Friday's Quick Notes, Vol. 3

-1-

My friend Asher has started a blog about movies and music. If reading rants about that kinda stuff floats your boat, take a gander.  

-2-

A recipe for Curried Cauliflower Soup that we ate this week:

1/2 cup millet

1 cup water

1 tbs. olive oil

I medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 2pound cauliflower, cut into 1" florets

6 cups stock (veggie bouillon works well, if you are cooking for vegetarians or vegans)

2 cups frozen peas

1. In a medium pan combine millet, water, 1/4 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium low heart until millet is tender, about 25 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile heat oil in a large pot, add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add spices and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

4. Add cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until very tender, about 15 minutes. 

5. Purée (you can do this in a blender) and then add in millet and peas. 

Add more spices if you feel like it. 

-3-

It seems like the country may be gearing up for an election. My friend Cameron has an excellent post dissecting the Conservative Attack Ads. I find the whole concept of attack ads, from any party, totally useless and gross. I think the Conservative ones are usually worse, not just because of my left leaning tendencies, but because they are somehow even stupider than regular ol' attack ads. (I mean, Michael Ignatieff wants an Ipod tax? Really? I guess they are reaching out to the younger voters? ie. You can have my Ipod when you pry it from my cold, dead hands?)

 -4-

In case anyone needs reminding why it would be a good idea to get Stephen 'Robot' Harper and his Conservatives out of office, let's take a look at what they've managed to do to women's rights in Canada since coming to power in 2006.  Quoted from Feministing:

• the elimination of “equality” as an objective in the Status of Women Canada’s (SWC) mission statement;

• 100 percent cut in funding for advocacy, lobbying, and independent research projects funded by SWC;

• dozens of feminist organizations had their funding severed and had to close their doors. In the past few months, nine groups have been defunded by the Conservatives, including: the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, the New Brunswick Pay Equity Coalition, and Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec;

• defunding of both the Sisters in Spirit Initiative and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation;

• cancellation of the pan-Canadian childcare funding ($1.2 billion);

• elimination of the Court Challenges Program;

• the transformation of pay equity into an “equitable compensation issue” that must be discussed at the bargaining table.

You go Stevie. Rah-rah-rah!

-5-

Despite the annoying grammar error, this letter just says true love to me:

Photo courtesy of Obvious Winner

-6-

The word for for avocado in Spanish is aguacate.

-7-

I repel pens. My friend Cameron repels socks. What small frivolous item do you continually misplace?

Have a great weekend everybody! I will be back next week with the final installment of my Battlestar Galactica review (because I haven't beaten it to death yet, right?) and the promised post on porn.