Why aren't you helping?

Blade Runner, that 1982 cult classic of neo-noir, is back in theaters as a new edit called "The Final Cut"; and its DVD release is set for December 18th (just in time for the holidays).

I know this because Peter Hartlaub, pop culture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, raved about it today. In fact, his review ends with the funniest thing I've read in awhile:

-- Advisory: This film contained adult language, nudity, violence and gore, plus one tortoise lying on its back, with its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs to turn over, but it can't. And you're not helping. Why is that?

Wow.

But, really, why aren't you helping?

A return to posting breeds three

It seems that the Thanksgiving holiday last week (and it's attendant travel) took me out of the this blogging game for a bit longer than expected. While I've got a few little ditties in the works, let me drop some random notes right now:

1a. I registered for more CCSF classes earlier this week, so my (ahem) studies will continue into 2008 (2008, yo!). The only bummer is that they aren't offering the next Russian class in the series (i.e. Russian 2A) this semester, so I signed up for the one after that (i.e. Russian 2B); Mой преподавателъ said it was cool to do so (and that I'd have to study my ass off to catch up on what I would have learned in 2A). I'm ready to work; I can't NOT keep up this new linguistic pastime; Москва awaits another visit! Not to mention Эльбрус..

1b. I've also decided to put some structure around my, um, ramblings (the written kind, anyway; don't worry - I'll still let my drunk, verbal ramblings continue unfettered by any such structure). You see, I also registered for a creative writing class, focused on the short story.. which is a length of activity that fits well with my short attention, uh, something. What? In any case, I'm looking forward to it, but unsure how I'll stack up, academically, that is, given that I took one English(-for-engineers) class in college and that's about the extent of my native-language training. But it's cool; at the least, I hope everyone in the class - including the teacher - has a sense of humor (because I plan to use the word "balls" in every delightful permutation of its meaning) and capacity for suspension of disbelief (because I find it enjoyable to keep the logic of a story secondary to its overall lyrical flow and "texture"; they be meant for verbal delivery, for performance even). Maybe those ideas will get smacked down; who knows? (again, I have no reference); I'll let you know.

2. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Ghostland Observatory rocks live! I saw them for the second time last night at Mezzanine - a great place to see a show, by the way - with a friend and fully appreciate their "electro-dance soul rock". What really brings it all together is their frontman's full on swagger-fest and preacherman banter; the whole package (music and stage presence) makes for an eminently danceable and fistpump-able evening (sweaty too, if you let it). So, strike a pose, Mr. Behrens; strike a pose.. show us what you're workin' wit!

3. Finally, I *still* cannot get enough of Starship! It's a good thing I work from home, because I've been belting out "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (or, at least, a mangled version of it) all day long this past week..

In any case, it's Friday (after a long, but solid, week), the weather is beautiful here in SF (if a little chilly), and the weekend is upon us. I'm ready to enjoy it; please do so yourselves! Word.

колбасы = колбасу = sausage

I supplement my Russian studies (at CCSF) with an informal language exchange with a Ukrainian guy here in the city. It's been helpful for me to have at least one more day a week when I get to "think Russian". And while I won't bore you with some of the other exercises, this past week we came up with a Russian dialog as a framework for me to learn a couple common words/phrases (as opposed to rote memorization); it's pretty funny:

Я: Извени, что cлучилоcь? Почему такая большая толпа?
Он: Здеcь дают колбасы недорого!
Я: Сколько стоит?
Он: Десять рублей.
Я: О, классно! Кто последний?

(The other person points at someone.)

Я: Он последний? Кто он?
Он: Он в синей куртке.
Я: Где?
Он: Вон там.

(I get in line.)

Я: Я сейчас вернусь.
Он: Где ты стоишь?
Я: За девушкой в красной футболке.

(I go off to make a phone call to my friend John.)

Я: Слушай Джон, ты не поберишь. B магазине "Мясо" дают колбасу очень недорого.
Джон: Я сейчас приеду с моим другом. Мы пьём пиво вместе.
Я: Кто он?
Джон: Он бизнесмень, Я работаю c ним.
Я: Я буду ждать тебя у магазина.
Джон: Отлично.

