pragmanticism

Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

2011-04-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

Hibernation

2011-01-27T13:05:00.005-05:00

clad with radiance
the garden sleeps quietly
all winter to dream

Domaine Hudson

2010-10-28T23:11:00.004-04:00

Last night the family enjoyed a delicious vegetarian dinner, served with a sip of Gilbert Cellars Allobroges (Yakima, WA). This fine meal was promptly followed by second [carnivorous] dinner at Domaine Hudson in Wilmington. Dynamite charcuterie platter with tasty Code Noir merlot (Rattlesnake Hills, WA).

The allobroges was return luggage from a trip to Washington earlier this year. They make good merlot - which suffers a bad reputation, apparently. One winery owner refused to not serve it. "What, you don't want to taste my merlot?"

Mmmm, pie

2010-10-26T20:14:00.003-04:00

Butternut squash and apple pie

New York City

2010-10-18T16:00:00.013-04:00

Abigail and I spent the day yesterday in New York City. Drove to Princeton Junction and took the train to Penn Station [33rd/8th Ave]. The weather was perfect for a walk up 5th Avenue to Rockefeller Center past the ice rink. We continued to the southern entrance of Central Park then reversed towards brunch.

"Bar Americain" by don't fence me in

Bar Americain [52nd/6-7th Ave] is Bobby Flay's restaurant, and despite some online reviewers grumbling about celebrity chef eateries I was excited to check it out. We were seated immediately in a mostly full dining room situated at street level. The first course was a trio of cold seafood cocktails including shrimp with cilantro-lime-purée!, lobster with avocado, and crab with mango and coconut. There was too much black pepper on the crab cocktail, otherwise everything was delicious.

Next came an order of frites with chipotle mayo and a couple of cocktails. Abigail had a Pimm's #1 with fresh lemonade and cucumber, I had a bloody mary. Both were as delicious as they were small and overpriced. I moved on to an Arcadia Rye Pale Ale (Battle Creek, MI) for the next course: poached eggs with charred tasso ham and spicy hollandaise. Top eggs benedict, and the potent sauce paired well with the crisp hoppy beer. Pocketed a mini-baguette and a few boxes of matches as we exited for the MoMA [53rd/5-6th Ave] to be inundated with the nihilistic screams of the contemporary art scene, an extensive abstract expressionism review, and a glance through the 20th-century ward.

After being ushered out of the museum we walked back to Penn Station, checked on the next Northeast Corridor train and popped across the street to Tir Na Nog for a Guinness before the return trip.

"Creativity and Imagination Shall be the Stability of Thy Time"
The LEGO Store appropriation of this, above the gate to 30 Rock

Playoffs

2010-10-15T10:30:00.016-04:00

Photo: DVD

FIGHTIN'S
The New Big Red Machine takes on San Francisco tomorrow night. Roy Halladay threw a nearly perfect no-hitter in his previous start for the Phillies and Giants ace Tim Lincecum struck out fourteen in his last appearance. Meanwhile, former Philly pitcher Cliff Lee has brought the Texas Rangers to their first American League Championship Series to face the Evil Empire. Crunchy October action.

OCTOBER 21: LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN
Doc versus the Freak again tonight. Philadelphia is behind 3-1 to San Francisco in a series that has seen the team looking listless. Even last night, when they managed (finally) to score some runs, the mood was notably somber. When Jayson Werth followed Ryan Howard's double with one of his own to tie the game in the top of the eighth there was hardly a reaction. It didn't seem like they were planning on winning the game. That's been the feel for the last couple.

A victory tonight will bring the Phillies back to Citizens Bank Park, back to the fans, and maybe back to themselves.

Rescued

2010-10-13T11:43:00.008-04:00

Thirty-three miners, trapped for more than two months two thousand feet underground, and a twenty-eight-inch wide precision drilled ray of hope.

Photo: Hugo Infante

Our time on this earth is a gift, is it not?

October

2010-10-12T13:27:00.007-04:00

coffee goes cold fast
empty cove, tide is lower
the fish have gone south

All the old showstoppers

2010-09-15T09:46:00.028-04:00

I was pleased to learn a few weeks ago that Calvin's Student Activities Office had booked the wonderful indie collaborative band The New Pornographers to perform on-campus this fall. Then dismayed (not entirely surprised) to see the show suddenly cancelled yesterday, hardly a month before the scheduled October 15th appearance. Speculation about donor politics aside, this is an embarrassing fiasco of reactionary ignorance. Turdburgers.

The sad story: Calvin College, Pitchfork, Grand Rapids Press

Stacking stones

2010-08-16T09:20:00.007-04:00

This year I'm adding perforated pipe to the dry stack stone retaining wall construction process (pictured wrapped in white filter fabric). The pipe's purported purpose is to provide a passage for water to flow through the wall, thus alleviating potential hydrostatic pressure that could cause rotation and failure. I'm fairly certain based on the performance of the previous installations that a good amount of crushed stone behind the wall ensures ample drainage, but we had extra pipe and filter material so I decided to give it a shot.

Portable Peaks

2010-08-03T13:55:00.024-04:00

After spending another glorious long weekend on Peaks Island, a question emerges and remains. How to emanate whenceward the way-of-living that comes so easily there? Can the good aesthetic, social, and ecological vibes of the island be transmitted?

Photo: DTVD

Aesthetic: This is art and craft. It is an aesthetic of place, not contrived and kitschy but homegrown and authentic. It is on display in the gardens and front porches; the look of wholeness and unity.

Social: Being on a small island promotes a spirit of community. We wave to every car and pedestrian, and they wave back. Generations who return and return are bound by their mutual appreciation of what they've shared.

Ecological: The proximity to nature and the inherent awareness of island ecosystem drives a strong sense of eco-logic. The tide rises, waves crash, fog rolls, rain falls. Creation is eminent, it demands awe and responsibility.

The clues are there. Locality. Community. Place. Apprectiation. It is easy to forget about these things amongst the daily drudgery of congested roadways, monolithic megamarts, a sea of "development" that drowns ideas of vigor and beauty from our lives. In the face of a daunting challenge, small tacks in the right direction are victories. I'm starting by waving to neighbors from the car.

Bonus tracks word cloud

2010-08-02T21:00:00.002-04:00

haiku

2010-07-28T09:59:00.018-04:00

hand leans into wind
hold two up for the future
hope peace victory

"objects in mirror..." [are closer than they appear] by vanessa mae

Garden goods, frankenmato, gyro burrito

2010-07-27T21:30:00.012-04:00

lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, green beans, carrots, beets

it's alive

braised beef, feta/sour cream/yogurt, cucumber, green pepper, olive, tomato, cilantro

Morning in the garden

2010-07-23T11:24:00.002-04:00

Bacon, lettuce, tomato

2010-07-22T10:52:00.011-04:00

Microwaved two thin strips of bacon between paper towels for a couple minutes (to crispy perfection - wish I'd known bacon is microwaveable when I was in college). Picked a small ripe Yellow Brandywine and a handful of bitter greens (a sprig of mint found its way in there, too). Chopped the arugula/lettuce/mint and folded into mayo, toasted one side of two pieces of wheat bread, smeared the greens-mayo on both untoasted sides. Stacked, sliced, and consumed alongside Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Whole Hop Harvest Ale. Tomato sandwich version three, we have a winner.

It's raining again

2010-07-22T00:00:00.004-04:00

Rains, pours.

Of course, living is water. Water and sun...
Ice don't live. Cold is dead. Life is warmth.

Equilibrium is the end - Keep going!
Do it again, again is good. Again is life.

Let it rain.

Let it pour.

Let it grow.

Again

The wall, cont'd.

