The kid (adult) who played "Boner" Stabone on "Growing Pains" was found dead in a park in Vancouver. His old man was Walter Koenig who originated the role of "Chekov" on Star Trek.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/2010-02-25-andrew-koenig-body-found_N.htm?csp=hf
The article, kinda broke my heart. Depression is kind of a hot button topic for me as it is, having lost two buddies within a matter of a month and a half to suicide. [i] "If you learn anything from this," Koenig said, directing his comments to those who also suffer from depression, "there are people out there who care." "In his pain," Judith Koenig said, "he didn't realize help was available to him."[/i]
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Technology is scary
I found this story kind of interesting.
A few weeks ago, a temp co-worker of mine told me that he and his girlfriend met another couple downtown for drinks. They split up at the end of the night and his buddy + fiancee were walking home across the Henn. Ave bridge toward Riverplace when a guy on a bike stole her purse. They reported it, but the cops said there was probably nothing they'd be able to do. Now, the couple had recently purchased a set of those new fangle GPS cell phones and for a lark decided to see if they could locate her phone on the web.
And they did. South Minneapolis residence.
So they called the cops. Cops said "Sorry. Can't help you." So he calls up my co-worker and they go to the dudes house. In the foyer, they saw the bike. (I guess it was a yellow mountain bike) And they knocked on the door. They asked the guy that answered if he knew of any stolen property and (of course) he said he had no idea what they were talking about. They told them they had traced the purse to this location using the GPS and they'd be happy to call the police to inform them and he still (of course) balked. They thanked him and left.
Annnnd from their truck around the corner, on his GPS, a neat little signal left the front of the property they were just at as they watched him walk around the corner and leave. A little while later, they traced the phone to an alley and found it in an upturned recycling bin. Another call to the cops to confirm their suspicions and again, the officer said there was nothing they could do. So the fiancee' did the only sensible thing, she wrote the press.
And good old KARE 11 jumped on it. http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=842648
(ps- I don't condone the confrontation, as the cops were very right in saying it could turned into a potentially dangerous situation. I just thought this was cool how the GPS was kind of like a Spider-Tracer. I also still think it's f#cked up that any cell phone users can be found. Spooky) +
***UPDATE***
Said co-worker told me this morning that the PO-lice are launching an investigation into the home and individual residing there in relation to potential criminal activities. Which I'm certain has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this story received media coverage.
Nothing at all.
A few weeks ago, a temp co-worker of mine told me that he and his girlfriend met another couple downtown for drinks. They split up at the end of the night and his buddy + fiancee were walking home across the Henn. Ave bridge toward Riverplace when a guy on a bike stole her purse. They reported it, but the cops said there was probably nothing they'd be able to do. Now, the couple had recently purchased a set of those new fangle GPS cell phones and for a lark decided to see if they could locate her phone on the web.
And they did. South Minneapolis residence.
So they called the cops. Cops said "Sorry. Can't help you." So he calls up my co-worker and they go to the dudes house. In the foyer, they saw the bike. (I guess it was a yellow mountain bike) And they knocked on the door. They asked the guy that answered if he knew of any stolen property and (of course) he said he had no idea what they were talking about. They told them they had traced the purse to this location using the GPS and they'd be happy to call the police to inform them and he still (of course) balked. They thanked him and left.
Annnnd from their truck around the corner, on his GPS, a neat little signal left the front of the property they were just at as they watched him walk around the corner and leave. A little while later, they traced the phone to an alley and found it in an upturned recycling bin. Another call to the cops to confirm their suspicions and again, the officer said there was nothing they could do. So the fiancee' did the only sensible thing, she wrote the press.
And good old KARE 11 jumped on it. http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=842648
(ps- I don't condone the confrontation, as the cops were very right in saying it could turned into a potentially dangerous situation. I just thought this was cool how the GPS was kind of like a Spider-Tracer. I also still think it's f#cked up that any cell phone users can be found. Spooky) +
***UPDATE***
Said co-worker told me this morning that the PO-lice are launching an investigation into the home and individual residing there in relation to potential criminal activities. Which I'm certain has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this story received media coverage.
Nothing at all.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Lent, Lending, Loaned
(Semi-retraction: You know that Optimistic Ollie post from yesterday? The one how "Snow isn't gonna defeat me, no sir or ma'am!" Yeah, well...ask me if I feel the same way during the always faithful wet mushy snow storms that hit in March during the High School tourneys. I'm start b#tching, again, and y'all are gonna be like "Hey P- Want us to pass the ketchup? Sure you don't want anything for those words?!?!" 'Cause, like...I'm gonna eat my, you know? Shut up. Just shut up.)
Soooooo...Moda has just informed me that she's giving up cheese for Lent. (Who she's Lending her cheese to is a mystery. It's my understanding that the Lord was more of a pescatarian and possibly lactose intolerant) Personally, and not that I'm doubting her resolve (as this isn't a Cathololic practice per se, rather using the Lenten period of 40 days as an experiement) For my part, I will eat her cheese and do my best to not order Luce' or make fondue. Won't. What I might try is 86'ing alcohol for the similar period. If my big brother can do it for the duration of his wife's two pregnancies then I figure I should be good to go. Maybe. What about recipes? My GOD!!!
She (The crazy one. The one giving up, I mean COME ON!?!? CHEESE! This is the woman who is on a first name basis with the cheese counter employee's at Lunds!) Anyway, she enrolled in her first 1/2 marathon (I'd do the same, but I'm waiting on my meager tax return) The both of us are already upping the number of minutes/mileage on the treadmill and we might even partake in the training club that preps for the race starting in April. At any rate, cutting out booze will hopefully benefit training. I think.
I mean...beer. You know? It's delicious. And the Lord put back a pint or two of veeno.
Sheesh.
So, today's fun-fun-funny theme will be sports/training minded. And you all, all two of you readers, will be offering me moral encouragement.
CAN YOU RUN FASTER THAN KENYANS?!?!?! And when God gives you lemons you FIND A NEW GOD!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs
and part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3qncy5Qfk
Soooooo...Moda has just informed me that she's giving up cheese for Lent. (Who she's Lending her cheese to is a mystery. It's my understanding that the Lord was more of a pescatarian and possibly lactose intolerant) Personally, and not that I'm doubting her resolve (as this isn't a Cathololic practice per se, rather using the Lenten period of 40 days as an experiement) For my part, I will eat her cheese and do my best to not order Luce' or make fondue. Won't. What I might try is 86'ing alcohol for the similar period. If my big brother can do it for the duration of his wife's two pregnancies then I figure I should be good to go. Maybe. What about recipes? My GOD!!!
She (The crazy one. The one giving up, I mean COME ON!?!? CHEESE! This is the woman who is on a first name basis with the cheese counter employee's at Lunds!) Anyway, she enrolled in her first 1/2 marathon (I'd do the same, but I'm waiting on my meager tax return) The both of us are already upping the number of minutes/mileage on the treadmill and we might even partake in the training club that preps for the race starting in April. At any rate, cutting out booze will hopefully benefit training. I think.
I mean...beer. You know? It's delicious. And the Lord put back a pint or two of veeno.
Sheesh.
So, today's fun-fun-funny theme will be sports/training minded. And you all, all two of you readers, will be offering me moral encouragement.
CAN YOU RUN FASTER THAN KENYANS?!?!?! And when God gives you lemons you FIND A NEW GOD!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs
and part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3qncy5Qfk
This kinda makes me happy
Moda and I checked this place out a few months back. It's right around the corner from my place and the food is excellent for such a non-descript building. I'm hoping to get back for dinner some time. (We hit the weekend brunch)
http://www.citypages.com/2010-02-17/restaurants/chimborazo-and-cocina-latina-showcase-ecuador-s-hearty-fare/
http://www.citypages.com/2010-02-17/restaurants/chimborazo-and-cocina-latina-showcase-ecuador-s-hearty-fare/
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Kicking winter in the face.
You know, since enacting the parking ban in Mipples I've been missing "my" spot in front of my house. Of course it's enacted the first time the "even" side of the street is clear. It's just...so pristine. There was one a$$hole who parked there though. The day of the ban, this enormous Toyota SUV planted itself in front of my house. After a few days, my roommate and I bumped into each other in the morning he RAILED against winter and the aforementioned A-hole- going so far as to threaten calling 9-1-1. (I asked him to please not)
We had yet another snowfall overnight on V-Day and when I woke up early to shovel the walk and brush off Moda and the Bean's respective vehicles there was the behemoth under a mound of snow. So sneaky bastard that I am, I walked over and in big block letters on the driver side window I wrote "ILLEGAL". Sure as s#it when I got home? Gone. Yeeeeah b#tches.
