Casu Marzu -- WTF???

I thought I loved all things Italian, at least with respect to food. That is until I read about casu marzu, i.e. rotten pecorino cheese. I mean I'm all for appreciating cultural differences and traditions, but this goes waaaay too far. I mean anywhere else in the world one would know that one's food is nass and rotty cuz it's populated by maggots, but in Sardinia that's how one knows that one's casu marzu is ready to eat. They actually want the little buggers in there! They want flies to infest the cheese and lay their eggs there, so that their larval spawns will eat their way throughout the cheese leaving broken-down digested fats that is the essence of casu marzu. Btw, you'd know that your casu marzu was bad if all the maggots are dead. how's that for irony? As if all that isn't bad enough, the maggots don't always die when you eat them (yes, you eat them with the "cheese") since they can survive stomach acid, they *can* live on in your stomach for some time causing lacerations with their nasty little mouthhooks. O_O!!!

Wanna watch the whole nass process of how the cheese is made and consumed? Click here if you're sure.

Hot or Not: Kara DioGuardi's decision to expose her ear(s)

Hmmm, not the best look. Let's try to keep those puppies covered. (Is it just me or are they freakishly large? At least the one that's visible.)

Turkey with Boob

Pamukkale:


Istanbul:


Hierapolis:


Pigeon Valley, Cappadocia:


Uchisar:

Adventures in sleep

The b scared herself awake by the sound of her own barking (well, more like chirping) while asleep.

Upon waking, she looked around looking for the culprit, got up from her nest, gave it one backwards glance filled with suspicion, and slowly walked away to another part of the couch.

She is now at the opposite end of the couch, safely ensconced in another nest.

LOL.

Likes and Dislikes: Food Edition -- update no. 2

Follow up to this and this...

The baby loves:

hormone-free, organic chicken
cheese -- mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, gouda
apples
chickpeas
rawhide chew sticks
non-fat yogurt
free-range organic egg yolks
onigiris
dried seaweed
peanut butter (esp. in the form of a pbj sammich)
oranges and tangerines (but only if slightly masticated)
wellness pure rewards jerky
cat food (wet and dry) and treats
freeze-dried beef
strawberries
frozen bananas
mangoes
various fish -- salmon, eel, turbot, flounder, sole, tuna and sardines

The baby likes:

kibble (depending on the day)
cherries
almonds
pears
soy cheese
peaches & nectarines (slightly masticated)
bananas (mushed and pulp-ed up)
blueberries (skinned)
freeze-dried beef liver
sushi
mackerel

The baby dislikes:

kibble (depending on the day)
Milk Bones and most dog biscuits
peas
spinach
carrots
onions
grapes (thank goodness, despite Enn's best efforts)
carbonated drinks

What the baby loves but can't have:

popcorn (allergic reaction -- lots of ensuing itchiness)
wet dog food
the faux meat that I eat

Mon Dieu, le sandwich

In as many weeks there's been these articles in US papers regarding the uptick in the popularity of sandwiches in France, especially as this rise coincides with the decline of traditional lunchtime dining. Makes me wonder if Americans are doing more hand-wringing than the French over what is being lost, i.e. romanticized images of three-hour lunches along the Seine. Next.

Pros and Cons of Working From Home

Pros:

+ get to work in my pjs or whatever else I choose to wear or not wear
+ don't have to deal with teeming masses
+ working when I want

Cons:

+ getting guilted by the b (this is what I see when I turn around -- pretty much all the time):


+ succumbing to Memphis's hypnotic stare:

Saboteur, Part Deux -- a more subtle approach

Pet Peeve No. 3

The Godfather theme being blared out as a car horn. And this is how you do it:


People, really??? Is this really necessary???

Sadly, some of my neighbors think so since I hear this stupid sound pretty much every day outside my windows.

Saboteur

I've been trying to take more pics of Memphis esp. when the lighting is good because of requests from some quarters clamoring for more kitty porn. However, someone had other ideas.

Can you see the him now?


