Stuff (NY Boroughs Edition)

--Over the last six months I have discovered flavor packets, or whatever they're called - you know those packets where you add contents to two mashed-up avocados to create guacamole, or you toss foodbits into a pan and you stir fry them and meanwhile add contents of packet to one-third cup water plus soy sauce which you then throw on top of foodbits, or you get dried ingredients for "turkey gravy" (except I would not be caught dead with a packet of turkey gravy, so if I die and one is in my hand, it was planted there, and the death should be treated as suspicious). Actually, my basic discovery is curry paste. It is excellent. What you do is you chop up food stuff and put the food stuff into a sauce pan and then you add a cup of water and the contents of curry paste packet* and you stir it all together and cook for 25 minutes. Curry paste is delicious with any kind of food that isn't ice cream (actually, might work with that too, but I haven't tried it), and you should actually put twice as much food in as they recommend or else you will be swimming in curry juice. Serve over rice.

--Reading the author bios at the back of Da Capo's Best Music Writing 2006, I see that Ann Powers, whom I've met, has something in common with Ashlee Simpson, whom I've not met: Ann's daughter is named Rebecca Brooklyn Weisbard; Ashlee's son is named Bronx Mowgli Wentz. Hurrah for the boroughs of New York City!

--It snowed a couple of inches yesterday. Melted by sundown, however.

--Swine flu etiquette: when the person near you coughs into her feverish hand and a few minutes later, upon being introduced to you, offers her hand for a handshake, do you (1) run away screaming, "No, you are infected and I am going to die," or (2) shake her hand, say pleased to meet you, and unobtrusively but quickly head to the nearest rest room and wash your hands? (I chose alternative 2. I hope I don't die. If I do die, the culprit may well place a packet of dehydrated turkey gravy in my hand, to divert suspicion.)

( More swine flu etiquette )

NY Times Is Venue For Joke

A travel health expert on a NY Times blog tries to answer the question "Is It Safe To Fly During The Swine Flu Outbreak?"

On the comment thread, Jack van Dijk opines that "The real reason that it is safe to fly during an outbreak of the swine-flu epidemic is that pigs don't fly."

A few posts further down, Ben replies, "Pigs may not fly, but swine flu."