Sunday, September 30, 2007

Guitar Madness
My friend the Guitar Nazi and I went over to the Eastern Shore of Mryland yesterday to join in the "Experience PRS" fest at the Paul Reed Smith factory. We arrived too late to sign on for any of the factory tours but we got a sweet swag bag (high quality cotton tee and a hat) and heard some kick-ass music from Johnny Hiland, Gary Grainger, Dave Grissom and Mark Tremonti. Great artists who couldn't have been nicer to the fans.
And I managed to get a laugh out of the crowd at one of Paul Reed Smith's (often shortened to PRSH for "Paul Reed Smith Himself") talks. He was telling jokes toward the end of speaking and asked "Why do drummers leave their sticks on their dashboards? ... So they can park in handicapped spot." I said, "I resent that!" PRSH Said, "Are you a drummer?" And I said, "No, I'm handicapped!" There was much laughter.
And, quite frankly, I don't get the drummer joke to begin with.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Dateline: Cripple Creek, CO
Headline: Portly burros put on diet
Subhed: Veterinarian cracks down on Gold Rush icons
Nut graf: "In an ironic twist of fate, this city's historic herd of wild burros, the only live reminders of the Gold Rush that swept the Rocky Mountains a century and a half ago, have been rounded up and quarantined because of the onset of ... obesity."

Feel free to read the whole story, though I don't know how long the link will last. Why is this post-worthy? Because of exercise. As we all know, exercise is good for the overweight. So, given all the facts above, this is the one instance when you can turn to a teamster and say, "Move your fat ass!" And it's just good advice.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Since I'm Running Dry
I have nothing of interest to post. So I will resort to linkage. Go see Dark Roasted Blend. Lotsa, lotsa links to viddys, pics and all kinds of cool stuff. Go see the Icelandic Northern Lights photos. Oooooh! Ahhhhh!
I may have to add DRB to the blogroll.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
Yesterday afternoon I was cleaning my kitchen, which has a view of my li'l townhouse driveway. I had neglected to go out and get the noisepaper which was lying in its orange baggie down at the end of said driveway. That being as it was, I look out to see the school children walking up the road from the bus stop down the way. And one of the girls stops, looks at my newspaper, picks it up, dumps it out of the bag, leaves the bag and starts to walk away with it. Excuse me? You're stealing my newspaper. So I open the window and say "Please don't steal my newspaper. I paid for it. Just leave it." And she drops it in situ.
But holy hell. Bloody little thief. I'll know better from now on.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I Don't Usually Do Gibsons
I leave that to Billy Beck. And, in point of fact, the link I'm putting up to this 2007 Firebird V is stolen (unnnhhhh borrowed I mean) directly from him. I'm not a particular fan of the Firebird series as it tends to lack style. Not this one though. Real beauty - flame maple wings on a mahogany body. So far, reasonably priced as well. It's no PRS, but you could do worse with a 'lectrified git-box than this one.
Recent Netflixing
I rented "Black Snake Moan" the other day. I can't say that anyone should waste money on this poor movie. It does feature the surprisingly luscious Christina Ricci and her amazing boobs. If they were more prominently featured it might actually be worth renting. But ... no. Actually, it's not bad per se, just not actively good. The same guy who wrote "Hustle & Flow" (which I haven't seen and won't be seeing - ever) wrote this one and it just drips with pretension. I will say one other thing for the movie though. Skinny whigger Justin Timberlake is a decent actor. I could buy him in the role he was playing. Which surprised me. I'm going to have to accept the fact that he'll keep getting acting work because of his musical "career" and he'll end being a good actor. He should be thinking God every day for the on-the-job training that Hollywood gives almost no one.
I Don't Dream Much
However, last night I had horrible nightmares. Nothing resolved, of course, but in my capsule hell of an overnight, Islamofascists detonated nukes in most of the West's major cities - Washington, London, Madrid, Paris, Buenos Aries (How did I know that? It was part of a news report.), Tokyo, Singapore, Los Angeles, Chicago and one in the Panama Canal for good measure. In my dream, the nuke destined for Jerusalem was found by the Mossad and delivered to Damascus in time for its detonation. It was the only success of defenders of civilization in the whole damned thing.
I'm willing to give up pleasant dreams if I don't have to live through the kind I had last night.

Monday, September 24, 2007

I Have The Book Title
Now, I just have to write a book about computer humor. It will be called "Quotations from Chairman LMAO."
LOLbugs #2
Not the best caption. You make one. In comments plz!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

LOLbugs #1

Alternate captions: "Mr. Miyagi, I'm ready for my closeup."
"My name might by Kwai Chang Caine but do NOT call me 'grasshopper!'"
Please feel free to add more in comments.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Bugger!
The Collingwood Magpies dropped the preliminary final match to the Geelong Cats 87 (13.9) to 92 (13.14). That scores refer to goals (six points) and "behinds" (one point). It was, on the whole an up year for the Pies though. Finishing in a tie for fifth place in the regualr season with 52 points (although nominally behind Hawthorn), Collingwood put together a rousing post season to come within five points of regular season champion Geelong which finished well clear of the pack with 72 points.
And the detested Brisbane Lions finished in 10th place, out of the post-season play. Tahellwidcha!

