Talk about a major a-hole, Ryan O'Neal REALLY takes the cake. For days now, both he and his meth-head son have been going on and on about Farah Fawcett's illness and the effects its having on them. If I have to see one more interview like this or read about how hard it is for O'Neal to "lost the love of his life," I may scream. Who cares how you feel about it? She is the one with cancer, not you. And her cancer doesn't exonerate either of you for your egregious behavior.
Let's not forget that O'Neal is the same dad-of-the-year who took his then 10 year old daughter, Tatum, to Studio 54 and gave her alcohol and drugs because he thought it was cute. He also allegedly had sex with the then underage Melanie Griffith, Tatum's best friend, when he was supposed to be chaperoning their summer trip in Europe. The police have been to his home on several occasions due to claims of drug-fueled violence between him and his grown son and his son's girfriend. He was also recently arrested, at 68!, for possession of chrystal meth, a drug his 18 year old son with Fawcett is also alleged to have in his possession. Ryan O'Neal is clearly a troubled individual with zero parenting skills and has been known more for his antics in the past 30 years than his acting. The fact that he is now using his former lover's illness to get back in the spotlight and to try to gain public sympathy is just wrong.
I recognize that Ryan O'Neal and Farah Fawcett had a long and complicated relationship and I for one am in no position to judge why or how she could ever have possibly loved him. But, the merits of their relationship aside, the way he has been carrying on since news first broke of the escalation of her cancer (which oh-so-conveniently coincided with his latest brush with the law) is just appalling! Their son Redmond apparently lied to a judge about her condition to receive a special release from jail--really people? Do you really have no scruples, at all??? How can you say you love a person and then use them for your own personal gain? While Ryan has been giving interviews to anyone who will listen, Farah has asked the media to respect her dignity and right to privacy as she goes through these difficult times. How can O'Neal fail to respect her wishes, which according to his own interviews may very well be her last requests?
I wish Farah Fawcett comfort and peace as she faces her battle with cancer and respect her immensely for speaking out about a rarely discussed illness in hopes to prevent others from facing the same battle. I am sure many more men and women will be more proactive about testing for anal cancer thanks to her courage and honesty. I wish the media would ignore Ryan O'Neal's constant sound bites and obvious efforts to milk this situation for press and respect Ms. Fawcett's request for privacy during this time. And, I hope both Ryan and his son Redmond seek professional help for their addictions and redeem themselves before she passes away---it would be a shame if they couldn't at least do that for her.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The John and Kate Saga: Further proof that Americans are haters of love
Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard a great deal about Jon and Kate Gosselin and their marital problems. And, unless you can handle the shrill screaming of 6 4-year olds and lots of eye-rolling and bitchiness, you probably don't watch Jon and Kate plus Eight often. (As a related aside, my 12 year old sister is obsessed with the show b/c she thinks the little kids are cute, but my family collectively begs her not to watch the "baby show" in the living room because the show stresses us out.)
Anyway, it seems that another reality show couple is about to go bust. And this time, it's a couple made famous on a reality show about raising a large family with the intended message that you have to have good morals and family values to make it work. Yet, the same couple that quoted scripture to one another during a lavish [free] vow renewal at the posh Mau'i resort where my husband and I paid an arm and a leg to honeymoon is facing allegations that both have been unfaithful and are estranged, despite renewing the show for another season. It looks like the Gosselins are about the join an illustrious list, including Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker, Hulk Hogan and his wife Linda, Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, Katie Price and Peter Andre . . .and on and on. With the exception of the Osbournes (who faced their own fair share of post-show media and public bashing), it seems like any couple that signs on to have cameras enter their home and follow them around is doomed to fail.
Of course they are!!! Can you imagine if there was a cameraman in your house, 24/7, allowed to tape everything and anything except for bathrooms and nocturnal activities? The odds of them taping cringe-worthy moments AND editing the episodes to highlight those specific gaffes are not in your favor. Why? Because Americans love to watch couples implode on television. We are a bunch of haters!
