itesser links

The Amateur Gourmet: My Dinner at Chez Panisse: "This dish, this meaty amalgamation on a plate, tells us what it is to be human: for humans hunt and cook with fire. We season the meat with herbs and spices; we roll it so it crisps on the outside and stays moist in the middle. We dress it with leaves and fruits and other devices to enhance the experience. Why do we do this? Why aren't we like other animals--why don't we just devour our foods unadorned? The fact that this meal made me ask this question tells you why Chez Panisse is important."

more saved for the quote than the link.

Leapfrog: 1908 | Shorpy

unusually awesome shorpy photo. Good enough to share, good enough to eat

Panasonic puts the “pet” in hot carpet ::: Pink Tentacle: "The carpet’s luxurious coat of faux fur (available in white, brown, or skunk-like black and white) houses a set of smart heating elements that deliver warmth only to the areas you touch when you cuddle it. Squishy, flesh-like control switches modeled after the paw pads of your favorite furry friend enhance the carpet’s overall zoomorphic feel"

HBO: Real Time with Bill Maher: New Rules: April 20, 2007: "New Rule: From now on, Earth Day really must be a year-round thing. And...and in honor of this Earth Day, starting Monday, supermarket clerks must stop putting the big bottle of detergent with the handle on it, in a plastic bag. I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but you see that handle you just lifted the detergent with? I could use that same handle to carry the detergent to my car.
"

After reading this, and a half-dozen other "New Rule" features, I have a newfound resect for Bill Maher. Not that I didn't respect him before, I just didn't know. I don't agree with everything he says, but I do agree with a large percentage of it, and laugh at a similarly sized percentage