2010-07-21T09:39:00.004-04:00

This summer we ordered two more skids of "Laurel Hill" Pennsylvania fieldstone for yet another dry-stacked retaining wall. This installment will repeat the gesture of last year's side yard project (visible in background), creating a new tier of plantable space under and away from an existing thicket of forsythia hedge. The red flag on the lower left marks the center line of the view from the front yard to a focal oak tree in the back.

Tomato sandwich, version two

2010-07-20T11:41:00.020-04:00

Click image to view slideshow

Fried green tomato sandwich with Souther Tier Un*earthly Imperial IPA (New York, 11%ABV, fantastic - I dug this beer more than Dogfish Head 90 Minute). Had to substitute panko breadcrumbs for cornmeal and added some cayenne pepper to the dredge, otherwise straight from recipe in Garden & Gun June/July issue. Breadcrumbs got kind of clumpy in the dredging process, not a good replacement. The end result was tangy and tasty on whole grain toast with mayo, but I think I'll wait for the rest of the tomatoes ripen, maybe after one or two more fried greenie attempts.

Tomato sandwich time

2010-07-19T10:12:00.001-04:00

Away from the things of man

2010-07-18T21:30:00.008-04:00

I was happily introduced to this little gem while spending the weekend with some fine folks in Ohio. So much style and meta-thematics in this existential goofball of a movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first film pairing Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (who plays three characters). Abe Vigoda and Nathan Lane cameo as south-pacific islanders. Nice.

Curried Carrot & Zucchini Soup

2010-07-13T00:50:00.004-04:00

Whipped up a garden dinner last night, loosely based on this recipe from a quality blog I recently discovered (via a Google Images search for "CAFO," or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation). In a slightly ironic twist, I was obliged to use a small portion of refined bacon fat that has been chilling in the fridge to cook the vegetables. Pictured below is the remainder from the preparation of the meal, destined for the compost pile. I've titled this photo "From Whence You Came." Click the image to view a slideshow of the assembly of this early harvest soup.

Summer 2010 Bonus Tracks

2010-07-12T12:20:00.013-04:00

Apeman The Format (Kinks cover)
Automatic Weezer
Major Tom (Coming Home) Shiny Toy Guns
The Ghost Inside Broken Bells
Priority Mos Def
Don't Let Go Pacha Massive
I Need You Lynyrd Skynyrd
Across 110th Street Bobby Womack
Summertime Thing Chuck Prophet
July, July! The Decemberists
Right Moves Josh Ritter
Wondering Where the Lions Are Bruce Cockburn
East to the West Michael Franti & Spearhead
Beginnings Chicago
Things Are What You Make of Them Bishop Allen
Holdin' On Together Phoenix
Armistice (2nd Line Version, feat. Rebirth Brass Band) MuteMath
Moth's Wings Passion Pit
Nobody Lost, Nobody Found Cut Copy
Tumbling Dice The Rolling Stones
Life On Mars? David Bowie
100% Chromeo
The Bleeding Heart Show The New Pornographers
Camarillo Brillo Frank Zappa

Is that a real poncho - I mean,
Is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
Hmmmmm, no foolin'.....

First fruit with roots

2010-07-09T09:32:00.016-04:00

An early ripe Yellow Brandywine heirloom tomato and a couple of freshly pulled carrots (amazing flavor).

We're growing a variety of tomatoes from seed this year: fuzzy Garden Peach, dark purple Black ~~Cherry~~ Crimson, bright citrusy yellow and classic red Brandywines.

Closer to home

2010-07-06T16:45:00.012-04:00

Alone in a tall room.
Buzzing glow of fake sun
Glances across the window while
Darkness eases everywhere else.

Sleepless awareness taking hold.
Undistorted by melting worlds
and fluorescent illusions.

From somewhere not me
an ancient courage awakes.
This thimbleful of chaos?
This universe, this eternity?

I AM

Unlock the door, step back
into the blue-black night.
Rediscovering old everything
The road looks different than before.

I'm getting closer to my home

AT&T National

2010-07-01T10:09:00.020-04:00

Been going to Philadelphia a lot recently. Concert, baseball game, and movie last week alone.

AT&T National, by chriswellner

This week it's the AT&T National Tournament, held for the first time at the Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square (15 miles from center city). Closest thing to homefield as it gets on the PGA Tour. Tomorrow I'll be following local favorites Jim Furyk and Sean O'Hair around the course; they tee-off in subsequent groups around 1:00PM.

Don't question Furyk.

Banksy film

2010-06-27T13:26:00.018-04:00

Up to Philadelphia last night to catch the Banksy movie, focusing on the commercialization of guerilla street art, with cousin Lilly before it exited theaters. Fascinating documentary, ripe with life and farce. A little too much farce, in fact, to take it all at face value. I'm certain there is a large element of hoax imbedded in this film, even if I'm not certain to what extent, exactly.

One interviewee, a purported member of Banksy's inner circle, said it best:

"The joke's on.....
I'm not sure who the joke's on. I'm not sure there is a joke."

Free bird

2010-06-24T14:21:00.012-04:00

It's my favorite time of year for golf. The sun stays up late, and the attendant at Clayton Park usually leaves the course unguarded by 7:00PM.

I pay my fees there frequently enough to feel great about occassionally walking on after hours for a few complimentary holes. Carrying only an iron, a pitching wedge, and a putter makes things go a little quicker, and playing just three clubs has a remarkable clarifying effect on my golf game. I never hit that five iron so well as when it's the only option for shots of 120+ yards.

Yesterday I striped whitie about 175 yards off the first tee, drawing the ball a bit at the steeply uphill green. This set up a good look at the flag with the 50° wedge.....knocked it eight feet from the cup.....drained the putt. Free birdie.

How do I work this?

2010-06-23T14:09:00.012-04:00

The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.

~William Arthur Ward

Bagheera sails, by aswim in knits

The new

2010-06-22T10:22:00.009-04:00

Sing Me Spanish Techno
Up in the Dark
Myriad Harbour
Use it
Crash Years
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
Adventures in Solitude
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Go Places
All The Old Showstoppers
Jackie
The Laws Have Changed
Moves
Your Hands (Together)
Twin Cinema
My Shepherd
Silver Jenny Dollar
The Bleeding Heart Show
[Encore]
Challengers
My Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
Testament to Youth in Verse

Sing me Spanish techno

2010-06-21T15:42:00.019-04:00

Going to The New Pornographers show at the Trocadero in Philadelphia tonight. Exciting band I haven't seen live yet - my first time to this venue, too.

I'm listening to Together now, their latest disc released a couple weeks ago. Unmistakable-characteristic sound, maybe a little more Neko influence on the pace and tone in a few songs. General consensus seems to be that 2005's Twin Cinema represents the band at its best, but I'm partial to Challengers - an album I place in the contemporary prerequisite category (e.g. - "Z" by My Morning Jacket, Hot Fuss by The Killers, Speak for Yourself by Imogen Heap, The Crane Wife by The Decemberists, Dog Problems by The Format, Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie, Funeral by Arcade Fire, A Ghost is Born by Wilco, et cetera).

Looking forward to a good evening.

Braised lamb shank

2010-06-20T23:02:00.021-04:00

With mint gremolata, rhubarb-cherry-raspberry sauce, spring potato salad and skillet green beans. Accompanied by Justin Paso Robles ~~Iscoceles~~ Isosceles.

Happy Fathers' Day.

Mint and garlic from the garden; rhubarb, purslane, parsley, beans and potatoes from CSA share.

A thousand plateaus

2010-06-16T10:20:00.004-04:00

"Our Lady of the Desert" by nkimadams

Communication breakdown

2010-06-07T14:02:00.016-04:00

The good we could share, severed by a wall of misunderstanding.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”

So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.

