Trans-fat...

...why cross-dressers can't fit into their lacy things

SNL Quip

Last week's channel surfing paused for a while on Saturday Night Live's fake news report. Some of it was funny, for a change. They opened with a pretty good one:

The war in Iraq has accomplished one thing: It has brought about regime change in the United States.

Tasteless Thoughts

Consider broccoli and it's evil white cousin, cauliflower. I personally can't stand them. There are a few other veggies I don't like, eggplant is one, Brussels sprouts, asparagus.

And I have friends who go out of their way to eat these.

This afternoon I ate at World Wraps and was appalled to discover my beef teriyaki wrap stuffed full of broccoli. Which reminded me that when I returned from two broccoli-free years in Thailand, all the Thai restaurants adopted that little green plastic tree as its house vegetable. I am still wondering why. It is nothing at all like the pak taup which it replaces. Pak taup means "slap vegetable" and is a lily pad (slaps the surface of the water) which is toxic and banned by the FDA. It has a bitter taste which is difficult to reproduce with legal foodstuffs. Broccoli is about as far from pak taup in taste as one can get. Another veggie I miss is morning glory, which is probably also on the FDA no-no list. Lotus root I don't miss, it tastes a lot like cauliflower (that is, it has no taste) but it's pretty when sliced horizontally.

The old saying "there's no accounting for taste" enters my mind, and gets flipped into "no no no, I have no taste for accounting." So I'm driving back to work and wondering what does account for taste. Is it genetic? Is it a learned response? Do we like what our friends like because of peer pressure? Do we dislike what is Good For Us because we have to rebel? And what about Naomi?

And today's bad pun is...

Q. What makes Dale Earnhardt, Jr. such a great NASCAR driver?
A. Race memory.

You Know How To Whistle, Don't You?

I'm ripping some tracks from CDs for my next "Faves" CD - what I listen to in the car. This will be #11. Well, #13 if you count the two musicals CDs, but they kind of suck at the moment. Anyhow, listening to Tata Young's Best Of CD set, because Cinderella is going on the next CD.

On another album, Dangerous, there is a very beautiful song in Thai which is titled in English Love Song in the Wind. It is one of those rare songs where the tune is gorgeous and the words match. And it has a little gimmick at the end which I just adore.

My Thai is not that good, but the song's lyrics are mostly pretty simple, so I'll take a stab at it:

Hear in the wind which blows everywhere
A song may enter your heart
and also bring tears
(something about the heart)

Can you remember when we used to meet?
I didn't know if you would  leave or not

Chorus:
One word only
I wanted to say to you
Held in my heart till we meet
That word is love
I love you

But speaking (something something) you, do you agree?
Could speak to many people, one person would hear
I've seen that, but it's stingy(?) love
I'll give it to the wind which blows, floats by

Repeat Chorus, change the last line to:

I love only you

Repeat last verse

[Singer takes a deep breath, pause, blows]

It's not a complete translation, and I'm sure I've got bits wrong, but the general idea is there. I'm a sucker for romantic songs. Especially romantic songs about LDRs.

Listen to it here. (it's a big file, wait for it to load and to find an MP3 player). Let me know what you think. IMHO, you don't need to understand Thai to enjoy it.