I love the Mayan Chocolate. But last night I went with B&J's Brownie Batter. It's no Americone but it's still good.

I just went with straight up brownie batter. And no, I'm not even kidding.

Toothiness: I've got a very chipmunk-with-a-golfball-tucked-in-its-cheek look going. V. nice. Hopefully I'll be more human by the end of the week.

Jessica, you are so cute pregnant! How far along are you?

I appreciate grains so much more when I've gone without for a while.

Yeah, I can see that. Unfortunately the person who proposed the diet actually suggests going without grain permanently. And she lives by her word, too. I don't think I can do that, hence the substitution of whole grain in place of no grain ever again.

I think no grain ever is just too extreme, unless you are allergic to grains.

Also, what is a grain in her book? Does corn count? Corn is a major carb and a grain (and undigestible) but still a vegetable too? What about potatoes? Not a grain, but still a carb?

Not no grain, but no gluten, so most grains are out. Corn and rice are about it, or is millet gluten-free too? Anyway, too harsh in my book. I like grains.

But the first part, the cleanse, needs to be completely grain and carb free. And sugar free, including natural sugars, like fruit. And I've never been on a diet in my life. This is going to suck.

Sugar, grains, potatoes, corn, dairy -- whatever. I mean I'd miss them terribly, but I get it. Fruit seems cleansing to me, though.

This is going to suck.

Think of it as a new finite experiment. I can't be completely carb free though, because, even things like milk and yogurt have carbs (and sugars). Except maybe I could because I'm not allowed those things. Sigh.

Going to pump breastmilk and then have some eggs. Then hospital and then back home and setting up Tivo (HELP NEEDED!) and then steam cleaning the glider.

My life is so glam.

34 and counting. Here's a picture from Sunday.

Normally, I don't think of Jessica as "cute." I think hot, sexy, strong. But, as a pregnant woman, she's freakin' cute! And still sexy which is tough to pull off when 34 weeks pregnant, but she does it.

Ana Marie Cox, Washington Editor of Time.com, in her political blog on Time.com

A Romney rep has since pointed out that it's one of the governor's favorites: "He said Huck Finn was his favorite and has also said everything from Theodore Rex to Looming Tower are also good books." What's more, says spokesguy, "It's just a book."

Ask L. Ron Hubbard if it's "just a book."

I'm personally more offended that the first science-fiction book to work its way into a presidential conversation is just so... bad. Ender's Game? The Foundation Triology? Anyone?

[link]

what's new with you?

My best friend is leaving in a little more than a month to the USA - both her and her DH are going to do their Post-Doc in Stanford. If they could wait until the end of the semester, I would fly with them (and their toddler and their few-months-old baby) and help them out with the settling and all. As it stands, I hope I'll get to visit them sometime in the next year or two.

a guy who is trying to bring pro (more or less) baseball to Israel.

Well, there are a few cities that have a large community of immigrants from the USA, so he may have a chance there. In any other place it'll probably be really difficult.

Here's a picture from Sunday.

You look lovely and healthy. And I love how your hair in the picture looks almost black, but the little light shed on it shows the blue.

And she lives by her word, too.

Yeah, but her body is different from yours, right? If you start the extreme way, and make small changes, and see if and how they influence you, surely you can find a balanced way that works for you, right?

In any other place it'll probably be really difficult.

He's apparently trying to attact people using the sort of give-aways and special entertainment that some of the farm teams use -- the sort that the Atlanta Braves were famous for, back when they were the worst team in baseball. To get people the the ball park, the Braves had, over the years, the world's largest wet t-shirt contest, kazoo night and an ostrich race. Also, there was the time the then owner, Ted Turner, pushed a ball down the baseline with his nose.