It makes sense, if you think about it. Who wants to watch a sickeningly cute, functional couple or family on reality television? Why would a country, in which slightly more than 50% of marriages end in divorce, possibly want to be reminded that some couples do make it work and can have a respectful, fulfilling relationship? Don't get me wrong, we love these reality couples at first---remember how Jessica Simpson's "career" took off after the first season of Newlyweds? Or how people thought the Hulk and Linda were such "good" parents to Nick and Brooke the first season? But, as Jerry Springer has taught us all, normal and nice don't get ratings. Nasty, dysfunctional and ridiculous certainly do.
Americans are inherently haters of love---we want others to be as miserable in their marriages/relationships as we are in ours. Sure, people will tell you they watch Jon and Kate because the sextuplets are so cute (which I am loathe to admit, is definitely true) and that may be why they initially tuned in. But, after a while, cute sextuplets get kind of old and the viewer's attention turns to how many ways Kate can find to completely belittle Jon's abilities as a father and a husband in one episode. At from what I can tell, she is constantly finding new ways to make Jon look like an idiot, on the show and in her interviews. And, the crazier shit gets, the baser the interactions and exchanges, the more people will watch. It makes us feel better to know that these couples have to pay a price for fame and money---their marriages. And, I think it makes average Americans feel superior and we ultimately judge them by saying, " What did they expect? They put themselves out there, of course we will judge their qualities as individuals and as a family! How dare they ask for privacy during their relationship woes? Don't they know by commodifying themselves, they have lost all rights to personal dignity in the wake of a break up?"
And I am not completely sure that we are wrong in reveling in their demise. I mean, look, when Jessica and Nick broke up, it was a real shock and a first. But any couple that has tried their hand at the reality-show-about-the-couple-or-family concept can't say that they haven't been warned. What makes anyone think that they won't become a statistic or that they are somehow better equipped at seeing all the bad aspects of themselves shown OVER and OVER again on cable television? Obviously, such people do in fact exist and as long as they do, we can all relax knowing no matter how bad our lives are, cable television will continue provide us with some crazy shitshow of a relationship to make us feel better.
Anyway, it seems that another reality show couple is about to go bust. And this time, it's a couple made famous on a reality show about raising a large family with the intended message that you have to have good morals and family values to make it work. Yet, the same couple that quoted scripture to one another during a lavish [free] vow renewal at the posh Mau'i resort where my husband and I paid an arm and a leg to honeymoon is facing allegations that both have been unfaithful and are estranged, despite renewing the show for another season. It looks like the Gosselins are about the join an illustrious list, including Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker, Hulk Hogan and his wife Linda, Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, Katie Price and Peter Andre . . .and on and on. With the exception of the Osbournes (who faced their own fair share of post-show media and public bashing), it seems like any couple that signs on to have cameras enter their home and follow them around is doomed to fail.
Of course they are!!! Can you imagine if there was a cameraman in your house, 24/7, allowed to tape everything and anything except for bathrooms and nocturnal activities? The odds of them taping cringe-worthy moments AND editing the episodes to highlight those specific gaffes are not in your favor. Why? Because Americans love to watch couples implode on television. We are a bunch of haters!
It makes sense, if you think about it. Who wants to watch a sickeningly cute, functional couple or family on reality television? Why would a country, in which slightly more than 50% of marriages end in divorce, possibly want to be reminded that some couples do make it work and can have a respectful, fulfilling relationship? Don't get me wrong, we love these reality couples at first---remember how Jessica Simpson's "career" took off after the first season of Newlyweds? Or how people thought the Hulk and Linda were such "good" parents to Nick and Brooke the first season? But, as Jerry Springer has taught us all, normal and nice don't get ratings. Nasty, dysfunctional and ridiculous certainly do.
Americans are inherently haters of love---we want others to be as miserable in their marriages/relationships as we are in ours. Sure, people will tell you they watch Jon and Kate because the sextuplets are so cute (which I am loathe to admit, is definitely true) and that may be why they initially tuned in. But, after a while, cute sextuplets get kind of old and the viewer's attention turns to how many ways Kate can find to completely belittle Jon's abilities as a father and a husband in one episode. At from what I can tell, she is constantly finding new ways to make Jon look like an idiot, on the show and in her interviews. And, the crazier shit gets, the baser the interactions and exchanges, the more people will watch. It makes us feel better to know that these couples have to pay a price for fame and money---their marriages. And, I think it makes average Americans feel superior and we ultimately judge them by saying, " What did they expect? They put themselves out there, of course we will judge their qualities as individuals and as a family! How dare they ask for privacy during their relationship woes? Don't they know by commodifying themselves, they have lost all rights to personal dignity in the wake of a break up?"