The weather has mellowed a bit which for mid-February is doing awesome things for my mood. On my way around the block the other night to meet Moda @Wilde Roast for dinner I made the resolution to not let the frakkin' winter get to me anymore. Refuse. So I went in the back yard the next day (I was home sick) and trunched out to the back yard where a couple of widowmaker icicles had been bugging me since I first saw them. (Huge, they were. At least 4.5 feet long. And reminded me of an old "Peanuts" cartoon where Snoopy was trapped in his dog house for fear of a widowmaker falling if he made a false move. He eventually did, of course, when Charlie Brown called him for supper. The destruction of his dog house/imaginary Sopwith Camel bi-plane was a small price to pay for congealed Alpo served by a prematurely bald 2nd grader who only owns one shirt.)
Anyway, instead of breaking off they actually slid off with little or no finesse- Clearing the gutter and keeping the shingles in tact. Score.
So a list of Spring/Summer projects is already coming to mind, including new blow-in insulation to help with the chilly main-level discrepancy. Lists of recipes to cook, restaurants to try, things to plant. (I was decluttering this weekend and found the 2010 garden plot)
Yeah. I might be poor. I may end up spending part of June in Bemidji. But dammit...I will be productive.
For your enjoyment, my two favorite Auto-Tune the Newses. (Watch all of'em if you can. They're pretty dang funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dqTrUpmwPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCCuOrRzoSc
We had yet another snowfall overnight on V-Day and when I woke up early to shovel the walk and brush off Moda and the Bean's respective vehicles there was the behemoth under a mound of snow. So sneaky bastard that I am, I walked over and in big block letters on the driver side window I wrote "ILLEGAL". Sure as s#it when I got home? Gone. Yeeeeah b#tches.
The weather has mellowed a bit which for mid-February is doing awesome things for my mood. On my way around the block the other night to meet Moda @Wilde Roast for dinner I made the resolution to not let the frakkin' winter get to me anymore. Refuse. So I went in the back yard the next day (I was home sick) and trunched out to the back yard where a couple of widowmaker icicles had been bugging me since I first saw them. (Huge, they were. At least 4.5 feet long. And reminded me of an old "Peanuts" cartoon where Snoopy was trapped in his dog house for fear of a widowmaker falling if he made a false move. He eventually did, of course, when Charlie Brown called him for supper. The destruction of his dog house/imaginary Sopwith Camel bi-plane was a small price to pay for congealed Alpo served by a prematurely bald 2nd grader who only owns one shirt.)
Anyway, instead of breaking off they actually slid off with little or no finesse- Clearing the gutter and keeping the shingles in tact. Score.
So a list of Spring/Summer projects is already coming to mind, including new blow-in insulation to help with the chilly main-level discrepancy. Lists of recipes to cook, restaurants to try, things to plant. (I was decluttering this weekend and found the 2010 garden plot)
Yeah. I might be poor. I may end up spending part of June in Bemidji. But dammit...I will be productive.
For your enjoyment, my two favorite Auto-Tune the Newses. (Watch all of'em if you can. They're pretty dang funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dqTrUpmwPg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCCuOrRzoSc
Friday, February 12, 2010
Million Dollar Idea/Spreading the awkwardness
With the driving snow this messy, awful winter without end (and really? We've had frack all bad winters for the last 4 years. '06/'07/'08 were all ridiculously cold and managed to hold on into April. '09 we managed to really never escape winter until August. A few lousy days in August.) has got folks in a righteous funk. Yesterday I woke up to a dry erase board that had a tirade against the winter written by my roommate and he was no sooner downstairs than he was full of piss and vinegar against (Insert winter insanity here: Other drivers, people who are parking on the "even" side during our citywide parking ban, below zero temps, etc.)
My current problem is the pothole situation, which seems to have grown arguably worse this year in Mipples. For example, there's one on the intersection of 18th and Johnson that seems like someone left a manhole uncovered. And on my way to the office, there's a gash that runs almost straight across the street. Practically unavoidable. (I'll refrain from describing the minefield which lies in front of the Walker about the area of the Henn/Lyn split, but it's a dooze)
My million dollar idea, was that wouldn't it be great if someone could find an expanding filler-just to get us through winter- that had a non-toxic liquid agent that could be applied when the weather improved which would then dissolve it. Freeing the pothole to be filled with patch.
Genius, right? I know, I know...they already have something that'd work. It's callled "sand".
The warm fuzzies continue today with another website I enjoy frequenting: Awkward Family Photo's. (This too, is a dooze. And makes me laugh almost every time)
(*The above awkward photo was taken in 1987 in Cody, WY. I kept the more scandalous one of RSvP and I where he's wearing a crop-top with short-shorts and the fedora. For my part, my fashion sense was highly motivated by the mighty "jams". I probably had 5-6 pair with matching tank top. All the better to accentuate mah belleh!)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
That's more like it...
The plows came through, and for the first time since early December I can park reasonably close to the curb in front of my house. This is all spectacular until I found out the city of Mipples has declared a parking BAN on the even side of the street (where you live) until---wait for it---APRIL!!! (Or the first significant thaw. Regardless)
Today's smile inducing video is brought to you by the letter "Dolph". I was a true cold war kid, and in my mind nothing really captures the fervor we as a nation shared in kickin' commie Russky butt than in our celluloid fantasies. "Red Dawn", "Spies Like Us", "No Way Out", even "Yakov Smirnov in Concert" were all ways we could, as a country, feel like we were stemming the tide of communism. And it felt GOOD! RAHHHH!!! And nothing, I mean nothing encapsulated that pro-USA-Soviet-butt-kicking mania than "Rocky wha?" Nooooo, "Rocky IV".
(Many film scholars may argue that the 1st Rocky, being as it was a true "indie" film which garnered praise from many at the Academy, is the best in the series. With the most recent "Rocky Balboa" capturing the essence of the first film, the heart of the first film.
Other, smarter, individuals will clearly cry "THREE" as the winner of the franchise- acting as both a mainstream impetus to bring professional Wrestling back into the spotlight and birthed a generation of mohawked fool-pitiers. And a sweet soundtrack by "Survivor".)
For my part, both of them would be pretty close. "Rocky IV" though? Forget Mickey, yo. He lost Apollo! While he and James Brown looked on impotently. And he beat the steroid pumping spikey blonde behemoth who towered at least 6 feet over Rocky! And he had state of the art training facilities while Rocky had a barn. A BARN! And he WON! And he got Brigitte Nielsen out of the deal...at least until after the movie "Cobra" wrapped.
So yeah. Dolph. Total bad-ass. And we read up on this guy. And it turns out acting was some sort of back up plan. He was a world-class tournament winning karate practitioner (See "Showdown in Little Tokyo" for reference and co-starring a very young Brandon Lee) which we were like "Duh" yeah. He's big and he can FIGHT!
But this yahoo is apparently a genius. Literally. Like, PhD from Smorgenborgen University in advanced Hoo-Ha Scientificity Rim-Ram. (Blah. Read about the guy here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolph_Lundgren)
So yeah. Watch this guy. I think my brain just exploded. He can now add "Singer/Dancer/Drummer" to his already impressive resume of "Actor/Martial Artist/Master's in Chemical Engineering/Olympic Pentathelete Activist-Coordinator".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHtatY7bOUY
Today's smile inducing video is brought to you by the letter "Dolph". I was a true cold war kid, and in my mind nothing really captures the fervor we as a nation shared in kickin' commie Russky butt than in our celluloid fantasies. "Red Dawn", "Spies Like Us", "No Way Out", even "Yakov Smirnov in Concert" were all ways we could, as a country, feel like we were stemming the tide of communism. And it felt GOOD! RAHHHH!!! And nothing, I mean nothing encapsulated that pro-USA-Soviet-butt-kicking mania than "Rocky wha?" Nooooo, "Rocky IV".
(Many film scholars may argue that the 1st Rocky, being as it was a true "indie" film which garnered praise from many at the Academy, is the best in the series. With the most recent "Rocky Balboa" capturing the essence of the first film, the heart of the first film.
Other, smarter, individuals will clearly cry "THREE" as the winner of the franchise- acting as both a mainstream impetus to bring professional Wrestling back into the spotlight and birthed a generation of mohawked fool-pitiers. And a sweet soundtrack by "Survivor".)