(Now, I'm describing the day to someone else.)

Я: Мы зашли в магазинe. B магазине была большая толпа. Много народа. Было очень шарко. Джон спросил (меня) где Я стою. Я сказал - за дебушкой в красной футболке. Продавец сказал кто следующий? Мы купили пять килограм колбасы. Также (ещё) друг Джона купил ещё пиво. Мы вышли из магазина и пошли в парк. Там мы сели и выпили пиво. А потом мы лежали и говорили друг с другом (пазговаривали). А потом приехала милиция и сказала нам уходить. Мы пошли в квартиру Джона. Там мы сьели всю колбасу и выпили всё пиво. Оно было вкусное. Джон сказал что мы хорошо посидели.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And if you're wondering, колбасы = колбасу = sausage. The language is delicious!

How green is your candidate?

During any Thanksgiving downtime this week/weekend, you might want to brush up on the environmental positions of your your favorite, or yet-to-be-favorite! - candidates for the upcoming 2008 US Presidential Election. And the best place to do such a thing is at grist, yo.

If you haven't been the grist.org before, it is, basically, a superb site to find lots of "independent environmental journalism" (and it's non-profit, to boot). They write most, if not all, of the content themselves; and it's top quality. Besides, what I really appreciate is that they take a grounded approach to the issues (ex. Farm Bill, public transit, climate change); if they were too, ahem, hippy-dippy, I wouldn't be able to read them, much less recommend them. ;)

Yes, so check out their "How Green Is Your Candidate?" section, which contains interviews and stat sheets on the energy plans and environmental positions of all the current presidential candidates. While those aren't the *only* issues that should be important for the upcoming election, they *are* pretty big ones in my book.

And while it's still a few months away, the Presidential Primaries will be here before we know it; in fact, California is holding theirs on February 5th, 2008 (aka Super Duper Tuesday) along with 22 other states. Find the full schedule at opensecrets.org.

The bed says, c'est bon la vie

It's been a slower process than expected, but the evolution of my bedroom that started in September with light-taming drapes, followed by a dope walnut writing, née computer, desk (in October), continued this past weekend. You see, a new bed is mine. And it's pretty cool..

And it's also pretty funny. You see, I've had the same bed since I moved here to San Francisco - over five years ago now: a twin-long from those Swedish purveyors of alternate (and under appreciated) sleep systems, Dux. Yes, it wasn't a typical bed, in size or form - for example, it was relatively low to the ground - but it served me well.. even if I, *ahem*, got made fun of, on occasion, for having such a "small bed". No regrets!

That said, my new - queen-size! - upgrade is welcome (and, well, I admit.. perhaps overdue). The icing on this tasty cake of interior design is that the bed fits into my room layout better than I was expecting. Very cool!

C'est bon la vie, it seems, awake or asleep.. or any place in between.

War is a force that gives us meaning

Will you miss the days of the occupation?

I know *I* surely will. You see, it was a time when everything - at least on *our* side of the social equation - was pure and just and right. And I could see the gleaming-white outlines of a most glorious future, as it was set against the blackest-of-black circumstance of oppression. The in's and the out's of the world were *so* clear to me that I could have navigated through a sea of them with my eyes closed and my sails at half-mast. In this way, our long-lost and deep-sea(ded) fortunes were just around the corner (yet still, as always, out of reach).

Yes! Oh-my-god, it hurts just to think about it; why can't we go back?:

The rear seats of the dusty white sedan were tight with passionate bodies (some bloodied), and in such a grimy and restrictive space - physically AND philosophically - instinct kicks in more powerfully than you've ever known. The primal rush is on, and, as a result, I will push you, and I will punch you; my lust for overpowering my wicked opponent - again, you - is insatiable. The cameras were on (they are always on these days) during this otherwise hidden fracas, so I thrust a peace-sign through an open window for the benefit of posterity; the world has a right to know how we toil for legitimacy of cause (and for effect).

