KITCHENETTE ADVENTURETTE: BUTTER MAKES IT BETTER: I finally figured out how to make spinach taste exactly the way I want it to. You guys probably already know this, but I didn’t, so: Melt a good hunk of butter over high heat in a saute pan. Squeeze about half a lemon into the butter. Cook and stir until everything’s all bubbly and boiling, and continue cooking for as long as patience endures. When you’ve basically got a slick of lemony butter... Read more

PERFORMATIVE SPEECH: Very short book reviews. In the order in which I read them. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, RL Stevenson: OK, you already know what this is about. So the question is, given that you know the monster, do you need the book? I’m not sure you “need” it really. The idea behind it is the striking thing. But there are really lovely descriptions of fogbound Victorian London; and Jekyll’s final testimony, which closes the... Read more

IT MUST BE SUMMER… because everyone’s coming out on the porch to talk. Cinecon has returned–here are two fascinating posts, one on Killer of Sheep and one on Harold Lloyd. Read more

They had this melancholy retreat to themselves, and seated on the divan enclosing the central steam-radiator, they were staring silently at the glass cabinets mounted in ebonised wood which contained the recovered fragments of Ilium.—The Age of Innocence Read more

I’d hate to be like certain blogwatch I know…Alias Clio: Interesting, sympathetic critique of La Camille (Paglia)… and the sex zone vs. the drink zone. Balkinization: What Marty Lederman calls “A Most Important Development on CIA Interrogation, Electronic Surveillance, and Congressional Oversight“–I’m posting this so I can come back to it later for something I’m working on. Daniel Mitsui: Armadillo incense burner! Disputed Mutability: On stopping hating the church. Hard to find stuff to excerpt to make you go over... Read more

“She’s refused–that gives me the right–““Ah, you’ve taught me what an ugly word that is,” she said.—The Age of Innocence Read more

AND IN A DARK BROWN VOICE, SHE SAID: Movie reviews. Spoilers abound. Bring It On: How can a cheerleading movie starring Eliza Dushku, and with “Oh Mickey” as end-credits music, be depressing?? Watch and learn. First, Dushku is hotsauce, and although she isn’t Faith levels of awesome here, she’s still amazingly fun to watch. I’m not sure why I don’t like Kirsten Dunst, but I don’t–I find her really bland–but she isn’t the problem here. The problem is that this... Read more

I watch the thinnest linebetween the good and blog sides of my mind… Club for Growth: Newspaper editorial boards against the gas “price gouging” bill. More here. And a really lovely story of a Catholic school open to “any child regardless of faith, academic ability or emotional stability.” I liked this detail too: “One school was adopted by 37 floor traders from Bear Stearns who pooled their charitable giving.” Via Amy Welborn. Also via Amy, the Washington Post Magazine profiles... Read more

“We did use to play together, didn’t we?” she asked, turning hre grave eyes to his. “You were a horrid boy, and kissed me once behind a door; but it was your cousin Vandie Newland, who never looked at me, that I lwas in love with.” Her gaze swept the horse-shoe curve of boxes. “Ah, how this brings it all back to me–I see everybody here in knickerbockers and pantalettes,” she said, with her trailing, slightly foreign accent, her eyes... Read more

I lost my bag at Newport Blogwatch… Amptoons: “Social class, food service, and schools.” One elementary school where kids worked in the cafeteria, and how that was sorted out. Comments very much worth your time as well. Crooked Timber: (from comments) “Everyone gets what he wants. I wanted an overarching critique of the modern politico-economic system. And for my sins, they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service.” And I’m going to edit this post to... Read more