PicoBlog

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled…. I was in my early 20s the first time I was truly drawn in and captivated by the Sermon on the Mount. As a pastor’s kid who had attended a Bible college, I knew all the verses and the basic outline.

A long time ago now, frustrated with what I believed was a grotesque fusion of Christianity and politics in the Bush era, I coined the term “Christianism.” I regret it in some ways because it alienated many of the people I was trying to persuade. But its analogy to Islamism was not designed to argue that Christianists were in any way violent; just that, like Islamists, they saw no real distinction between politics and religion.

When filmmakers and moviegoers reference scenes of “simulated sex,” they are employing a euphemism for “no protuberance was inserted into a bodily orifice during the making of this film.” Thus, the difference many make between “simulated sex” (what we see in mainstream entertainment) and “actual penetrative sex” (what we see in hardcore pornography). Both acts may include undressing, libidinous kissing, the fondling of sexual organs, grinding, and sexual noises, but “simulated sex” avoids ejaculations (except when it doesn’t).

Publication of the first volume of Mick Fleetwood’s memoir Love That Burns led to a series of articles discussing the book and the pre-1974 versions of Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood’s first volume ends at the end of 1974, as he introduces new band members Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham to the group’s keyboard player, Christine McVie. McVie was a Mac veteran already, having joined unofficially with Kiln House in 1970. McVie had proven to be.

You’re Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck), the author of a popular housekeeping article in a national magazine, on what it’s like to live on a farm with old-fashioned everything, including a husband and a baby, chickens in the yard, and a great big cow named Macushla. Everything’s going fine, until your boss, Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), a ma… ncG1vNJzZmiZnqm1sLrYnqqopJWje7TBwayrmpubY7CwuY6pZpygop7AtbnArGSipl2YvK%2B6xJyropulqXpyhZNu

At this time of year I remember being a small forlorn child looking out at the dry desert behind our home, searching among the cactus wrens and creosote for the dreamy snowy white winter wonderland I saw on our Magnavox every Christmas. Instead all I saw among the sand and scorpions behind our suburban ranch home was tumbleweeds. Not once did I ever see dancing snowmen, or any jolly elves, and certainly not one single red-nosed reindeer.

I watched “The Holiday Calendar” on Netflix the other night. It’s not new (2018) but my first time getting around to watching it.  The plot revolves around a floundering photographer (Abby) who wants more from her career than taking pics of kids with Santa yet does nothing about. Meanwhile her thirsty BFF (Josh) shockingly longs for more, while an Advent calendar given by her grandfather seems to predict specific moments of her love life during each day of the holiday season.

I can’t believe it’s already another Tuesdaaaaay! (Ahem. 5 days ago.) Currently in the Florida panhandle right by the ocean on a family trip. We’re celebrating my parents’ 50th Anniversary! What’s their secret? Well, if their video appearances are any indication, it’s probably all the frantically scrolling on the phone and reading weird things at the kitchen table while they yell at each other. Anyhoo, this trip is the excuse I’m using for why I’m late on this newsletter.

The following post is a round up of much of what I’ve learned about eating cicchetti (The Venetian version of tapas) in Venice over the years. How to eat them, where to eat them and how to make them at home. Some of this information has appeared in my books, or videos (a few of which I’m including at the end). But this is the first time I’m bringing it all together in one place.