I look back, and while it didn't occur to me at the time (there is no room for real-time reflection when blood is boiling), I know it now, and I will know it forevermore: I am defined by who I am not. OH, oh-I-know-it from the top of my manic crown, down to the bottom of my boots (quaking), so it's worth saying again: I am defined by who I am NOT.

So here, in this time and place of struggle.. of *personal* struggle, I am surrounded by those who would restrain me, by those who would keep me here in this purgatory of political engagement until the end of our republic (if such a time hasn't arrived already). And this, THIS.. IS.. UNACCEPTABLE!

My conscience is clear;
There is no other way.
I am destined for a life of
(Pure) action and certitude,
Onwards and onwards..

We will march ourselves, willingly, into a great white light - as the ultimate expression of our hope for a better life; never mind the violence required - it is besides the point (of execution). Yes, it is an act of *love* and the world will understand from where it rose up in due time; it *must* understand! And as such, my path was (and is) preordained.. and unequivocal in constitution: escape by any means necessary. I cannot be held from my date with destiny.

Or, at least, that is how I felt at the time; years have passed "in peace".

Life now, as order is restored in town and country (or so we're told), doesn't seem to have the same urgency as before, and the crisp lines of purpose have bled into a gray mess as I go about my daily - and frighteningly mundane - business. And in such an environment, how can we find solid direction (for living) again? During the uprising, I was a virtuous and enthusiastic mechanism for revolution: things needed to change - we *all* knew it; and I was there to be part this brave new world order. This much was obvious and, again, this much was pure and just and right. Let me fade into nostalgia one last time..

The mise en scène was set as such; I knew my part, and I did not - I could not! - doubt the director for a moment. It did not even matter that I did not know who was running the shadowy production; the show must go on! My god, I will always believe in the myth of war and in the myth of success (through violence); what else do we have to believe in?

I wish I was the first one to say it because it's so true: we are a people lost; and war is a force that gives us meaning. It's obviously true as I look back through wistful gaze into the past, and I *know* it will continue to be true forward into eternity. God help us as we wish, again, for days so strong, so horrible.. and so wonderful.

Would you lick it?

I just picked up a new stick of Tom's of Maine Deodorant at Trader Joe's yesterday, and, to my amusement, it says "Improved with Hops!" right up there on the front of the packaging. It seems that hops inhibit the growth of gram-positive (odor-causing) bacteria and, therefore, are a welcome natural addition to the ingredient list.

Is there nothing that plant can't do?

As you may or may not know, hops are also used as a flavoring and preservation agent in most types of beer. In fact, some of my favorite beer styles - IPAs and Imperial Stouts come to mind - are brewed with a very liberal amount of the stuff. In short, I dig the seasoning.

Yeah, so even though the deodorant is supposed to be "unscented", it totally smells citrusy to me (with an undercurrent of sweet pine).. oh, and I know why: it's my imagination going into hop-overload! haha. Well, even if that *is* the case, part of me still wants to - after a deep breath of the stuff - to lick it. And unless I'm going to be kissing you after such an impulsive act, who's to argue with *my* reality. ;)

Check it out for yourself.

There is treachery in the everyday

Ira Levin: the man is dead; the day is November 12th, 2007 and announced tonite.

And what better occasion to revisit his work:

Novels
* A Kiss Before Dying (1953)
* Rosemary's Baby (1967)
* This Perfect Day (1970)
* The Stepford Wives (1972)
* The Boys from Brazil (1976)
* Sliver (1991)
* Son of Rosemary (1997)

Plays
* No Time For Sergeants (1956)
* Interlock (1958)
* Critic's Choice (1960)
* General Seeger (1962)
* Dr. Cook's Garden (1968)
* Veronica's Room (1974)
* Deathtrap (1978)
* Break a Leg: A Comedy in Two Acts (1981)
* Cantorial (1982)

Musicals
* Drat! The Cat! (1965)

While a prolific writer for television (not included in the works above) and the stage, he produced "only" seven novels in four decades. But what works! Read!; we should all carry his sense of pacing; and be, as such, distinctly measured (while we live in our glass houses, provided for us by circumstance).

You see, the line between thriller and prosaic existence has never been finer; how can we ever be at peace if anything can happen?

