there was a line in "the hobbit: battle of the five armies" that i recall noting at the time as being a complete...not anachronism, exactly, but it got a laugh because it referred to some other movie. i can't find it in the imdb quotes from the movie--did anyone else notice it enough to recall what i'm talking about?

as a companion piece to my "worst purchase" post, this morning, i thought to myself, this winter coat is the best purchase i've made in a long time. it's a land's end down chalet long coat, blackberry-colored, which is to say, purple, and it is toasty warm. which is lucky because the wind chill was 20 effing degrees below zero F, this morning! ( Read more... )

about twice a week, i think to myself, "this dishwasher is the worst purchase i have ever made." the combination of the $900 it took to get it installed, due to having to have it done by a plumber and having the plumber have to do something with my sewer return or something, plus the fact that it constantly leaves a residue on the dishes so that i ( Read more... )

today, after living in chicago for more than 30 years, i finally saw a reference to burnham harbor and googled to find out where it was. as a bonus, i also learned where northerly island is ( Read more... )

why was there a giant inflatable rat at the corner of sheridan and ardmore on my commute home?

what is the advantage of a messenger bag over just getting a backpack?

you know, i see things like the governor of minnesota suggesting that their state could invoke state sovereignty to opt out of health care reform and i wonder who he's listening to besides the voices coming out of his toaster. because i don't know anyone, including my quite republican, thank you, ex-FIL who doesn't want health care reform ( Read more... )

frenchpony or melted_snowball, do you recall a fuguing tune that we sang on saturday that has a lot of hallelujahs in the fugue? i can't think of what that might be but clawfoot remembered liking it and i wanted to try to track down the songs she especially liked for her.

why does my watch, which appears to be running, think that it's 6:03 rather than 12:26?

what's the difference between baking and roasting?