Genesis 11:1-9

2010-06-07T09:15:00.006-04:00

Who are you? Where does the world come from?

Raised beds, part three

2010-06-04T18:37:00.020-04:00

The construction of this garden project is nearly complete. Time to let it grow.

Crossing Jordan

2010-06-03T17:04:00.012-04:00

How to kill a refugee:

And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?”

When he said, “No,” they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

Judges 12:5-6

Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation

2010-05-25T11:07:00.015-04:00

Visited the Barnes Foundation on Saturday. The estate hosts a significant collection of impressionist and 20th century works (many by Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, van Gogh, Matisse, Rousseau, Monet, Miro, and much more). The museum is open to the public with reservations for tickets, this trip was booked over a month ago.

Click image to view slideshow.

It rained a bit when we were touring the galleries, which were mostly empty of visitors. The sun resumed shining once we got out into the arboretum. From the Barnes Foundation website:

Art Collection
The Barnes Foundation collection is unsurpassed in breadth, quality, and depth in French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings. It is enhanced by Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities, Chinese painting, African sculpture, retablos from New Mexico, Native American pottery, and American decorative arts. Juxtapositions of objects from different cultures, periods and media provide exciting opportunities for teaching and making visual connections.

Arboretum
The Arboretum houses a rich collection of species and varieties of trees, shrubs, and other plants introduced from various regions. There are a number of living fossils or very ancient plants, historic/biblical plants, botanically precious specimens, plants of proven medicinal use, and a few extensive collections of genetic importance. The Arboretum is a paradise of well-known ornamental plants artistically landscaped, reflecting concepts from the installation of art in the gallery ensembles.

Etymology

2010-05-20T21:51:00.000-04:00

Radio slang: will comply = wilco

2010-05-17T22:26:00.004-04:00

Deliver me
from reasons why
you'd rather cry

I'd rather fly.

The beach!

2010-05-16T16:20:00.005-04:00

First beach weekend of the summer, May 14-16. Assateague Island, Maryland.

Seattle, Ellensburg, Yakima

2010-05-14T17:19:00.005-04:00

Click image to view slideshow.

Higher ground

2010-05-06T13:18:00.006-04:00

So darn glad He let me try it again
Cause my last time on earth
I lived a whole world of sin
So glad I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on trying
'Til I reach the highest ground

Teachers keep on teaching
Preachers keep on preaching
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long

~ Stevie

Pliny the Elder

2010-05-03T10:59:00.019-04:00

One who must journey a hundred miles should consider ninety as halfway.

I finally had a chance to try Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing at Monk's this weekend. The quest for this elusive beer built my anticipation to a dangerously high level. Pliny's wisdom did not disappoint.

Served from the tap into an American pint glass, almost clear amber color with a big dollop of airy head. Smell is floral and citrus, lots of grapefruit. Taste and feel are dynamite. Noticeable alcohol heat combined with delicate carbonation and piney zesty hop oils to a magical effect. Spicy and mysterious, multi-dimensional hoppiness with a faint musty waft. Bouquet of aroma lingered on the palate without any distasteful bitternes.

Didn't even think about ordering anything else when this beer was on tap. Three drafts paired well with a couple servings of steamed mussels at the bar. Perfect.

Pliny the Elder Double IPA
Price paid: $7.50/ Pint
Freshness: Excellent
ABV: 8.0%

Guest list

2010-04-26T19:37:00.011-04:00

Two comp tickets ($0.00) waiting at Electric Factory will-call on Friday. The first warm-up band was dreadful, second was a bit better, MuteMath rocked.

The Nerve
Armistice
Chaos
The Fight
Spotlight
Reset
Typical
Break the Same

Another great gig, even if the sound was not as good as it's been at other shows. The culminating jam at the end of "Break the Same" was awesome as always. Walked by 30 Seconds to Mars getting out of their bus as we were returning to the car after MuteMath was done - I think I saw Jared Leto hugging his mommy before the show.

Had dinner at Silk City Diner prior to the concert, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The meal was pretty good, and they had Two Hearted Ale on tap - bonus.

Raised beds, part two

2010-04-24T14:03:00.006-04:00

Take that, lawn.

Electric factory

2010-04-23T09:00:00.015-04:00

Roy on bass, Darren on drums. Photo: Philip Rood Photography

04.24.2010
MuteMath to open for Thirty Seconds to Mars in Philadelphia. Should be about a nine song set from MM, hoping to be on the guest list for this sold out show.

Today, tomorrow...

2010-04-22T09:33:00.009-04:00

Stone Ruination IPA

2010-04-20T04:20:00.014-04:00

100+ International Bitterness Units. Toasty malts. Crispy hops. This is some damn good beer, with a price tag to match.

Pours a hazy amber color with just a shade of green. Big cap of sticky-icky head that slowly dissipates into a thin hop-oil slick. I admired the abundant carbonation swirling and struggling to find a path to the top of the beer. Dense dank hop flavor, so herbaceous and spicy. The malt backing is not sweet, more of a rye bread taste. Huge lacing, I'm looking at a perfect imprint of where the head was at the beginning of the pour with resinous striations all the way down the glass. Awesome.

Stone Ruination IPA
Price paid: $16.00/ Six pack - yup.
Freshness: Perfect
ABV: 7.7%

Enjoy by 4/20/10 - will do, Stone. Will do.

Gilmore's

2010-04-16T00:30:00.007-04:00

BYOB. West Chester, PA. Peter Gilmore, chef.

Nice eatery, nice location, nice wine. Point of interest: is it offensive to bring a bottle from Frog's Leap vineyard to a French restaurant? Regardless, their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was tasty to the point of teleportative, and paired well with foie gras spring rolls, sausage and pâté platter, and seared duck breast (quite the carnivorous meal, upon reflection).

Incidentally - picked up a growler of Iron Hill's seasonal "Hopzilla" brewed with citra hops, review coming shortly.

The Fight (Live at Howlin' Wolf)

2010-04-12T21:54:00.013-04:00

I just listened to an exclusive download of "The Fight" (~~new~~ unreleased song) recorded live in MuteMath's native New Orleans. The mix was impressive, especially for live - nice. Sold out show in Philadelphia at the Electric Factory opening for Thirty Seconds to Mars: guest list? Very nice.

Paul Meany and Roy Mitchell Cardenas at the Howlin' Wolf. Photo: DVD

Raised beds

2010-04-11T14:32:00.018-04:00

This year's garden project is getting into full swing: a potager (four part kitchen garden) of 8'x8' raised beds. Each square is chamfered at one corner to create a little open space in the center.

...and you show me a sign, I'll be tillin'

The People's Champion Reigns Again

2010-04-10T19:00:00.001-04:00

Arrogant Bastard

2010-04-09T16:20:00.000-04:00

This is Stone Brewing's signature beer, an American strong ale with a bad attitude. The bottle (dig the painted glass) is adorned with an eye-roll worthy littany of how great the beer is and how lowly and unworthy everything else is. Meh. The first time I sampled this beer was at the brewery in Escondido, a draft that was naturally superior to any of the Arrogant Bastard I've had since.

From a bottle of dwindling freshness, pours dark red with a thin lingering off-white head. Smell is caramel/cherry/cardboard, faint hops. Taste was plenty of hops, some malt wtih a sharp and somewhat metallic overtone. I think this bottle was a bit past prime, but still an impressive beer.