An aural delight for FIVE (plus ONE)

A quicky blast of new(ish) music:

1. The Cool Kids - hiphop from down the block
http://www.myspace.com/gocoolkids

2. Sam Sparro - old soul meets electro
http://www.myspace.com/samsparro

3. Spank Rock - dirrrrty ghettotech
http://www.myspace.com/spankrock

4. DiskoError - dark housey electro
http://www.myspace.com/samuel2504

5. DJ Aristocat - mashup dancefloor menace
http://www.myspace.com/djaristocat

And as long as we be speaking the beat (now), I can't NOT mention that Ghostland Observatory is coming to Mezzanine on the 29th. Someone once described this duo as Prince meeting Daft Punk; and I would agree (and add a little Zach de la Rocha - for a few of their songs, anyway).

In short, it's music best seen live - I have, at Cafe du Nord - and with hands in the air. Bonus is that the Robot Rock DJs are also going to be doing their thing - which is make you sweaty (on the dancefloor or otherwise) - in the befores and afters of the concert.

I got tickets; get yourself some.

Let them eat Carrot-orange Cake

What are you gonna do with extra ginger cream cheese icing chillin' in your fridge? You put it on cake! So I make cake today:

Carrot-orange Cake

DRY
1c whole wheat flour
1c all-purpose flour
2t baking soda
1t baking powder
2t ground cinnamon
2t ground ginger
1/2t ground nutmeg
1/2t ground allspice
1/2t salt

WET
1/2c applesauce
1/2c melted butter
1/2c vegetable oil
1c brown sugar
4 eggs
1/3c orange juice
1T orange zest

GOODIES
3c grated carrots
1c chopped walnuts
1 1/2c golden raisins

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. And butter two 9" layer cake pans (the round ones, 1.5" deep).

2. Sift everything in the DRY list into a medium-sized bowl and set aside. In a large bowl - this will be the one that everything ends up in - mix all the WET ingredients; and then add the GOODIES! Finally, fold the DRY ingredients in to the large bowl as gently as possible, and you've constructed a kickass batter.

3. Pour half of the batter into the first cake pan and the rest into the second. Toss them both into oven - as centrally as possible - and bake for 40 minutes (do a toothpick test); afterwards, let the cakes cool completely.

4. Once cool, flip the first cake onto an, um, pretty plate, then top it with a layer of that delicious ginger cream cheese icing. Yeah, you know what to do next: drop the second layer of cake on top of that. And finish it all by covering the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the icing.

It's pretty much the best cake I've ever made (and like all the other recipes I've posted directly on the blog, it's original). Eat it now! And if you like it, let me know..

A ginger icing workout

Never is the need for a stand mixer more apparent than when you need to make cream cheese frosting without it. I mean, even with the butter and cream cheese at room temperature, it is a difficult endeavor to get a completely smooth consistency. That said, I done made it happen last night (and got a wicked shoulder workout in the process). This recipe is an original amalgamation of a couple variations that I came across online; it came out pretty delicious:

Ginger Cream Cheese Icing

8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1T fresh ginger, finely grated
2t powdered ginger
1t powdered cinnamon
1T + 1t fresh orange juice
1T orange zest
3c powdered sugar

"Simply" whip all these ingredients together until you get a velvety-smooth consistency. If you have a stand-up mixer, this is pretty easy: put the cream cheese and butter into the mixer and let it go for about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time; when you get to the powdered sugar, add it in three 1c increments. In short, just let the mixer do its thing until everything is fully combined.

Without the mechanical assistance, the procedure is basically the same, but know that you are in for 30-60 minutes of exertion. I mean, you need to pulverize all these little pieces of butter or cream cheese, each desperately trying to hang on to their individual lipidic identities. And while a noble ideal, it certainly makes your life as a kitchen alchemist more difficult. But, like I said, it's totally possible; in this case, the last ingredient is, uh, elbow grease.