PoW PSA: Help Homeless Animals

The Animal Rescue League of NH is holding their 4th Annual PetStep fundraising walk on September 22nd. The League is a no-kill shelter that is dedicated to saving the lives of pets and improving the lives of people. In addition to rescuing and re-homing 1,600 animals a year, the League intervenes in cases of animal cruelty and neglect, actively promotes spay/neuter, and provides free Humane Eduction to over 6,000 children a year.

One of the most recent cases handled by the League is Moxie. When Moxie got pregnant, her owner dumped her in a culvert where she was later found - starving - trying to protect her nine brand new puppies. These perfectly healthy and beautiful pups were taken to a shelter in their native Mississippi where they likely would have been euthanized due to overcrowding. The League's transport effort arranged for Moxie and the puppies to travel to New Hampshire, which has a low dog population. In NH they were all vaccinated, spayed, and neutered, one little pup with a bad knee got orthopedic treatment, and they will now all go to loving homes and have very happy endings.

To help save Moxie and hundreds of animals like her, please consider making a donation to the League's PetStep through their website at www.rescueleague.org. Please designate your donation as "PetStep - Moxie."
(Editor's note: This post will be bumped to the top of the page until Sept. 22.)


Thursday, September 20, 2007

What I Made Today
A Maple-Pecan Upside Down Cake which recipe I got from Relish magazine. Or "magazine." It's one of those weekly newsprint insert thingies that comes with my noisepaper. I would provide a link to the instructions but it seems the site has hidden it by now. God thing I printed it out while it was "fresh." And how was it you ask? Well, it could have been better. I find that I use flour so infrequently that what I had in the pantry has lost its freshness. So now I have to dump the old stuff, buy new and try it again. And I used pecan halves. They are a bit unwieldy. I'd use no more than nut quarters in the future.
When I make it right, I'll post the recipe. If anyone wants it.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

LOLcats Doesn't Always Get It Right
I saw the picture to the right posted with the caption I put a line through. My caption is better. More topical. Brilliant!

Why Support Animal Rescue?
Billy Beck points to the story of Roger van Bakel whose application for adoption of Baxter, a Saint Bernard, was turned down. RTWT but the nub of the gist is that despite a history of dog rescue care, van Bakel's family was not allowed to care for Baxter because there were children under the age of 12 in the household. And they couldn't guarantee the background of the dog. So Baxter was euthanized. I'm going to guess that liability concerns were the driving factor in this. This makes me very sad.
Please note that the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire (below) is a no-kill shelter. That is the kind of animal rescue I do support.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Songs Of PRaiSe
Here's a Brazilian rosewood-necked 513 on eBay. The BIN price is basically the retail price of one when the Brazzy was the only model offered. Actually, with the artist pack upgrades, the price is even better. This beauty is in Mateo Blue which would make it, essentially the twin of mine. If you want a really, I mean really sweet guitar, here it is. Oh, and if you watched "American Idol," you saw this same guitar being played by the band's lead guitarist.
Maple Bacon Morning Coffee
In a word: Meh. In many more words: There is definitely a flavor of maple but it is subtle. I really get no bacon out of it at all, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's OK but not any more than that. The blueberry was vastly better. Clear evidence that Boca Java doesn't hit every one out of the park. Than again, El Rushbo says the Maple Bacon Morning is his favorite so kissed the cow, YMMV, non disputandum, etc. etc.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Whadda Ya Think?
Tomorrow brings another trip to Costco and I do believe I'm going to bring home a watermelon for another sorbet experiment. I'm thinking green apple vodka in a watermelon base with just a hint of balsamic vinegar for spice. Any one care to argue me out of it? Or suggest another direction for the 'bet?
Todaze Photoshop Phun
According to the article "The Hillarycare Mythology" at the lefty waste of paper "The American Prospect" (no links because they are not going to get anything from me but derision), It was Billy, not Hilly who was behind the attempted socialization of of American medicine back in the 80s. I should say attempted National Socialization of American medicine just to get the true flavor of Hillary's Nazi inclinations but I'm just waaayyy too subtle to do that!
Instead, I take the OJ book and make a few modifications. As always, click image for a larger version:

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Enjoyable Reading
I've been spending some time with The Angry Pharmacist lately. Angry? Yes. Amusing? Definitely. He makes me think this is how my friend the Enigmatic Misanthrope would be had he a PharmD and a blog. Higher praise I can not bestow.
Git You Some Chikin!
Fo free! The nice Christian folks at Chick-fil-a are offering up a whole raft of free sammiches and Co'cola sody pop - one at a time of course (don't be greedy!) - if you go to Free Chicken and Coke . com and register. It remains to be seen what they want to do with your info but I'll give up the contact info for a meal. I'm easy that way.
Wherein I Stretch For A Result
Canadian doughnut shop Tim Horton's recently set up a franchise in the US. One of the women hired to serve was, unbeknownst to the parent company, also a prostitute. When the police finally busted her, the headline in the local paper was "Horton Hires a Ho."