Stone Arrogant Bastard
Price paid: $5.99/24 oz. bottle
Freshness: Not great
ABV: 7.2%

West Coast IPA

2010-04-08T09:30:00.006-04:00

From Green Flash Brewing Company, San Diego. I can't communicate the essence of this beer better than the synopsis that appears on the label, here it is verbatim:A menagerie of hops are layered throughout the brewing process. Simcoe for unique fruitiness and grapefruit zest, Columbus for strong pungency, Centennial for pine and citrus notes, Cascade for floral aroma. A multi-dimensional hop experience.
All that with a creamy frothy oily bitter potent punch. This beer rocks.

West Coast IPA
Price paid: $12.99/Six pack
Freshness: ?
ABV: 7.3%

Victory 'Hop Wallop'

2010-04-07T15:20:00.009-04:00

Here's another localish brew by Victory in Downingtown, PA. Their standard IPA (Hop Devil) has all the typical characteristics: deep amber color, resinous hop flavor, bitterness and maltiness. Hop Wallop is considered a Double-IPA (8.5% ABV), but it's a whole other creature.

Pours a slightly hazy bright gold color in my new Delerium Tremens tulip glass, with a foamy not-rocky white head. The aroma is dry and slightly bready. The taste is toasty and bitter, the hop flavor comes across with a piney waft, not a lot of citrus. The feel is initially creamy, a bit of a spicy edge at finish from the alcohol. So that's dry, bready, bitter, piney, spicy - excellent big beer that's very easy to drink.

Victory 'Hop Wallop'
Price paid: $9.99/Six pack
Freshness: Very good
ABV: 8.5%

The cruelest month

2010-04-05T11:36:00.010-04:00

A thousand spring rains stir
Dulled memories of desire
Slash and tear, tines through turf
Regeneration taunts deathless decay
It's April in Zombieland

Yard's IPA (On Tap)

2010-04-02T11:43:00.005-04:00

Had an awesome meal at Kanella BYOB in Philadelphia last night. Drank a rocking bottle of Gamba 2007 Russian River Zinfandel with dinner, grabbed a cup of coffee at the new Garces Trading Company, ended up at Irish Pub for a couple of drafts. Nothing more local than Yard's, brewed in Philly. I've had their India Pale Ale previously, never on tap.

Poured a slightly hazy reddish copper color with a thin resilient head. Decent lacing all the way down the pint glass. The smell was fresh and enticing. Big malt opening, caramely and sweet followed by nice bitter hop flavor - not particularly pungent (citrus/piney) but very present. The feel was frothy and sticky - seemed to be a good keg and was definitely much tastier from the tap than bottle. I'm a fan of Yard's, can't wait for Philadelphia Pale Ales from Brewerytown at Citizen's Bank Park this summer.

Yard's IPA (On Tap)
Price paid: $4.00/Pint
Freshness: Excellent
ABV: 7.0%

Caldera IPA

2010-04-01T11:30:00.003-04:00

I've been looking for craft beer in cans, so I had to try this IPA from Caldera brewed in Ashland, Oregon. Digging the can design.

The beer smells really good and pours a nice amber color (pictured below in a green glass, the actual color is darker than Stone's IPA and not as orange as Smuttynose). Plenty of carbonation, foamy head - not very sticky. The taste is loaded with citrusy hops (characteristic of a West Coast IPA), medium body makes it easy to drink. Not very complex malt backing, but plenty of bitterness and a lot of flavor.

Caldera IPA (Can)
Price paid: $10.99/six pack
Freshness: ?
ABV: 6.1%

Stone India Pale Ale

2010-03-31T11:30:00.007-04:00

Ahh, Stone Brewery. Located in Escondido, California, a staple of American craft beer. Their offerings have been described as "brash and unbalanced," which is probably accurate. I like what I've tried. Today, their entry-level IPA.

Pours a clear deep golden color with a sticky 'rocky' head that dissipates a bit. Aroma is bitter citrus hops with a grassy, almost musty tinge. This beer is not as bitter as Stone's 'Ruination IPA' but it does have a pretty big kick to the palate. I would describe this as a very dry beer, which I like. Excellent all-around IPA.

Stone India Pale Ale
Price paid: $11.99/six pack
Freshness: Fair
ABV: 6.9%

Tröegs 'Nugget Nectar'

2010-03-30T13:29:00.015-04:00

Tröegs is brewed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, making it one of the more local selections in this series. The first time I tried a beer from them was at a Phillies game.

'Nugget Nectar' is described as an Imperial Amber. The term "Imperial" refers to higher alcohol content (7.5% in this case - at the lower end of the imperial spectrum). The bottle cites "93ish IBU's" or International Bitteress Units. It's certainly a bitter beer, but the syrupy sweet of amber maltiness makes it extaordinarily balanced and drinkable.

I think this may be a spring seasonal from Tröegs, all that I've sampled recenty has been bottled withing the past couple months. Pours a deep clear amber color, with a nice sticky cap of off-white head. The logo on the bottle (a giant hop bud being squeezed of its delicious resin) is very indicative of the taste: stick to your teeth hoppiness. It's like a big-hop IPA with toffee-malt backing, very tasty.

Tröegs 'Nugget Nectar'
Price paid: $8.99/six pack
Freshness: Very good
ABV: 7.5%

Smuttynose 'Finestkind' IPA

2010-03-29T20:22:00.014-04:00

Brewed in Portsmouth New Hampshire, Smuttynose's 'Finestkind' India Pale Ale is a strong start for this series of beer reviews.

I sampled from bottles dated for best consumption by August this year; I figured it was a pretty fresh batch. It's unfiltered, so there were quite a few yeast floaties. The label on the neck reassured the drinker that yes, all those little flecks are supposed to be there.

It poured a hazy bright copper color with a thick frothy head that stuck around and left laces of foam down the side of the glass with each sip. The carbonation was fine (dense and creamy, not big and raspy). The smell all citrus zest/rind and hops. The taste, especially afterward, was quite bitter - big hops with a lot of grapefruit flavor. The maltiness of the beer was not as much a flavor factor as it was a balance to the resinous character of the hops.

This beer looked great in the glass, I love that hazy golden-orange color with a frothy white cap of head. Taste was dead-on for a finely crafted American IPA, left me wanting more.

Smuttynose 'Finestkind' IPA
Price paid: $8.99/six pack
Freshness: Very good
ABV: 6.9%

Snowboarding and golf

2010-03-28T19:06:00.004-04:00

Davis Love III does not strike me as the snowboarding type. He seems like a real square, even for a middle-aged professional golfer. Alas, his politician haircut and hyper-white triple suffix moniker belie an avid snowboarder. And on second thought, golf and snowboarding have a lot in common.

I tried snowboarding for the first time this winter. It was not pretty. A bit overconfident in my innate sideways sliding abilities, I spent every ounce of energy falling down the first run before whimpering back to the rental shop to trade for a pair of skis.

My big problem was balance, or lack thereof. I never got a feel for the proper weight distribution that is required to stay afoot (aboard?). The fear of tumbling face-forward down the hill had me repeatedly favoring my back foot, causing the board to spin out in front.

A few days later I was in the backyard chipping golf balls. It immediately occurred to me that there was a correlation between my catastrophic snowboarding experience and the havoc I typically wreak on the golf course.

Golf is a game of stability and repetition, and every swing requires a firm athletic stance (opposite to my goofy-footed snowboard position). I typically plant my feet haphazardly, hunch over the ball, and sway my hips leaving all the weight on my back foot. This ugly approach yields frequent shanks, gouges, and listless slices. Golf wipeout.

Flex in the knees, weight off the heels, and a subtle shift to the front foot during the downswing. I think the snowboard analogy will provide a firmer foundation for swinging the clubs more consistently this year.