So, if you're dedicated, you'll end up with a spicy-sweet - and rich! - icing to put on any number of cake-like devices, large or small. For example, you may want to top some zucchini pine nut muffins or an orange carrot cake with the stuff. Me? I went the seasonal route - and continued my minor obsession with the pumpkin:

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

DRY
4c cake flour
1T + 1t baking powder
1T powdered cinnamon
1T powdered ginger
1/2t ground allspice
1 1/4t ground cloves
1 1/4t ground nutmeg
1t kosher salt
1/2t baking soda

PUMPKIN
2c pureed pumpkin
1c whole milk

BUTTER
8oz unsalted butter
2c brown sugar
4 eggs
2t vanilla extract
2t dark maple syrup (grade B)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. And set up a muffin tin or two with about 20 "jumbo" - about 2" high - baking cups (cupcake wrappers). You can use smaller ones to make more cupcakes, of course, but then reduce the baking time in step #5.

2. Sift everything in the DRY ingredient list together in a medium-sized bowl. Then, in a separate (but similarly-sized) bowl, combine the two items in the PUMPKIN list.

3. In a large bowl - this will be the one that everything ends up in - cream the butter and brown sugar together (again, if you have a stand-up mixer, use it here!), then add the eggs, one at at time (mixing each one in as you go); finally pour in the vanilla extract.

4. Still with the large bowl, fold in - gently - a third of the DRY bowl, followed by a third of the PUMPKIN bowl; repeat in an alternating fashion until you've got one big, delicious mixture of spiced pumpkin cupcake batter. Remember that you want to keep the batter as light as possible (while still making it homogeneous); in short, don't over mix (similar to what I said about pancake batter).

5. Spoon the batter into your baking cups to about two-thrids of the way to the top. Toss the muffin tins into the oven (as central as you can get them) and bake for about 20 minutes.. or a little less if you're using a smaller cupcake size. Use a toothpick test to determine "doneness".

6. Let the cupcakes cool completely, and top with a generous portion of Ginger Cream Cheese Icing (which you can make while the cupcakes are baking/cooling). I found that the icing recipe above made about twice as much as I needed for the cupcakes, so either double your cupcake output, or slather that icing on HIGH!

Note that the cupcakes will be somewhat dense (even if you were careful mixing the batter), so you might want to eat them with silverware; in other words they be as rich at the icing yo! In fact, I may try increasing the amount of baking powder and baking soda - just a tad - next time I make them (to see if I can develop a little more "loft"). Another than that, I say enjoy!

Each decade contains a range of possibility

I can't remember how this popped into my head earlier tonight, but maybe it was playing at the supermarket (buying some last-minute ingredients for a tasty desert - more on that later). No matter; indulge is this 80's awesomeness:

Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (video)

Apparently, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" was recorded as a single for the movie Mannequin, which explains why the video is, basically, clips from the movie and reenactments of scenes from the movie by the band.

I have the distinct impression that I saw Mannequin back when I was in middle school (late-80's), but I don't really remember the details of the movie. And I certainly don't remember that Kim Cattrall (of Sex in the City fame) was the movie's namesake: an Egyptian princess "reincarnated" as a mannequin; or that Captain Harris (well, the actor G.W. Bailey) also participates in these shenanigans. I *almost* want to go and see it again. Almost.

In any case, unless you're a fan of Mannequin (and, according to Rotten Tomatoes, not many of you are), the video pretty much stands on the awesomeness of "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us" itself (i.e. not really with the video production). And even though it was created at the advent of the age of the music video (so we can give it some artistic leeway), that's not to say you couldn't make a kickass one. To this point, I submit Exhibit A:

A-Ha - Take On Me (video)

Really! Cool! While it may come across *a little* low-tech on the surface, it actually seems completely modern to me. In fact, I've seen several music videos lately that have a similar aesthetic:

1. The Black Ghosts - Some Way Through This (video)
2. Chromeo - Bonafide Lovin' (video)
3. Best Fwends - Dream Off (video)
4. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (video)

See? What goes around, comes around. At least check out #1 and #4, the best of the lot.

It was a construction site after all

Ask yourself: have you ever seen anything so magnificent?

