The “getting it done in an unconventional way” method.
The “it’s not cheating to do it the easy way” method.
The “fuck what you’re supposed to do” method.
The “get stuff done while you wait” method.
The “you don’t have to do everything at once” method.
The “it doesn’t have to be permanent to be helpful” method.
The “break the task into smaller steps” method.
The “treat yourself like a pet” method.
The “it doesn’t have to be all or nothing” method.
The “put on a persona” method.
The “act like you’re filming a tutorial” method.
The “you don’t have to do it perfectly” method.
The “wait for a trigger” method.
The “do it for your future self” method.
The “might as well” method.
The “when self discipline doesn’t cut it” method.
The “taking care of yourself to take care of your pet” method.
The “make it easy” method.
The “junebugging” method.
The “just show up” method.
The “accept when you need help” method.
The “make it into a game” method.
The “everything worth doing is worth doing poorly” method.
The “trick yourself” method.
The “break it into even smaller steps” method.
The “let go of should” method.
The “your body is an animal you have to take care of” method.
The “fork theory” method.
The “effectivity over aesthetics” method.
Dutch longsword fencer Tosca Beuming
Photographed by Martin Philippo and Andress Kools
Yesterday was the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill and it passed. It is one of the most disgusting pieces of legislation to ever be introduced, it is racist and another act of colonial violence.
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, is the youngest MP since 1853 in Aotearoa's parliament, she is from Te Pāti Māori (Māori party) and is the MP for the Hauraki-Waikato electorate. Know her name, she has faced so much discrimination and violence especially since campaigning and continues to lead with power. She ripped up this disgusting bill and started a haka. The House was suspended after.
This is what the haka is. This is why us Māori do it.
I am so glad we have an opposition with a proud young wahine Māori like her. That we have a whole opposition who STOOD up in solidarity with Māori or who joined in this haka, MPs from Labour, Green, and Te Pāti Māori joined in.
Other MPs were kicked out, a very senior politician here, Willie Jackson was kicked out for rightly so calling Seymour a liar. And this haka is being called inappropriate by the right. It is not. You can't call the haka inappropriate only when it has brown bodies doing it as an act against colonial violence.
Fuck Seymour and as Rawiri Waititi said, see you next Tuesday. Ake ake ake!
Yūsha Yoshihiko to Maō no Shiro (勇者ヨシヒコと魔王の城, lit. “The Hero Yoshihiko and the Demon King’s Castle”)
Do you have any suggestions for something easy-challenging to bake? Like something that's sure to turn out if I follow all the steps, but that's more complex than "stir all the ingredients together and pour into the pan."
I have access to a food processor, a 40 y/o sunbeam stand mixer (no bread hooks), your basic baking dishes, no spring form pan, a maybe 10" cast iron skillet, and a 4qt Dutch oven with a [confusingly, glass] lid that's heat safe up to 400°F.
Leave all that with me for a bit, OK? This week has been logistically challenging for one reason or another (yeah, this situation's part of that...) and the normal workflow has been suffering.
Meanwhile, though, I have to mention this (even though you don't have a springform pan), as I don't think I've ever baked so good a cake that was this simple to put together. In fact it's almost exactly the inverse of what you're asking for, but it is really REALLY good. ... I'd be entirely tempted to try baking it in a paper-lined loaf pan with a paper sling: or else in two lined cake pans with a slightly shorter baking time. (Or, you know what? The dutch oven. Line it with paper and butter everything in sight.)
Anyway, this cake—
I was frankly stunned by how simple it was to throw it together. (I mixed the damn thing in a saucepan.) ...Obviously the issue of substitutions comes up for those who don't have access to Guinness, or don't want to use it. In this cake's case I would seriously consider simply swapping in an equal volume of black coffee. The final result is exquisitely choco-squidgy, and I don't imagine that added mocha overtones would be a problem.
(sighing) Something to try next week, when—please gods—things around here have calmed down a little. Meanwhile, I've got your query nailed up here safe where I know where to find it. Leave the question with me and I'll get back to you. 🙂
(...seriously, though, look at this thing! This is without any question the darkest chocolate cake I've ever baked. I'm not sure the photo does it justice.)
MUPPETS!!!!!!!