I've hastily sworn so many times to never golf again (usually after a mental, if not physical, traumatizing). I might even give snowboarding a second chance someday.

Beer

2010-03-26T23:07:00.010-04:00

Over the next several months I will be blogging about malt, barley, and sweet crispy precious hops. Expect upcoming reviews of what I've been bingeing on recently:

Smuttynose 'Finest Kind' IPA
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Green Flash 'West Coast' IPA
Victory 'Hop Wallop'
Tröegs 'Nugget Nectar'
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Aprihop & 60 Minute IPA
Stone Arrogant Bastard, Double Arrogant Bastard & IPA
Caldera IPA (can)
Lagunitas IPA & 'Hairy Eyeball'
Coors Light

Good start

2010-03-23T23:54:00.017-04:00

The first hole at Clayton Park Golf Course (nine holes for $10 on the weekend) is marked 258 yards on the card, plays straight uphill with trees on both sides of the "fairway," i.e. the area between the tree-lines - because the whole course is evenly mowed (or not mowed, as the case may be). Sunday afternoon weather was perfect; bright, fresh, spring conditions. The course was crowded for March.

I teed off last in a group of three, stiff-arming a low draw with the 9° Callaway driver to about 65 yards from the elevated green. It had been a couple of days since the last rain and the ground was still plenty hydrated. Previous experience attempting full swings with my 60° wedge in this situation (especially with soggy turf) have yielded exclusively calamitous results, so a little 2/3 gap wedge it was. And was it ever - I couldn't see the ball land, but the early report was good.

When I got the top of the hill (walking only at Clayton International) my Titleist 1 was sitting pretty with only about three feet of shaggy green between it and the cup. Despite a scream of "Fore!" from someone teeing off in the group behind us at the exact moment I was attempting my birdie putt, the ball found the back of the cup and for the first fleeting moment of the season I grinned, "Par? What par?"

Crab cakes

2010-03-19T01:21:00.008-04:00

Originally served with roasted brussels sprouts, lime-ginger-avocado puree and, yes, a nice Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. No photos during the premiere, shown here in the inferior company of lime, cilantro, and ninety minute IPA.

Street view

2010-03-10T20:40:00.012-05:00

For an impressively comprehensive walking tour, enter "Petit Trianon" into Google Maps and zoom-in until it snaps into StreetView mode. The gardens at A.I. duPont's Nemours mansion in Wilmington are purportedly based on this sub-development at Versailles, and are of similar scale.

Sweet album cover

2010-03-08T17:37:00.010-05:00

Featuring Battery Steele, based on image and suggestion by adventphotography.

Driving and misanthropy

2010-03-01T13:05:00.038-05:00

It is difficult for me to resist indulging my own neuroses at the expense of others. This disagreeable trait typically manifests in complaining. It's insensitive and almost always counterproductive. I can't help myself - like Larry David minus the funny.

Highway driving gets to me. When I'm alone in the car I consider my campy over-reactions to incidence of idiocy as schtick, but this is not exactly the case. My compulsive criticism can border on paranoid delusion, especially when it pertains to other drivers not doing what I wish they would, irrespective of reasonable expectations. What is at best a quirk when solo becomes a full-blown flaw when there's other people in the car. How can I not share my feelings when there's an oblivious slow-going dunce causing trouble in the left lane?

I missed a turnpike exit recently, and facing an 18-mile exitless stretch pretty much capsized me. The situation was no one's fault but my own, and though it's not unreasonable to expect more from myself, I just can't easily let that stuff go. But I should, especially when there's someone else present - sensitive to irascible moodiness.

What could be more conducive to misanthropy than self-criticism? The tendency to some degree of dislike or mistrust of humankind may occur from failures in two areas from above: reasonable expectations and letting go. My selectively high standards are bruised every time someone changes lanes without signaling, and I have the habit of stockpiling negativity from these moments, disproportionately weighting it when passing large-scale judgement. And ventilating angst to the effect of alienating other folks? Forget about it.

I might print out a little reminder to post on my steering wheel, and try to be more loving of all the jackasses on the road.

Almond-Panko Crusted Ruffy

2010-02-24T11:29:00.026-05:00

With Lemon Ginger Vegetable Medley

1 lb Orange Ruffy fillets
1 lb Asparagus
1 lb Yellow Zucchini
4 cloves Garlic
1 Lemon
1 Egg
Fresh Ginger
All-Purpose Flour
Panko Bread Crumbs
Almonds
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

Prepare vegetables: Preheat oven (450°). Snap off bottoms of asparagus, rinse, cut into 1/4" slivers at angle. Cut zucchini into quarters lengthwise, remove seeds and cut into 1/4" slices. Rough-chop garlic. Set all aside until fish is nearly finished cooking.

Prepare fish: Process almonds into a course grind, combine with bread crumbs for crust. Rinse fillets, pat dry, cut each in half to create approximately equal portions. Beat an egg with 1 tbsp water. Season flour with salt and pepper, dredge all sides of the fish. Brush eggwash on tops, apply almond-panko mix. Place in medium-hot oiled skillet (crust up) for one minute or less to sear. Loosen fish pieces before placing skillet in 450° oven for about ten minutes (flaky fish/golden crust).

Prepare sauce: Zest one lemon, avoid white pith. Grate fresh ginger to taste (at least a couple teaspoons). Juice lemon into a few tbsps of olive oil, whisk with ginger and zest. Cook vegetables briefly without stirring in lightly oiled hot skillet. Pause before adding garlic so it won't burn, add a bit of salt. Remove from heat, add sauce and toss. Plate fish atop medley.

Scofflaw

2010-02-17T11:10:00.002-05:00

Snow day

2010-02-09T19:09:00.000-05:00

Remember to forget

2010-02-03T16:44:00.026-05:00

One of the paramount characteristics common to great poker players is an acute faculty for recollection. Poker is a game played with incomplete information, and the ability to retain data (~~i.e.~~ e.g. - what types of hands an opponent has played in a particular way) is an unquantifiable asset to any player. Inconspicuously, however, the sharp ability to forget is a crucial component to a well-functioning memory.

AN ILLUSTRATION FROM LAST WEEK'S PGA TOURNAMENT
Playing at Torrey Pines near San Diego, local Rickie Fowler was a crowd favorite. He is 21 years old, and facing a short putt the commentators raised this question:

"What is it about youth that makes those short ones so easy to knock into the back of the cup?"

The answer is simple. Young golfers lack a memory bank of missed putts, manifesting in their apparent fearlessness. At a farther end of the golf psyche, longtime pros are known to develop "the yips" when attempting easy putts. This condition can virtually paralyze a golfer, unwilling to initiate a backswing from the set position behind the ball.

Is poker, or life, so different? Recollection of tough beats can reduce a robust winning strategy to an anemic frailty. Dwelling on times when it all went wrong is certain to perpetuate such fate. Try to remember to forget.

San Francisco

2010-01-31T12:49:00.025-05:00

Following my stay in Escondido I flew up to San Francisco for a couple days, nearly getting stuck in the San Diego airport because of bad weather. California was experiencing its storm of the decade precisely as I was experiencing California for the first time (poop). Fortunately, the weather provided a window for getting to San Francisco, which provided plenty of cool stuff to do that wasn't dampened by the constant rain.

Coincidentally, my dad was in the city the same dates as myself traveling on business, and I was able to crash in his hotel room for three nights. This was a huge coup for my budget and level of comfort (Hilton). The first night in town we took the courtesy shuttle back to the airport in order to access the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART). The train took us into the city, where we met my dad's old friend, Berkeley resident and rock aficionado Andy. He had a bead on a rare show by local favorite Steve Morse at a venue called Slim's.