And I am not completely sure that we are wrong in reveling in their demise. I mean, look, when Jessica and Nick broke up, it was a real shock and a first. But any couple that has tried their hand at the reality-show-about-the-couple-or-family concept can't say that they haven't been warned. What makes anyone think that they won't become a statistic or that they are somehow better equipped at seeing all the bad aspects of themselves shown OVER and OVER again on cable television? Obviously, such people do in fact exist and as long as they do, we can all relax knowing no matter how bad our lives are, cable television will continue provide us with some crazy shitshow of a relationship to make us feel better.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
So, being home for an extended period time definitely has its advantages. One is time to actually make things from scratch. For years, my mom (and most Indian women of her generation I know) has used Old El Paso Enchilada sauce. Though I like it the sauce well enough, it always tastes a little tin-y and not nearly as fresh as the stuff I get at the local tacqueria.
I haven't experimented with tomatillos yet to make enchiladas verdes, but I have found yet another way to utilize canned tomatoes (okay, so they aren't COMPLETELY made from scratch) in making fairly decent sauce. The recipe is below, let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
1 28 oz. can, petite diced tomatoes
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 medium jalapeno (seeded if you like a milder flavor)
1 small chipotle pepper, softened and seeded
1 lime
cumin powder
dried oregano
salt
black pepper
Directions:
Soak the dried chipotle in one cup warm water for about 30 minutes, or until softened. Remove the seeds (they are TOO hot), and finely chop. Reserve the water.
Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sautee until clear. Add garlic and chopped jalapeno and cook until garlic turns a nice brown. Then add the can of tomatoes, plus the water from the chipotle and the diced chipotle and bring the entire mixture to a simmer.
Then add 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp dried oregano flakes, course black pepper and salt to taste. Allow the mixture to continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the juice of one lime and puree the mixture with a hand held blender or food processor. You can add a little more water to thin out the sauce, if necessary. Run through a sieve to remove any remaining pieces of chipotle which do not blend and allow the sauce to cool. It can keep up to a week in a glass jar.
We like our sauce a little thicker, but for those of you who like a thinner sauce, I recommend adding a little more lime juice and an extra 1/2 cup of water before blending.
Enjoy!
I haven't experimented with tomatillos yet to make enchiladas verdes, but I have found yet another way to utilize canned tomatoes (okay, so they aren't COMPLETELY made from scratch) in making fairly decent sauce. The recipe is below, let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
1 28 oz. can, petite diced tomatoes
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 medium jalapeno (seeded if you like a milder flavor)
1 small chipotle pepper, softened and seeded
1 lime
cumin powder
dried oregano
salt
black pepper
Directions:
Soak the dried chipotle in one cup warm water for about 30 minutes, or until softened. Remove the seeds (they are TOO hot), and finely chop. Reserve the water.
Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sautee until clear. Add garlic and chopped jalapeno and cook until garlic turns a nice brown. Then add the can of tomatoes, plus the water from the chipotle and the diced chipotle and bring the entire mixture to a simmer.
Then add 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp dried oregano flakes, course black pepper and salt to taste. Allow the mixture to continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the juice of one lime and puree the mixture with a hand held blender or food processor. You can add a little more water to thin out the sauce, if necessary. Run through a sieve to remove any remaining pieces of chipotle which do not blend and allow the sauce to cool. It can keep up to a week in a glass jar.
We like our sauce a little thicker, but for those of you who like a thinner sauce, I recommend adding a little more lime juice and an extra 1/2 cup of water before blending.
Enjoy!
Back from an extended hiatus
Hello all! I am finally back from an extended hiatus . . .I was recently diagnosed with Fibro Myalgia and have been on leave since mid-March. I wasn't feeling so hot for a while and typing was (and still is from time to time) difficult. I haven't totally mastered the condition, but I am having more good days of late and I decided its time to get back to life. As things are slowly getting back in order, I am super excited about getting back to ranting and raving and sharing recipes and ideas with those of you who still check in every now and again.
More to come later today, for now, thanks for checking in!
More to come later today, for now, thanks for checking in!
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