It’s a baby hedgehog. At first I thought someone had made this as a toy. Because… well, it doesn’t seem real that something could be as cute as this little baby. Right?

From here.

Yes, I cried.

I always end up crying with these tear-jerkers. It annoys me because it gives me headaches. But I cannot push the stop button either, that’s out of the question. Just like with really bad movies (the – ahem – Spirit). How else would I be allowed to say that I have seen the movie if I actually haven’t seen the whole thing? So if I start then I finish.

It wasn’t even in the end when he closed his eyes that I cried. It was during the first five minutes of the movie that I felt the salty fuckers. I feel like I’ve disappointed myself by letting it get to me. Why?

I loved one particular phrase from the movie.

“Our lives are defined by opportunities. Even the ones we miss.”

I happen to think the same way. I know which opportunities have defined my life. The ones I have taken advantage of and the ones I have missed. These opportunities have always presented themselves to me in a by-the-way manner and I have never treated them as if they were special. They come and go and help shape my life, suggesting directions unknown to me. But I always did have a healthy curiosity and so I go along with the opportunities if I see that they might take me somewhere.

I had the opportunity to see this movie. It took me somewhere. To this right here:

Although I love the thought of myself being above tear-jerkers, I have to say that I am not. And why would I need to say something like that? Should I want to be above them? Should I be somehow ashamed of my willingness to get lost in make-belief? Should I blush at the thought of my humanity?

The truth is, I love human emotions. They give color to our existence. And whatever the mediator that brings me closer to each depth of myself, in the end I am glad it did. Simulation and role-play through the simple act of watching a movie and getting lost in it can contribute a lot to our knowledge of ourselves.

I want to know myself. I want to experience myself. And watching a movie is a pretty good starting point for that.

Although I love A Cheater’s Armoury, I love the video more. It simply goes to your heart. It was directed by Swedish animator Andreas Paleologos.

Sia was my love last fall. I remember going to the woods to pick berries, listening to her. It started to rain. But I was all alone in the woods and it was so beautiful that I didn’t leave. I just kept on picking berries and listening to Sia, singing along as honest as possible.

Robmania has taken over the world. After Twilight came out Rob Pattinson was instantly in girls’ heads and hearts. And if wishful thinking could transform reality he would probably be in their pants, too. But what is it that makes him so desired? I mean, let’s be honest – we don’t want him because of his acting skills.

Looking at the current trends in the who’s-hot-and-who’s-not category I see Zac Efron and the Jonas Brothers as the hot guys. Eww. When you think about it, there has always been a tendency to put this sort of pretty boys on the pedestal. (Nick Carter comes to mind.)

But these are trying times and when times are tough you look to your instincts to guide you. And your instincts tell you that you have admired these girlish boys for too long. If you lived in the Stone Age you would choose your mate wisely. You wouldn’t  care for the way he curls his hair or how fashionably he dresses. You would want him to be a survivor. You would want your offspring to be healthy. And since we all know that the economy is how it is and that hardship lay ahead we subconsciously give our instincts the green light and start looking for that hidden hunter in today’s men.

Looking at Rob’s face you can see that compared to the Jonas Brothers and Zac Efron and, actually, most of the young celebs that have young girls going mad, he looks like he just came from some cave. His thick brow… His naughty stubble… He’s really got this Neanderthal action going on in his face (look at his profile). And that is just right. We want that.

The survival of the species is also very important. That requires sex. And since Twilight was a ninety-minute sex fantasy we already feel like we’ve had sex with Rob. And it was hot. And we want more of that hot stuff.

His body is awesome. He’s got muscle and boy would he hunt us some dinner. He was sort of a hunter in Twilight as well, so we can visualize him killing that deer, the whole gory manly act. We can see him bringing home the bacon.

So my point is that I think Robmania makes sense. Crisis –> instincts –> caveman –> Rob Pattinson. It’s that simple. I mean, he’s hot! Tell me you don’t want to have his babies and I won’t believe you. You can’t fight it, darling. It’s not up to your moral part to control your urges. You can’t pray the lust away. So just go with it and watch Twilight one more time.

Found it here.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  (8-oz.) package diced cooked ham
• 1/2  cup  sliced green onions (about 4 onions)
• 1  (9-inch) frozen unbaked pie shell
• 1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
• 1  cup  (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2  medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1  large egg
• 1/3  cup  half-and-half
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh basil
• 1/8  teaspoon  pepper
• Garnishes: fresh basil sprigs, tomato slices

Preparation

Sauté ham and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until ham is brown and any liquid evaporates.

Brush bottom of pie shell evenly with mustard; sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon ham mixture evenly over cheese, and top with single layer of sliced tomatoes.

Beat egg and half-and-half with a fork until blended; pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with basil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake on lowest oven rack at 425° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve; garnish, if desired.

I think I may have a problem. I fantasize about food. Thank God I don’t eat muffins as often as I dream about them.

I have always been a picky eater and have missed out on a LOT of flavors, but I have begun making up for it. And I am crazy about trying out different flavors that I would surely have despised a couple of years ago. So don’t judge me if my love for muffins crosses the limit from healthy to kinky.

Here’s a muffin recipe that got my glands all juiced up (I told you. Kinky).

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 large banana, peeled, mashed
• 1 small carrot, peeled, grated
• Sifted pure icing sugar, for dusting

These yummy muffins are delicious with banana, but you can use stewed apples or pears instead. However you make them, they’re a real treat!

Here’s how:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 12-hole standard muffin tin with muffin cases. Sift flour, bicarb and nutmeg into a bowl. Add sugar, stir to combine.

Put the olive oil, honey and eggs in a medium jug and whisk with a fork to combine. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the banana and carrot, pour in the olive oil mixture and stir with a fork until the mixture is just combined. Spoon batter into each muffin case, no more than two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until well risen, golden and firm to touch. Put on a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

These sound really good.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar or 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1-1 1/2 cup mango, pulp of (2 very ripe mangoes)

Directions

Cut and peel two very ripe (soft to the touch) mangoes and reduce to soft pulp and juice. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl combine oil, milk, and egg.

Mix liquid ingredients with dry until just moist and stir in the mango pulp.

Fill greased muffin tins, or paper muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes.

They are done when they are brown on top and a tooth-pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Watched it yesterday.

I will never watch it again.

It sucked. So bad. Awful.

I mean it started and it ended and there was some racket in between. I don’t know what they were doing or who was doing it. The characters were just there, they did not grow. Lame. I did not sympathize with any of them. I can see it in the actors’ eyes that all they see is green and nothing else. Pathetic.

I actually feel sorry for everyone involved. I mean, there was potential, right? It had a living dead guy and sexy women and immortality and whatnots… and you come up with this? I feel sorry for all of you, I really do.

I totally loved South Park’s parody of the movie, but I think that The Spirit is already a great big parody of itself.

Here’s one:

by Robert Masciave