For my part, both of them would be pretty close. "Rocky IV" though? Forget Mickey, yo. He lost Apollo! While he and James Brown looked on impotently. And he beat the steroid pumping spikey blonde behemoth who towered at least 6 feet over Rocky! And he had state of the art training facilities while Rocky had a barn. A BARN! And he WON! And he got Brigitte Nielsen out of the deal...at least until after the movie "Cobra" wrapped.
So yeah. Dolph. Total bad-ass. And we read up on this guy. And it turns out acting was some sort of back up plan. He was a world-class tournament winning karate practitioner (See "Showdown in Little Tokyo" for reference and co-starring a very young Brandon Lee) which we were like "Duh" yeah. He's big and he can FIGHT!
But this yahoo is apparently a genius. Literally. Like, PhD from Smorgenborgen University in advanced Hoo-Ha Scientificity Rim-Ram. (Blah. Read about the guy here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolph_Lundgren)
So yeah. Watch this guy. I think my brain just exploded. He can now add "Singer/Dancer/Drummer" to his already impressive resume of "Actor/Martial Artist/Master's in Chemical Engineering/Olympic Pentathelete Activist-Coordinator".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHtatY7bOUY
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
We've arrived
Mid-February. As timing goes, this is about the point during the winter I want to give Mother Nature the finger. The winter wonderland is no longer charming. The biting cold. The lack of traction...grrr.
In the last 48 hours, I've shovelled my walkway 4 times. I've seen how the neighbor at the corner of the street conspicuously plows, almost deliberately mind you, from the corner to the two houses next store and then STOPS right before mine. On Caturday, after an eventful decluttering/house cleaning day I decided to get the last vestiges of snow off the walk (marking shovel-fest #5) before the temps started dropping. Welll, lo and behold when I went to my car the city plows must have came through and pushed an icy barrier around my ride. (And with the temps falling, these formerly slushy gray hockey pucks froze solid) So I chipped and shoveled and miraculously didn't fall but miraculously put out my lower back. (Getting in and out of the car was fun) and discovered I have little traction going up the slick hills which permeate my neighborhood.
Grrr. WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?!?!?
So I'm changing tactics on my blog for a while. I refuse to let this weather bring me down and plan on focusing on the positive. (And not March's reliable 3 weekends of winter storms which always happen during the State High School Sports Tourney's) I will be posting funny links etc. that always manage to make me laugh starting with this gem Moda found and posted on Frassbook. You...you know you've wanted to learn how to do this:
Cat Massage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnZhi5gaX8g&feature=autofb
In the last 48 hours, I've shovelled my walkway 4 times. I've seen how the neighbor at the corner of the street conspicuously plows, almost deliberately mind you, from the corner to the two houses next store and then STOPS right before mine. On Caturday, after an eventful decluttering/house cleaning day I decided to get the last vestiges of snow off the walk (marking shovel-fest #5) before the temps started dropping. Welll, lo and behold when I went to my car the city plows must have came through and pushed an icy barrier around my ride. (And with the temps falling, these formerly slushy gray hockey pucks froze solid) So I chipped and shoveled and miraculously didn't fall but miraculously put out my lower back. (Getting in and out of the car was fun) and discovered I have little traction going up the slick hills which permeate my neighborhood.
Grrr. WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?!?!?
So I'm changing tactics on my blog for a while. I refuse to let this weather bring me down and plan on focusing on the positive. (And not March's reliable 3 weekends of winter storms which always happen during the State High School Sports Tourney's) I will be posting funny links etc. that always manage to make me laugh starting with this gem Moda found and posted on Frassbook. You...you know you've wanted to learn how to do this:
Cat Massage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnZhi5gaX8g&feature=autofb
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
It's chilly...time for chili...
I'm a good cook.
No no...it's true. I was going to start a cooking show called "The Cathartic Gourmet" (This was after a dissolution of an old relationship where I told a friend that I lose a lot of weight when I go through break-ups and he told me that he ends up cooking. A lot. I dunno...I just a funny image of a guy with flour all over his face and tears streaming down while using a tenderizing meat hammer to reduce a chicken breast to crepe' size while preparing chicken piccata. What? It's how the gears spin.) I'm kidding. If Moda weren't around and left to my own devices I'd probably be living off of Boca, or home made bean burritos. Or pestering Redwright for dinner like a needy dog scratching to get in.
So here I have amassed a few impressive (and impressive looking) kitchen tools, but the one I always seem to get mileage out of and retain my laissez faire attitude toward preparation (i.e. I'm lazy) is my crock pot. So here's an easy veggie chili recipe to stave off the bone numbing MN chill that I learned about 4-5 years ago and have been steadily making my own subtle improvements on. (2 caveats- First? I don't ususually dig manhandling the beef, dig? I can grill stuff pre-made in patty format, but yeargh. I keep thinking I'll find a hair. And even if you are omnivorous it still tastes fine. And is healthy. The 2nd caveat is there is a sort of punch line at the end of all this. Oh, wait...3rd caveat? I've only made chili. One of these days I'll make "Plop Plop Chicken", I promise, but if you have any additional recipes on hand I'll take'em.)
Easy-Make Vegetarian Chili, for glorious doi!
Ingredients:
-24 oz can of petite diced tomato
-4 cans of assorted beans (Black beans, white kidney, dark red kidney, hot chili beans, etc)
-1/2 package of Morningstar veggie crumbles
-1/2 large onion chopped
-2 tbsps chili powder 2 tbsps cumin powder 1 tbsps cinnamon
-1 cup of beer *
-4 tbsps olive oil (2 for the pot, 2 for the pan)
-Splash of red wine, Splashes of Tabasco
-NEW INGREDIENTS AS OF 1/25/2010----1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 can extra beans.**
Sautee' onion in pan w/olive oil until onions start to get a little transluscent then add the splash of wine*** to get the good smells going. Add the crumbles and allow to defrost adequetly but not get "browned" ****
Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to the crock pot, then add drained beans and diced tomato. (Draining will prevent a soupier chili*****) Add seasonings, crumbles/onion mixture, and beer. Mix Mix, Stir Stir, Married Young, it's all a blur. Leave it alone for several hours, checking and stirring periodically. (Or high for less time) Makes 8-10 servings depending on how gassy you mind being. Feel free to store it in tupperware in your fridge/freezer for easy lunches.
*Clearly my cooking options need to serve as a vehicle to cocktail, as you are able to finish the beer. Creating a relaxing atmosphere helps to make the sensual experience of cooking a memorable one. Clearly.
**So, um...You gotta, like, test the chili. Periodically. And if you have a "helper" that may need to try it you'll notice a marked reduction in how much chili you have. Tossing in an extra can will help replenish. Doi.
***Early FAIL #1? I'd brown Boca patties on the stove top and break them up. Y0u know. Like it was "real" hamburger. It wasn't until I was introduced to the Morningstar crumbles that I sidestepped that. (And get Boca crumbles if that's your thing) Oddly enough, my roommate preferred that method. Not oddly if you know my roommate. Sauteeing the chopped onion was another
****Clearly. I'll see if a future foray into pasta with a vodka sauce just winds up degenerating into a martini party.
*****Early FAIL #2? I didn't drain the cans and used a whole can of beer. And added chopped cilantro. It winded up looking like a bubbly, beany, soupy stew. I heard tell that corn starch would thicken it up a bit so I kept adding and stirring until the consistency got better...then left it.
It wound up the consistency of drying kindergarden paste. That was the year I ruined the Super Bowl.
ps- I tend to eyeball the chili powder/Tabasco etc. The measurements...for what their worth...are kind of malarkey.
No no...it's true. I was going to start a cooking show called "The Cathartic Gourmet" (This was after a dissolution of an old relationship where I told a friend that I lose a lot of weight when I go through break-ups and he told me that he ends up cooking. A lot. I dunno...I just a funny image of a guy with flour all over his face and tears streaming down while using a tenderizing meat hammer to reduce a chicken breast to crepe' size while preparing chicken piccata. What? It's how the gears spin.) I'm kidding. If Moda weren't around and left to my own devices I'd probably be living off of Boca, or home made bean burritos. Or pestering Redwright for dinner like a needy dog scratching to get in.
