Author: kenwheaton

Biscuits, boudin, bacon, cane syrup? Sure, why not. The Sweet Baby Breesus is one of the signature items of The French Press in Lafayette, Louisiana. And if you’re anywhere near there, go grab some brunch. Certainly a lot easier than doing this at home. Hell, if you don’t live in Louisiana, getting the right kind of boudin is damn near impossible. You might even have trouble finding the cane syrup.

Cara wanted this, so I figured I’d give it a whirl. Especially after our friend Sara made it for her while she was home. Sara’s undoubtedly turned out better, but mine still came out okay.

What do you need to do?

Pillsbury biscuits. Bake ’em
Some bacon. I’d cook that in the oven, just to save yourself some trouble.
Boudin. Squeeze it out of its casing. Make little biscuit-size patties. Firm ’em up. Sprinkle a little flour on ’em. Fry the patties in oil until crisp and brown.

Then make yourself a little sandwich. Use the cane syrup as a condiment. Eat.

Just curious.

Recently, I spent a couple hours at the local cineplex taking in The Silver Linings Playbook. The movie, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Bobby Deniro, was written and directed by David O. Russell. It was also based on the novel The Silver Linings Playbook, written by Matthew Quick.

I’m a fan of Quick’s and was a huge fan of this book, when a few years ago my old blogging buddy Angela suggested I send the manuscript for The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival to him. Full disclosure, a brief bromance blossomed. We even had drinks in Philly once.

All of which is to say that I went into this movie feeling, perhaps, protective. Now, I wasn’t like a teenage Harry Potter fan, ready to cast death spells (or whatever) if the movie wasn’t up to snuff. But I had concerns.
Continue reading “The Silver Linings Play, er, Movie” →

Overheard in New York.

Lady 1: I think I’m gonna go for a pedicure.
Lady 2: What?
Lady 1: If I have time this weekend, I’m gonna go get a pedicure?
Lady 2: A pet store? What do you gotta go to a pet store for?
Lady 1: A PEDICURE.
Lady 2: Ohhhhh.

I just hate it when a alternate-reality, ghost, fantasy book with a great premise turns out to be a third-rate love story larded up with flabby writing and half-assed political critique.

I’m not going to name the book, partly because I don’t think it’s the sort of thing my few readers would usually read, partly because why harsh some dude’s holiday buzz if he goes Googling his name and finds a negative review. But I’m at the age where I feel like an ass for finishing books that aren’t good. This one gave fair warning–the early pages, instead of moving the plot along, would bog down in description of such fascinating things as the weather and people walking by on the streets. Now, this sort of thing can be good reading, in the right hands. This was just blah. But the premise kept me going, and there were sections where I felt I was being taken somewhere cool. Almost. The book ended with a whimper, lots of build-up resulting in a “resolution” more befitting a college kid’s idea of how a New Yorker short story should end. It was “deep,” man. Deeply disappointing.

I can tell by Amazon reviews that at least a couple of people have had the same experience with my stuff. Such is life. I just feel used. SOMEONE HOLD ME!

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

With all the emotion involved with the recent shooting, I’m trying really hard to, in the words of Pat Peoples, be kind instead of right. On the other hands, in the words xkcd, SOMEONE IS BEING WRONG ON THE INTERNET! But, I just have to say that for those of you wanting to have a “gun control” argument, note one of two things.

1. If you actually want to make all guns illegal, just say so. Doesn’t help your argument to pretend otherwise.

2. If you actually want stricter control of guns, you need to know about the laws already on the books and about guns. A lot of people are using words like “assault” and semi-automatic. Assault is almost meaningless. And semi-automatic? Pretty much all guns–with the exception of muskets and certain shotguns–are semi-automatic these days. Semi-automatic simply means you don’t have to reload anything between shots (and, honestly, in some circles “automatic” is used in the same manner). Semi-automatic does not mean machine gun. Not even close.

People seem to be under the impression Lanza (and these other types of shooters) used a military-grade machine gun and sprayed the room indiscriminately. In a way, that’s easier to believe. But if the last reports are to be believed, Lanza used pistols as his primary weapon. Even if he fired the Bushmaster, it still requires a trigger pull for each shot. Which means–and this makes thinking about the shooting even worse–Lanza did not walk in and sweep a gun back and forth. He walked into a fairly secure school with legally purchased and registered guns, aimed them at children and fired. Over and over again.

Me? I find myself not interested in arguing about guns. My mind’s kind of full=up with the sort of person, the sort of brain capable of committing such an act.