Sign of the times?

My spam filter collects a daily email from the Washington Post. Usually some nonsense about stain removal, reminders to vaccinate pets, or how to make chicken broth last longer. Well, every topic must have been covered already since I received this exciting how-to article:

"By Megan Buerger, Thursday, December 6, 2012

Popcorn garland is one of those holiday traditions that has stood the test of time. Here's a refresher from Epicurious on how to make it. All you'll need is five to 10 cups of popped popcorn (plain popcorn keeps longer than buttered), a needle and thread.

First, measure the string to about eight feet long. Thread the needle about halfway through so there is an equal amount of string on either end. Tie the knot enough times so that it is large and secure. Then, pierce the thickest point of the popcorn with the needle and pull it through so that the popcorn slides down to the knotted end. Repeat until the string is full and tie a secure knot to finish. If your tree is in a cool, dry place, these garlands should last through the season."



Do people really need instructions on how to make popcorn garland? Will the next article remind me to breath or explain how to blow my nose or an exciting recipe for ice cubes? Is the endless drive to produce spammable media making people dumber?

The Washington Post article:
http://contact.washpost.com/go.asp?/bCAW013/mN1EO41N1/uWRBNFUM1/x4DX741N1
Epicurious article with instructive photos!
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/christmas/christmas-crafts-garland

PS. Did Megan really get paid to write copy the Epicurious article?

Hey DU! Did you hear they are taking the word gullible out of the dictionary?

Derf's Latest

Just finished Michael Chabon's "Telegraph Avenue"

Awesome book. Highly recommend.

"Black Friday Bargains" from Brian McFadden

"Symptoms of Post-Election Stress" from Brian McFadden

Old Review of Hostess Products from Lore Sjoberg

Twinkies
The quintessential Hostess food, similar to foods you might create in your own kitchen, but profoundly different. Yes, the outer coating bears a passing resemblance to sponge cake, and the "creamy filling" might have once read a book about a dairy product, but overall it has that quality of taste and texture that can only be found on the snack food aisle. A+

Cupcakes
These are odd. What is it with the so-called frosting? It's this weird flat tortilla of sugar and chocolate clinging pathetically to the much larger cake unit. The best theory I've heard is that the cake and frosting of a Hostess cupcake are actually the male and female versions of the same organism. This would mean that the little swirl of white frosting on top is actually genetic material, which let's face it is what it resembles in the first place. B+

Fruit Pies
Hostess is the reigning monarch of hand-held pies. You can keep your Dolly Madison, your Home Run pies, your miniature pecan pie gas station desserts: give me a cherry Hostess fruit pie and a place to eat it and I shall gain some weight. Other manufacturers skimp on the fruit filling, the shortening for the crust, the festive artificial coloring, but not Hostess. Truly the luxury model. A

Sno-Balls
These are just plain weird. Even the ones that aren't dyed green are weird. When you observe other attempts to arrange a common-law marriage of marshmallow and baked goods -- s'mores, moon pies, &c. -- the unwritten law is "the marshmallow goes on the inside," the better to protect the chewing public from the Unheimlichkeit of fingering the marshmallow hive-mind. Sno-balls ignore this important stricture, even going so far as to dust the things with coconut sprinkles inevitably reminiscent of pubic hair. Heironymous Bosch would have chorfed these things by the armload. C

More at: http://brunching.com/hostess.html
http://brunching.com/hostess2.html

"Complimentary Goodie Bags" - Derf's latest

"Post Election Chit-Chat" from Jen Sorensen's "Slowpoke"

With the media pushing Huntsman as next Sec of State and

suggesting the Mitt "empty suit" Romney be given a job, isn't everyone missing an obvious candidate?

Former Senate Richard Lugar? He and the President worked together on gathering up the Russian nukes. Wouldn't he be considered before Huntsman? Huntsman had his chance and left to rip the admin and campaign. I suspect his window is closed.

(I think John Kerry will be offered the job. We don't need more repubs around.)