen, although I can’t imagine not eating one of them right away.