So here I have amassed a few impressive (and impressive looking) kitchen tools, but the one I always seem to get mileage out of and retain my laissez faire attitude toward preparation (i.e. I'm lazy) is my crock pot. So here's an easy veggie chili recipe to stave off the bone numbing MN chill that I learned about 4-5 years ago and have been steadily making my own subtle improvements on. (2 caveats- First? I don't ususually dig manhandling the beef, dig? I can grill stuff pre-made in patty format, but yeargh. I keep thinking I'll find a hair. And even if you are omnivorous it still tastes fine. And is healthy. The 2nd caveat is there is a sort of punch line at the end of all this. Oh, wait...3rd caveat? I've only made chili. One of these days I'll make "Plop Plop Chicken", I promise, but if you have any additional recipes on hand I'll take'em.)
Easy-Make Vegetarian Chili, for glorious doi!
Ingredients:
-24 oz can of petite diced tomato
-4 cans of assorted beans (Black beans, white kidney, dark red kidney, hot chili beans, etc)
-1/2 package of Morningstar veggie crumbles
-1/2 large onion chopped
-2 tbsps chili powder 2 tbsps cumin powder 1 tbsps cinnamon
-1 cup of beer *
-4 tbsps olive oil (2 for the pot, 2 for the pan)
-Splash of red wine, Splashes of Tabasco
-NEW INGREDIENTS AS OF 1/25/2010----1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 can extra beans.**
Sautee' onion in pan w/olive oil until onions start to get a little transluscent then add the splash of wine*** to get the good smells going. Add the crumbles and allow to defrost adequetly but not get "browned" ****
Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to the crock pot, then add drained beans and diced tomato. (Draining will prevent a soupier chili*****) Add seasonings, crumbles/onion mixture, and beer. Mix Mix, Stir Stir, Married Young, it's all a blur. Leave it alone for several hours, checking and stirring periodically. (Or high for less time) Makes 8-10 servings depending on how gassy you mind being. Feel free to store it in tupperware in your fridge/freezer for easy lunches.
*Clearly my cooking options need to serve as a vehicle to cocktail, as you are able to finish the beer. Creating a relaxing atmosphere helps to make the sensual experience of cooking a memorable one. Clearly.
**So, um...You gotta, like, test the chili. Periodically. And if you have a "helper" that may need to try it you'll notice a marked reduction in how much chili you have. Tossing in an extra can will help replenish. Doi.
***Early FAIL #1? I'd brown Boca patties on the stove top and break them up. Y0u know. Like it was "real" hamburger. It wasn't until I was introduced to the Morningstar crumbles that I sidestepped that. (And get Boca crumbles if that's your thing) Oddly enough, my roommate preferred that method. Not oddly if you know my roommate. Sauteeing the chopped onion was another
****Clearly. I'll see if a future foray into pasta with a vodka sauce just winds up degenerating into a martini party.
*****Early FAIL #2? I didn't drain the cans and used a whole can of beer. And added chopped cilantro. It winded up looking like a bubbly, beany, soupy stew. I heard tell that corn starch would thicken it up a bit so I kept adding and stirring until the consistency got better...then left it.
It wound up the consistency of drying kindergarden paste. That was the year I ruined the Super Bowl.
ps- I tend to eyeball the chili powder/Tabasco etc. The measurements...for what their worth...are kind of malarkey.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fun at the Carnivale'...
So we've just finished season 1 of "Big Love" and have started season 2 of "Carnivale'". I like the latter a little more than the former ("BL" seems to have an epic-assed story arc while the creepy supernatural vibe of "C" appeals to my nerdliness. That and the fact that Kurgan is playing Brother Justin) I think they do a good job with keeping the period accurate as well- (Save for the fact that I noticed when someone was opening a letter it had the little plastic front for the address. ANACHRONISM'D!)
But last night they had a hum-dinger of a contrivance that couldn't help make me laugh. Sampson (The lead carny played by the Twin Peaks backwards-walking widgie) already has kind of a shouty way of talking as it is. Well he's here organizing a search party and doing a "roll call" of the rousties to go do the searching when he bellows off some of the most stupidly stereotypical nicknames the writers thought roustabouts in the 30's probably had. ("OKAY LISTEN UP! I'll need Warsh, Tugboat, Sneaky Pete, Asphault, and Jim to come with me!")
Right? It was like having a character named "Brooklyn" in every war movie (Including "The Patriot"...and I'm fairly certain there was a "MacBrooklyn" in "Braveheart") because you gotta have a Brooklyn...usually a corporal, you know?
So we sat there on the couch giggling and rattling off a stream of consiousness of other nicknames carnies and rousties in the 30's might have had.
<---- Nerds
But last night they had a hum-dinger of a contrivance that couldn't help make me laugh. Sampson (The lead carny played by the Twin Peaks backwards-walking widgie) already has kind of a shouty way of talking as it is. Well he's here organizing a search party and doing a "roll call" of the rousties to go do the searching when he bellows off some of the most stupidly stereotypical nicknames the writers thought roustabouts in the 30's probably had. ("OKAY LISTEN UP! I'll need Warsh, Tugboat, Sneaky Pete, Asphault, and Jim to come with me!")
Right? It was like having a character named "Brooklyn" in every war movie (Including "The Patriot"...and I'm fairly certain there was a "MacBrooklyn" in "Braveheart") because you gotta have a Brooklyn...usually a corporal, you know?
So we sat there on the couch giggling and rattling off a stream of consiousness of other nicknames carnies and rousties in the 30's might have had.
<---- Nerds
We geeks get the point...
So, you ever notice that they seem to retell Batman's origin story almost every time they have a new story line come out, or limited series? I mean, Aboriginal villagers in the bush can probably tell you what it is, whether or not they agree with the choice that he was watching the film "Zorro" the night his parents were shot or if he was attending "Die Fledermaus".
I only bring this up b/c I found an old one-shot issue from 2001 that someone gave me as a going away gift at the bottom of my Japanese chest that resides on the foot of my bed...and I crap you not- Origin story. "The Dark Knight Returns"? Origin story. "Batman goes to White Castle"...definitely room for an origin story.
I only bring this up b/c I found an old one-shot issue from 2001 that someone gave me as a going away gift at the bottom of my Japanese chest that resides on the foot of my bed...and I crap you not- Origin story. "The Dark Knight Returns"? Origin story. "Batman goes to White Castle"...definitely room for an origin story.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Never too late to peeeemp your show...
Hey all-
I've been a busy bee this last few weeks cramming lines and rehearsal so I apologize for the delay. If you have nothing to do come see this new work that has got me sweating bullets. As Victor Mancini in "Choke" sez: "I'm the backbone of Colonial America". Right. Back to bullet sweating and line/note reading.
A Candid World
Written by Dawn Brodey
Directed by Ellen Fenster
Featuring Mike Postle, Amy Schweikhardt, Julie Madden, Matt Boatright-Simon, Clarence Wethern, and Nathan Tylutki
John Adams said, "Let me search for the clue which led great Shakespeare into the labyrinth of human nature. Let me examine how men think." Set in a restricted theater in New York, 1776, A Candid World tells the story of a family, a slave, and a country who are all trying to navigate the struggles which accompany independence.
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday, January 19 at 7pm
Friday, January 22 at 7pm
Saturday, January 23 at 7pm
Sunday, January 24 at 7pm
For tickets, call the box office at 612-339-4944
or order online at www.illusiontheater.org.
I've been a busy bee this last few weeks cramming lines and rehearsal so I apologize for the delay. If you have nothing to do come see this new work that has got me sweating bullets. As Victor Mancini in "Choke" sez: "I'm the backbone of Colonial America". Right. Back to bullet sweating and line/note reading.
A Candid World
Written by Dawn Brodey
Directed by Ellen Fenster
Featuring Mike Postle, Amy Schweikhardt, Julie Madden, Matt Boatright-Simon, Clarence Wethern, and Nathan Tylutki
John Adams said, "Let me search for the clue which led great Shakespeare into the labyrinth of human nature. Let me examine how men think." Set in a restricted theater in New York, 1776, A Candid World tells the story of a family, a slave, and a country who are all trying to navigate the struggles which accompany independence.
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday, January 19 at 7pm
Friday, January 22 at 7pm
Saturday, January 23 at 7pm
Sunday, January 24 at 7pm
For tickets, call the box office at 612-339-4944
or order online at www.illusiontheater.org.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
How to party at my house on NYE
(Special love and thanks to Mel over at Thornehouse.blogspot.com for this. Comic gold, AND make sure you make it to #8)
How To Come to a Party at My House
1. Wear whatever you like. Hats, tuxedos, and false beards are all encouraged, separately or together.
2. You really don't have to bring anything. I know it is polite to ask, and I appreciate that politeness, but when I throw a party I am kind of a crazy control freak with the planning so I probably have it all covered. If your mother raised you in such a way that you absolutely cannot arrive empty-handed, wine (hint: I like Pinot Grigio), tulips (hint: I like purple ones), or huge baggies of drugs are always welcome.
