Make Love Not Warcraft
I think this is only funny in an in-jokey gamer kind of way....but if you've got enough gaming under your belt to 'get' it it's one of the funniest things ever.
Think of it as a geek litmus test....
10.08.2006
10.07.2006
10.04.2006
Book Purses
clicky clicky
I've sold all those books at one time or another.
And lemme tell ya, $110 is RIDICULOUS.
The books came from a yard sale or the Goodwill for a few cents, the rest of the purse probably cost ten bucks and once you got the prototype dialed in the manufacturing process would be easy. A pal of mine made similar purses for her boutique and charged $40. But retail is about perception of value as much as actual value, so god bless them for squeezing every last drop of juice out of their product.
I like the concept, but being a book person I can't get excited about the chosen covers. Even if you're limiting yourself to books you can get basically for free, there are much better options, graphically speaking.
I say spend a little more getting a really cool book, then charge $200.
I've sold all those books at one time or another.
And lemme tell ya, $110 is RIDICULOUS.
The books came from a yard sale or the Goodwill for a few cents, the rest of the purse probably cost ten bucks and once you got the prototype dialed in the manufacturing process would be easy. A pal of mine made similar purses for her boutique and charged $40. But retail is about perception of value as much as actual value, so god bless them for squeezing every last drop of juice out of their product.
I like the concept, but being a book person I can't get excited about the chosen covers. Even if you're limiting yourself to books you can get basically for free, there are much better options, graphically speaking.
I say spend a little more getting a really cool book, then charge $200.
Top Ten Wallets for Geeks
good times, good times.
This one seems to be whispering Ivan's name low, in a gutteral German accent:
This one seems to be whispering Ivan's name low, in a gutteral German accent:
10.03.2006
On the Road via Google
Here's a cool Google map of the protagonists journey in the beat classic On the Road.
(courtesy Litourati)
Pretty neat, even though I've never read the book.
Any opinions on it out there in cyberland?
(courtesy Litourati)
Pretty neat, even though I've never read the book.
Any opinions on it out there in cyberland?
10.02.2006
Books: whiny complaint
Roy Jensen is a fantastic remainder company- they consistently stock the best art, photography and architecture remainders, elite titles you won't find slumming at the sale racks at Borders or Barnes & Noble with all the crummy 'made remainders' and genre fiction overruns.
but they do two things that drive me crazy.
They don't mark the box with the invoice.
Extremely annoying when you're receiving a big order.
They don't alphabetize the invoice.
Which makes checking in the books a big pain in the ass.
Are they still using a Univac at Roy Jensen HQ?
Bonus Book Trivia Footnote
In the book business a remainder is an unsold copy of a commercial title that has been sold off by the publisher at a steep discount. In short, a 'real' book that failed in the marketplace and has been given up on by the publisher.
In the used book business there is no stigma attached to a remaindered title- some of them sell fantastically well. We bought several cases of this title as a remainder with a suggested retail of $14.95, sold enough of them in-store at $19.95 to cover the cost and sat on the rest for a while. When the book ended up being as good as we thought it was, we sold the rest on the net for $30.00.
a 'made remainder' is a book published specifically for the 'sale table' market. There was never an original edition, the book was just put together & printed cheaply so it can make the publisher a good profit selling at $4.98 or $7.98 or whatever. I don't buy them over the counter and we don't buy them from remainder companies. Our house term for most of them is "a non-book book", meaning it looks like a book if you flip through it and give it a cursory inspection, but there's not really anything holding it together. There's no meat on its bones....of course, because in book publishing as in cooking meat is expensive.
Made remainders are fluff tarted up to resemble something better, which is why we steer clear of them.
but they do two things that drive me crazy.
They don't mark the box with the invoice.
Extremely annoying when you're receiving a big order.
They don't alphabetize the invoice.
Which makes checking in the books a big pain in the ass.
Are they still using a Univac at Roy Jensen HQ?
Bonus Book Trivia Footnote
In the book business a remainder is an unsold copy of a commercial title that has been sold off by the publisher at a steep discount. In short, a 'real' book that failed in the marketplace and has been given up on by the publisher.
In the used book business there is no stigma attached to a remaindered title- some of them sell fantastically well. We bought several cases of this title as a remainder with a suggested retail of $14.95, sold enough of them in-store at $19.95 to cover the cost and sat on the rest for a while. When the book ended up being as good as we thought it was, we sold the rest on the net for $30.00.
a 'made remainder' is a book published specifically for the 'sale table' market. There was never an original edition, the book was just put together & printed cheaply so it can make the publisher a good profit selling at $4.98 or $7.98 or whatever. I don't buy them over the counter and we don't buy them from remainder companies. Our house term for most of them is "a non-book book", meaning it looks like a book if you flip through it and give it a cursory inspection, but there's not really anything holding it together. There's no meat on its bones....of course, because in book publishing as in cooking meat is expensive.
Made remainders are fluff tarted up to resemble something better, which is why we steer clear of them.
10.01.2006
books: the worst 'about the author' bio I've seen in a long, long time
from The Secret Symbols of the Dollar Bill:
Oh, dear.
DAVID OVASON teaches astrology, and has studied the life and teachings of Nostradamus for more than 40 years.
Oh, dear.
9.30.2006
Podtropolis
A fine torrent site for those who are too lazy to convert their existing video files to iPod format.
Wheeeee!
Wheeeee!
Customers: huge earrings
A very nice Mexican lady with limited english needed to use the phone.
After she finally hammered her needs through my thick accent-impaired skull, I dialed a number for her and handed the phone over.
She was wearing immense Liberace-style costume jewlery earrings that were so frikkin' huge she had to take one off to use the phone.
You see something new every day at this place...
After she finally hammered her needs through my thick accent-impaired skull, I dialed a number for her and handed the phone over.
She was wearing immense Liberace-style costume jewlery earrings that were so frikkin' huge she had to take one off to use the phone.
You see something new every day at this place...
9.29.2006
music: Bill Frisell
Playing here next wednesday.
His last show was totally mind-blowing.
This one should be equally fantastic in a whole different way- he's running with Jack De Johnette (probably my favorite jazz drummer aside from Bobby Previte...not that the man who played with Miles on Bitch's Brew needs my accolades)and Jerome Harris.
Should be crazy.
Frisell is the most obviously joyous musician I've ever seen- he's practually exploding with happiness onstage, and I spent a good part of his last show laughing with delight.
A full report will follow...
His last show was totally mind-blowing.
This one should be equally fantastic in a whole different way- he's running with Jack De Johnette (probably my favorite jazz drummer aside from Bobby Previte...not that the man who played with Miles on Bitch's Brew needs my accolades)and Jerome Harris.
Should be crazy.
Frisell is the most obviously joyous musician I've ever seen- he's practually exploding with happiness onstage, and I spent a good part of his last show laughing with delight.
A full report will follow...
9.28.2006
9.27.2006
Geek Test
Clicky Clicky
It's been around for a while, but is still a good time.
I clock in at 40.8284 : Major Geek.
I crashed and burned on all the chess and calculator stuff. =(
It's been around for a while, but is still a good time.
I clock in at 40.8284 : Major Geek.
I crashed and burned on all the chess and calculator stuff. =(
Little Superstar
Bobo has been obsessed with this clip Ivan posted.
I am here to provide him with MORE FUEL for his unseemly, slightly creepy fascination with Little Superstar.
Little Superstar Kicks Ass
I am here to provide him with MORE FUEL for his unseemly, slightly creepy fascination with Little Superstar.
Little Superstar Kicks Ass
9.25.2006
What Mann film next?
Sound off, dear readers.
I've already seen Manhunter & Collateral.
Ali & The Keep both suck, so they're not in the running.
Devritsko votes for Last of the Mohicans (which features the finest black powder battle scene ever filmed).
What do y'all say?
I'm leaning toward Thief, myself...it's been a while.
Here's how they're ranked on Rottentomatoes:
Thief, with a healthy 100%.
My teenage self agrees, but who knows how it would stand the test of time.
The Keep, at 14%
14% more than it deserves, frankly.
Manhunter, at 92%
A bit generous, given the clownish ending.
Last of the Mohicans, at 97%
No arguments from Devritsko, I wager.
Heat, 90%.
A little low, but not bad considering it doesn't even make a pretense of courting the female demographic. Also, the ending didn't live up to the rest of the film. Not Manhunter bad, but an anticlimax given the high level the rest of the film operated at.
The Insider, 96%.
I forget, was this before Pacino started screaming instead of acting?
Ali, 67%. Don't make movies about charismatic superstars who are still alive. Kthx.
Miami Vice, 47%. This is an odd one, not because I expected it to be any good, but because the panel of film critics at Film Comment really, really liked it.
Of course, they also really, really liked the shambolically unwatchable Cabin Fever, best described as a derivative, pretentious grad student Evil Dead, minus the evil and with a lead actor unfit to wash Bruce Campbell's jock.
Proof positive that they don't issue common sense & good taste along with the Professional Film Critic Secret Decoder Ring.
I've already seen Manhunter & Collateral.
Ali & The Keep both suck, so they're not in the running.
Devritsko votes for Last of the Mohicans (which features the finest black powder battle scene ever filmed).
What do y'all say?
I'm leaning toward Thief, myself...it's been a while.
Here's how they're ranked on Rottentomatoes:
Thief, with a healthy 100%.
My teenage self agrees, but who knows how it would stand the test of time.
The Keep, at 14%
14% more than it deserves, frankly.
Manhunter, at 92%
A bit generous, given the clownish ending.
Last of the Mohicans, at 97%
No arguments from Devritsko, I wager.
Heat, 90%.
A little low, but not bad considering it doesn't even make a pretense of courting the female demographic. Also, the ending didn't live up to the rest of the film. Not Manhunter bad, but an anticlimax given the high level the rest of the film operated at.
The Insider, 96%.
I forget, was this before Pacino started screaming instead of acting?
Ali, 67%. Don't make movies about charismatic superstars who are still alive. Kthx.
Miami Vice, 47%. This is an odd one, not because I expected it to be any good, but because the panel of film critics at Film Comment really, really liked it.
Of course, they also really, really liked the shambolically unwatchable Cabin Fever, best described as a derivative, pretentious grad student Evil Dead, minus the evil and with a lead actor unfit to wash Bruce Campbell's jock.
Proof positive that they don't issue common sense & good taste along with the Professional Film Critic Secret Decoder Ring.
