My Afflation

In yesterday’s Wordless Wednesday I posted a comic from xkcd about internet addiction. What’s sad is that I know I most likely suffer from it, and so do most of my friends. I have been a social media addict since 1994 when I used to hang out on IRC as much, if not more, than I hang out on twitter. (someone should take my phone away from me…). How bad is it? And I couldn’t even plausibly deny it… Further confirmation came in the form of a comment on my Facebook profile from one of the aforementioned IRC pals … yeah, I have a problem.

Ready for some good, clean, fun? Recently, quite by accident, Scott McGrew and I have developed quite the meme on twitter. It all started on April 26th . Well, maybe a day or so earlier, but that is the first time I used #talkgeektome (yup, I take full responsibility, ok, partial. He replied and kept it going, and going and going…). It was supposed to be a joke. Not an ongoing intellectual HAWT (both definitions, thankyouverymuch) conversation. I think I was debating on whether or not to get a USB powered external HDD or go for the one with an external power supply. I still haven’t decided, by the way. But I did order a replacement power supply for my existing Western Digital HDD ( Zoe got bored one day… another story). I think I have been having too much fun getting to know people with extremely sexy minds and clean (enough for government work) minds. And I’m learning so much!!! I have my own brand of geek, but as we get more and more into it I’m learning a lot. Especially ...

Vasquez Rocks - in passing 98/395 Originally uploaded by Nannerlady

Image by kattebelletje via Flickr In honor of all the belt-tightening going on around these days, here is a pretty tasty and filling low-cost stew. This is also a protein-rich, yet meatless, meal. (Don’t faint Rachel, there’s got to be a few vegetarian Texans by now ) . Serves 6. Ingredients 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 3 cups water or broth of your choice 1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed 2-3 medium carrots, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained Directions 1. Sautee onions and garlic in the oil 2. Stir in remaining ingredients 3. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer about 40 minutes. Serve with bread or rice.

©Annette Holland - 2009 - taken at the Port of Long Beach

Image via Wikipedia   What was the last meal you ate out? Lunch here at work, I got a sandwich, a nectarine, and some chips from the local grocery store. If your partner or friends could take you to any restaurant you wanted (their treat), which one would it be? Outback. I <3 their salmon. There’s also this place in San Diego that serves the most succulent filet mignon, but I don’t know if they exist anymore, it’s been about 12 years since I ate there. Oh, and for dessert, Extraordinary Desserts . Buffet, take-out or sit-down restaurant? Depends on who I am with. With a growing teen, definitely buffet. Take-out during the week and sit-down for a date or hanging out with friends. What restaurant do you eat at the most? Does McDonald’s count? What type of restaurant is missing from your current town? I don’t know, I haven’t wandered around enough. from Deep In the Dish

what are you currently trying to learn/master with your cooking? Crockpot cooking of all things. Sometimes I don’t quite get it right. And pancakes. Though, after 20+ years, that might be a lost cause. where do you go for ideas for new recipes (cooking shows, cookbooks/magazines, experiment in the kitchen)? Usually things I try in a restaurant, like pho, or ethnic food. Like the empanadas . I’ll also try some of the recipes in the back of magazines. what is one thing that you make, but you don't eat? Shrimp stir-fry. Both me and my son are allergic, me mildly, him severely. But so far my estranged-dh and dd are ok. what is your biggest guilty pleasure with food? Tasting while cooking. what is one thing that your mom (or who ever taught you to cook) can make better than you? Traditional Mexican food I suppose. It’s been a while since I made huevos rancheros or chile rellenos. Now I’m getting hungry… I should stop all this food blogging.W...

With the permission of the best twitter DJ on the planet ( @adbert ), I present his yummy Receta de Empanadas: Here is my worldest famous recipe of Argentinian "empanadas." =) Empanadas are very popular all over Latin America, there are thousands of variations...Each house have 3 or 4 variants. But this one is the Best of the Best. ;-) he he he. Ingredients: Crust (Masa): ------------- - 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour - 1/8 -1/6 teaspoon salt - 4 ounces stick butter or margarine. The real recipe is made with "fat cow": tastiest but heavier! LOL - 1/3 cup milk Or you can buy the Crust. =P Filling (Relleno): ------------------ - 1 pound ground beef / corned beef. Mom is mom, she prefer ground beef. - 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil, olive extra virgin preferred. - 1 large onion, finely chopped. I said: Finely! - 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, finely chopped. What I said? Finely! - 2 hard cooked eggs, finely chopped. Have to explain? Fi-ne-ly! - 10 green olives, f...

Forget the bit about the President. Take this as the beginning of an open apology. Though I do still have some behind-the-scenes work to do.

deep in the dish of texas : "tuesday take 5 -- week #3 here are your five questions for this week's tuesday's take 5! thanks for everyone who has been playing along! 1. what surprises you most about your cooking? That it's actually good and some of my best meals are my "made-up" recipes. Just taking what we have on hand, not using a recipe, and combining flavors in such a way that everyone in my family will eat all the dishes. 2. what one that you have mastered cooking (that you could not cook when you started)? Pancakes. Actually, pancakes are still a work-in-progress, my kids make them better than I do, but at least I don't mix up the baking soda and baking powder anymore. 3. who was your biggest inspiration to start cooking? I started cooking out of necessity to feed a large family. Every Sunday it became my "chore" to feed 10 people. I still prefer baking, but I am a pretty good cook these days. The biggest motivation to become a better c...

from: deep in the dish of texas 1. what is one food that you refuse to try? Brussels sprouts. I had a bad experience with them as a kid and just can’t stand them now. 2. what is the one food that you like to eat, but won't make? Chorizo 3. what is the farthest you've traveled for a meal? From Hillsboro to Lincoln City for some awesome burgers and shakes at the 60s Cafe View Larger Map 4. what is the most creative/exotic meal you've ever made? Red Thai Curry Chicken 5. what is scariest (i.e. hole in the wall) place you've eaten at? Probably the ‘berto’s on Miramar near the base in San Diego. Hole in the wall, but the best burritos EVA! oh, and Chinatown Sam Woo. Not a hole in the wall, but at one point it got a “D”. Still good food.

