Bits and bobs
Jul. 24th, 2010 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trixtahStupid Socialist Alliance assertion du jour (at least according to a banner I saw of theirs today): apparently capitalism is responsible for all the nasty ills of the world, such as wars, racism, pollution and something else I've forgotten now. Now, I'm not pretending that capitalism is not a very effective way of delivering various kinds of oppression, including the economic kind, but wow, I totally had no idea of the utopia embodied in absolute monarchy, feudalism, dictatorships (of the right and left kind) or even the good old days of tribes and their chieftains fighting over neighbouring hills.
There's nothing wrong with pointing plenty of fingers at capitalism, but correlation does not equal causation.
In other news, the new Connie Willis book, Blackout, has arrived in Oz, and what a disappointment. This review on Amazon summarises exactly how irritating it is. Such a shame. Anyway, I'm not bothering to go back for Part 2 - the whole "miscommunication" trope was wearing on me a bit in To Say Nothing of the Dog, but this book tipped it way over. It's also EXTREMELY irksome that there is no mention of the fact that the book - nearly 500 pages - is part one of two, until you get to the end and find a very subtle (not) advertising blurb to buy the next. No thanks.
And cocktail invention of the month:
In a cocktail shaker lid, lightly crush two cloves. At 1-2 Tbl of overproof rum and heat over a tealight until bubbles start to form. Flame the rum, allow to burn for a few seconds and extinguish by covering the lid (with the bottom of the shaker, a glass, whatever). Strain the rum over ice in a short glass. Pour over a shot of light rum (decent quality, plz), 1/2 a shot Grand Marnier and a shot of orange juice. Top up with pineappe juice and stir. To be classy, make a twist of orange peel, flame it and use it to garnish the drink.
Nom nom!
There's nothing wrong with pointing plenty of fingers at capitalism, but correlation does not equal causation.
In other news, the new Connie Willis book, Blackout, has arrived in Oz, and what a disappointment. This review on Amazon summarises exactly how irritating it is. Such a shame. Anyway, I'm not bothering to go back for Part 2 - the whole "miscommunication" trope was wearing on me a bit in To Say Nothing of the Dog, but this book tipped it way over. It's also EXTREMELY irksome that there is no mention of the fact that the book - nearly 500 pages - is part one of two, until you get to the end and find a very subtle (not) advertising blurb to buy the next. No thanks.
And cocktail invention of the month:
In a cocktail shaker lid, lightly crush two cloves. At 1-2 Tbl of overproof rum and heat over a tealight until bubbles start to form. Flame the rum, allow to burn for a few seconds and extinguish by covering the lid (with the bottom of the shaker, a glass, whatever). Strain the rum over ice in a short glass. Pour over a shot of light rum (decent quality, plz), 1/2 a shot Grand Marnier and a shot of orange juice. Top up with pineappe juice and stir. To be classy, make a twist of orange peel, flame it and use it to garnish the drink.
Nom nom!