Top 10 Bittorrent Sites Rated
clicky clicky.
I'm familiar with most of the list and find myself using Mininova, Isohunt and Pirate Bay most often.
I'ma check out BT Junkie though.
I'm familiar with most of the list and find myself using Mininova, Isohunt and Pirate Bay most often.
I'ma check out BT Junkie though.
9.23.2006
movies: Mann Mania continues
Checked out Manhunter, which I hadn't seen since its original theatrical release.
I remember liking it, I remembered Brian Cox being spectacular at Hannibal Leckter, and I remembered the ending being a ludicrous clusterfuck that inspired belly laughs...all memories which withstood the test of time.
A couple of things:
One, there's this thing that happens where you watch a movie years later and say "oh, THAT actor was in it!", because you didn't know who they were the first time you saw it. I got that with Joan Allen & Dennis Farina in this one.
Two, there are a lot of movies from the 80's and early 90's with these awful, cheesy synthesizer soundtracks. It sounded fine at the time, but now it's just ridiculous and it takes a stellar film to overcome the Curse of the Casio Keyboard.
The only people who consistently pulled off synthesized movie soundtracks that don't sound like they belong in a bad porno flick were Vangelis & Tangerine Dream. Mann was lucky enough to land the Dream for his first feature, Thief, but here he's working with some shmucks called 'Red 7' who sound like a thrift store version of T Dream.
On the plus side, several key scenes use real songs by real musicians...I was startled to hear a few Shriekback tunes in the mix, whose Oil & Gold is a classic of atmospheric synth rock.
I think I'll scare up a copy of Thief next, which mightily impressed me in my youth.
It was in heavy rotation during slumber parties at the Pelf's, back in those halcyon days when video stores made you buy memberships and our cinematic holy grail was the banned splatter revenge opus I Spit On Your Grave.
Ah, youth...
I remember liking it, I remembered Brian Cox being spectacular at Hannibal Leckter, and I remembered the ending being a ludicrous clusterfuck that inspired belly laughs...all memories which withstood the test of time.
A couple of things:
One, there's this thing that happens where you watch a movie years later and say "oh, THAT actor was in it!", because you didn't know who they were the first time you saw it. I got that with Joan Allen & Dennis Farina in this one.
Two, there are a lot of movies from the 80's and early 90's with these awful, cheesy synthesizer soundtracks. It sounded fine at the time, but now it's just ridiculous and it takes a stellar film to overcome the Curse of the Casio Keyboard.
The only people who consistently pulled off synthesized movie soundtracks that don't sound like they belong in a bad porno flick were Vangelis & Tangerine Dream. Mann was lucky enough to land the Dream for his first feature, Thief, but here he's working with some shmucks called 'Red 7' who sound like a thrift store version of T Dream.
On the plus side, several key scenes use real songs by real musicians...I was startled to hear a few Shriekback tunes in the mix, whose Oil & Gold is a classic of atmospheric synth rock.
I think I'll scare up a copy of Thief next, which mightily impressed me in my youth.
It was in heavy rotation during slumber parties at the Pelf's, back in those halcyon days when video stores made you buy memberships and our cinematic holy grail was the banned splatter revenge opus I Spit On Your Grave.
Ah, youth...
Movies
Collateral:
Half a great film. Everything up to the scene in the jazz club is fresh, involving, perfectly executed and captures the 'flavor' of LA's physical and philosophical existence like nothing else I've seen.
Then, unfortunately, the wheels come off and it turns into a disorganized stew of running, car chases, shooting and contrived plot developments.
Still, worth a rental. Just turn it off after the jazz club.
Ring 2 (Americanized flava):
Listless garbage. Badly cast, poorly written & lifelessly directed....which surprised me, since the director did the Japanese Ringu, its sequel and also the original Dark Water, which is IMHO one of the best suspense/horror movies of the last ten years.
I loved the first one directed by Gore Verbinski, I thought it was actually superior to the Japanese original...but this one stunk the joint out.
Red Eye:
Excellent no-nonsense thriller by Wes Craven, who is notoriously hit-or-miss. This time he was on his game, and after the putridity of Ring 2 Red Eye was a marvel of compact, efficient storytelling, energetic direction and quality acting.
Cillian Murphy's turn as the Scarecrow was the best thing about Batman Begins, and he does nothing to hurt his stature in this flick.
I've also been making my way through the first season of Lost, which has been pretty good for a high profile network show. I can't help thinking how much better it would be on HBO, but it does OK for itself given the limits of broadcast TV.
The writing is all over the place- it seems like writers are assigned to characters or something, because some of them are consistently interesting and well written, and some of them have backstories straight from some JC screenwriting class that overdosed on Syd Field.
I like the fat guy, the bald survivalist nut played by The Stepfather, the middle aged black gal and the Korean couple best. Sawyer's character is played out and the gal bank robber needs to A: dry her fucking hair once in a while (no really, check it out- it's wet 99% of the time) and B: take some acting lessons- her solution to every dramatic plot point is to squinch up her eyes and affect a look halfway between needing to take a really big shit and trying not to burst into tears because she woke up too late for the hotel's free Continental breakfast.
Hudson described the proper frame of mind to approach it with:
"pretend it's the 1930's and your watching a Buster Crabbe serial at the theater."
Spot on.
If you cut it some slack, it's a fun way to pass the time.
Half a great film. Everything up to the scene in the jazz club is fresh, involving, perfectly executed and captures the 'flavor' of LA's physical and philosophical existence like nothing else I've seen.
Then, unfortunately, the wheels come off and it turns into a disorganized stew of running, car chases, shooting and contrived plot developments.
Still, worth a rental. Just turn it off after the jazz club.
Ring 2 (Americanized flava):
Listless garbage. Badly cast, poorly written & lifelessly directed....which surprised me, since the director did the Japanese Ringu, its sequel and also the original Dark Water, which is IMHO one of the best suspense/horror movies of the last ten years.
I loved the first one directed by Gore Verbinski, I thought it was actually superior to the Japanese original...but this one stunk the joint out.
Red Eye:
Excellent no-nonsense thriller by Wes Craven, who is notoriously hit-or-miss. This time he was on his game, and after the putridity of Ring 2 Red Eye was a marvel of compact, efficient storytelling, energetic direction and quality acting.
Cillian Murphy's turn as the Scarecrow was the best thing about Batman Begins, and he does nothing to hurt his stature in this flick.
I've also been making my way through the first season of Lost, which has been pretty good for a high profile network show. I can't help thinking how much better it would be on HBO, but it does OK for itself given the limits of broadcast TV.
The writing is all over the place- it seems like writers are assigned to characters or something, because some of them are consistently interesting and well written, and some of them have backstories straight from some JC screenwriting class that overdosed on Syd Field.
I like the fat guy, the bald survivalist nut played by The Stepfather, the middle aged black gal and the Korean couple best. Sawyer's character is played out and the gal bank robber needs to A: dry her fucking hair once in a while (no really, check it out- it's wet 99% of the time) and B: take some acting lessons- her solution to every dramatic plot point is to squinch up her eyes and affect a look halfway between needing to take a really big shit and trying not to burst into tears because she woke up too late for the hotel's free Continental breakfast.
Hudson described the proper frame of mind to approach it with:
"pretend it's the 1930's and your watching a Buster Crabbe serial at the theater."
Spot on.
If you cut it some slack, it's a fun way to pass the time.
9.21.2006
why I love the internet, pt. 392
So a while back I run across one of those things you inevitably run across online when venturing beyond the well-scrubbed and brightly lit acreages of the corporate shopping zones- a video of a monkey getting it on then absentmindedly eating eating its own spunk.
(And I ain't kidding, so don't click unless you mean it.)
It's the kind of thing that's gross but kinda funny because it's gross, and it's an internet-specific experience- you're not going to see it on TV, you're not going to accidentally run across it a the video store.
So, however you feel about its content the video is a fairly generic online experience.
What makes it brilliant are the user comments from Metafilter prior to its deletion:
A group of strangers come together to elevate a fairly pedestrian video clip of a monkey eating its own spunk into art.
This, my friends, is the transformative power of the internet.
(And I ain't kidding, so don't click unless you mean it.)
It's the kind of thing that's gross but kinda funny because it's gross, and it's an internet-specific experience- you're not going to see it on TV, you're not going to accidentally run across it a the video store.
So, however you feel about its content the video is a fairly generic online experience.
What makes it brilliant are the user comments from Metafilter prior to its deletion:
Dude, did you seriously just post a 15 second clip of a monkey banging another monkey and then eating his own spooge?
posted by Justinian
Dude, did you seriously just watch it, knowing what it would be?
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas
someday everyone will have videophones and this will be my answering machine message.
posted by snofoam
August 19, 2006 1:42 PM EST ... the precise date and time when western civilization jumped the shark
posted by pyramid termite
I get it! It's a metaphor for the human condition!
posted by onkelchrispy
I can't stop myself from clicking on this link. I have a feeling that a strong wave of regret will soon wash over me.
posted by smackwich
Can --> should. What's not to understand?
Now if you'll excuse me, I just realized I have a moral imperative to go skull-fuck a hobo.
posted by gramschmidt
this is the defining post of my generation.
posted by Stynxno
A group of strangers come together to elevate a fairly pedestrian video clip of a monkey eating its own spunk into art.
This, my friends, is the transformative power of the internet.
Happy Birthday Devritsko!
I may be a bit off...but I've known Bobo for 25 years and couldn't tell you his birthday if you held a pistol to my head....so feel special.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
9.20.2006
More Portable Stuff
portableapps.com
a host of stand-alone programs that can run themselves from a USB drive.
This is tempting me to pick up one of those little keychain USB thingies...
a host of stand-alone programs that can run themselves from a USB drive.
This is tempting me to pick up one of those little keychain USB thingies...
portable anonymous web surfing
In keeping with our sporadic commitment to online privacy the Baxblog is happy to relay a release announcement for Torpark.
Stick it to The Man, dear readers!
Hacktivismo, an international group of computer security experts and human rights workers, just released Torpark, an anonymous, fully portable Web browser based on Mozilla Firefox. Torpark comes pre-configured, requires no installation, can run off a USB memory stick, and leaves no tracks behind in the browser or computer.
Stick it to The Man, dear readers!
9.19.2006
9.17.2006
9.16.2006
5 strangest iPod cases
according to techEblog.
Mostly goofy fun, but I'm seriously considering this baby.
