Wait, Daddy, don't kill that hog yet!

via

Our buddy Mir tells us that all orders at Piperlime today earn a $25 gift certificate, in honor of Piperlime's anniversary.  Oh, and use the promo code TREAT4U for an extra 10% off.

Pinata Fail :-(

Pinata Fail :-(, originally uploaded by houston mamacita.

I tried to move the pumpkin pinata and the whole outer layer came off in a sheet.

Mallory's Clothes

See every outfit Mallory wore during the seven-year run of Family Ties.  1) The clothes are gorgeous, and 2) the comments are awesome.

Apropos of nothing...

Here's Chris Elliot as Skink the Bounty Hunter. (6:34)

It's Tuesday.  Slow down with that "productivity" business already.

Houston Bulb and Plant Mart

Houston Bulb and Plant Mart, originally uploaded by houston mamacita.

The Garden Club of Houston is having their annual Bulb and Plant Mart. Got lots of good stuff -- a Republic of Texas orange tree for Aunt Winnie, a Pink Salt Marsh Mallow for mom, a Dobashi Beni satsuma for me, plus plenty of amaryllis and paperwhites for the holidays.

Some bitch in front of me got the last key lime tree, though. If it weren't for the presence of so many tortoiseshell headbands I would've cut her.

Pardon me, do you have any WTF?

In all honesty, I can be convinced of a lot of ... alternative theories.  I read my horoscope sometimes; I definitely believe in feng shui; I'd probably go to a tarot card reader (if you went with me); and I would even visit an herberia but I don't really speak Voodoo Spanish.  So anyway, my point is, I'm willing to at least try and believe.

And there is this blogger I really like named Jules.  She had a guest post here about her favorite "crazy hippie" foods like Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, which I like, and coconut vinegar, which is certainly intriguing.  And then she talked smack about microwave popcorn, which I can understand, because that stuff in the bags leaves a weird film in your mouth, and that ... probably is not something food should do, I think.  

But in the comments of that post she revealed that she has an objection to using the microwave for anything because it "changes the structure of the food."  And here's where I say, "Wait... what?"  What does that mean that it "changes the structure of the food?"  

I am a dunce who never even took chemistry.  My baby sister took pity on me 4-5 years ago and finally explained the difference between a physical change and a chemical change.  [I distinctly remember missing that on a test, but I never found out what the right answer was.]  And Uncle John still does not believe that I don't know what a meniscus is in measuring, but I swear I don't know what he's talking about.  As far as I know, a meniscus is a kneecap, and a mole is an adventurous little creature from that charming book by Mr Grahame.

So it's possible that microwaving "changes the structure of the food" in a bad way, as opposed to just, you know, making it hot.  That would be a tremendous disappointment to me, because I loooove my microwave almost as much as I love my slow cooker.  Which is to say, far more than I love either of my children, with air conditioning following just behind.

I mean, just think of all the wonderful things the microwave can do for you.  I would personally dedicate three cubic feet of kitchen space to a chocolate melter alone, but the microwave does so much more.  Water for tea!  Popcorn -- the real kind! Bacon! Oatmeal! Crudites! Leftover soup! Potatoes for mashing! Rice! Pasta!  [Hell yes, that thing works.]

So please tell me I can keep it.  How much of this "structure changing" is just normal, and do I really need to sweat this?  It sounds kinda bogus, but Jules is 100X smarter than I am, so I'm willing to believe.  It's not going to make the children any more addled, is it? Anyone?