Hey. I didn't promise good. Just a result.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Apple's New iPod Nano Ad
I'm going to assume that you must have seen the new ad for Apple's new video iPod Nano. If not, you can follow the link. I won't get into the device itself save to say that it's another remarkable product - to get a tiny, tiny screen of dense resolution is something although it's squatty looks don't exactly goose up the geek lust. At this point, it's the ad I'm interested in. The video of the song playing is Feist's "1 2 3 4" which is on uToob so ...


I like it. It's wonderfully alive with the colorfully clad cast and the song is just enough of an ear worm that it makes a great choice for an ad. Apple's media people are no dummies (says the guy who was turned on to The Fratellis when Apple used "Flathead" in an iPod ad). The lyrics are not exactly overwhelming but that's not a big deal really. Feist has one of those voices that's not classical but has real character. She is interesting to listen to even if the words are not exactly "An die Fruede." And the choral swelling of the "Oh-oh-oh" works just perfectly right. Excellent songwriting.
As the blog has amply demonstrated over time with my fealty to Emm Gryner, I like whiny Canadian chick singer-songwriters. I think it started with Joni Mitchell. And Feist is right there. I wish her great success even though I'm not in any hurry to buy her disc.
What struck me, finally, after actually watching the video is how well Apple chose not just the song but the viddy as well. The appearing of the subsequent Nanos under the first picks up the way the music video has a raft of people appear from behind Feist. Watch the viddy and watch the ad. It's evident. Took me a while to recognize it though.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Today's Photoshop Phun
Original tag line: "Jack Burton's in for some serious trouble and / you're in for some serious fun."

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

More On The Coffee Front
I just tried the Boca Java blueberry coffee, Two words: Yuh umh! I've been a fan of Gevalia's blueberry coffee for a while - to the extent of buying into their "seasonal flavors" club. I can bomb out of that one now. Boca Java makes theirs available year-round and it's as much blueberry as I want. Winner.
I also have a bag of the "Maple Bacon Morning" which sounds t weird enough to be either really good, or gawdawful. The former I hope. I really, really hope.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

9/11
I am not one to post an extended look back, the blogosphere is full of them and more talented writers than I have made the points that still need to be made even after the passage of six years. I just want to say that after six years the depth of the tragedy continues to unfold. It is a fractal fracture in the world. No matter how far down you drill, nor from how high up you observe it, the world was given notice that day that Islamofascism would not be satisfied short of putting the entire world under its control.
The fight against it will see me out of this life I am sure, just as the fight against communism saw so many out of their lives. I hope we prevail but I am not confident of that when I see the Democrats treat their political opposition as a greater threat than the imams.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Working The TV
Since NBC is seeing fit to resurrect the Bionic Woman (not the original Bionic Woman - she's sleeping on Sleep Number beds now and still lookin' fine ... is it the bionics?), maybe the Food Channel or the folks who do Iron Chef could gin up a show about a woman whose vegetarian diet gives her super powers. The Macrobiotic Woman. We have the technology!
Good Beer. Lousy Ad.
Heineken is advertising its 5-liter "draft keg" with a techno-pop robot dance ad on TV. It's here on uToob. I won't embed it because it is a crappy, lousy bad ad. The girl who is roboted up may well be very cute in real life. But she looks like hell in the ad. Very Maria if you remember your "Metropolis." But she's not the worst of it. The problem is the music. Who did they get to write that crap? I'm figuring that it was Ross Geller on his synthesizer in Central Perk.
Or maybe Prof Plum in the conservatory with a lead pipe.