Such a macho case would make me default winner of any intercenine iPod battles with my pals.
Mostly goofy fun, but I'm seriously considering this baby.
Such a macho case would make me default winner of any intercenine iPod battles with my pals.
Southland Sojourn: day two part one
We started off with our traditional breakfast at Pat & Lorraine's, familiar to Tarantino fans as the scene of the famous opening monologue from Reservoir Dogs.
Most of the food and drink is fairly typical diner fare, but they have spectacular Machaca, served with scrambled eggs & 'home fries'.
(an aside: home fries are a shameful surrender by restaurant management to prep cooks who are too lazy to grate potatoes for real hash browns. But in this case, the machaca more than makes up for the corner-cutting.)
Any visit to LA involves a lot of driving around, and this was our day to rack up the miles. We sped hither and yon in Bobo's trusty Jetta, framing LA's vast cultural sprawl with a car windshield. Following last month's midwest swing it was strange to see a city that was vibrant, alive and fully populated...even the squalid bits had more meat on their bones than the midwest equivalent, adding their own flavor to the stock of the city.
Although even by west coast standards LA is almost tumourously alive, pulsing and squelching like Tetsuo's renegade flesh at the end of Akira. One minute you're think you're in Korea or Vietnam, drive three blocks and you're in some wretched American slum, drive a few more blocks and you're surrounded by exotic Italian sports car dealerships. It's more than a little disorienting.
Bobo is an excellent tour guide, capable of delivering a thumbnail history of whatever neighborhood you find yourself in. Our trip to his favorite Highland Park taco truck the previous night included a gratis lecture on the history of its resident Avenues street gang and several colorful anecdotes invovling shootouts at burger stands and gas stations.
We ran some errands and then went in search of lunch, which Bobo decided would be at a posh bakery cafe called Doughboys. Finding it was a chore, as Bobo couldn't remember what street it was on and his call for directions got us sent on a wild goose chase (what kind of waiter doesn't know the street their restaurant is on?) Bobo finally abandoned modern technological solutions and let the Force guide us. Tacking against the headwind of my ridicule, he got us to our destination only slightly behind schedule.
The food was worth the wait, although I had better service at a Wendy's in Kentucky. Our well-meaning, very energetic and heavily tattooed server kept hopelessly misreading our intentions- his response to our plea for a basic espresso drink was some kind of vanilla milkshake.
Bobo (nonplussed):
Uh...no. Do you have an iced latte?
Server (with the enthusiasm of a very small dog):
Sure! Should I make that a double?!?
Bobo (deadpan):
No thanks.
Our order of dual French Dips also triggered a merchandising land mine- "Would you like those white trash style, with bacon and grilled onions?!?"
Bobo blinked rapidly in horror, but recovered his equilibrium in time to mask my involuntary choking with a polite refusal.
Quick question for social historians:
When was bacon elected America's culinary panacea?
Once we fended off our server's aggressive upsaleing (irritating for the patron, mana for the owner) we enjoyed excellent iced lattes and OUTSTANDING French Dips, the best I've ever had. And you need to understand I spent a good portion of my youth in the company of the Pelf, sampling every French Dip we could find.
This one was ideal in every respect. They bake their own bread, so a perfect baguette is perhaps to be expected. But the meat was thinly sliced, pink and succulent, and the Jus was copious and carried the deep color and flavor of stock, not the thin, bitter taste of bouillon. Plus, there was more than enough of it. Even the horseradish sauce was spot on- not to hot, but not washed out and bland.
The food redeemed the experience, which is fine with me. I'll take spectacular food in a so-so setting over so-so food in a spectacular setting every time.
(to be continued)
Most of the food and drink is fairly typical diner fare, but they have spectacular Machaca, served with scrambled eggs & 'home fries'.
(an aside: home fries are a shameful surrender by restaurant management to prep cooks who are too lazy to grate potatoes for real hash browns. But in this case, the machaca more than makes up for the corner-cutting.)
Any visit to LA involves a lot of driving around, and this was our day to rack up the miles. We sped hither and yon in Bobo's trusty Jetta, framing LA's vast cultural sprawl with a car windshield. Following last month's midwest swing it was strange to see a city that was vibrant, alive and fully populated...even the squalid bits had more meat on their bones than the midwest equivalent, adding their own flavor to the stock of the city.
Although even by west coast standards LA is almost tumourously alive, pulsing and squelching like Tetsuo's renegade flesh at the end of Akira. One minute you're think you're in Korea or Vietnam, drive three blocks and you're in some wretched American slum, drive a few more blocks and you're surrounded by exotic Italian sports car dealerships. It's more than a little disorienting.
Bobo is an excellent tour guide, capable of delivering a thumbnail history of whatever neighborhood you find yourself in. Our trip to his favorite Highland Park taco truck the previous night included a gratis lecture on the history of its resident Avenues street gang and several colorful anecdotes invovling shootouts at burger stands and gas stations.
We ran some errands and then went in search of lunch, which Bobo decided would be at a posh bakery cafe called Doughboys. Finding it was a chore, as Bobo couldn't remember what street it was on and his call for directions got us sent on a wild goose chase (what kind of waiter doesn't know the street their restaurant is on?) Bobo finally abandoned modern technological solutions and let the Force guide us. Tacking against the headwind of my ridicule, he got us to our destination only slightly behind schedule.
The food was worth the wait, although I had better service at a Wendy's in Kentucky. Our well-meaning, very energetic and heavily tattooed server kept hopelessly misreading our intentions- his response to our plea for a basic espresso drink was some kind of vanilla milkshake.
Bobo (nonplussed):
Uh...no. Do you have an iced latte?
Server (with the enthusiasm of a very small dog):
Sure! Should I make that a double?!?
Bobo (deadpan):
No thanks.
Our order of dual French Dips also triggered a merchandising land mine- "Would you like those white trash style, with bacon and grilled onions?!?"
Bobo blinked rapidly in horror, but recovered his equilibrium in time to mask my involuntary choking with a polite refusal.
Quick question for social historians:
When was bacon elected America's culinary panacea?
Once we fended off our server's aggressive upsaleing (irritating for the patron, mana for the owner) we enjoyed excellent iced lattes and OUTSTANDING French Dips, the best I've ever had. And you need to understand I spent a good portion of my youth in the company of the Pelf, sampling every French Dip we could find.
This one was ideal in every respect. They bake their own bread, so a perfect baguette is perhaps to be expected. But the meat was thinly sliced, pink and succulent, and the Jus was copious and carried the deep color and flavor of stock, not the thin, bitter taste of bouillon. Plus, there was more than enough of it. Even the horseradish sauce was spot on- not to hot, but not washed out and bland.
The food redeemed the experience, which is fine with me. I'll take spectacular food in a so-so setting over so-so food in a spectacular setting every time.
(to be continued)
9.14.2006
Burning Man: A Responsible Opposing Viewpoint
clicky clicky.
Burning Man is not for non-conformists. You must wear a Burning Man outfit or risk constant abuse. I did not wear any silly costumes at Burning Man, or dress in drag, or hang my ass in the breeze, nor did my friends. Surviving the heat was plenty: we had no spare energy for playing dress up. For this breech in burner protocol, weirdoes in furry suits chided us that “jeans are not a costume.” These “furries” dress in full fur suits, like comic characters in the Ice Capades or that big rat at Chucky Cheese, and like to do drugs and have sex in their suits while in character. If there is anything worse than a pervert, it’s a self-righteous druggie pervert, dressed as a chipmunk, offering unsolicited fashion tips. If you want catty advice on how to dress from a crowd of Rocky Horror Picture Show rejects, Burning Man is for you.
9.11.2006
good for Wiki
Contrary to the craven corporate cowardice of big-time internet outfits like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, Wikipedia told China to piss up a rope when asked to censor it's entries to comply with China's authoritarian demands.
A bit of positive news in the sea of negativity.
Wales said censorship was ' antithetical to the philosophy of Wikipedia. We occupy a position in the culture that I wish Google would take up, which is that we stand for the freedom for information, and for us to compromise I think would send very much the wrong signal: that there's no one left on the planet who's willing to say "You know what? We're not going to give up."'
A bit of positive news in the sea of negativity.
Southland Sojourn: day one
I zipped down to Boboland for a few days last week- Anner was in Paris and Bobo had a spare few hours for hanging out.
Took the train because I hate driving long distances and like trains. I rode a lot of trains in my youth and I can't say I'm happy with the changes wrought by cell phones- every other seat had some Chatty Cathy spouting the usual monologue ("yeah...I'm on a train. Where are you?"). But as technology taketh away it also giveth- I was able to dam the tide of cellular triviality by plugging in to my iPod, replacing banal minutiae with quality modern music.
Bobo picked me up at Union Station, a gorgeous, old-timey terminal and we went in search of late night provender.
Bobo's first several choices were all closed so we tried Del Taco, which had the dual advantages of a drive-through window and no outposts in my hometown. Alas, hungry as I was I couldn't get past all of their combo meals being served with French fries.
WTF man. Who in the hell wants fries with their asada taco?
This crisis led Bobo to a startling realization:
"I've been thinking like a white man!"
Minutes later we pulled up to his favorite taco truck, where the dilapidated menu offered head, tongue and buche* as well as the more traditional beef, pork and chicken.
I went for a pair of Al Pastor tacos (heavily spiced shredded pork) and an asada burrito, all of which were excellent. While some purists argue that serving burritos is a black mark, I disagree. They're not traditional, but so long as they're not the gigantic rice-stuffed monstrosities you expect to find at chain margarita joints I think they have a place.
We cruised back over the hill to Casa Bobo, greeted the hounds, relaxed for a bit and then turned in for the night.
(to be continued)
*subsequent investigation led to the discovery that Buche is pig skin.
Took the train because I hate driving long distances and like trains. I rode a lot of trains in my youth and I can't say I'm happy with the changes wrought by cell phones- every other seat had some Chatty Cathy spouting the usual monologue ("yeah...I'm on a train. Where are you?"). But as technology taketh away it also giveth- I was able to dam the tide of cellular triviality by plugging in to my iPod, replacing banal minutiae with quality modern music.
Bobo picked me up at Union Station, a gorgeous, old-timey terminal and we went in search of late night provender.
Bobo's first several choices were all closed so we tried Del Taco, which had the dual advantages of a drive-through window and no outposts in my hometown. Alas, hungry as I was I couldn't get past all of their combo meals being served with French fries.