Oh, you need me to move? Ok, how about now?

Midday Nap

So, while I'm working/surfing, both the baby and Memphis are taking a midday nap. Though for them midday nap usually means sleeping between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. -- with short breaks for fetch or string in between.

With that said, sometimes I wonder what they're thinking when they're dreaming their days away, especially when I hear the baby chirping away. And then there are those times were I wonder what they're thinking, period. For example, I'd like to know how in the world this particular angle can possibly be comfortable???

Admittedly, this line of questioning usually only applies to the baby as Memphis has a more conventional form of sleep:

What does the B do in her spare time?

Scratch...
















scratch...















and

lick.

B.R. 5/21/09 -- Upset Stummy

Today was marked by the baby's continued upset stomach. I knew she/we was/were in for a tough day when I first heard the churn-y, squirty sounds emanating from her tummy. The day proceeded as such: She'd rest, then we'd play, and then she'd look kinda confused and shortly thereafter she would disappear. If I ever wondered where she'd gone, all would be explained by the squirty, squishy sounds coming from the bathroom. I'd have to be careful and listen for my cue to enter -- that is, the sound of her paws scratching on her wee pad -- or else she might run out of the bathroom with stuff stuck to her bum. Once I didn't follow her quickly enough and she ran out to the living room wherein she began to do her butt-scoot. And that was the second (of three) Flor tiles that I had to clean today. Some days, like today, I'm ever so thankful that I went with Flor as opposed to a regular rug. So.Thank.Ful.

Sadly for the baby she has had nothing to eat today but Nutri-cal. She hated it. Absolutely loathed it with every inch of her teeny frame. But what can she do. Nothing, that's what. And the reason is because I don't want her keeling over from hypoglycemia cuz she didn't eat all day.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for her (and the Flor tiles).

Meanwhile, Memphis is his happy-go-lucky self; and he may have been even happier than usual because he didn't have to share any of his wet food. He did, however, have a bad kitty moment tonight when he tried to steal the baby's dinner.

Chillin'

The b knows how to chill, that's for sure.

Though, is it just me or are other people also curious as to why dogs like to rest/sleep with their leggies pointing straight out?

You know, like zombie arms. Specifically, I'm thinking about Chinese zombies a/k/a 僵屍 (jiang shi) since they're known for their straight-armed posin'.

Alternately, anyone else reminded of double-legged Third Reich, Hitler saluts?

Am I right, or am I right?

Chihuahuas of the Air (redux)

In my ever-constant search for the chihuahua-equivalent of flying animals, I'd forgotten to that there are more flight-capable animals than birds. Duh. Anyway, I present to you the Honduran White Bat (Ectophylla alba) a/k/a small cottonballs of cuteness:

Memphis was a bitz last night

Of late, Mister Mister has taken to mewing rather loudly in the middle of the night while he wanders from room to room. I don't know what the problem is but I'm hoping that this behavior will be short-lived. As it is, he's being quite the bitz by constantly waking the the other denizens of our little abode at all hours of the night. Anyway, let's hope for his sake that there will be fewer instances caterwauling, cuz if he doesn't, I'll have to introduce him to my little friend -- the squirt bottle.

Baraklingon, or fun with Photoshop

From today's NYT --->

Also captioned, "Trekkies, er, Trekkers... we are everywhere."

Catching Up

Readers will be happy to hear that the animuls are safe and sound. As promised, I've returned from being out of town for the past couple of weeks. Part of the for the reason seen in the footage below:


I have to admit that the whole thing was a bit surreal seeing my little sister getting hitched. That's the thing, I suppose... that is, no matter what, I'll always think of her as my little sister:

Memphis isn't safe either

In case anyone thought that Memphis is safe while the b is being menaced, well, I'm sad to report that he hasn't escaped unscathed.

Oh. The. Humanity.

Don't worry animuls. I shall return in a couple of days.

Until then...

good luck.

Menaced (again!)

Poor baby. Imma have to find a more reliable babysitter next time: