Few treats have managed to withstand the test of time so well as the terrifically tasty and absurdly simple-to-make rice pudding. In Scandinavia, the dessert is a festive Christmas dish. In Asia, where the goody originated, various recipes have come to include fruit, honey or other additions over hundreds of years. Ancient Romans used rice pudding with goat's milk as a medicinal remedy for certain health problems. Here in the good old U.S. of A, however, Silver Chips Online recipe-mongers can use the versatile pudding as a fabulous start, finish or centerpiece for your next meal in, out or on the go.
While most of the other students in Blair's graduating class of 2008 spent their Septembers fretting about test scores and the perfect extracurricular recipe to secure admission at a top-tier four-year college, senior Sebastian Falcon kept his cool. More interesting to him than the "typical college" appeal of fraternities, quads or the nerve-wracking major-choosing process was the call of the kitchen.
In a cluttered teenage girl's bedroom, posters of punk rock bands like Television and The Stooges pepper the walls. Oddball trinkets and doodads line a dresser, clothes spilling from the drawers. In the center of the scene, a timid looking brunette sits on a bed, clutching what appears to be a sandwich: "Hello," a rosy-faced Juno MacGuff mutters into her novelty hamburger phone, "I need to procure a hasty abortion."
Senior Sally Hardin is no stranger to the quiet anxiety that precedes most auditions. She's been playing the tuba seriously throughout high school, most recently gracing the pit orchestra for the school's production of "Beauty and the Beast," while simultaneously balancing practice for the All-State competition earlier this March. But even if she's got the knack of appearing externally cool while standing in a crowded pit or showcasing skills for an audition board, Hardin has got to have one thing to really nail it: her little pink sock.
It's been a rough year for Hollywood. The writer's strike has skewered most of the year's good television, "Epic Movie," was allowed to enter a public theater and golden god Heath Ledger died tragically in his Manhattan apartment. To generalize, the epics have been slumming, the romantic comedies have been trite and the action has been paltry — what's a cine-freak to think?
While the trudge up to room 243 for the last forty-five minute chunk of the school day is no stranger to Communication Arts Program (CAP) students in Kevin Shindel's eighth period research class, a gang of less than twenty kids, the hall is abuzz on this Tuesday. Shindel stands outside as the final bell rings, to motion groups of stragglers into the room. Inside, the desks are arranged in a wide square. The tables sit in the middle. The room is crawling with students from every year and every dynamic. The class has visitors.
It's a weekday in the SAC and the whole room is abuzz with excited chatter. Several crude but enthusiastic posters, the spitting image of Spirit Week propaganda, are slung across the backs of chairs. People file in slowly and sit with their friends and acquaintances, but this isn't a typical lunch period — this motley crew of excited constituents, all hailing from the fourth voting district in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, are here at Blair to hear a debate between the candidates for the Democratic nomination to Congress for the upcoming Congressional election.
So maybe the little old lady who hands out quarters instead of Halloween candy gave you an odd look last year when you arrived at her door with a trio of pals scrunched into your Disney Princess costumes from fifth grade. Perhaps you felt a flush of shame when that jerky pack of Power Rangers giggled at you from behind their little orange buckets of Junior Mints and Twizzlers. You know what they're all thinking: Aren't they a little old?
It was mid-August and Blair seemed empty, except for one solitary man striding down Blair Boulevard. Gazing up at the threshold of the main staircase leading toward the high turquoise ceiling, Darryl Williams stopped in his tracks. Everything was oversized, built to hold the diverse mix of students constituting the largest high school in the county, but without them crowding the halls, its vastness engulfed him. Williams was standing in the midst of the high school which was to become his new home.
Within the realm of the new school dress code, Blazers may find it harder and harder to stay in vogue. A few fashion pioneers, however, have managed to break through the barriers and create fall styles of their own. Silver Chips Online has spotted and reported the hottest trends of the season from Rodeo Drive to Blair Boulevard to help the everyday Blazer dress to impress beyond the first week of school.
Carole Tomayko started working at Blair in 1981, beginning as a staff assistant and eventually taking a position as an English teacher. Over her years at Blair, she has seen the school move from one building to another, seen hundreds upon hundreds of students walk the hallways and taught just about every core book known to mankind. But this year, she says, it's finally time to kiss the kids goodbye and leave Blair Boulevard once and for all.
For the first time in Blair history the annual SGR Spectacular, a showcase of bands and student acts aimed to raise money for charity, teamed up with International Night to produce a mega talent show. The result was a series of cultured, cool and constantly entertaining performances, with all proceeds directly benefiting aid organizations "Doctors Without Borders" and "Vonumu International" as well as Blair's ESOL newspaper "Silver International."
The Blair Fine Arts department plans to introduce a new course and re-vamp some of the program's older ones in attempt to improve the department's curriculum classes.
Even if you're not a fan of the corporate music world, the annual Grammy awards are always worth a peek - there's always some amazing dress that shows up three weeks later on the pages of Vogue, or some flustered musician who gives a touching thank-you speech. This year's festivities didn't dissapoint - held for the 49th time this year at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, the Grammy's presented a Mecca of the hottest new rising stars and the latest glamour, glitz, and fashions that Hollywood has to offer.
Christopher Guest is a man of many talents. He was the magic behind Nigel, the stupid death metal rocker in 1984's "This is Spinal Tap," most famous for upping the amplifier count from 10 to 11. He was the directing, writing and acting genius behind the hilarious mockumentaries "Best in Show," "Waiting for Guffman" and "A Mighty Wind," along with the stony-faced Eugene Levy, who has also been in most of Guest's pictures. He was even the six-fingered man in "The Princess Bride." In this business, everything he seems to touch turns to comic gold — but Guest's gift for farcical hijinks and poking fun at human eccentricities is lost in his latest venture, "For Your Consideration."
Note to everyone who is currently standing in line to see "Marie Antoinette": run, do not walk, to your nearest CVS. Buy yourself a sophisticated looking notebook and a pen. Not only will you look cool and aloof as you scribble throughout the movie, but you will need to take some notes to keep track of the film's scattered plot — plus you can doodle when you get too confused to keep watching. Also, don't forget to bring extra cash so you can calm your rattling nerves and whining stomach with a Lemon Buzzball from CakeLove post-viewage, because this movie will make you hungry for all kinds of substance afterwards, only one of which is cake.
Any time is rice pudding time.
The Downtown Silver Spring branch of Planned Parenthood is located at 1400 Spring Street in Suite 450.
A Silver Spring driver advertises a CPC on the back of a car.
One Maryland Right to Life advertised CPC, Centro Tepeyac, is located at 800 Pershing Drive in Downtown Silver Spring, Suite 303A.
Freshman Rachel Leksane uses a stuffed animal cow to perform well on tests.
In the St. Patrick's Day tradition, four-leaf clovers are typically a sign of good luck.
A lucky pink sock lends senior Sally Hardin luck for musical competitions.