WTF man. Who in the hell wants fries with their asada taco?
This crisis led Bobo to a startling realization:
"I've been thinking like a white man!"
Minutes later we pulled up to his favorite taco truck, where the dilapidated menu offered head, tongue and buche* as well as the more traditional beef, pork and chicken.
I went for a pair of Al Pastor tacos (heavily spiced shredded pork) and an asada burrito, all of which were excellent. While some purists argue that serving burritos is a black mark, I disagree. They're not traditional, but so long as they're not the gigantic rice-stuffed monstrosities you expect to find at chain margarita joints I think they have a place.
We cruised back over the hill to Casa Bobo, greeted the hounds, relaxed for a bit and then turned in for the night.
(to be continued)
*subsequent investigation led to the discovery that Buche is pig skin.
9.09.2006
Amazon's pointless new service.
Oh shiny shiny!
Amazon is offering downloadable movies.
Of course, they're overpriced (14-17 dollars- more expensive than Best Buy) and they are crippled with idiotic restrictions.
I realize it's a hard reality for corporations to come to grips with, but at this point in the digital revolution consumers are used to doing whatever they want with their media. Proprietary formats and usage restrictions don't fly with a customer base that could if it so desired order a movie from netflix or pick one up from their local video store and make a copy that plays on anything and that they can do whatever they want with.
Contrast that with paying full retail for a gimped version with severe restrictions on use.
If they want people to pay full boat, they need to give them full use.
If they're not going to give them full use, they need to DRASTICALLY reduce the price to reflect the limited nature of their offering.
/edit
I dislike Barenaked Ladies in their entirity, but one of the members makes excellent points on the corporate mania for crippled content:
Amazon is offering downloadable movies.
Of course, they're overpriced (14-17 dollars- more expensive than Best Buy) and they are crippled with idiotic restrictions.
I realize it's a hard reality for corporations to come to grips with, but at this point in the digital revolution consumers are used to doing whatever they want with their media. Proprietary formats and usage restrictions don't fly with a customer base that could if it so desired order a movie from netflix or pick one up from their local video store and make a copy that plays on anything and that they can do whatever they want with.
Contrast that with paying full retail for a gimped version with severe restrictions on use.
If they want people to pay full boat, they need to give them full use.
If they're not going to give them full use, they need to DRASTICALLY reduce the price to reflect the limited nature of their offering.
/edit
I dislike Barenaked Ladies in their entirity, but one of the members makes excellent points on the corporate mania for crippled content:
Basically, they're saying you can have all this music for free, but you can only keep it on your computer and one other device. That kind of maniacal need for control is what will be the death of major labels. If they continue to stop people from listening to music in the way they want it, people will continue to make other choices. I think that labels need to stop the restrictive and manipulative use of DRM, and, frankly, we should legalize P2P, and have it properly licensed from the ISP level (sure, the ISPs will complain, but, let them complain).
9.06.2006
DIY gourds!
A follow-up of sorts to my gourd art post a while ago.
vegiforms.
Turn your fast-growing veg into art!
vegiforms.
Turn your fast-growing veg into art!
9.05.2006
9.02.2006
Old timey cocktails
A random drink recipe from a facimile edition of the Savoy Cocktail Book:
POOP DECK COCKTAIL
1/2 Blackberry Brandy
1/4 Port Wine
1/4 Brandy
shake well and strain into cocktail glass
Shudder.
It doesn't specify, but I assume all measurements are in jiggers.
And here are "A Few Hints For the Young Mixer":
Here's the recipe for a Tom Collins, circa 1930:
Interesting- I'll have to check it out, although I'm generally no fan of soda water.
The version you'll get in most contemporary bars is gin, sweet & sour mix and tonic water. The version I've always made is gin, Collins mix (which you can still get at most grocery stores) and tonic.
POOP DECK COCKTAIL
1/2 Blackberry Brandy
1/4 Port Wine
1/4 Brandy
shake well and strain into cocktail glass
Shudder.
It doesn't specify, but I assume all measurements are in jiggers.
And here are "A Few Hints For the Young Mixer":
1: Ice is nearly always an absolute essential for any cocktail.
2: Never use the same ice twice.
3: Remember that ingridients mix better in a shaker rather larger than is necessary to contain them.
4: Shake the shaker as hard as you can: don't just rock it: you are trying to wake it up, not send it to sleep!
5: Drink your cocktail as soon as possible. Harry Craddock was once asked what was the best way to drink a cocktail: "Quickly" replied that great man, "while it's still laughing at you!"
Here's the recipe for a Tom Collins, circa 1930:
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 Tablespoonful Powdered Sugar
1 Glass Dry Gin
Shake well and strain into a large bar glass. Fill up the glass with plain soda water and imbibe while it is lively.
Interesting- I'll have to check it out, although I'm generally no fan of soda water.
The version you'll get in most contemporary bars is gin, sweet & sour mix and tonic water. The version I've always made is gin, Collins mix (which you can still get at most grocery stores) and tonic.
8.31.2006
attn Ivan e Bobo
your chance to own a piece of poo history!
Don't say I never did anything for you.
/edit
I guess the Scientologists ganked the Ebay listing, but here's what you needed to see.
Don't say I never did anything for you.
/edit
I guess the Scientologists ganked the Ebay listing, but here's what you needed to see.
music: live thursday
some of my favorite songs of recent vintage, live
TV on the Radio: Young Liars (showbox seattle)
quality is so-so, but what a performance.
Wolf Parade: I'll Believe in Anything (showbox seattle)
Arcade Fire: Wake Up (french TV)
clap your hands say yeah: By The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
serena-maneesh: Drain Cosmetics
I can't find anything live (maybe cause they're Norwegian), but here's a 'music video'
Spoon: The Beast and Dragon Adored (austin city limits)
TV on the Radio: Young Liars (showbox seattle)
quality is so-so, but what a performance.
Wolf Parade: I'll Believe in Anything (showbox seattle)
Arcade Fire: Wake Up (french TV)
clap your hands say yeah: By The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
serena-maneesh: Drain Cosmetics
I can't find anything live (maybe cause they're Norwegian), but here's a 'music video'
Spoon: The Beast and Dragon Adored (austin city limits)
8.30.2006
why the internet rules
one of my boxing pals had a bad experience with a mover- he arrived at his new home to find the truck with all his belongings was lagging a week behind. His interactions with the company being unsatisfactory, he took his case to the internet...where the van line was found guilty by the readers of his blog.
HAH.
Further details of his trials and tribulations can be found here.
And he recommends this interesting site on avoiding moving scams. I learned a few things!
HAH.
Further details of his trials and tribulations can be found here.
And he recommends this interesting site on avoiding moving scams. I learned a few things!
taco trucks
Along the lines of that one site where the dude wants to rate every taco stand in LA, this one shines a light on the Taco Trucks of the East Bay.
8.28.2006
movies : Pirates & Sunshine
After weeks of subtle and not-so-subtle conniving, the wife lured me into the theater to check out the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel.
I'm usually down on sequels because they usually suck ass.
The only reason they exist is to make money off a built-in audience who crave more of whatever magic the original delivered, said delivery in a sequel being severely compromised by corporate terror of changing anything in a formula that works.
Any big budget film is a triumph of cash over creativity and in a sequel situation the table is rigged even more ridiculously in favor of the of the house.
Taking all that into account, I had a good time with Pirates II.
In fact, on first pass I liked it better than its predecessor. The oceanic undead crew of Davy Jones routed the snore-inducing zombie pirates of the first flick, and with so much screen time in each dedicated to the opposition this was a major improvement.
A good summer watch, even if I waited until the tail end of the season to catch it.
On to a real movie, Little Miss Sunshine.
We caught this one during our midwest swing, at the gorgeous Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor (the only town we visited with any signs of cultural life obvious to a touristy sort).
Great flick, I recommend it to everyone.
It's an interesting hybrid.
The underlying structure could not be more mainstream Hollywood- family undergoes journey of discovery (the 'journey' being made explicit via that hoary cinema cliche, the road trip), obstacles are overcome, lessons are learned and everything is neatly wrapped up in the appropriately heartwarming finale.
But that hackneyed Syd Field structure is populated by living, breathing (and excellently acted & written) characters, and utterly free from the creative straightjacket imposed by the corporate studio system currently suffocating mainstream American cinema.
It's a mainstream Hollywood family drama re-imagined by people with talent, which supports my long-held belief that nothing's wrong with Hollywood that locking up the suits and letting genuinely creative people operate free of focus groups and corporate meddling wouldn't fix.
I'm usually down on sequels because they usually suck ass.
The only reason they exist is to make money off a built-in audience who crave more of whatever magic the original delivered, said delivery in a sequel being severely compromised by corporate terror of changing anything in a formula that works.
Any big budget film is a triumph of cash over creativity and in a sequel situation the table is rigged even more ridiculously in favor of the of the house.
Taking all that into account, I had a good time with Pirates II.
In fact, on first pass I liked it better than its predecessor. The oceanic undead crew of Davy Jones routed the snore-inducing zombie pirates of the first flick, and with so much screen time in each dedicated to the opposition this was a major improvement.
A good summer watch, even if I waited until the tail end of the season to catch it.
On to a real movie, Little Miss Sunshine.
We caught this one during our midwest swing, at the gorgeous Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor (the only town we visited with any signs of cultural life obvious to a touristy sort).
Great flick, I recommend it to everyone.
It's an interesting hybrid.
The underlying structure could not be more mainstream Hollywood- family undergoes journey of discovery (the 'journey' being made explicit via that hoary cinema cliche, the road trip), obstacles are overcome, lessons are learned and everything is neatly wrapped up in the appropriately heartwarming finale.
But that hackneyed Syd Field structure is populated by living, breathing (and excellently acted & written) characters, and utterly free from the creative straightjacket imposed by the corporate studio system currently suffocating mainstream American cinema.
It's a mainstream Hollywood family drama re-imagined by people with talent, which supports my long-held belief that nothing's wrong with Hollywood that locking up the suits and letting genuinely creative people operate free of focus groups and corporate meddling wouldn't fix.
Windows DRM cracked
Another blow struck for consumer freedom.
.wma file quality sucks ass and I'd never willingly use it, but I'm glad Microsoft's gimped 'security' measures have taken a fatal blow.
I also hate their name for it- PlaysForSure.
Pimping your crippleware as some kind of customer service is Orwellian.
