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March 14th, 2009  Album: We Can Create
Artist: Maps
(Official Site) (Wikipedia)
(Last.fm) (iTunes)
Aside from Pandora and movie soundtracks, my next biggest source of new music stems from TV shows, particularly British shows, as they seem to put more of an effort into their soundtracks. This selection comes from this week’s episode of Skins, which regularly features an huge variety of music (22 songs in this last episode.)
I love this album because it has a nice calm, mellow sound while remaining upbeat — I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Bonus: You may also want to check out a track from an upcoming album: Dog Days by Florence and the Machine, weird music video here.
March 11th, 2009 Right now I’m reading No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan, and I think that one of my goals for this coming summer will be to read the entire Quran. No, I’m not apostatizing from the Church, and yes, this will be in addition to my regular study of the scriptures. I just think it will be beneficial to have a better understanding of Muhammad’s teaching and how they differ from some of the practices of fundamentalist Islamic sects. So, if anyone can suggest a good English translation of the Quran, please let me know — my Arabic is horrible.
March 10th, 2009 I thought long and hard about what I would write about for this milestone post, and, as food is such a huge part of my life, I’ve decided to share some of the recipes I’ve been using over the past few months. Those who know me (or more importantly, my cooking) will note that my all-time favorite recipe is not listed here, that being my personal recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. If you do want that one, feel free to ask me for it, I just won’t be posting it online. Not yet, anyway.
Sour Cream Apple Crumble Bars & Sweet Pastry Crust, Type Two
Think apple pie in a bar form. These are so good that a batch I baked for my home-teachees never made it out of my apartment.
Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
A slightly less sweet chocolate chip cookie with a texture similar to that of a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. These take a bit to get used to, but quickly grow on you.
Sacristains & Really Rapid Puff Pastry
Delicate pastry twists that are great with hot chocolate, ice cream, or just by themselves.
Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Just a hint of pistachio, a quick-and-easy recipe, especially if you have someone else in the kitchen to help roll and cut.
February 26th, 2009 I realized that my post on Tuesday was the first time I’ve actually written about the music I listen to. Because music makes up a huge part of my life, as anyone who knows me will readily testify, I’ve committed to posting about the best albums I encounter. When possible, I’ll also explain how I discovered the artist and or album.
 Album: Coming to Terms
Artist: Carolina Liar
(Wikipedia) (Official Site)
I came across this album while watching What Happens In Vegas the other day (which was a surprisingly good movie, by the way.) The track I’m Not Over is featured in the soundtrack, and the other songs on the album are on par or superior to that title. An interesting style with a nice, upbeat tempo. Listen to it and tell me what you think.
February 21st, 2009 It’s been a while since I’ve written about the books I’ve been reading, and I’ve actually managed to finish three books in the last month or so.
How Soccer Explains the World: an unlikely theory of globalization by Franklin Foer
Read more like a travelogue from the viewpoint of a soccer fan rather than a theory of globalization. If you’re huge into the European and Brazilian leagues, this book may appeal to you. Otherwise, don’t bother with it and stick with Freidman’s books instead if you want to learn about globalization.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
A fascinating novel narrated by three individuals: a young boy who lost his father on 9/11 and his two grandparents. Once you get over the somewhat odd writing style, it’s an extremely enjoyable piece of literature.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Told from the point of view of the son of two Indian immigrants who resents his parents’ traditions and culture. Well written, but the subject matter didn’t seem to reach me on any significant level.
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