The gig was sponsored by Guitar Player Magazine, a publication that has repeatedly named Mr. Morse best overall guitarist. We bought tickets and grabbed some food and beers at a nearby, nearly empty, establishment. Arrived at Slim's a little late, as the opener was finishing, but were remarkably able to get seats near the front to the left side of the stage. It was a brilliant spot to see the show, as the guitar pedals were located right in front of us. The performance was amazing, I had for some reason expected a strummy acoustic set - quite the rocking opposite. Certainly one of the highlights of the entire trip.

The BART brought me back into the heart of San Francisco the next day, my destination the Museum of Modern Art. I enjoyed a streetside falafel wrap for breakfast en route. SFMoMA was hosting a seventy-five year anniversary exhibit, essentially a greatest hits narrative of the museum's history. It was a great tour, and I spent plenty of time viewing the offerings on other floors - not eager to return to the rain. After dawdling in the giftshop it was time for lunch. I hooded up and explored some side streets, stumbling upon Thirsty Bear Brewing. They served Spanish tapas alongside organic beers brewed onsite. The atmosphere and lunch menu were impressive, but I found most of the sampler beers to be yeasty (think Blue Moon, which I can't stand). I settled on the nitrogen stout, which came out drafted poorly with about two inches of head. Meh. I was pretty soaked after walking around a bit more after lunch, and hopped the train back to the hotel in the late afternoon.

The next day we switched hotels in the morning, moving from the airport Hilton to one located near Union Square in the city. My dad brought me to a fine Italian restaurant around the corner from the hotel called Kuleto's. They featured house-cured meats, and a scrumptious lunch menu including a fixed-price three course option. I chose linguine with clams and a bowl of dynamite minestrone, my dad had the taster lunch centered around a braised shortrib cannelloni and mushroom dish. We split a half-bottle of Napa Valley Syrah that had aged to an inky density. The whole meal was superb.

The final highlight of the trip took place that evening. I was able to meet up with Rob, an old friend from college who has lived in San Francisco for years, and who I hadn't seen in as long. He knew the good local spots, and we enjoyed catching up over some sinus-clearing Indian food. I had a very early flight the next morning, but we were able to get in a round of brews at an awesome little bar called The Black Horse London Pub. This was as literally a hole-in-the-wall as I have ever seen, seating/standing maybe ten people maximum. Bottled beers were served out of an ice-filled porcelain bathtub which also toted a keg of cask-conditioned IPA from a local brewer. Top notch, thanks Rob.

Escondido

2010-01-30T13:43:00.016-05:00

January 17, I sputtered into San Diego from LAX on a United Express plane. That had propellors. A day ahead of the vicious storm that was about to thrash the west coast, the turbo-prop proved a delightful way to see the city as we looped into a landing at San Diego's tiny airport. My college roommate Tyson picked me up there, and we spent the afternoon in a gas-lamp district brewpub drinking pale ales and watching the Chargers fizzle to the Jets (this NFL playoff game was taking place a few miles away). We grabbed a hearty dinner of In-N-Out burgers along the twenty-minute stretch of superhighway between San Diego and Escondido.

The following morning a couple of Tyson's buddies, Brandon and Mike, converged at the house with a pile of guns, ammunition, and clay pigeons. We were bound for the county line, across a mountain range and into the desert. This trek proved somewhat daunting to the overloaded Hyundai station wagon, especially in the monsoon downpour we encountered on the return trip. Zig-zagging around chassis-hungry rocks in the desert was a different challenge. We safely reached the shooting area and went to work. Four hundred rounds of twelve-gauge shells were spaced out with fits of .22 fire from an assortment of arms. I had never fired a shotgun previously, and was pleased to have dusted the occasional clay pigeon. And the hundred mule-kicks to the right shoulder inflicted less of a tole than I initially thought. When the shells were spent we collected all the casings and set off into the teeth of the storm that was waiting in the mountains. Fun day.

That evening Tyson and I made our way to Stone Brewery, located in Escondido and heralded as one of the nation's best. I'd had Stone's entry-level IPA on a previous occasion, and thought it was indeed tops. Of course, it was no comparison to the delicious freshness of drafts poured a few yards from the brewing floor. Their "Arrogant Bastard Ale" boasts a rich amber color, strong citrusy hops, and is immensely drinkable irrespective of its high alcohol content (7.2%). The other beers, including the IPA pictured below, were equally fresh and tasty, and the restaurant fare was more on par with the beer than Dogfish Head's distasteful offerings.

I spent the next day weathering the storm, reading The Omnivore's Dilemma in a hillside house that, judging by the shrieks of wind through the single-paned windows, was not accustomed to such meteorological abuse. The squall passed in waves, but did subside completely around the time that I was booking travel arrangements to follow it up the coast the next day. Some friends converged later that night at a local dive for the weekly ritual of "Two-Dollar-Tuesdays" (bargain drafts accompanied by relatively tolerable karaoke). Bulging carne asada burritos from a drive-thru taquería sealed the festivities, and capped a lovely time in Escondido. Thanks to everyone!

Tyson, Jen, Rachel, and me laughing in the face of indigestion.

Las Vegas

2010-01-28T17:16:00.046-05:00

I booked two nights in the Riviera on the morning of January 15th, arriving at the north end of the strip later that evening. The room was nice, and cheap, enough, but the casino and immediate surroundings were bleak. The first night in town I wandered in the direction of the closest nice hotels in search of food. At around 11:30PM I landed at the Encore, sister to the Wynn, in a casino-side eatery called Society. The quality and price of the food and wine registered fine with the lavish setting. I had a delectable salmon dish served with a quinoa cake and fennel/orange salad, in the process polishing off a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I traipsed back to my room, content to forgo any wagering until the next day.

Jet-lagged, I woke up early on Saturday and set off again southward down Las Vegas Boulevard. My destination this morning was the Mirage, home to a bountiful poker room and certainly one of the strip's keystone casinos. En route I picked up a bottle of Pellegrino ($1.99), a coffee and a croissant for breakfast. I was a little surprised, even at 10:00 in the morning, to find only two games in action - $1/2 No Limit and $3/6 Limit Hold'em, the basement of Las Vegas poker. I registered and paid my $80 buy-in for the 11:00AM daily tournament and sat down with a rack of $1 chips to kill some time in the Limit game.

When the tourney started I colored up what remained of my stack, stuffed the $25 and $5 chips in my pocket, and sat down to a couple hours of good action. I didn't make the money, but I did enjoy a few rounds of drinks and plenty of poker. I lost most of my chips after gutting out a call of a huge over-size bet at a flop of JT9. I held two aces, and had re-raised an early position raiser pre-flop, receiving a call. My opponent shoved for twice the size of the pot without much deliberation after the flop came down, and I was vexed for a moment before opting to call. He held AQ, and needed a K or an 8 to make a straight. The King rolled off immediately, and the rest of my tournament was spent scratching around for a good spot with a short stack.

After finally busting I was ready for lunch. Stepped outside and continued down the strip, magically drawn into the Bellagio by escalators and walkways. I skirted the casino perimeter, noticing a number of nice looking eateries - none of which were open yet. Ended up in a far corner of the first floor, where the entrance to the hotel art gallery stands. I was more interested in food than paintings at that moment, and the $15 entry fee dissuaded me to turn back toward the casino. I was "hungry-walking" and brisked past a familiar looking gentleman headed in the same direction. I kept my pace and advanced fifty feet before holding up at a hotel phone station. Uncharacteristically, Sammy Farha's signature cigarette was smoldering, as was the notably taller woman who accompanied him. They walked right up, as if to greet me. Before he could reach for the phone I gave a sly grin and groveled for a quick autograph, to which Sammy replied, "Sure thing, buddy," scrawling a hasty S Farha across a sheet of Bellagio stationary. I thanked him and split as he grabbed the phone, presumably to call the poker room.