.wma file quality sucks ass and I'd never willingly use it, but I'm glad Microsoft's gimped 'security' measures have taken a fatal blow.
I also hate their name for it- PlaysForSure.
Pimping your crippleware as some kind of customer service is Orwellian.
8.26.2006
Russian prison shanks
The pictures are interesting, but it's the captions I love.
"This is top-designed. There is a saying simplicity means geniousity."
and
"The one thing scares me about all of the devices depicted is that they probably were used to cut and kill real flesh. That’s crazy."
are my two favorites.
"This is top-designed. There is a saying simplicity means geniousity."
and
"The one thing scares me about all of the devices depicted is that they probably were used to cut and kill real flesh. That’s crazy."
are my two favorites.
wallpaper for high-res monitors
The only down side to running my monitor at extrememly high resolution is a lack of decent wallpapers.
voila!
Nothing mind-blowing there, but it's the best selection of really high res images I've come across.
voila!
Nothing mind-blowing there, but it's the best selection of really high res images I've come across.
One for Ivan & Bobo
Puke Planet.
Claiming to be "The Internet's only site devoted to Puke and Vomit. Guaranteed."
It's exactly what it says, so don't post militant comments about how I ruined your lunch!
sites of related interest:
air sickness bag virtual museum
E! Online's top ten puke scenes (pretty good list!)
and for the pet lovers, Katpuke.com
Claiming to be "The Internet's only site devoted to Puke and Vomit. Guaranteed."
It's exactly what it says, so don't post militant comments about how I ruined your lunch!
sites of related interest:
air sickness bag virtual museum
E! Online's top ten puke scenes (pretty good list!)
and for the pet lovers, Katpuke.com
update the first
It's mildly amusing that the Blogger spellchecker doesn't recognize the words blog, blogger & blogging.
Day of Updates
So, for those of you wondering just how lazy I am...an answer.
In the wake of Google "improving" the blogger interface they locked out the browser I use at work, an ancient version of Firefox from when it was still called Firebird. It still works with everything except blogger, and given it has roughly a century of accumulated bookmarks that I can't export you'll understand I am loathe to discard it.
Happily Blogger has started working with newer version of Firefox, like the one I'm using now.
And this brings us back to how lazy I am...switching from my preferred browser to this one to post updates fills me with existential ennui and triggers a desire to light up aGauloise, hit open mic night at the local cafe and shoulder aside the reeking horde of street poets, avant-jazz combos & budding stand up comedians to deliver my dire message of apocalyptic woe to a bemused crowd of hipsters typing on their Macbooks.
This, dear reader, is why you have been so sorely neglected the past while.
Thus, the Day of Updates.
Let loose the doves and balloons, sound the trumpets and prepare for the blogging rapture of angelic updates fluttering onto your monitors in an unending stream!
Well, at least for the next couple of hours...
In the wake of Google "improving" the blogger interface they locked out the browser I use at work, an ancient version of Firefox from when it was still called Firebird. It still works with everything except blogger, and given it has roughly a century of accumulated bookmarks that I can't export you'll understand I am loathe to discard it.
Happily Blogger has started working with newer version of Firefox, like the one I'm using now.
And this brings us back to how lazy I am...switching from my preferred browser to this one to post updates fills me with existential ennui and triggers a desire to light up aGauloise, hit open mic night at the local cafe and shoulder aside the reeking horde of street poets, avant-jazz combos & budding stand up comedians to deliver my dire message of apocalyptic woe to a bemused crowd of hipsters typing on their Macbooks.
This, dear reader, is why you have been so sorely neglected the past while.
Thus, the Day of Updates.
Let loose the doves and balloons, sound the trumpets and prepare for the blogging rapture of angelic updates fluttering onto your monitors in an unending stream!
Well, at least for the next couple of hours...
8.23.2006
Vikings, Ho!
hot native american vs viking ak-shown courtesy of Ivanusk, who says
"It's been a long dry spell for viking movies."
"It's been a long dry spell for viking movies."
8.20.2006
name generators
silly superhero names
samples:
Reptile Bureaucrat
Yawn Beast
Giant Democrat
Professor Whiner
Underwear Psychic
heavy metal song name generator (one of my all time favorites)
samples:
Glazed Lusty Tumor
Hysteric Norse
Golgothan Vagina of Hurt
Cemetary of the Smoldering Torso
the Unitarian Jihad Name Generator, for a more focused demographic.
for Ivan, a Viking quiz and name generator
and in a postmodern vein, the Name Generator Generator.
samples:
Reptile Bureaucrat
Yawn Beast
Giant Democrat
Professor Whiner
Underwear Psychic
heavy metal song name generator (one of my all time favorites)
samples:
Glazed Lusty Tumor
Hysteric Norse
Golgothan Vagina of Hurt
Cemetary of the Smoldering Torso
the Unitarian Jihad Name Generator, for a more focused demographic.
for Ivan, a Viking quiz and name generator
and in a postmodern vein, the Name Generator Generator.
neat online word processor
One more step toward Google world domination.
I use openoffice for serious processing and a little freeware text editor for jotting stuff down, but I can see the utility of having your shizz online.
If you travel around a lot or whatever, could be handy.
I use openoffice for serious processing and a little freeware text editor for jotting stuff down, but I can see the utility of having your shizz online.
If you travel around a lot or whatever, could be handy.
8.18.2006
fuck blogger...also, a recipe
it's just refusing to work with Firefox at all now, I'm posting this via (gag) explorer. >:
anyway, a quick recipe for turkey burgers. Made it for lunch and they're excellent.
1lb turkey burger
ample salt & pepper
1 tsp sage
several shakes of onion powder
4-5 shakes of Worsteshire sauce
break up burger in a large bowl, add spices and combine.
divide burger into 4 equal portions.
Make a loose ball, form into a patty, press down in the center (this keeps it from lumping up in the middle).
using a grill pan, preheat on high then reduce to medium-high after adding patties.
cook 5 minutes, flip and cook 3-5 minutes more, depending on desired done-ness.
Savory, juicy and delicious.
anyway, a quick recipe for turkey burgers. Made it for lunch and they're excellent.
1lb turkey burger
ample salt & pepper
1 tsp sage
several shakes of onion powder
4-5 shakes of Worsteshire sauce
break up burger in a large bowl, add spices and combine.
divide burger into 4 equal portions.
Make a loose ball, form into a patty, press down in the center (this keeps it from lumping up in the middle).
using a grill pan, preheat on high then reduce to medium-high after adding patties.
cook 5 minutes, flip and cook 3-5 minutes more, depending on desired done-ness.
Savory, juicy and delicious.
8.16.2006
Blogger blues
It seems Google bought Blogger a while ago and they just started "improving" it while I was on vacation.
Their idea of improving customer satisfaction seems to be completely fucking up the login system and making posts vanish into the ether....yipee!
Anyway, I uploaded a truckload of vacation pix to flickr last night, so use the link on the sidebar to check them out.
Future updates will depend on how soon google gets their hash sorted....
Their idea of improving customer satisfaction seems to be completely fucking up the login system and making posts vanish into the ether....yipee!
Anyway, I uploaded a truckload of vacation pix to flickr last night, so use the link on the sidebar to check them out.
Future updates will depend on how soon google gets their hash sorted....
8.15.2006
Home again, home again jiggity jig....gooooood Evening, JF!
I survived the midwest (and the south).
Back at work today after a walkabout through the central and lower parts of the country.
We visited our pals James & Courtney in scenic Bowling Green, Ohio and were swept up in several long-planned road trips they had schedules, including a lengthy sojourn to Nashville with pit-stops in Cincinnati & Louisville.
On the way home we stopped at Historic Diamond Caverns (as I sit here at home I still have some Diamond Cave mud in the crevices of my shoes, which is strange) and the National Corvette Museum.
We opted against Kentucky Down Under, warned off by some primitive survival instinct (Australia + Kentucky Cave = UNCLEAN).
The same warning bell sounded again as we passed a resturant promising "California Style Mexican Food"...I wanted to stop, just to see if it measured up to the "Mexican" food we had in Egmond Aan Zee, but was overruled.
I've got a serious case of blog backlog, so expect frequent expulsions of content as I digest more of our sojourn.
And expect a gigantic flickr update tonight once I unpack the camera.
Back at work today after a walkabout through the central and lower parts of the country.
We visited our pals James & Courtney in scenic Bowling Green, Ohio and were swept up in several long-planned road trips they had schedules, including a lengthy sojourn to Nashville with pit-stops in Cincinnati & Louisville.
On the way home we stopped at Historic Diamond Caverns (as I sit here at home I still have some Diamond Cave mud in the crevices of my shoes, which is strange) and the National Corvette Museum.
We opted against Kentucky Down Under, warned off by some primitive survival instinct (Australia + Kentucky Cave = UNCLEAN).
The same warning bell sounded again as we passed a resturant promising "California Style Mexican Food"...I wanted to stop, just to see if it measured up to the "Mexican" food we had in Egmond Aan Zee, but was overruled.
I've got a serious case of blog backlog, so expect frequent expulsions of content as I digest more of our sojourn.
And expect a gigantic flickr update tonight once I unpack the camera.
8.06.2006
neato flash games
Noticed a bunch of cool games on this blog, so I'll just link the blog instead of all the individual games.
clicky clicky
clicky clicky
stuff people say
Gal yesterday:
"Where are your true stories?"
Little girl up in the loft today:
"Mom! I see you down there mom! You're so small down there! Why are you so small down there!"
Courtney, describing Ohio to the wife:
"It's like a giant Fresno"
Way to get us psyched up for our visit!
"Where are your true stories?"
Little girl up in the loft today:
"Mom! I see you down there mom! You're so small down there! Why are you so small down there!"
Courtney, describing Ohio to the wife:
"It's like a giant Fresno"
Way to get us psyched up for our visit!
8.05.2006
what superhero are you?
these kinds of quizzes are usually ghey, but this one was pretty keen.
Your results:
You are Hulk
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test
Your results:
You are Hulk
| You are a wanderer with amazing strength.  |
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test
useful site
Old Version is a site that archives previous releases of popular software.
Very hand when that nifty freeware utility you can't live without suddenly starts charging, or a favorite releases a crap-tastic new version that makes you want to smash your monitor with a bat.
Very hand when that nifty freeware utility you can't live without suddenly starts charging, or a favorite releases a crap-tastic new version that makes you want to smash your monitor with a bat.