3. Say something nice about the food, because I am not always very confident of my domestic abilities.
4. Drink. Mingle. Don't wait to be introduced. Be funny. Here is a list of conversational topics to get you started: your favorite cheeses, why John Madden and Pat Summerall should be worked over with a tire iron, scary things (nuns, clowns, midgets), stuff that sucks, weird sexual things you've done, drug stories (bonus points if they end up with you pantsless in a police station), caber tossing, your favorite Popes in history (I've always enjoyed Pope Clement VI), famous people who you wouldn't mind having as your own personal fuckpuppet (again, Pope Clement VI for me, or maybe Ricky Martin), dinosaurs RRRAAARRR!, whether you believe that the declension in the Western post-Romantic mind from Modernism to Postmodernism can be understood as a shift from epistemological skepticism to ontological skepticism, the fact that a pig has a spiral penis, and the Incredible Hulk's bad haircut (seriously, did his mom cut his hair with a bowl?).
5. Conversational topics to avoid: work (funny stories are fine, but no one wants to hear the details of your spreadsheet wizardry), your gym routine, abortion/gun control/the death penalty/terrorism, what you did or didn't eat today, how everyone lusts after you, the amount of fabulously expensive electronic equipment you own, and platform snobbery (if I even overhear a tiny fragment of the Windows vs Mac vs Linux debate I'll slip a roofie in your drink, I swear). Also, anecdotes about how cute your pets or children are should be limited to five minutes or less.
6. Never, ever, insist that everyone stop drinking, talking, and generally having a good time in order to "play a game." Playing games is fine, if it is that sort of party. Or there can be a subgroup of game players within a larger party. But you are not the Camp Counselor of the party, to be demanding that the partygoers do this or that.
7. Be a Good Drinker: no vomiting, no wanton destruction, no unwanted groping of fellow guests. Dirty jokes, comic antics, flirtation, and slightly slurred stream-of-consciousness blather are encouraged, however. If things do get out of hand, you are welcome to spend the night. I have plenty of couch space.
8. Remember, your hostess sets the tone. So: If I am wobbling about like Dorothy Parker on a bad night, consuming superhuman quantities of gin, kissing just about everyone on the mouth, waving cigarettes around and coming dangerously close to setting you on fire, and cracking wise about all and sundry, that gives you a free license to completely let your hair down. And if at any point I drop into a kung-fu stance that is a very clear signal that all bets are off. (For some reason I tend to make with the martial arts poses when I get very drunk.)
How To Come to a Party at My House
1. Wear whatever you like. Hats, tuxedos, and false beards are all encouraged, separately or together.
2. You really don't have to bring anything. I know it is polite to ask, and I appreciate that politeness, but when I throw a party I am kind of a crazy control freak with the planning so I probably have it all covered. If your mother raised you in such a way that you absolutely cannot arrive empty-handed, wine (hint: I like Pinot Grigio), tulips (hint: I like purple ones), or huge baggies of drugs are always welcome.
3. Say something nice about the food, because I am not always very confident of my domestic abilities.
4. Drink. Mingle. Don't wait to be introduced. Be funny. Here is a list of conversational topics to get you started: your favorite cheeses, why John Madden and Pat Summerall should be worked over with a tire iron, scary things (nuns, clowns, midgets), stuff that sucks, weird sexual things you've done, drug stories (bonus points if they end up with you pantsless in a police station), caber tossing, your favorite Popes in history (I've always enjoyed Pope Clement VI), famous people who you wouldn't mind having as your own personal fuckpuppet (again, Pope Clement VI for me, or maybe Ricky Martin), dinosaurs RRRAAARRR!, whether you believe that the declension in the Western post-Romantic mind from Modernism to Postmodernism can be understood as a shift from epistemological skepticism to ontological skepticism, the fact that a pig has a spiral penis, and the Incredible Hulk's bad haircut (seriously, did his mom cut his hair with a bowl?).
5. Conversational topics to avoid: work (funny stories are fine, but no one wants to hear the details of your spreadsheet wizardry), your gym routine, abortion/gun control/the death penalty/terrorism, what you did or didn't eat today, how everyone lusts after you, the amount of fabulously expensive electronic equipment you own, and platform snobbery (if I even overhear a tiny fragment of the Windows vs Mac vs Linux debate I'll slip a roofie in your drink, I swear). Also, anecdotes about how cute your pets or children are should be limited to five minutes or less.
6. Never, ever, insist that everyone stop drinking, talking, and generally having a good time in order to "play a game." Playing games is fine, if it is that sort of party. Or there can be a subgroup of game players within a larger party. But you are not the Camp Counselor of the party, to be demanding that the partygoers do this or that.
7. Be a Good Drinker: no vomiting, no wanton destruction, no unwanted groping of fellow guests. Dirty jokes, comic antics, flirtation, and slightly slurred stream-of-consciousness blather are encouraged, however. If things do get out of hand, you are welcome to spend the night. I have plenty of couch space.
8. Remember, your hostess sets the tone. So: If I am wobbling about like Dorothy Parker on a bad night, consuming superhuman quantities of gin, kissing just about everyone on the mouth, waving cigarettes around and coming dangerously close to setting you on fire, and cracking wise about all and sundry, that gives you a free license to completely let your hair down. And if at any point I drop into a kung-fu stance that is a very clear signal that all bets are off. (For some reason I tend to make with the martial arts poses when I get very drunk.)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
End of year "Best of" list!
Man. I hate to start this post on a bit of a downer, but 2009 has certainly sucked a great deal. Between losing jobs, dad, and feeling like crapola physically I'm happy to say that putting this decade to bed is a blessing and serving to help me get my butt in gear for a fortuitous year of growth in 2010.
I'm not a fan of "top ten" lists (especially when they start coming out in October/November. Hello? Year ain't done yet, turkeys) but there were some stand out moments/activities in '09 that'd I'd like to give the Christmas baby stamp of approval. Without further ado:
BEST NEW MUSIC FIND(s)-
(I dig on a lot of stuff I hear on the current, but these tunes are catchy and get stuck on ear worm more than I care to count)
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes "Home"
Gnarls Barkley "Going on"
(Runner up- Metric)
BEST THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS-
"Caroline, or Change"
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
"Beauty and the Beast"
(Runner up- "Hedda Gabler". Think I'm biased? Shup. It was good)
BEST FILM-
"Precious" Hands down, arguably the most affecting movie I saw in 2009.
"Star Trek" (Smart. Smart as hell re-imagining)
(Runner up- "Inglorious Basterds". Affecting, albeit in a completely different way. Oof)
BEST TV SHOWS-
(I'm hamstringing myself here since I don't watch much by way of network TV. I deplore reality shows, and the acronyms that have taken place of titles. "HIMYM"? "SYTYCD"? Dumb. These shows have been out for a minute, and make for great Netflixing nights off)
"Big Love"
"Carnivale"
BEST BOOK-
(While I'm not the book-o-phile Moda is I made a dent in a few choice reads this year. Again, they're a little old but I stand by my assertion that they make damn fine reads)
"The Time Travelers Wife"
"The Year of Living Biblically"
"The Graveyard Book"
BEST NEW RESTAURANT-
(We eat out, doi. And this finding was kind of tough to rate since many of the places we've tried tend to be established restaurans, or "bullet points" that we like to patronize. And since we mostly went to the tried and true joints, I'm feeling forced to post a doofy critique on the newest food venture)
Il Gatto. It ain't Figlio, I won't lie. Figlio is almost less a restaurant and more an institution, and when they announced the closure my reaction was more emotional than anything. And honestly I think that's the mark of a good restaurant. I can recall almost every single one of my visits going back 15-odd years. What has taken its place is a fairly respectable restaurant with a menu that has enough choices to cater to folks like myself who miss the Figlio of old and enough new choices to make it the newest hotspot for Uptown patrons. And while we weren't floored by the experience (too loud, too cramped, and a seafood dish for me that, unfortunately...was a little too brine-y) it was good enough to make me recommend it to friends.
