Today's Talking Point

People who go to see Narnia who have decided to dislike it because it has a sacrificial man(lion)-god story in it should be forced to watch The Passion of the Christ over and over again. I know which story of sacrifice and redemption I would want /my/ kids to see, and it's not directed by Mel Gibson, the Vatican, or Pat Robertson.

Yes, a lot of people are ansty about Christianity in America, with good reason. But don't conflate things that shouldn't be conflated.

(no subject)

Any clue who I write to about the Minneapolis smoking ban? I spent money in bars last weekend in a Minneapolis bar /because/ it was smoke-free. Now the Hennepin Cnty Commission has temporarily reduced the ban to only apply to places that sell more food than liquor. Time to complain.

EDIT: After further review, while it seems clear that some bars have been hurt and that the demographic of bar use has changed (where people go, etc.), overall, the hospitality industry has remained pretty stable. So ... I feel bad for bars being hurt. My stance remains.

Struffoli

In Naples (and my kitchen), one makes a dough with about 3.5 cups of flour, some limoncello, zest from orange and lemon, 6 eggs and 6 more yolks. Sticky! Mix it a lot. Let sit in the fridge. Cut. Roll into dowels. Cut into pieces. Roll into little balls. Fry in lots of oil (we used our deep fryer). Coat with a mix of melted honey, lemon juice, and more zest. Stack. Cover in sprinkles and confectioners sugar and anything else you like as a topping. EAT!

Merry Christmas!