8.04.2006
game: faux-Risk
An abstract version of the classic boardgame, courtesy of those crazy Japanese.
Strangely compelling!
Strangely compelling!
8.03.2006
8.02.2006
Contrast podcast
I generally get my new music cues from Hype Machine, Pitchfork, one of the music blogs I check or even the clued-in cats at the record shop next door.
The arrival of my iPod has opened up the avenue of the podcast.
Walking to work is the perfect time to audit new tunes, and slapping a podcast or two on the machine is the work of seconds.
My favorite one lately is the Contrast podcast, a group effort with themed contributions from a bunch of music bloggers from around the world.
I never like everything, but I always hear something great that's new to me.
The arrival of my iPod has opened up the avenue of the podcast.
Walking to work is the perfect time to audit new tunes, and slapping a podcast or two on the machine is the work of seconds.
My favorite one lately is the Contrast podcast, a group effort with themed contributions from a bunch of music bloggers from around the world.
I never like everything, but I always hear something great that's new to me.
7.31.2006
movie: Munich
My recent rampage continues with Munich, screened during a visit to the Fiend's stomping grounds.
First comment- it was too GODDAMN long.
I can usually peg exactly how much fat a film needed to trim from the runtime, but measurement was addled by the bro in law's habit of pausing the film to rant, rewinding the film to see cool parts again and making us watch the first 15 minutes of War of the Worlds about halfway through.
The movie felt like it was 4 1/2 hours long, but IMDB claims it's under three.
2.5 would have been spot on, so it needed to lose 25 or 20 minutes.
It was pretty good, especially for one of Speilberg's 'serious, important' Oscar-bait movies. It had some great scenes and set pieces, the acting was uniformly excellent, the casting was spot on and Eric Bana earned forgiveness for the abomination that was The Hulk.
But Spielberg can't resist peppering a film with flashy "look at me, folks...ain't I clever!" directorial flourishes. That kind of gimmicky stuff is great in a movie with rampaging dinosaurs, dashing & heroic archaeologists or plucky children helping out their alien pal...it doesn't come off so well in war films, movies about the Holocaust or cinematic explorations of Israeli/Palestinian dilemma.
Bloated runtime and irritating bits of directorial business aside, it was a good watch. It was, of course, as much a story of post-9/11 America as it was a story of the Olympic massacre or Israeli/Palestinian relationships. The screenplay by Tony Kushner (Angels in America) handled the multiple levels of meaning with a deft touch.
I can see why it wasn't widely popular since the philosophical vision of the film takes something of a "pox on both their houses" approach.
The rationale for Israel's existence is forcefully made, but the end just as forcefully drives home the creator's viewpoint that the policies of the Israeli government have turned their back on what should be the guiding principals of it's population.
And it doesn't take a bloodhound to sniff out the parallels with our current situation here in the good ol' USA.
There is the seed of a great film here...but one with a different director, and made outside the Hollywood system.
Still, worth a watch. Flawed but interesting.
First comment- it was too GODDAMN long.
I can usually peg exactly how much fat a film needed to trim from the runtime, but measurement was addled by the bro in law's habit of pausing the film to rant, rewinding the film to see cool parts again and making us watch the first 15 minutes of War of the Worlds about halfway through.
The movie felt like it was 4 1/2 hours long, but IMDB claims it's under three.
2.5 would have been spot on, so it needed to lose 25 or 20 minutes.
It was pretty good, especially for one of Speilberg's 'serious, important' Oscar-bait movies. It had some great scenes and set pieces, the acting was uniformly excellent, the casting was spot on and Eric Bana earned forgiveness for the abomination that was The Hulk.
But Spielberg can't resist peppering a film with flashy "look at me, folks...ain't I clever!" directorial flourishes. That kind of gimmicky stuff is great in a movie with rampaging dinosaurs, dashing & heroic archaeologists or plucky children helping out their alien pal...it doesn't come off so well in war films, movies about the Holocaust or cinematic explorations of Israeli/Palestinian dilemma.
Bloated runtime and irritating bits of directorial business aside, it was a good watch. It was, of course, as much a story of post-9/11 America as it was a story of the Olympic massacre or Israeli/Palestinian relationships. The screenplay by Tony Kushner (Angels in America) handled the multiple levels of meaning with a deft touch.
I can see why it wasn't widely popular since the philosophical vision of the film takes something of a "pox on both their houses" approach.
The rationale for Israel's existence is forcefully made, but the end just as forcefully drives home the creator's viewpoint that the policies of the Israeli government have turned their back on what should be the guiding principals of it's population.
And it doesn't take a bloodhound to sniff out the parallels with our current situation here in the good ol' USA.
There is the seed of a great film here...but one with a different director, and made outside the Hollywood system.
Still, worth a watch. Flawed but interesting.
7.30.2006
movie: Underworld
I've been balancing out my high-minded exploration of the Korean cinematic renaissance with a thoroughly proletarian binge of mainstream exploitation films.
I've been thoroughly disenchanted by what passes for 'exploitation' in mainstream Hollywood for quite a while. Having grown up amidst the glittering spires of Hollywood's golden age of exploitation, before it was levelled by the home video tsunami, modern offerings generally leave me cold.
This one was no exception.
In spite of a can't miss 'high concept' plot (vampires vs werewolves in a global battle for nighttime supremacy!), some good-on-paper casting (Kate Bekinsdale, Bill Nighey) and some nifty special effects this one mostly fell flat on its face.
Kate was put in an acting straight jacket, not allowed to do anything besides stare at the action with brooding petulance from behind greasy black bangs. This kind of schtick works best with limited actors- think Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction. It seems something of a crime to inflict those kinds of restrictions on a talented actress.
Also, it wouldn't hurt a bit if she ate a sandwitch or two.
And Bill Nighey was both the high point and the downfall of the flim.
It was an example of absolutely disasterous casting- he brought such flawlessly graceful majesty to the role of the elder uber-vampire lord that he made the rest of the indifferent cast look like Our Gang rejects who'd decided to put on a show in the old vacant lot.
And that's not even adressing the legion of gaping, oozing holes in the badly concieved script.
A note on the werewolves:
It's pathetic that they couldn't outperform the transformation scenes from 1981'sThe Howling with a big effects budget and computer technology. PATHETIC.
I've been thoroughly disenchanted by what passes for 'exploitation' in mainstream Hollywood for quite a while. Having grown up amidst the glittering spires of Hollywood's golden age of exploitation, before it was levelled by the home video tsunami, modern offerings generally leave me cold.
This one was no exception.
In spite of a can't miss 'high concept' plot (vampires vs werewolves in a global battle for nighttime supremacy!), some good-on-paper casting (Kate Bekinsdale, Bill Nighey) and some nifty special effects this one mostly fell flat on its face.
Kate was put in an acting straight jacket, not allowed to do anything besides stare at the action with brooding petulance from behind greasy black bangs. This kind of schtick works best with limited actors- think Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction. It seems something of a crime to inflict those kinds of restrictions on a talented actress.
Also, it wouldn't hurt a bit if she ate a sandwitch or two.
And Bill Nighey was both the high point and the downfall of the flim.
It was an example of absolutely disasterous casting- he brought such flawlessly graceful majesty to the role of the elder uber-vampire lord that he made the rest of the indifferent cast look like Our Gang rejects who'd decided to put on a show in the old vacant lot.
And that's not even adressing the legion of gaping, oozing holes in the badly concieved script.
A note on the werewolves:
It's pathetic that they couldn't outperform the transformation scenes from 1981'sThe Howling with a big effects budget and computer technology. PATHETIC.
7.29.2006
Bourdain on Beirut
clicky clicky.
He's a fine writer and his scathingly accurate expose on resturaunt life Kitchen Confidential should be required reading for every adult in America.
He's a fine writer and his scathingly accurate expose on resturaunt life Kitchen Confidential should be required reading for every adult in America.
7.28.2006
Zombie Plate Special
It's Undead Double Feature Friday at the Secret Garden tonight.
First up was the capstone to Romero's zombie zigguraut, Land of the Dead.
Reaction to this one among the Zomberati ranged from profoundly negative to red hot affronted rage that it dared trace its lineage to Night of the Living Dead & Dawn of the Dead.
I'm going to draw fire from my compatriots by saying I thought it was fine.
It wasn't a great movie, no Night or Dawn certainly, but I'd rank it with Day of the Dead- an interesting film with some problems that could have been solved by better casting and a few more re-writes.
The first two in the series are genuinely great because they worked on multiple levels- as straight-ahead horror movies and on a metaphorical level as indictments of contemporary society.
Land is only modestly successful as a horror movie- it was missing much of the verve and humor that fueled Romero's earlier works. But it works just fine as a scathing indictment of post-millenial American culture.
Where Dawn feasted on the soft underbelly of consumer culture, Land addresses the increasing disparity between the average citizen and the corporate elites who increasingly run the country.
Seen only as a 'zombie movie' I'd call it a modest failure- it wasn't particularly scary, and the carnage wasn't up to the high standards of earlier installments.
But I still rate it as a good watch.
Just use this decoder ring:
Next up is the recent remake of Day of the Dead, which the Zomberati have all given their stamp of approval and which I'm predisposed to dislike based on my deeply held belief that there's no point in re-making a truly great movie.
Will report back later.
Hey, that was pretty good!
I still don't know why anyone needs to remake a great flick, but at least they did it with energy and style. It pretty much pitched the depth of the original overboard and made up the lost ballast with action and explosions, which certainly have their place in the Zombie firmament.
It also had the things Land was missing, in spades...a well polished script, quality acting top to bottom and a couple of standout scenes including a fabulous pre-credit sequence that set up the senario in compact strokes, setting the stage without taking forfuckingever to explain every goddamn thing under the sun.
On the Zombometer I'd rank it just below the elite, above the well made but flawed 28 Days but below creme de la creme like Night, Dawn and Shawn of the Dead (which has the singular honor of being the only zombie movie the wife enjoyed as much as I did).
First up was the capstone to Romero's zombie zigguraut, Land of the Dead.
Reaction to this one among the Zomberati ranged from profoundly negative to red hot affronted rage that it dared trace its lineage to Night of the Living Dead & Dawn of the Dead.
I'm going to draw fire from my compatriots by saying I thought it was fine.
It wasn't a great movie, no Night or Dawn certainly, but I'd rank it with Day of the Dead- an interesting film with some problems that could have been solved by better casting and a few more re-writes.
