Monthly Archives: February 2011

Solo by Rana Dasgupta

“You mustn’t think about the other people’s pain. It will never end. Look at the people you know, how much they have suffered, and multiply it by the population of the world. You could never imagine the volume of that suffering. It would destroy your own significance, and there’s no point in it.”

This is a review of a book I haven’t finished, but I just couldn’t wait.

Despite the daily bombardment of our senses by media, the television, audio and video, even the fading newspapers, there are few things that can move one as deeply as a book. This is the type of book that shakes you without mercy. This is a story about a man, a story about history, but more importantly and shockingly, this is a story about humanity; about the wars we wage and hearts we break and the things we can’t fix no matter how hard we wish for it. It is down to earth and heart breaking in it’s entirety, so real it feels like it could crumble in my own hands, and yet whimsical enough that on reflection I may not believe it ever happened.

This is not a book for people who merely like pretty stories.

I mean it’s brutal, and dreams are torn to pieces, and it feels like it’s too much to hold, but it’s brilliant and insightful and vivid and it makes you face horrible things. A reality check is a nice reminder, I mean, learning chemistry and physics and math (even statistics) is pretty fantastic when you’re comparing it to never seeing your children again and work camps.

Anyways, I guess any formality that I may have originally intended in this review has evaded me. My closing statements are:

1. Go read this NOW

2. Homework does not equal suffering of any significant magnitude

3. I mean if you’re at Waterloo you’re almost obligated to like homework anyways

Oh yeah, and the second half is more cheerful I believe. Daydreams. Although still tinged with sadness when you’re privy to the reality they hide. Did I say tinged? I mean soaked, like seriously, buckets of sadness here.

4. I stand by my previous statement: “I love books that make me ache”

http://vimeo.com/11855948

thefeministhub:

These videos represent women taking action through media to talk about issues important to their lives and talking back to the media that so often misrepresents, stereotypes and victimizes us.

Below is the playlist of the videos she showed:

Bechdel Test – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF6sAAMb4s
Feminist Free Association – Girl Drive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oDEr8IT9IY
Revisioning Pretty Woman – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ2H37m_Yt8
Queering Real Housewives – http://elisakreisinger.wordpress.com/
Harry Potter and the Brokeback Mountain – http://www.politicalremixvideo.com/2009/03/03/harry-potter-and-the-brokeback-mountain/ 
It Started with a Kiss – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hs1W0OOQP4
Dance Floor Star Trek – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deQuFc3BP74
Too Many Dicks: Video Games – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PJ0JPLg_-8
I’m your man – http://www.politicalremixvideo.com/2009/03/02/im-your-man/
It Depends on What You Pay: Dollhouse – http://www.politicalremixvideo.com/2009/07/24/dollhouse-it-depends-on-what-you-pay/
Women’s Work: Supernatural Vid http://www.politicalremixvideo.com/2009/04/08/womens-work/
Planet of the Arabs – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1ZNEjEarw
Black as Me – http://vimeo.com/4080308
If Men Menstrated – http://vimeo.com/4638455
The Revolution will be Televised – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfJd0Q8HjPw

~Crystal

These are outstanding, as is the discussion around them. Some of them are quite upsetting, so just be aware of that before you start watching.

(Source: http://vimeo.com/)

submarinetelegraph:

Slow-Baked Beans With Kale

  • 1 bunch kale, stemmed and washed in two changes of water
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 2/3 cups white beans (3/4 pound) or dried lima beans, picked over and soaked for at least four hours and drained
  • 1 6-ounce can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 cup water
  • 3 cups additional water
  • A bouquet garni consisting of 4 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs and a bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
  • Salt and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Blanch for two minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze out water and cut into ribbons. Set aside. (I blanch the kale to extract some of the bitterness, but you can skip this step if you wish).

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof casserole. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the dissolved tomato paste, and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the drained beans, the remaining water, the bouquet garni and salt and pepper. Stir in the kale, bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Bake three hours until the beans are tender and creamy. Taste and adjust salt.

4. Mix together the remaining olive oil and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the beans, and continue to bake another 30 minutes to an hour until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Remove from the heat and serve; or allow to cool slightly and serve.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: You can make this recipe through Step 3 and store it in the refrigerator up to four days ahead of serving. Top with the bread crumbs, and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes until the beans are bubbling and the bread crumbs lightly browned.

I’m saving this for when I have to cook.

I love Kale.

The venn diagram of boys who don’t like smart girls and boys you don’t want to date IS A CIRCLE.

John Green

What I learned today

1. Waterloo is the most hardcore school around, no snow days for us, regardless of how many students and teachers are unable to show up, class for those who can make it!

2. Seriously guys, there was a blizzard, WTF?

3. I am much eager to wake up if I think I’ll be able to go to bed again shortly

4. naps contribute more to a days net productivity than math tutorials

5. If I miss a shad skype call when I come back to my computer I will have a 805 missed messages message

6. Blankets, music and the theft of my roommates pillow keep me focused on homework

7. I don’t understand French music but I think it’s beautiful regardless, not to mention of the most relaxing things to listen to (don’t get distracted by lyrics)

8. A LOT of organic chemistry. Negative goes to positive, yo!

Okay, back to work now.