Stealing this from both the Pop Culture Happy Hour and Mary.
Mad Men. If you aren't watching this, you are missing out on some of the best television on TV right now. And before you say something stupid like, "Given what's on TV right now, that's not saying much," let me just say this: Shut up. This season of Mad Men, each show has been better than the last. Also, if you are watching it and not following the discussion over at Slate's TV Club, please start.
This Post on NPR: Wanted: Mavericks and Missionaries to Solve Mississippi's MD Shortage. I went to the Mississippi coast a few months after Hurricane Katrine hit Mississippi and Louisiana. After seeing that, I decided to donate money instead of buying presents for my family. I looked at what people lost and thought, "We have everything. We need nothing." I sent money to the Mississippi Library Commission, a children's center on the coast, and an organization for volunteer fireman. The reaction from my family was so great, I did it again the next year. The next year I sent a check to a Jonestown, Mississippi health clinic. Why? After seeing the documentary short Bodies and Souls at my local film festival, I had the same feeling I had after seeing the MS coast after Katrina: We don't need anything. I put a check in a card, mailed it with a note saying it was sent in the name of my family. A few days after Christmas, I received a phone call from a doctor at a Mississippi Delta health clinic. He told me he wanted to thank me personally for the check I had sent. They didn't get a lot of support from the community. When he opened up my card, he had to leave the room in order to regain his composure. I was flabbergasted. My phone number wasn't listed. And while it probably wasn't too difficult to track me down, it still took some effort. But we talked for a bit. He told me he had grown up there but went to med school and had done his residency in the Midwest, but he was really happy to return to his home and help his community--much like those in this NPR story. This all happened almost six years ago. My mom sent a check to the same place last year and it was returned. I fear the clinic closed. Some days I question whether the clinic that received the check was the one featured in the film, as the doctor didn't seem to have any clue what I was talking about when I mentioned it. But you know what? I don't care. It went to an organization that needed it and it made a difference. Even now, I get a little choked up when I think about it.
Stephen Colbert's Speech at Time's 100 Most Influential Shindig. If you haven't read this yet, read it now. Thank me later. Best parts? Colbert's comments on the Koch brothers and Cardinal Dolan.
Vegetarian Pho Starter from Pacific Foods. I have no clue how this tastes, but I was happy to find it. I love pho. We have many pho places in town and I have my favorites. But sometimes I feel like throwing some rice noodles in some broth with tofu and veggies and having some pho. I found what I would call pho bouillon cubes at one of the local Asian grocery stores... but it's all in Vietnamese. I assume you just throw it in a pan with some water, but I've still never made it. So finding premade pho broth? This makes me happy.
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