I ended up at Planet Hollywood, eating at the bar of a crowded P.F. Chang's. After a greasy, yet relatively cheap and edible lunch, I sat in a $1/2 NL game for about an hour, doubling my initial $100 input. This was a must-win situation, because my debit card only allowed a $400 stake for the day, two-thirds of which would have been gone had I lost that buy-in. Now all I had to do was double-up what remained of my chips from the Mirage and I'd be profitable (at gambling) for the day. It took one hand of blackjack to accomplish that before my return to the Riviera. I was ready to skip the long cashier line I passed on my path back into the Mirage card pits, and plunked the whole $50 down, with a couple of $1 chips leftover as souvenirs. Stood on a 17 against a dealer 5, 6, 4, 8 - bust. Blackjack is easy. Tipped a buck and was happy to wait in line to cash out for a big bill. To the room for a nap.

For dinner it was off to the Wynn, where I found the Daniel Boulud Brasserie and sat looking out at "The Lake of Dreams" in the hotel's courtyard (featuring a giant animatronic lip-synching frog amongst a rotation of oddities). I ordered a bottle of Pellegrino ($8), a half-bottle of Calera Pinot Noir, and Duck Confit with lentils and foie gras. The entrée also featured a tuft of fennel and orange salad and a purée that I thought may have been lentils and foie gras combined. Needless to say, the meal was superb. The service was as sharp as anywhere I've eaten, the sommelier attended to my wine glass with zeal, and the food was positively delicious. I don't relish paying so much to eat so well, but Vegas has a way of dissolving one's sense of proportion when it comes to cash.

I decided to recoup a bit by gathering some free drinks at the Wynn's poker room, and maybe even some chips. I sat in a $1/3 NL game and fluctuated for a couple of hours, eventually breaking dead even after an embarrassingly karmic reversal of the big hand I played earlier. This time I made the straight on the turn with AQ to double up through the guy holding AA. I'd had my fun, was not a favorite in the game, and had a flight out of town at noon the next day, so I called it a night after a few more hands - pleased to be the fish lucky enough to break even.

Snow capped

2010-01-07T16:44:00.005-05:00

Photographed December 25th, 2009

Purple stew

2010-01-06T22:37:00.012-05:00

vegetable stock, tofu marinated in soy sauce, whole water chestnuts, shredded purple cabbage, butter, basmati rice stir fried: sesame oil, hot chili oil, canola oil, ginger, broccoli, scallions, zucchini, garlic

Universal

2010-01-05T13:35:00.004-05:00

Wholeness
Wellness
Shalom
Salaam
Peace

It was not his own life that was important to him, but what he had shared with all life: "It is the story of all life that is holy and it is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green things...."

And of the great vision that came to him when he was a child he said: "I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and father. And I saw that it was holy."

[From "Think Little" by Wendell Berry]

Westward

2010-01-02T22:32:00.010-05:00

Planning a bit of a circuit for the end of January. Things have been kinda slow at work, and rather than burn all my vacation days in the first month of the year (like Pam from The Office), I'm taking a couple weeks off as unpaid leave. Philadelphia to Las Vegas to San Diego ~~to Lake Tahoe~~ to San Francisco, and back.

Sign in Las Vegas, originally uploaded by amyscoop.

San Diego Bridge, originally uploaded by rqerita.

South Lake Tahoe, originally uploaded by Februum.

the road to nowhere, originally uploaded by Rob Van Harken.

New Year's Eve

2010-01-01T00:00:00.009-05:00

This soup was delicious. Perfect for recovering after flying out to Grand Rapids on December 31st. Happy New Year, Twenty-Ten!

tofu, ginger, vermicelli, cabbage, chicken stock, collard greens, bacon

2009-12-29T00:00:00.014-05:00

Brighter discontent

2009-12-25T12:18:00.011-05:00

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads, and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holiday. ~ W.C. Jones

Merry Christmas

Blizzard

2009-12-22T10:22:00.014-05:00

Big snow on the East Coast. Check out this fantastic photo set from Times Square.

Brasato alla Culinaria

2009-12-20T16:51:00.031-05:00

Culinaria, North Wilmington's finest restaurant, offered up a delicious meal last Friday. I'd call the flavors Continental/Asian (emphasis on Italian/Indian), the food is creative and simple.

Braised Calamari : Crostini : tender and flavorful
Cilantro-Curried Chicken : Cucumber Salad : Broccoli Rabe
Sweet-Curried Salmon : Jasmine Rice : staple entrée
Braised Oxtail : Fresh Trofie Pasta : a bit salty, but very good
Côtes du Rhône : tasty-nothing great, went well with the food

We all agreed, top meal yet from Culinaria (sans camera, sorry no photos).

Blowback

2009-12-16T13:17:00.078-05:00

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in Charlie Wilson's War, a 2007 film based on the non-fiction book of same title. Charlie Wilson was a U.S. Congressman at the time of the Soviet incursion into Afghanistan. He played a pivitol role in securing funding for the CIA's covert backing of the mujahideen in their struggle against invading Russians.

The following review, found on the New York Times website, encapsulates some relevant thoughts (albeit, dated by its critique of the Bush administration and mention of 2008 presidential candidates):

Charlie Wilson's Zen Lesson
JANUARY 21, 2008

Two messages are appended to the end of "Charlie Wilson's War," the artful Hollywood film about a hedonistic Texas congressman who in the 1980s raised covert funding for the Afghan mujahideen from $5 million to $1 billion, thereby helping to drive the Red Army out of Afghanistan and precipitate the implosion of the Soviet Union. An explicit moral of the movie comes from the real-life Wilson, who lamented that America did the right thing in Afghanistan but messed up "the endgame." Today there can be little doubt that Washington's brusque loss of interest in the fate of Afghanistan after the Soviets' withdrawal was a calamitous error.

But it is the second, more philosophical message that ought to be at the center of current debate about America's role in the world. This lesson, which the Bush administration has learned all too slowly, teaches the need for humility in those who make America's moves on a global chessboard - a virtue that seems almost totally absent from the patriotic posturing of the presidential candidates.

Toward the end of "Charlie Wilson's War," a CIA officer played by the pitch-perfect Philip Seymour Hoffman cautions the Wilson character (played by Tom Hanks) not to be too sure they have done something glorious. To make the point, he tells the story of a Zen master who observes the people of his village celebrating a young boy's new horse as a wonderful gift. "We'll see," the Zen master says. When the boy falls off the horse and breaks a leg, everyone says the horse is a curse. "We'll see," says the master. Then war breaks out, the boy cannot be conscripted because of his injury, and everyone now says the horse was a fortunate gift. "We'll see," the master says again.

This is screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's way of warning against triumphalism. Yes, Afghan suffering at the hands of the Soviet invaders was atrocious, and the Soviets' defeat by Afghan mujahideen armed with U.S. Stinger missiles ought to have been a humanitarian liberation. But the fighting among Afghan warlords that ensued opened the way for the fanatical Taliban to take power, for Al Qaeda to set up terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, for the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, and then for to the Bush administration's global war on terror, whose destabilizing effects are likely to extend far into the future.

In a similar vein, Bush should have foreseen that the invasion and occupation of Iraq could become a strategic gift to Iran; that his pledge to foster democracy in the Muslim world while backing Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan would make America look hypocritical; or that his reluctance to seek a UN Security Council resolution to halt Israel's bombing of Lebanon in the summer of 2006 would inflame anti-American feelings in the Arab world. These are the sorts of unintended consequences a Zen master would expect - and a president must try to anticipate.