(Runner up- Zeno. This was a one-time deal. We heard that they were having a "one-weekend" special to help drum up interest in their new expanded sushi menu and we capitalized on it. It. Was. Glorious. I can't imagine what the prices will be like since it ended, but for how inexpensive and unbelievably delicious our sushi was I can only give it a thumbs up)
I'm not a fan of "top ten" lists (especially when they start coming out in October/November. Hello? Year ain't done yet, turkeys) but there were some stand out moments/activities in '09 that'd I'd like to give the Christmas baby stamp of approval. Without further ado:
BEST NEW MUSIC FIND(s)-
(I dig on a lot of stuff I hear on the current, but these tunes are catchy and get stuck on ear worm more than I care to count)
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes "Home"
Gnarls Barkley "Going on"
(Runner up- Metric)
BEST THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS-
"Caroline, or Change"
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
"Beauty and the Beast"
(Runner up- "Hedda Gabler". Think I'm biased? Shup. It was good)
BEST FILM-
"Precious" Hands down, arguably the most affecting movie I saw in 2009.
"Star Trek" (Smart. Smart as hell re-imagining)
(Runner up- "Inglorious Basterds". Affecting, albeit in a completely different way. Oof)
BEST TV SHOWS-
(I'm hamstringing myself here since I don't watch much by way of network TV. I deplore reality shows, and the acronyms that have taken place of titles. "HIMYM"? "SYTYCD"? Dumb. These shows have been out for a minute, and make for great Netflixing nights off)
"Big Love"
"Carnivale"
BEST BOOK-
(While I'm not the book-o-phile Moda is I made a dent in a few choice reads this year. Again, they're a little old but I stand by my assertion that they make damn fine reads)
"The Time Travelers Wife"
"The Year of Living Biblically"
"The Graveyard Book"
BEST NEW RESTAURANT-
(We eat out, doi. And this finding was kind of tough to rate since many of the places we've tried tend to be established restaurans, or "bullet points" that we like to patronize. And since we mostly went to the tried and true joints, I'm feeling forced to post a doofy critique on the newest food venture)
Il Gatto. It ain't Figlio, I won't lie. Figlio is almost less a restaurant and more an institution, and when they announced the closure my reaction was more emotional than anything. And honestly I think that's the mark of a good restaurant. I can recall almost every single one of my visits going back 15-odd years. What has taken its place is a fairly respectable restaurant with a menu that has enough choices to cater to folks like myself who miss the Figlio of old and enough new choices to make it the newest hotspot for Uptown patrons. And while we weren't floored by the experience (too loud, too cramped, and a seafood dish for me that, unfortunately...was a little too brine-y) it was good enough to make me recommend it to friends.
(Runner up- Zeno. This was a one-time deal. We heard that they were having a "one-weekend" special to help drum up interest in their new expanded sushi menu and we capitalized on it. It. Was. Glorious. I can't imagine what the prices will be like since it ended, but for how inexpensive and unbelievably delicious our sushi was I can only give it a thumbs up)
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Happy Birthmas!
Hiya friends. Blog central is celebrating our five year anniversary/Christmas/Birthday and I wanted to thank my (few) loyal readers this season. I hope that 2010 gives you what you want and proves satisfying in so many ways, we forget to count.
I'm 34 for a few more hours...
And scene.
I'm 34 for a few more hours...
And scene.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
BIRTHDAY'ddd!
Or CHRISTMAS'ddd!!!
Either way, it's coming. And okay, okay...so I've been a silent blog-monkey and it's been sort of a melancholier X-mas than normal, my mom (bless her heart) sent me her X-mas list (a first. Figuring out what she wants has never been easier) and asked I do the same in return. As always, I broke down my list into things that are practical and that I really, really need. (ex: new socks, a new black dress belt in my size, new boxer briefs in my husky-boy size, new running shoes, and a CO2 detector for upstairs.) Versus my ultimate "wish" (See. "Wish". Not "Need to have immediately." Jeebus) list (ex: 42 flatscreen HDTV, Blu-Ray DVD player, a new 2-car Garage and driveway, etc.)
Now, this list could get piled higher than Kilimanjaro rising like the sun above the Serengeti...Toto...No? So for y'all...here's my electronic knick-knack-nerd wish list 2009. Bearing in mind you only have 2 shopping days left. And we wants them (Refutations and justifications can be found and made in the comments below):
DVD's: (Based on repeat watchability...or if they were lent away and never returned. Thievin' bastards)
Highlander (film. 1986)
Star Trek (Extended edition. 2009)
The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
A History of Violence (2005)
Rob Roy (1995)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Braveheart (1995)
Legend of Drunken Master (or. 1994 under "Drunken Master II")
Iron Monkey (2000)
Pans Labryinth (2006)
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
The Untouchables (1988)
The Unforgiven (1993)
Ratatouille (2008)
Wall-E (2008)
Brick (2005)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
CD's (which include CD's that were stolen)
They Might Be Giants "Flood"
Bjork "Telegram"/"Homogenic"
Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits
Garth Brooks Greatest Hits
The Offspring "Ixnay on the Hombre"
Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park
De La Soul "Three Feet High and Rising"
Miss Saigon Original Cast Recording
Queens Greatest Hits vol. I and II
Toys/Books etc
Conor MacLeod replica Katana http://www.unitedcutlery.com/Images/medres/UC2593.JPG
Luke Skywalker Master Replicas FX Sword (Roman remembers the X-mas we played with these in Borders Books) http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51n5IcEboPL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
Spider-Man (quality) costume http://cgi.ebay.com/Spiderman-Adult-Costume-Quality-Spandex-5-6-to-6-1_W0QQitemZ160389014886QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2557ee2566
The following Sandman Graphic Novels by Neil Gaiman (I have the 1st three) “Dream Country”, “Seasons of the Mist”, “A Game of You”, “Fables and Reflections”, “Brief Lives”, “Worlds End”, “The Kindly Ones”, and “The Wake”.
Neil Gaiman "The Graveyard Book", "Good Omens" (w/Terry Pratchett), and "Neverwhere".
Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross "Marvels" http://www.amazon.com/Marvels-Kurt-Busiek/dp/0785100490
And, without any place to put the stupid thing: A Hogwarts DVD holder-http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13923/collectors017.jpg
See. Easy to please, I am! Happy Holidays, folks! Hoping to get back on the Blog-Wagon soon.
Either way, it's coming. And okay, okay...so I've been a silent blog-monkey and it's been sort of a melancholier X-mas than normal, my mom (bless her heart) sent me her X-mas list (a first. Figuring out what she wants has never been easier) and asked I do the same in return. As always, I broke down my list into things that are practical and that I really, really need. (ex: new socks, a new black dress belt in my size, new boxer briefs in my husky-boy size, new running shoes, and a CO2 detector for upstairs.) Versus my ultimate "wish" (See. "Wish". Not "Need to have immediately." Jeebus) list (ex: 42 flatscreen HDTV, Blu-Ray DVD player, a new 2-car Garage and driveway, etc.)
Now, this list could get piled higher than Kilimanjaro rising like the sun above the Serengeti...Toto...No? So for y'all...here's my electronic knick-knack-nerd wish list 2009. Bearing in mind you only have 2 shopping days left. And we wants them (Refutations and justifications can be found and made in the comments below):
DVD's: (Based on repeat watchability...or if they were lent away and never returned. Thievin' bastards)
Highlander (film. 1986)
Star Trek (Extended edition. 2009)
The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
A History of Violence (2005)
Rob Roy (1995)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Braveheart (1995)
Legend of Drunken Master (or. 1994 under "Drunken Master II")
Iron Monkey (2000)
Pans Labryinth (2006)
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
The Untouchables (1988)
The Unforgiven (1993)
Ratatouille (2008)
Wall-E (2008)
Brick (2005)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
CD's (which include CD's that were stolen)
They Might Be Giants "Flood"
Bjork "Telegram"/"Homogenic"
Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits
Garth Brooks Greatest Hits
The Offspring "Ixnay on the Hombre"
Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park
De La Soul "Three Feet High and Rising"
Miss Saigon Original Cast Recording
Queens Greatest Hits vol. I and II
Toys/Books etc
Conor MacLeod replica Katana http://www.unitedcutlery.com/Images/medres/UC2593.JPG
Luke Skywalker Master Replicas FX Sword (Roman remembers the X-mas we played with these in Borders Books) http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51n5IcEboPL._SL500_AA280_.jpg
Spider-Man (quality) costume http://cgi.ebay.com/Spiderman-Adult-Costume-Quality-Spandex-5-6-to-6-1_W0QQitemZ160389014886QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2557ee2566
The following Sandman Graphic Novels by Neil Gaiman (I have the 1st three) “Dream Country”, “Seasons of the Mist”, “A Game of You”, “Fables and Reflections”, “Brief Lives”, “Worlds End”, “The Kindly Ones”, and “The Wake”.