The first two in the series are genuinely great because they worked on multiple levels- as straight-ahead horror movies and on a metaphorical level as indictments of contemporary society.
Land is only modestly successful as a horror movie- it was missing much of the verve and humor that fueled Romero's earlier works. But it works just fine as a scathing indictment of post-millenial American culture.
Where Dawn feasted on the soft underbelly of consumer culture, Land addresses the increasing disparity between the average citizen and the corporate elites who increasingly run the country.
Seen only as a 'zombie movie' I'd call it a modest failure- it wasn't particularly scary, and the carnage wasn't up to the high standards of earlier installments.
But I still rate it as a good watch.
Just use this decoder ring:
zombies = underclass
humans = middle class
corporate overlords = corporate overlords
Next up is the recent remake of Day of the Dead, which the Zomberati have all given their stamp of approval and which I'm predisposed to dislike based on my deeply held belief that there's no point in re-making a truly great movie.
Will report back later.
Hey, that was pretty good!
I still don't know why anyone needs to remake a great flick, but at least they did it with energy and style. It pretty much pitched the depth of the original overboard and made up the lost ballast with action and explosions, which certainly have their place in the Zombie firmament.
It also had the things Land was missing, in spades...a well polished script, quality acting top to bottom and a couple of standout scenes including a fabulous pre-credit sequence that set up the senario in compact strokes, setting the stage without taking forfuckingever to explain every goddamn thing under the sun.
On the Zombometer I'd rank it just below the elite, above the well made but flawed 28 Days but below creme de la creme like Night, Dawn and Shawn of the Dead (which has the singular honor of being the only zombie movie the wife enjoyed as much as I did).
stolen content
As payback for ruining my good looks with his Korgarth link, I'm stealing the greatest musical number of all time from his blog.
the world needs to experience the wonders contained within.
the world needs to experience the wonders contained within.
7.27.2006
Trumped by Ivanus!
finally, my first use of that blog staple "promoted from the comments"!
That takes away some of the sting of Ivan blowing my animated offering with his own, rather like the indians overruning the delusional blowhard Custer at Little Big Horn.
I swaggered onto his turf with what I thought was a mighty army at my back and he met me with a storm of tomahawks & flashing teeth that routed whatever it failed to kill outright.
In my defense, how was I supposed to know he'd discovered the Citizen Kane of barbarian cartoons?
Take pity on me, dear reader....take pity on the earless, scalped freak who's only thought was to brighten your day.
That takes away some of the sting of Ivan blowing my animated offering with his own, rather like the indians overruning the delusional blowhard Custer at Little Big Horn.
I swaggered onto his turf with what I thought was a mighty army at my back and he met me with a storm of tomahawks & flashing teeth that routed whatever it failed to kill outright.
In my defense, how was I supposed to know he'd discovered the Citizen Kane of barbarian cartoons?
Take pity on me, dear reader....take pity on the earless, scalped freak who's only thought was to brighten your day.
7.26.2006
7.24.2006
attn Dango!
I've been neglecting our resident law dog the last while.
In lieu of an abject apology, behold the Meth Gun!
In lieu of an abject apology, behold the Meth Gun!
7.23.2006
sad state of antivirus programs
clicky clicky.
Virus writers want the widest possible demographic, so they're write for the biggest programs and they'll test on the most popular AV software.
That's one of the reasons I use Gaim instead of Aim, Firefox instead of Explorer, Open Office instead of Office.
The same logic would lead me to choose the Mac OS over Windows, if Jobs wasn't such a retard about supporting game developers.
Oh, and for AV I use Kaspersky.
Although the best AV prevention remains the use of common sense while patrolling the danker corners of the internet.
Antivirus applications from Symantec, McAfee or Trend Micro -- the three leading AV vendors in 2005 -- are far less likely to detect new viruses and Trojans than the least popular brands.
Virus writers want the widest possible demographic, so they're write for the biggest programs and they'll test on the most popular AV software.
That's one of the reasons I use Gaim instead of Aim, Firefox instead of Explorer, Open Office instead of Office.
The same logic would lead me to choose the Mac OS over Windows, if Jobs wasn't such a retard about supporting game developers.
Oh, and for AV I use Kaspersky.
Although the best AV prevention remains the use of common sense while patrolling the danker corners of the internet.
Gin & Tonic FAQ
Nikki and her pal Amber were over last night and queried me on the secret of my superior gin and tonics.
Making an ideal gin and tonic is a dirt simple but wildly misunderstood process. People think it's some mystical process, like turning lead into gold.
The end result is certainly an alchemical triumph- gin is pretty rough on its own, ditto tonic, it's the combination that makes magic.
But it's not something you need a well stocked laboratory and a library of ancient tomes bound in eerily familiar leather to make.
Start with quality ingredients.
GIN
Not necessarily the best available gin, but something solid. Gordons, Tanqueray, Beefeater, Segram's Extra Dry, all make an excellent drink, and all taste very different. Try out a couple of different gins to find your preference.
TONIC
The quality of your tonic is just as crucial.
Schwepps is my preferred tonic, although Canada Dry is fine. Don't go for Hansens (way too sweet), don't go for the 2 liter bottles of the generic stuff at the supermarkets. You can make a passable gin and tonic with cheap gin and good tonic, but nothing drinkable blossoms from crummy tonic.
If you're buying for a party get the liter bottles, if otherwise get the six packs of little glass bottles (even though they're twice as expensive). Nothing's worse than flat tonic, and flat tonic is inevitable unless you use it all right away.
LIME
You must use fresh limes.
Those fruit-shaped plastic bottles taste like perfumed gasoline.
For a party, make up a bowl of lime quarters. For personal use, just keep a couple in the fridge and cut up as needed.
GLASSES
I prefer squat, heavy crystal Old Fashion glasses. Appearance is left to your discretion.
Lately I use these lovely examples from Denby (in purple and green, not blue).
THE MIX
This is the simplest and most problematic element.
Unscientifically, use a lot of tonic and a little gin.
This is where nearly everyone goes wrong, with the perverse notion that a vast amount of alcohol somehow improves a cocktail.
Nonsense. If I wanted a shot, I'd order a shot.
Making a good cocktail is like baking bread, if you don't observe proportionality the result is indigestible.
I put about 1/4" of gin in the bottom of the glass then fill it up three quarters of the way with tonic.
Gently add the ice after you combine the gin and tonic, squeeze in the lime and mix the drink by carefully poking the ice cubes around- you want it mixed without bruising the gin.
And voila, you're done.
Making an ideal gin and tonic is a dirt simple but wildly misunderstood process. People think it's some mystical process, like turning lead into gold.
The end result is certainly an alchemical triumph- gin is pretty rough on its own, ditto tonic, it's the combination that makes magic.
But it's not something you need a well stocked laboratory and a library of ancient tomes bound in eerily familiar leather to make.
Start with quality ingredients.
GIN
Not necessarily the best available gin, but something solid. Gordons, Tanqueray, Beefeater, Segram's Extra Dry, all make an excellent drink, and all taste very different. Try out a couple of different gins to find your preference.
TONIC
The quality of your tonic is just as crucial.
Schwepps is my preferred tonic, although Canada Dry is fine. Don't go for Hansens (way too sweet), don't go for the 2 liter bottles of the generic stuff at the supermarkets. You can make a passable gin and tonic with cheap gin and good tonic, but nothing drinkable blossoms from crummy tonic.
If you're buying for a party get the liter bottles, if otherwise get the six packs of little glass bottles (even though they're twice as expensive). Nothing's worse than flat tonic, and flat tonic is inevitable unless you use it all right away.
LIME
You must use fresh limes.
Those fruit-shaped plastic bottles taste like perfumed gasoline.
For a party, make up a bowl of lime quarters. For personal use, just keep a couple in the fridge and cut up as needed.
GLASSES
I prefer squat, heavy crystal Old Fashion glasses. Appearance is left to your discretion.
Lately I use these lovely examples from Denby (in purple and green, not blue).
THE MIX
This is the simplest and most problematic element.
Unscientifically, use a lot of tonic and a little gin.
This is where nearly everyone goes wrong, with the perverse notion that a vast amount of alcohol somehow improves a cocktail.
Nonsense. If I wanted a shot, I'd order a shot.
Making a good cocktail is like baking bread, if you don't observe proportionality the result is indigestible.
I put about 1/4" of gin in the bottom of the glass then fill it up three quarters of the way with tonic.
Gently add the ice after you combine the gin and tonic, squeeze in the lime and mix the drink by carefully poking the ice cubes around- you want it mixed without bruising the gin.
And voila, you're done.
7.22.2006
ScatterChat
an encrypted, secure chat client based on the excellent Gaim.
neat, now I don't have to sweat the NSA listening in on top secret IM sessions.
ScatterChat is a HACKTIVIST WEAPON designed to allow non-technical human rights activists and political dissidents to communicate securely and anonymously while operating in hostile territory. It is also useful in corporate settings, or in other situations where privacy is desired.
neat, now I don't have to sweat the NSA listening in on top secret IM sessions.
Hot Links!
long overdue for a hot links post, don't you think?
creepy image of the day.
bizarre gaming nugget of the day: play Pac Man against live crickets.
dictionary of Scottish dialect.
any excuse to link Errol Morris.
some guidelines for writing a believable female comic lead.
Seems like it would also work for other art forms...
purported list of the 32 worst lyrics of all time.
Longtime readers will recognize a recurring theme here on the Baxblog where someone makes a list of "this and that of ALL TIME", which I link and eviscerate because the composers of the list define ALL TIME as "The Last Three Years, With 3 or 4 Older Entries To Make It Look Like We Tried".
This list is ridiculous on its face, since any discussion of ALL TIME worst lyrics must address Rock You Like A Hurricane by 80's krautmetal act The Scorpions.
C'mon now! That's crap lyric gold!
(I'm afraid to even mention Krokus...sigh, where have all the ESL metal bands gone?)
Exhaustive map of Springfield, home of The Simpsons.
creepy image of the day.
bizarre gaming nugget of the day: play Pac Man against live crickets.
dictionary of Scottish dialect.
any excuse to link Errol Morris.
some guidelines for writing a believable female comic lead.
Seems like it would also work for other art forms...
purported list of the 32 worst lyrics of all time.
Longtime readers will recognize a recurring theme here on the Baxblog where someone makes a list of "this and that of ALL TIME", which I link and eviscerate because the composers of the list define ALL TIME as "The Last Three Years, With 3 or 4 Older Entries To Make It Look Like We Tried".
