Earthquake!

A 3.6 in livermore. Felt it here at home. (for those of you not from earthquake country, that’s big enough to be felt, but not really big enough to do damage.)

When I was a kid, I used to really like earthquakes. they were fun. One even shattered a window ni the living room of our first apartment, and I thought that was kind of neat.

Ever since the Loma Prieta though, I haven’t been as fond of earthquakes. It started slow, then got stronger and stronger, and it seemed to go on for ages. Now when I feel them I feel a wave of anxiety and wonder if it’s going to get stronger.

But this one just subsided. Based on the data from USGS, I think livermore is having a small cluster.

Last night I had my first Alton Brown experience. Oh, I’ve heard of him before, Rita and Ici and Shorn were talking about him quite a lot for a while there. I believe that Ici even has his cookbook, because I think I was there when Rita borrowed it. But I’d never seen his show, or read his cookbook, or any other such thing. I’d heard he was pointedly opinionated, and seemed to know a lot about various cooking techniques. What no one ever mentioned to me before was that he was essentially the Greg Proops of the cooking world. He even looks vaguely like the man. I think I need to watch more of him.

Oh, and where I saw him? On the Food Network’s new episodes of Iron Chef American. American chefs vs. the Japanese Iron chefs. Alton Brown is the commentator. It was a good experience. They aren’t identical to the Japanese version, and their lack of experience and American leanings both show through slightly, but thank god, it’s not William Shatner.

Oh, and apparently my mother doesn’t sleep in her bed anymore, just spends the night in her recliner. I have to admit it doesn’t make watching TV have all the appeal it used to. When I suggested she go to bed she said something about being fine, then started snoring. On the one hand, as long as she’s comfortable.

On the other hand, I have to admit that I feel a slight guilt about the things I like to watch; Japanese TV and Shepard’s Chapel both come to mind. The first because not everyone enjoys watching TV in a language they don’t understand. The latter because while he used to be really over the top (I got turned on to this guy when I surfed past one night and paused long enough to hear him refer to the virgin Mary as “The Little Woman”) he seems to have calmed down some these days, and seems to promote more tolerance and doesn’t have cute pet names for the mother of God anymore. So when mom wakes up and looks at the TV, it’s a lot easier to explain Pulp Fiction or Iron Chef America than it is a Christian babble show, especially when he’s not being offensive to the point of amusement. (West Virginian ex-Marine. I’m telling you, it’s hard to go wrong. His explanation of creationism was a giggle too.)

Either way: not sleeping in your bed keeps it made. I wondered why it always seemed to be made when I came home… now I know.

Oh, and if you have a spare $300 lying around, you can make all your presidential fantasies come true… From making him speak coherently, to actually choking to death on the pretzel, to roasting him over an open fire. Great Lakes Science and Novelty, we salute you. They also have some wonderful votives.