Neil Gaiman "The Graveyard Book", "Good Omens" (w/Terry Pratchett), and "Neverwhere".
Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross "Marvels" http://www.amazon.com/Marvels-Kurt-Busiek/dp/0785100490
And, without any place to put the stupid thing: A Hogwarts DVD holder-http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13923/collectors017.jpg
See. Easy to please, I am! Happy Holidays, folks! Hoping to get back on the Blog-Wagon soon.
Test
Whoops! Two months got away. It isn't that I've been overtly busy, it's just been sort of a whirl wind of emotions and frass that have been filling my headspace. (And the fact that it's hard to blaug here at work) So something quick, light, frothy, and topical.
I hate people who swear without regard to who is around them. There, I said it. Now I'm a die hard with a vengeance curser. I admit it. Sweary McSwearerson. But lately, and maybe b/c I haven't felt too Christmasy, and have only desired to find peace on earth and good will towards one and other...these little outbursts p#ss me off:
(At the pumps outside of the "Stop and Save" getting gas)
"F#ck. What the...This F#ckin' thing. (to me) Every f#ckin time....NEVER prints a receipt and you gotta go in and ask the cashier for your f#ckin' receipt. F#CK!"
Me: "Oh..."
(Outside of the gym, next to the Chinese restaurant where two dudes were walking in)
"And Kelly was like...'No f#ckin way I'm doing that s#it. You get your a## in here and pin those binders.' and I was like 'Might as well. You f#ckin' break'em every time. Chr!st."
Did I mention the day care at the gym was letting out simultaneously?
(My favorite: The break room at work. Where people mill about freely. This one is priceless)
"What the f#ck do you MEAN? I can't AFFORD that. No. no. no. NO. I said "F#####ck. No. No f#ckin way. You tell Sheila that I don't give a f#ck if she can't help, she's..."
Okay. You get the gist.
So. My request, this holiday season: Watch your f#ckin mouth when you're out in public.
I hate people who swear without regard to who is around them. There, I said it. Now I'm a die hard with a vengeance curser. I admit it. Sweary McSwearerson. But lately, and maybe b/c I haven't felt too Christmasy, and have only desired to find peace on earth and good will towards one and other...these little outbursts p#ss me off:
(At the pumps outside of the "Stop and Save" getting gas)
"F#ck. What the...This F#ckin' thing. (to me) Every f#ckin time....NEVER prints a receipt and you gotta go in and ask the cashier for your f#ckin' receipt. F#CK!"
Me: "Oh..."
(Outside of the gym, next to the Chinese restaurant where two dudes were walking in)
"And Kelly was like...'No f#ckin way I'm doing that s#it. You get your a## in here and pin those binders.' and I was like 'Might as well. You f#ckin' break'em every time. Chr!st."
Did I mention the day care at the gym was letting out simultaneously?
(My favorite: The break room at work. Where people mill about freely. This one is priceless)
"What the f#ck do you MEAN? I can't AFFORD that. No. no. no. NO. I said "F#####ck. No. No f#ckin way. You tell Sheila that I don't give a f#ck if she can't help, she's..."
Okay. You get the gist.
So. My request, this holiday season: Watch your f#ckin mouth when you're out in public.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
More topical frass...
Everyone talks of snow. So I shall not.
H-okay...
Somedays I miss being unemployed. It seems like I was given an assignment through my temp gig and cast in a show simultaneously so life has been sort of whirlwindy. I miss being able to lumber out of bed and go to the gym daily. I really felt like I was making strides physically, you know? I had lost 10 lbs and was starting to get definition and vascularity back. Then...work and show. And non-stop rain. Hello? I go from pulling 4 milers to staring wistfully outdoors and trudging up my cold-weather gear? Frack that. (Note to self- New running shoes must be in your future. Your feet hurt)
Showtime! Go here to learn more: http://www.theatrearlo.com/ It's been over 2 years since I've done a show with lines (for new readers, a lot of what I've done has been kung-fu-king s#ith up while lines are done off stage) So I get a random FB message from a buddy who ran MocW and I worked with and they're doing a pared down version of "The Importance of Being Earnest" as a sort of "bro's before ho's" remix that pokes fun at the big G's production...with a budget under $50 (The priciest seat there). And gay. Really, very, extremely gay. So I ask, who wouldn't say "sure". It's been crazy, with having a scant 2 weeks rehearsal. And for an hour long production...I have a lot of lines. A lot. Anyway, if you're free for any of our three Sunday night performances (October 11th, 18th, and 25th) and if it's your thing- go*. It's pretty funny.
Moda is in another Show-da. For real, we talked about theatre widowship before s#it got real as it was but hoo. She performed in MTM for the month of September. (Effing killer, btw) and is now in her 12 of 12 techs for "Othello". Oof. We would like to go on vacation at some point after her next show piggybacks on "O" and it'd best be overseas. Donations welcome.
I'm getting flabby. That probably isn't true, but when you go from exercising daily to not it feels like it puts on the metabological brakes.
The last of our harvest has been reaped. Snow notwithstanding, the tubers have come out and the tomatoes don't look too happy. I had been pretty good while unemployed at taking care of her, but there seems to have been some form of precipitation or rather for the last two weeks. Curses. We've plotted out next years rotation and are really needing to get the garlic bulbs in the ground before it hardens. And (gasp!) we plan on expanding. Ohhhh yes. http://hungryhippopotami.wordpress.com/
I...uh...so I was really sick my first day of work. And I've had nerves and a bad tummy for what seems like months. This all came to a realization that I'm needing to cut out booze. Not entirely, but I've reduced consumption drastically. Sad thing? I can tell. I've lost some bloat, my tummy is better, and the times I have imbibed? Makes me a little nauseous. Great. And a little insomniatic without a depressent in my system in the evening. But...it has got my brain racing. Sooooooo...I've been writing. Funny crap. In fact, I posted a fake "550's" (performing art classified in the Strib) on the old CB last week. And I wouldn't be talking about it right now, but I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. Moreover, I had about 40 other fake auditions et.al. that I wanted to post. Sooooo, I think I might do that weekly every Sunday. Until the mods make me stop or people get too annoyed. (My favorite part is when people think it's a real ad. Favorite)
Um. Yeah. Off to bundle and trundle to rehearsal. We open tomorrow night. Eep. I'm hungry.
H-okay...
Somedays I miss being unemployed. It seems like I was given an assignment through my temp gig and cast in a show simultaneously so life has been sort of whirlwindy. I miss being able to lumber out of bed and go to the gym daily. I really felt like I was making strides physically, you know? I had lost 10 lbs and was starting to get definition and vascularity back. Then...work and show. And non-stop rain. Hello? I go from pulling 4 milers to staring wistfully outdoors and trudging up my cold-weather gear? Frack that. (Note to self- New running shoes must be in your future. Your feet hurt)
Showtime! Go here to learn more: http://www.theatrearlo.com/ It's been over 2 years since I've done a show with lines (for new readers, a lot of what I've done has been kung-fu-king s#ith up while lines are done off stage) So I get a random FB message from a buddy who ran MocW and I worked with and they're doing a pared down version of "The Importance of Being Earnest" as a sort of "bro's before ho's" remix that pokes fun at the big G's production...with a budget under $50 (The priciest seat there). And gay. Really, very, extremely gay. So I ask, who wouldn't say "sure". It's been crazy, with having a scant 2 weeks rehearsal. And for an hour long production...I have a lot of lines. A lot. Anyway, if you're free for any of our three Sunday night performances (October 11th, 18th, and 25th) and if it's your thing- go*. It's pretty funny.
Moda is in another Show-da. For real, we talked about theatre widowship before s#it got real as it was but hoo. She performed in MTM for the month of September. (Effing killer, btw) and is now in her 12 of 12 techs for "Othello". Oof. We would like to go on vacation at some point after her next show piggybacks on "O" and it'd best be overseas. Donations welcome.
I'm getting flabby. That probably isn't true, but when you go from exercising daily to not it feels like it puts on the metabological brakes.