The theme of cautioning humility when tampering with global affairs was a bit lost amongst Hollywood gloss intended to appeal to broad market. Another fascinating aspect of the story that was similarly underdeveloped, in my opinion, was the uncomfortable correlation between anti-communist fervor and other forms of fundamentalist zealotry. Julia Roberts' character is a Texas socialite ~~who's~~ whose ultra-right-wing motivations are "phrased religiously." American intelligence agents rejoice at the opportunity to kill communist Russians, echoing the murderous mandate of "death to infidels."

And speaking of marketability, I wonder if the producers of the movie would have considered keeping it on the shelf for an extra year if they knew President Obama would deliver his +30,000 troops speech on December 1st, strategic holiday timing for piggy-back promotion of a film about American involvement in Afghanistan. Anyway, Charlie Wilson's War stands up on a number of levels, and is a good juxtaposition to Osama.

For more on Afghanistan, please visit dc3.posterous.com. The author's comments there much more gravitas than my feeble cut-and-paste efforts at synthesis.

Bathtub blues

2009-12-15T10:09:00.017-05:00

Billy got so sad, dejected
Put on his hat and started to run
Running down the streets
Yelling at the top of his lungs
All I want in this life of mine
Is some good clean fun
All I want in this life and time
Is some hit and run

Basics

2009-12-14T09:29:00.026-05:00

The new mission:

clean air
safe and sufficient water
safe and adequate food
safe and peaceful settlements
stable global environment

From Basic Environmental Health (via Wrapped in Royal Blue).

Brutality

2009-12-12T10:19:00.027-05:00

Screenshot from the 2003 Afghan film Osama. The pictured character is a girl who lives with her war-widowed mother and grandmother in a remote village. Their town is controlled by the Taliban, who, in all their spiritual and material wisdom, have forbidden women to work or even be outdoors without male accompaniment. In order to avoid starving to death, the female family opts for androgyny. The young daughter dresses as a boy to go out and work for food, where she is conscripted into military training. Her new name: Osama, naturally.

It's not the tale of a plucky, resilient heroine who daringly flaunts repressive norms. Rather, this compact movie is a raw, bitter glimpse into the terror and desperation of living under crushing tyranny with no hope of improvement.

If you want the feeling of a punch to the gut, or seek additional fodder for detesting the Taliban, put this stunning film at the top of the queue.

By design

2009-12-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

Revolution by design and invention is the only revolution tolerable to all men, all societies, and all political systems anywhere.

~ R. Buckminster Fuller, 1965

Baize & Bullets

2009-12-10T16:23:00.051-05:00

This game is super soft. And totally unbeatable.

A new cardroom opened in the area this week. No dark alleys or remote door locks, it's somehow legal, with a large portion of the night's take (from blackjack and the poker rake) going to local charities. They've got an impressive setup - four blackjack tables and four poker tables in the front room, and a tournament area in the back with an additional half-dozen tables. The manager is a slightly spastic former poker boss of Detroit's Greektown casino. The dealers have been professionalish, and the play has been light and easy.

However, the rake is menacingly steep for the $1/$2 No-Limit stakes (10% of each pot up to $6, plus another dollar for a progressive high-hand shenanigan). I'll keep careful tabs on my action there, but I'm pretty sure the hefty rake will eat up most/all of the profitability. Still, it's fun and engaging to be making live poker decisions, and with profits going to charity I can rationalize some investigation.

14 DECEMBER 2009
Four sessions in, the poker report is good, but the atmosphere is disconcerting. There is a woeful lack of security, especially given the club's location and the history of negativity at [granted, underground] cardrooms in the vicinity. The cage has been unattended most of the time, and they have no semblance of procedure when it comes to cashing in and out. Nobody watches the blackjack players or dealers; there's no "greeter" at the door. The place is wide-open, and the clientele got rougher-looking by the night. My stats at $1/$2 NL (including blackjack losses and many tips to the dealers):

1.5hr/+15, 2.5hr/+130, 3.5hr/-60, 3.5hr/+30

By my estimation the club has made about a dollar from me for each dollar I've netted. Essentially, I'm laying 2:1 that I can beat the poker game while tipping generously and simultaneously trying not to get shot.

Black and white

2009-12-08T21:00:00.004-05:00

Autumn Rhythm (Number 30) Jackson Pollock 1950

Blue york five

2009-12-04T09:44:00.004-05:00

Black like me

2009-12-03T09:52:00.004-05:00

P.T. Roll

Bagel

2009-12-02T20:04:00.002-05:00

Squash soup

2009-11-26T20:42:00.030-05:00

INGREDIENTS
6 bacon slices
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced
½ pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
½ pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 green apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Cook bacon in a 4 to 6 quart heavy pot over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add garlic, jalapeño and caraway seeds to fat in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Broil squash pieces for 5 minutes or until brown. Add squash, carrots, apple, thyme, bay leaves, chicken broth, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are tender (15 to 20 minutes). Discard thyme and bay leaves. Sauté mushrooms in butter and oil over medium-high heat, season.

Purée soup until smooth; add vinegar, season. Serve topped with mushrooms, crumbled bacon and sour cream (cranberries and goat cheese, pictured).

Happy Thanksgiving

Vegetarian alternative: Use olive oil and veggie broth in lieu of bacon and chicken stock, maybe throw in some smoked paprika.

Humans from Earth

2009-11-25T20:09:00.002-05:00

We come from a blue planet light-years away
Where everything multiplies at an amazing rate
We're out here in the universe buying real estate
Hope we haven't gotten here too late

We're humans from Earth
You have nothing at all to fear
I think we're gonna like it here

We're looking for a planet with atmosphere
Where the air is fresh and the water clear
With lots of sun like you have here
Three or four hundred days a year

Bought Manhattan for a string of beads
Brought along some gadgets for you to see
Here's a crazy little thing we call TV
Do you have electricity?

I know we may seem pretty strange to you
But we got know-how and a golden rule
We're here to see manifest destiny through
Ain't nothing we can't get used to

We're humans from Earth

~ T-Bone Burnett

Eat less meat

2009-11-24T14:42:00.015-05:00

Factory-farmed meat is cheap and readily available, that don't make it right. Think about where your food comes from. Question the logic and ethics of production and distribution. Learn. Discern. And maybe try to eat less meat.

Gran Torino

2009-11-23T23:35:00.026-05:00

This is a great film. I finally watched it tonight, been almost a year since Gran Torino first hit theaters. I fail to recall seeing any movies that were actually released this year, so I'm going to stretch the rules and call Gran Torino the best of 2009 (especially since it was completely overlooked by the 2008 Academy Awards).

The movie is not about racism, or prejudice, or gangs. I don't think it was about redemption, or breaking old habits. It wasn't about the car. Ultimately, the story is about letting go.

Clint Eastwood plays an embattled, aging, widower veteran - still at war with the world and himself. He's crotchety and bitter, even as he protectively lashes out against injustice in a Detroit neighborhood burdened by crime and intimidation.

Resentment, guilt, pain, fear, desperation, helplessness, vengeful rage, and finally sacrifice. Eastwood's acting carries the film, the pace was a little slow, intentionally, I believe. The direction, cinematography, and editing were top quality - executed with craft and care.

A+

Wind power

2009-11-19T17:32:00.012-05:00

Southern England, a man is lifted off his feet by a strong gust. The Guardian UK

Delaware's offshore wind harvesting may yet become reality. NRG Energy has purchased BluewaterWind, breathing new life into the project that seemed to go belly up in last year's financial crash.