Mouth-Watering Monday 2/9/09 Serves 8-10 Salad: 1 pkg. (10 oz) blend of romaine and leaf lettuce 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn kernels, thawed 3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes 1/2 small red onion, peeled and sliced 1 avocado, chopped 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Honey-Lime Dressing 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup olive or canola oil 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tsp garlic, minced Directions: 1. Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl until combined. 2. Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl just before serving. 3. Pour dressing over salad; toss until evenly distributed. 4. Season to taste with salt and pepper Serve with additional cheese and dressing on the side.

I was following a trail of Entrecards that led me to Muddledwords.com and this meme . Put your answers in the comments, or place the meme on your blog and leave me a comment Your name? Annette An amazingly gorgeous type girl who loves everyone and never turns her back on anyone. a type of person who gets mad very rarely and loves to have fun. she is a very sexy person and loves flirting and showing off herself. Damn she's annette! 2. Annette 20 up, 4 down Girl's name. Someone you can't ever forget about. Will make an impact in your life. Sometimes bipolar. wow that night was so annette! What car do you have? 2008 Honda Fit Image via Wikipedia A hatchback subcompact car offered by Honda that has become very popular with gay men in America. This can largely be attributed to the advertising campaign "the fit is go" which featured still images of the car rotating around with rainbow ba...

I was one of the lucky first five to write a comment on Mariah's interview post . So here goes: MH:1) If you were cremated where would you like to have your ashes spread? AH: Across the Pacific. Trite, I know, but I do so love the ocean. My favorite place is Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, so I would want them spread from there. From Laguna Beach MH: 2)What fashioned trend did you follow that was cool THEN but now looks ridiculous? AH: Scrunchy socks and pegged jeans. With Keds.'Nuff said. MH: 3) What would you try if you had no fear? AH: Swimming. Every time I go swimming I end up practically drowining. I sink like a rock, so I never venture past the 5 foot mark in a pool. I have encouraged both of my kids to learn how to swim though. From Vegas2007 MH: 4)What one question would you ask a psychic about the future? AH: Will I ever have peace in my life? Before I die of course. MH: 5) What's your proudest accomplishment? AH: My kids. As much as I complain about them, I get co...

(photo courtesy of urlgirl ) This is actually a quick meal to make. The longest part is making the Mexican rice, so you may want to do that first. Actually, make the salsa first so it can chill unless you don't mind room temperature salsa ... and now onto the food! Fish: Pan-sear in virgin olive oil with lemon or orange juice cilantro and a few other seasonings. Whatever you have on hand will do. Rice: You can either use Zatarain’s mix or … Sautee 1 cup rice in butter or oil with some chopped onion until a light brown. Add one can diced tomatoes with juices, and 1 cup chicken broth. Cook for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Black Bean Salsa: 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 11 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained 1 t minced fresh jalpeno pepper 1 avacado, chopped 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or subst. 1 t dried cilantro) 1/4 c. diced red onion 1/4 c. ...

Joanna at Now With Baby assigned me the Letter K to think of a few of my favorite things. She did hers back in December , assigned me “K” before Christmas and well, I am just now getting to it. The rule of the school is this: make a list of your top 10 favorite things! The catch is that all of your favorites have to begin with the letter that is assigned to you by... the blogger from whom you caught the favorite bug! If you want to play, just leave a comment and I'll assign you a letter! Kiwi – LOVE kiwis, the fruit and the people, especially author Phillipa Ballantine . Have you read Chasing the Bard or Digital Magic yet? kumquat – It’s a cool sounding word, and another fruit, though I haven’t had the pleasure of eating one yet. Kabobs/Kebobs – Another food I love to eat and make. kaffeeklatsch – coffee and gossip, or just some meaningful woman-to-woman time. Kahlua has got to be my all-time favorite liqueur. It goes well with coffee, milk, crea...

borrowed from @daniellesque Where did you begin 2008? Crashing on a friend's couch in Pasadena. But I got a homemade breakfast that day. What was your status by Valentine's Day? Single and in my own apartment. Were you in school (anytime this year)? Yes, I started University of Phoenix. Did you have to go to the hospital? Only for Josh and his broken arm Did you have any encounters with the police? thankfully, no Where did you go on vacation? I took a few weekend trips to the Bay Area, but no real vacation What did you purchase that was over $500? My Honda Fit Did you know anybody who got married? Yes, my downstairs neighbors. Did you know anybody who passed away? No. Death free year in my immediate circle. Did you move anywhere? From Pasadena to Long Beach. What sporting events did you attend? Vans Downtown Showdown . Skateboarding is a sport, right? ...

You Feel Misunderstood By Your Family You feel a bit overwhelmed by and resentful of your family right now. This is a good moment for you to take some time away from them. You feel like your family is prone to too many arguments and instability. You never feel like things can be completely peaceful. It's sometimes hard for your family to understand who you are now. You've changed a lot, and they have trouble accepting the new you. You are honest and very outspoken with your family. You sometimes hurt feelings by saying things they don't want to hear. How Do You Really Feel About Your Family?