This list is ridiculous on its face, since any discussion of ALL TIME worst lyrics must address Rock You Like A Hurricane by 80's krautmetal act The Scorpions.
The bitch is hungry
She needs to tell
So give her inches
And feed her well
C'mon now! That's crap lyric gold!
(I'm afraid to even mention Krokus...sigh, where have all the ESL metal bands gone?)
Exhaustive map of Springfield, home of The Simpsons.
Site Update
I axed that little scamp The Pelf because he forgot to pay his Newsguy hosting bill and I care too much about my beloved readers to allow a broken link to fester.
And just to keep your attention, MS is planning an 'ipod killer'.
It won't work because MS is terminally un-hip.
They were able to force the Xbox down people's throats because they could buy good game developers. Music is just out there, and unless MS is giving it away for free I don't see many people trading in the cool, assured embrace of iTunes for the sweaty, adolescent & slightly desperate fumblings of whatever front-end MS gins up in their corporate labs.
And just to keep your attention, MS is planning an 'ipod killer'.
It won't work because MS is terminally un-hip.
They were able to force the Xbox down people's throats because they could buy good game developers. Music is just out there, and unless MS is giving it away for free I don't see many people trading in the cool, assured embrace of iTunes for the sweaty, adolescent & slightly desperate fumblings of whatever front-end MS gins up in their corporate labs.
7.21.2006
movie: Ghost in the Shell- Innocence
Sequel to one of my anime favorites.
It's visually stunning in sections and one more step along the road of a successful fusion of computer and hand animation. Parts of it are almost seamless and work wonderfully, other sections suffer from the grafted-on feel that's always bedeviled such hybrids.
And then, alas, there are the stretches where the computers take over, entirely gratuitous swaths of eye candy where story (and my attention) were jettisoned to make room for as many cool effects and filters as they could pack into a frame of celluloid.
But it ends strong, and I'd give it a qualified recommendation to those with a taste for anime. The highs are spectacular, but I'd have gladly sacrificed some of the peaks to even out the valleys.
It's visually stunning in sections and one more step along the road of a successful fusion of computer and hand animation. Parts of it are almost seamless and work wonderfully, other sections suffer from the grafted-on feel that's always bedeviled such hybrids.
And then, alas, there are the stretches where the computers take over, entirely gratuitous swaths of eye candy where story (and my attention) were jettisoned to make room for as many cool effects and filters as they could pack into a frame of celluloid.
But it ends strong, and I'd give it a qualified recommendation to those with a taste for anime. The highs are spectacular, but I'd have gladly sacrificed some of the peaks to even out the valleys.
7.19.2006
today's hot authors:
Dolfyn & Swimming Wolf.
And lest you think that Dolfyn is riding Swimming Wolf's coattails, he/she/it has many, many solo works.
And lest you think that Dolfyn is riding Swimming Wolf's coattails, he/she/it has many, many solo works.
7.18.2006
Book of the Day
Lord Heath Boscastle’s attraction for Julia Hepworth begins with a bang. She shoots him at a hunting party–accidentally, of course. Though the shot grazes his shoulder, her beauty pierces his heart. Sparks fly soon after when they find themselves dangerously close to a compromising position. Too inexperienced to understand such overwhelming emotions, Heath and Julia part ways.
Yeah, baby!
7.17.2006
boxing: action fights
(This post is mainly for James, since the rest of y'all are barbarians who don't appreciate the Sweet Science.)
First, one of those "grab a beer and miss it" fights from the SSM/Vargas card this Saturday.
Daniel Ponce De Leon vs Sod Looknongyangtoy
Not only does it have a spectacular finish, I can't recall a recent fight with a better, more evenly matched pair of kickass names.
Pelf's old man literally went to the fridge for a beer and missed it.
And next, one of the cats from my boxing forum was enerprising enough to upload a French bout that is the consensus Fight of the Year among hardcore internet fans, Mahyar Monshipour vs Somsak Sithchatchawal. A nonstop brawl- it's a criminal shame it wasn't broadcast in this country.
Don't worry Jamesy- I'm burning you a high quality copy.
This is just to whet your appetite.
First, one of those "grab a beer and miss it" fights from the SSM/Vargas card this Saturday.
Daniel Ponce De Leon vs Sod Looknongyangtoy
Not only does it have a spectacular finish, I can't recall a recent fight with a better, more evenly matched pair of kickass names.
Pelf's old man literally went to the fridge for a beer and missed it.
And next, one of the cats from my boxing forum was enerprising enough to upload a French bout that is the consensus Fight of the Year among hardcore internet fans, Mahyar Monshipour vs Somsak Sithchatchawal. A nonstop brawl- it's a criminal shame it wasn't broadcast in this country.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Don't worry Jamesy- I'm burning you a high quality copy.
This is just to whet your appetite.
music: bill frisell
returning to town, hallelujah!
His last show blew my mind and this looks like a great lineup...Jack DeJohnette is an atomic drummer.
His last show blew my mind and this looks like a great lineup...Jack DeJohnette is an atomic drummer.
7.16.2006
headbutt heaven
This cat has collected a large sample of the Zidane headbutt folk art generated by his world cup antics.
Some funny stuff.
Some funny stuff.
7.15.2006
cooking: quiche
The Bastille Day party was a grand success despite Army of Shadows being re-scheduled for the 28th.
I made a bunch of quiches and the experience impressed the wisdom of the ancients onto the wet clay of my brain: making quiche is so easy your cat could turn out a passable specimen. The crust is the only tricky bit, and that's only if you want it to be photogenic. The rest is just mixing eggs and cream together with whatever flavorings you prefer and baking it for a while.
As long as you don't wuss out and use milk or half and half you can't go wrong.
The hit of the night was the onion quiche. I'm usually critical of my cooking output (unfairly so, according to the Wife), but this was an exception. I added a couple of tablespoons of pureed roasted garlic along with the carmelized onions and the result was culinary heaven.
The Wife's French Flag tart was also a hit, I'll have pictures up tomorrow or the next day.
Hot on the heels of our big party of the year I'm off to peep Vargas/Mosley II...I'm hoping the massive infusion of pizza & fisticuffs will provide much needed ballast for my lingering hangover.
I made a bunch of quiches and the experience impressed the wisdom of the ancients onto the wet clay of my brain: making quiche is so easy your cat could turn out a passable specimen. The crust is the only tricky bit, and that's only if you want it to be photogenic. The rest is just mixing eggs and cream together with whatever flavorings you prefer and baking it for a while.
As long as you don't wuss out and use milk or half and half you can't go wrong.
The hit of the night was the onion quiche. I'm usually critical of my cooking output (unfairly so, according to the Wife), but this was an exception. I added a couple of tablespoons of pureed roasted garlic along with the carmelized onions and the result was culinary heaven.
The Wife's French Flag tart was also a hit, I'll have pictures up tomorrow or the next day.
Hot on the heels of our big party of the year I'm off to peep Vargas/Mosley II...I'm hoping the massive infusion of pizza & fisticuffs will provide much needed ballast for my lingering hangover.
customers: tantric
a balding, 40'ish fellow with a southern accent:
"two questions- one, do you have a bathroom, and two, where are your tantric sex books?
7.14.2006
Viking Kittens
I remember this about once every six months, and every time it rocks just as hard.
GAY BAR by teh Viking Kittens.
Featuring the hardest rocking guitar solo ever by a winged puppy.
GAY BAR by teh Viking Kittens.
Featuring the hardest rocking guitar solo ever by a winged puppy.
7.13.2006
Thanks for the shirt Bobo
I'm having a bit of a problem with it, I'm hoping it's nothing a good night's sleep won't cure...
7.12.2006
Rake Art, baby!
they're like crop circles, only not lame.
Faintly reminiscent of the eerie,cryptic & beautiful nature art of Andy Goldsworthy.
Ok, just a tiny bit...but any excuse to bring up Goldsworthy is a good one.
Faintly reminiscent of the eerie,cryptic & beautiful nature art of Andy Goldsworthy.
Ok, just a tiny bit...but any excuse to bring up Goldsworthy is a good one.
7.11.2006
day of the oddballs
I just got a hurt, accusing glare from a small developmentally disabled woman because my reply to her Special Olympics fundraising plea was "no soliciting in the store, sorry". Then I had to run her out when she started hitting up the customers. =/
Moments later a morbidly obese woman rolled up on one of those combination seat/walker things looking for books on Alaskan fur trappers.
Wheeeeee!
Moments later a morbidly obese woman rolled up on one of those combination seat/walker things looking for books on Alaskan fur trappers.
Wheeeeee!
yo bobo
nice of you to post more flickr pix, but why are you obsessed with preventing comments?
WHY WHY WHY!
Now the world will never know how much I think Ivan looks like a demonic imp from a Bosch painting.
WHY WHY WHY!
Now the world will never know how much I think Ivan looks like a demonic imp from a Bosch painting.
7.10.2006
signs o' the times
so I live in a bucolic, conservative enclave best described as "a wannabe Santa Barbara", full of white people who aren't rich enough to live a few hundred miles south.
Yesterday was an interesting cultural core sample.
After the world cup, an event which in years past was so far off the radar it didn't even engender indifference, a large convoy of cars circled downtown honking, screaming and waving Italian flags in celebration of their side triumphing over France.
Strange, yes, but not as strange as the sight that greeted me on my walk home.
The local GALA chapter was having their annual shindig, which in the past occasioned a dispirited clump of booths, a few banners and some picketing fundies down at the plaza.
This year I walked smack into a huge, boisterous crowd rocking out to the musical stylings of Rupaul.
Well now!
Small signs of life, assuredly, but signs nonetheless.
Yesterday was an interesting cultural core sample.
After the world cup, an event which in years past was so far off the radar it didn't even engender indifference, a large convoy of cars circled downtown honking, screaming and waving Italian flags in celebration of their side triumphing over France.
Strange, yes, but not as strange as the sight that greeted me on my walk home.
The local GALA chapter was having their annual shindig, which in the past occasioned a dispirited clump of booths, a few banners and some picketing fundies down at the plaza.
This year I walked smack into a huge, boisterous crowd rocking out to the musical stylings of Rupaul.
Well now!
Small signs of life, assuredly, but signs nonetheless.
7.09.2006
better late than never
hey Bobo, next time you're tempted to strip the flesh off your arms try this instead.
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