Friday, September 07, 2007

A Shout Out
I want to give a friend of mine (you know who you are!) huge kudos for her weight loss. She has always been a beautiful brunette but now she could easily pass as Marisa Tomei's sister. Hubba hubba! Too bad she's already married. Enh, what the heck, she deserves all the credit in the world for overcoming what I've always struggled with. I hope you lose all that you want to lose and are ever comfortable with it.
Hsu Fly Pie
OK, so I don't know how to make that verbiage work in real life. And "if the Hsu flits" has already been used at least twice. But I am left to wonder at the reports that "fugitive donor" Hsu took ill on an Amtrak train in Colorado. Where can you find Polonium 210 in Chappaqua, New York?
Whoopi On Dogfighting
She says, "Who do I get to fight? Behar? That works."
New Appley Goodness
I am working up a post on the newly introduced revamped iPod lineup but Brian Tiemann has a pretty good look at them already up. Well worth a read. When I come up with something that's not slavering fan-boyism or rehash of others' takes, I will post. For the nonce, let me just say that Apple has done it again. I have more iPods than I have ears and I still want one of the new iPod Touch models. Sex-ay!
Also, with the price drop on iPhones and Steve Jobs' decision (I say Jobs because it strikes me as just the kind of thing he would champion even if it were a corporate decision) to give $100 rebates to those who paid the "early adopter tax" on the initial release, I say "Bravo Apple!" They absolutely didn't have to do this and yet they did. Can you say "brand loyalty?" Sure, I knew you could. Microsoft might think about giving Vista beta testers, unh, I mean "purchasers" a rebate. Ha ha ha ha ha! I like jokes.
UPDATE: My apologies. I called what Apple is doing a "rebate." It's not. It's a $100 credit for Apple products. Not as universally good as cash money but considering it didn't have to be done at all, pretty darn good.
Wow. Just Wow.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Dem Damaders
I had a Big Rainbow with my breakfast this morning. It was meaty, sweet and just downright amazing. I think that my selection of plants for next year's Deck Farm™ will be Supersteak and Big Rainbow. The Black Krim set not a single bud and the Brandywine is not to my taste. Got to plan these things doncha know....
There Is Snark To Be Found Everywhere
Conservababe Laura Ingraham is going to be signing her new book Power to the People at a Northern Virginia Costco on September 16. That's fine but since it is Costco, she's going to have to sign each book at least four times.
Popcorn. It's What's For DEAAAATTHHH!
It is now being reported that
Consumers, not just factory workers, may be in danger from fumes from buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn, according to a warning letter to federal regulators from a doctor at a leading lung research hospital.
What a load of codswallop. I have no doubt that any particulate, including buttery flavoring (and please remember that any product that uses an adjectival "y" construction is not to be trusted) can have deleterious effects. And workers who are prone to breathe in clouds of the stuff should wear respirators or masks at the very least. But all the foofaraw about consumers being in danger is the load of codswallop I mentioned earlier. If you're not huffing microwave popcorn (see the story at the "reported link above), you are in no danger. But "no danger" is not the way the press works. I support microwave popcorn for its convenience and flavor. Orville makes a kettle corn that is worth the three minute wait.
I remain, however, an ardent proponent of the Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. It uses less oil that a traditional popper and it pops ... every ... freakin ... kernel! And when I say "less oil," I mean one teaspoon. OK, so I tend to use a little more than that but the use of less oil allows you to use more real butter for the actual, proper flavor of popcorn. Oh man. I'm making myself start a hard jones for the stuff now. Gimme a big jar of Orville's and I'll roll fifty deep.
Just for fits and grins, here's a recipe for kettle corn.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Oh Bugger!
Rodger Schlong is shutting down Curmudgeonly & Skeptical! Just damn. A source of innocent merriment is being removed from my bloglife. The world is poorer for the loss. But he will stay on my blogroll forever.
Fargin Dumplings Again
For dinner and just so damn good. I am delighted with the addition of bok choy to the mix but will be, I'm sure, happier still with kim chee in its place. This calls for a trip to the local oriental supermarket. And the Safeway for another pack of ground pork. And more ginger root and ... and ... and etc etc etc. It never stops.
Obligatory Larry Craig Snark
I don't know if Sen. Craig is a basketball player but if he is, he probably concentrates on defense. Specifically the slow-down game or, as he might call it, stall ball.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Foodblogging For Over The Holiday
I've spent much of the Labor Day weekend heading up to Murrlyn to visit with friends who live near the battlefield and on Antietam Creek. Friday night I brought up a freshly made batch of ginger peach sorbet - having bought most of the peaches I used that same day from the Moutoux Orchard stand. I say, with all modesty, that it was very well received. I think I have the formula now: make a ginger simple syrup and use 1/3 cup of vodka (in this case vodka into which I put the ginger slices which I used to make the simple syrup) and a blender full of peach slices.
Saturday night I brought Chinese dumplings for starters. Actually I brought up dumpling wrappers and the filler mix which we bundled up and steamed on site. I put blanched bok choy in these and it was good but not great, kinda bland. So my next experiment is to use kim chee in place of the bok choy. Already a bit macerated by the action of the spices (as my late father said, and this is a direct quote, "That stuff ripens like an old boar.") so no need for blanching and more spice. I like spice. when I make it, I'll post about it.