We may have gotten a new cat. We went to a party, and as soon as we got out of the car, a little cat ran up to us and started nuzzling against us. We noticed the cat was extremely thin. We reached down to pet it and found that its long fur was horribly matted (she has one solid dreadlock running almost the entire length of her left side). We asked Jodi about the cat, and she said that the cat was frequently seen in her front and back yards.

Well, the cat is obviously not being cared for—but it’s friendly enough to where I don’t think it was born a stray. I picked it up and it didn’t even really struggle. So I think it used to belong to someone, and it got either lost or abandoned, and had been outside for probably at least a month.

Anyway, we’re going to take her (I think it’s a girl) in tomorrow to get groomed (basically, to shave out all the matted fur), and we’ll see if we can check to see if she has a microchip. For those who don’t know, a lot of pets today are given a microchip that contains information on the current owner. If a pet is found, the chip can be checked and the owner contacted, no matter where the pet is found. So if the cat has a chip and the owner wants her back, we’ll give her back. Otherwise, we’re keeping her. Janelle picked out the name Tilly, and I think that’s going to be her name (unless she’s actually a boy, in which case he’ll be named Oliver).

I just realized that even though I have a list of recommendations on my site for music, movies, and such, most people will never listen to the bands I have listed there because it’s hard to find music to sample before buying a CD. Well, here are some songs from bands I like. Check them out and see if you like them too.

Explosions in the Sky – “The Birth and Death of the Day”:

The intro’s a little weird, so make sure to listen past that to get to the real song.

Mountain Goats – “This Year” (although the intro is from another song):

The video’s a little cheesy, but the song is great.

Neko Case – “Maybe Sparrow”:

Neko was featured on the soundtrack to The Royal Tenenbaums. I don’t know which song exactly, but she was on there.

Tilly and the Wall – “Rainbows in the Dark”:

Yes, that’s a tap dancer instead of a drummer.

Mogwai – “Friend of the Night”:

Ambient rock at its finest.

Arcade Fire – “Rebellion (Lies)”:

Wholesome indy rock for the whole family!

Dropkick Murphys – “The Warrior’s Code”:

The greatest Celtic punk band of all time. Punk + bagpipes = awesome

The Shins – “Phantom Limb”:

Great band. Check ‘em out.

The Pillows – “Hybrid Rainbows”:

Fun Japanese rock. There’s actually an anime show (FLCL) with the whole soundtrack done by these guys. It’s awesome.

The Seatbelts – “Tank”:

This band, along with Japanese composer Yoko Kanno, did the entire soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop, one of the best animes ever produced. Most of the soundtrack is killer jazz.

Radiohead – “Let Down”:

Sad and beautiful and moving all at the same time. The album this song is on, OK Computer, might be my favorite album of all time.

Muse – “Butterflies and Hurricanes”:

Imagine a theatrical version of Radiohead and you get Muse. Make sure to wait for the classical piano solo. In the studio, it’s the lead singer doing all of the piano work as well as lead vocals and guitars.

One of our sales guys has been out this whole week. So I got someone he didn’t know to leave this message on his voicemail:

Mr. Blancho, this is Mr. Lyon with KZ Media. We’re an affiliate network and we’re branching into the education sector. I was hoping to talk to you about a strategic alliance. My number is XXX.XXX.XXXX. My name is Mr. Lyon. Thanks.

The number we left for him is the Kansas City Zoo. Mr. Lyon, you have a call holding…

Janelle and I are working with our finances. I’m going to save you a lot of trouble by passing on my knowledge to you.

401k – Short for 401,000, which is how much you’ll be spending on gas each year when you’re 65. Basically, the more money you put into this, the more money you’ll make, and the more you’ll be able to drive when you’re older and retired.

IRA – The Irish Roasters Association—a small but affluent group of coffee growers on the Emerald Isle. If you won’t invest in your future, please, invest in the coffee.

Credit – Contrary to what you might think, college credits can actually be traded for real, live credit. Make sure to talk to your guidance counselor about this before graduating.

Insurance – This is a legal way of gambling over your own health. Unfortunately, the house always wins. Unfortunately, you will get sick.

EBITDA – Earnings Before Tramps, Drugs, and Alcohol. Accountants will tell you this means something else for obvious reasons.

That’s actually all I know about finances.

Observez:

Observer comme ce concurrent de concours de beauté joue le thème de Star Wars sur sa trompette:

Sacre bleu! Qu’un embarras aux concurrents de beauté et le métal cuivre!

Ce texte est en français parce que Janelle et Nathan ont écrit déjà de lui dans l’anglais. Poste prochaine: Yoda en Espagnol!

- Two pounds ground beef
- Two medium or one extra large onion (white or yellow, but not sweet)
- Two cans kidney beans, drained
- Two cans crushed tomatoes (these are usually larger than typical cans)
- Three rounded teaspoons of chili powder
- Three or four cloves
- Salt (I’m unsure on the exact measure… maybe around two tablespoons)
- One or two tablespoons of Liquid Smoke (don’t bother measuring)
- A few chipotle peppers (this is the real secret)

First, a word on chipotle peppers. A chipotle pepper is a smoked jalapeño. I’m not sure the exact measure to use, but while you’re in the store, take a good look at a normal jalapeño pepper. You’ll want to use about the same volume of chipotle peppers, since they vary in size. Make sure to take the veins and seeds out of each pepper, unless you like it very spicy. Dice these very small.

If you can’t find chipotle peppers, just use a good-size green jalapeño pepper and some extra Liquid Smoke.

Start by dicing the onion(s) and grilling them together with the ground beef. You’ll probably want to add some salt to these as they cook (in addition to the two tablespoons added later). Drain. Pour one can of kidney beans and one of crushed tomatoes into your Crock Pot, followed by the beef and onions and half of the spices. Put the rest of the beans and tomatoes on top, followed by the rest of the spices and Liquid Smoke. Cook on low for eight hours, stirring partway through (if you can).

The word pariah, meaning an outcast or any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided, comes from the Tamil word paraiyar, the plural of paraiyan, which literally means “drummer.”

I’ve been experimenting with a beer bread recipe. Here’s what I have so far:

- One cup wheat flour
- One cup barley flour (This really makes it better, so it’s worth hunting down. If you can’t find it, use another cup of wheat flour.)
- One cup white flour
- 4½ tsp. baking powder (if you’re using self-rising flour, you can omit this)
- One rounded half cup of sugar (so a little more than a half cup)
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- One bottle or can (12 oz.) of a beer you like (don’t skimp on the beer)
- One tablespoon of vegetable oil (optional, but makes for moister bread)

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix all of the dry ingredients together thoroughly before adding any of the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Place in a lightly-greased bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

I think my oven may run a little hot, so you may have to bake it at 375. Let me know what you think.

What the hell does while (!feof($f)) mean?