The last of our harvest has been reaped. Snow notwithstanding, the tubers have come out and the tomatoes don't look too happy. I had been pretty good while unemployed at taking care of her, but there seems to have been some form of precipitation or rather for the last two weeks. Curses. We've plotted out next years rotation and are really needing to get the garlic bulbs in the ground before it hardens. And (gasp!) we plan on expanding. Ohhhh yes. http://hungryhippopotami.wordpress.com/
I...uh...so I was really sick my first day of work. And I've had nerves and a bad tummy for what seems like months. This all came to a realization that I'm needing to cut out booze. Not entirely, but I've reduced consumption drastically. Sad thing? I can tell. I've lost some bloat, my tummy is better, and the times I have imbibed? Makes me a little nauseous. Great. And a little insomniatic without a depressent in my system in the evening. But...it has got my brain racing. Sooooooo...I've been writing. Funny crap. In fact, I posted a fake "550's" (performing art classified in the Strib) on the old CB last week. And I wouldn't be talking about it right now, but I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. Moreover, I had about 40 other fake auditions et.al. that I wanted to post. Sooooo, I think I might do that weekly every Sunday. Until the mods make me stop or people get too annoyed. (My favorite part is when people think it's a real ad. Favorite)
Um. Yeah. Off to bundle and trundle to rehearsal. We open tomorrow night. Eep. I'm hungry.
Temporarily speaking...
Temp. Tempe. Tempeh. Tamp. Tarp. Taupe.
I'm now officially at the two week mark of my gig at the Big Gay Wagon Company (Heretofore known as "BGWC") I'm falling into the temp regiment which has some pros and cons which I'd like to share with you today.
Pro-
Distance. It's ridiculously close, being in S. Mpls, and literally takes me almost 10 minutes to get there.
Enclosed parking.
"Casual" October...meaning jeans all month long and possibly beyond.
A mildly relaxed culture. My direct report has the strangest and dryest sense of humor. You'd almost think he wasn't making a joke because he'll say one and walk away to let it linger. ("Please remember to lock your PC when you leave your desk. Otherwise you'll get hurt." Walks away)
His boss? Caught me looking at my script. Turns out he's a community musical theatre guy. And acts it, too. Campy, goofy...curses every so often...b#tches about his diet. Weird. I know, right? When I...I am the low key theatre dude.
Helpful and friendly cube mates. I was one of 3 people in a class of 14 to be elevated to the "quick learner" program...meaning 3 days of training then GO! The seasoned permanent employees next to me seem to sympathize.
The cafeteria...Holy. Okay, so this "campus" has a deli, coffee shop (I'll stick with the free break room swill, thanks) convenience store, bank, gym, and proper cafeteria. And it's big. And cheap. I forgot my soup so I figured It'd be as good of an excuse as any to check it out and they had a "build your own deli sammich" bar. Right? So I made a reasonbly healthy turkey sandwich with produce about as big as a Dagwood thinking that after I weigh it at the check out it'd be $11. $3.50. For a 16 lb sammich. The gym, btw, is only $14 a month for employees. What?
Full web access. In close to 15 years of corporate living, I've never had that.
The con...
Training, per normal for temps, is redonk. The trainer was poor and frequently had class wrested from their grasp by a few of the students. We were tested on material that we barely had time to learn and it was graded against us. Since I was pulled early, most of what I've had to do is On the Job. And without job aids, there'll be a lot of mistakes.
Temps...are kind of recyclable. The 1st, a manager came in and gave the whole dog and pony show of "you're not just a temp" and "you could very well get hired permanently!" and "many of our employees who started 4-5 years ago were temps!" in an attempt to make the fact that we're contracted and possibly expendable a little less frightening. Doesn't work on jaded hacks like me. And moreover, you kind of need to keep your head down while the perm staff are all like buddies and they treat you, well, like a temp.
Gallows humor. I don't know if I think that candor is a great thing in the workplace, but speaking of being a temp? My direct report has dropped a few funnies about how we don't technically work for him. Moreover, I suspect that he's of a narc nature. Why?
My cube is sandwiched between both managers. And they both like to get up and stand behind you to see what apps you have open. Sorry guys. I'm not trolling teh web on company time.
My commute home sucks. There are no easy freeway entrances to 35W North. I either have to go through Uptown or go South 7 blocks to 35th. Lame sauce.
The employees are maniacs. At the end of my shift, it's practically a footrace to get out of the building. And since it's badge scan exit, it's a daily occurrence that someone forgets to scan and gets trapped in the revolving doors. Moreover? That delightful parking garage I told you about? Man...people are f#cked up. Sorry. But I've nearly been ran over 4 x's now. It turns into the Indy 500 with people speeding (i.e. going at least 20-25 mph) toward the exit. And apparently, some people think that "compact parking only" means "my RAV 4 can take up two spots...chumps". Look, at the end of the day I wanna go too but this seems all too much like "Let's see how many temps we can hit before leaving!"
Lastly? I'm not a huge fan of the work. It really...well it isn't really "me". It's nice to know big bro is floating around to help with doofy stuff like password workarounds, but man. Yeah. Mortgages...
Sighs...Oh well.
It's a j-o-b.
I'm now officially at the two week mark of my gig at the Big Gay Wagon Company (Heretofore known as "BGWC") I'm falling into the temp regiment which has some pros and cons which I'd like to share with you today.
Pro-
Distance. It's ridiculously close, being in S. Mpls, and literally takes me almost 10 minutes to get there.
Enclosed parking.
"Casual" October...meaning jeans all month long and possibly beyond.
A mildly relaxed culture. My direct report has the strangest and dryest sense of humor. You'd almost think he wasn't making a joke because he'll say one and walk away to let it linger. ("Please remember to lock your PC when you leave your desk. Otherwise you'll get hurt." Walks away)
His boss? Caught me looking at my script. Turns out he's a community musical theatre guy. And acts it, too. Campy, goofy...curses every so often...b#tches about his diet. Weird. I know, right? When I...I am the low key theatre dude.
Helpful and friendly cube mates. I was one of 3 people in a class of 14 to be elevated to the "quick learner" program...meaning 3 days of training then GO! The seasoned permanent employees next to me seem to sympathize.
The cafeteria...Holy. Okay, so this "campus" has a deli, coffee shop (I'll stick with the free break room swill, thanks) convenience store, bank, gym, and proper cafeteria. And it's big. And cheap. I forgot my soup so I figured It'd be as good of an excuse as any to check it out and they had a "build your own deli sammich" bar. Right? So I made a reasonbly healthy turkey sandwich with produce about as big as a Dagwood thinking that after I weigh it at the check out it'd be $11. $3.50. For a 16 lb sammich. The gym, btw, is only $14 a month for employees. What?
Full web access. In close to 15 years of corporate living, I've never had that.
The con...
Training, per normal for temps, is redonk. The trainer was poor and frequently had class wrested from their grasp by a few of the students. We were tested on material that we barely had time to learn and it was graded against us. Since I was pulled early, most of what I've had to do is On the Job. And without job aids, there'll be a lot of mistakes.
Temps...are kind of recyclable. The 1st, a manager came in and gave the whole dog and pony show of "you're not just a temp" and "you could very well get hired permanently!" and "many of our employees who started 4-5 years ago were temps!" in an attempt to make the fact that we're contracted and possibly expendable a little less frightening. Doesn't work on jaded hacks like me. And moreover, you kind of need to keep your head down while the perm staff are all like buddies and they treat you, well, like a temp.
Gallows humor. I don't know if I think that candor is a great thing in the workplace, but speaking of being a temp? My direct report has dropped a few funnies about how we don't technically work for him. Moreover, I suspect that he's of a narc nature. Why?
My cube is sandwiched between both managers. And they both like to get up and stand behind you to see what apps you have open. Sorry guys. I'm not trolling teh web on company time.
My commute home sucks. There are no easy freeway entrances to 35W North. I either have to go through Uptown or go South 7 blocks to 35th. Lame sauce.
The employees are maniacs. At the end of my shift, it's practically a footrace to get out of the building. And since it's badge scan exit, it's a daily occurrence that someone forgets to scan and gets trapped in the revolving doors. Moreover? That delightful parking garage I told you about? Man...people are f#cked up. Sorry. But I've nearly been ran over 4 x's now. It turns into the Indy 500 with people speeding (i.e. going at least 20-25 mph) toward the exit. And apparently, some people think that "compact parking only" means "my RAV 4 can take up two spots...chumps". Look, at the end of the day I wanna go too but this seems all too much like "Let's see how many temps we can hit before leaving!"
Lastly? I'm not a huge fan of the work. It really...well it isn't really "me". It's nice to know big bro is floating around to help with doofy stuff like password workarounds, but man. Yeah. Mortgages...
Sighs...Oh well.
It's a j-o-b.
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