So magnificent! And, so friendly to your sense of aesthetics! All you can *really* do is stand there; your vast world has collapsed into this narrow inlet of experience - welcome to the here-and-now; it's been waiting for you (to pay attention). Really, what else is there to do besides breathing in the sights and sounds before you?! No wonder that you wish it could be this way forever, tethered to this time and place.. but, still - somehow - feeling light as an amnesiatic feather.

Whip!
Whip; whap!
Crumplecrack!

The massive blue tarp - the source of our audio and visual adventure today - can't help itself; it is caught between the whimsy of the strong easterly winds and the placement of the steel anchors at its edges. The scene is surely an exercise in Drawing Restraint, albeit without an human operator; and, therefore, the flow of howeverwhichway is the order of the day. As a result of that latter fact, the day is all the better.

You see, it's funny when the theoretically-simple strikes you as something much greater than the sum of its parts. In this case, a building-not-yet-complete provided the playground; and a tarp-you've-never-seen-a-tarp-so-large provided a medium for attention-getting (and personal engagement). It was a raging cubist masterpiece come to life!

Still, this anthropomorphic recipe was not yet perfected. Blustery puffs needed to assert themselves, spawned from a sky in all its gray-so-gray glory (and butterfly wings); and they did (bring their A game), in stratospheric amounts. You see, the day was on the cusp of indulging in promiscuous atmospheric play (and I surely was not going to stop it!), and as such, it provided a mystic-from-my-position spice-so-delicious in the form of experiential chaos. Yes, I really do mean *chaos* in the most hell-bent (and pleasing) manner possible; I mean it in the way that seeds submitted to the winds by the promise of a new generation is an intrinsic ideal to aspire to. We know - deep within our DNA - that we must all thrive in an environment of randomness.

In short, the scene before me was really quite hypnotic and charming (again, in a way that connected me to antiquity.. and the ways of the universe at large); it was a construction site after all.

For these bands, it was appropriate

So there you have it: I had a beer tonight.

It's your, like, god-given right

If you're wondering if you're supposed to vote on Election Day (TODAY), the answer is yes. Please vote, especially if you're into better public transit for San Francisco (and better quality of citylife in general)..

Vote YES on Prop A! And NO on Prop H.

Here in SF, Propositions A and H are the biggies this election. For more information on these two, find it on SF Bike Coalition's Bike Vote 2007 page. But there are also 9 other Props to consider; check what these (generally progressive) folks have to say about them:

SF Planning + Research Association (SPUR)
The League of Young Voters
SF Bay Guardian
SF Chronicle

...and me

The short version is, again, (YES on A) and (NO on H). Polls are open until 8pm tonight; find yours here.

There is a new martini in town

So it's come to this.

There is an ebb and flow to everything in life.. and your choice of drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, is not excepted from this maxim of existence. Per my posts the past couple of months, you know I'm a big fan of well-crafted beer (especially those from the US). And, I still am. However, I've been partaking of more cocktails (and the occasional shot) lately; and the base of choice, um, spiritually speaking, has been gin.

Eric Asimov, chief wine critic of the NYTimes, has mentioned that "gin is more of a thinking person’s spirit (at least, versus vodka)." And I tend to agree (but that's probably just because the taste of most gins agree with me). In this way (and beyond his fame from wine), he's done his fair share of tastings in all manner of libations, including an 80 martini lunch a few months ago; a few of his highly-gustative friends helped with the endeavor.

While I've not reached his level of commitment, I have been reacquainting myself with the venerable martini; in fact, two came my way last night, one with a twist (at Elixir) and one with a plastic spike of olives (at Skylark). I prefer the latter.. so much so that I bought some nice (and organic) green olives this morning to be able to make my own version at home. But I haven't stopped there; I have a few other goodies as well..

Just recently, an interesting martini recipe caught my eye on Chow (though, ultimately, the recipe comes from the James Bond Casino Royale movie). Most simply provide a starting point for the ratios of gin to vermouth to water, but this one goes beyond - without totally destroying the essence of the drink (ex. appletini's ain't martinis).

So, may I present to you The Vesper:

INGREDIENTS

* 3 ounces Gordon's gin
* 1 ounce vodka
* 1/2 ounce Kina Lillet
* Green olives or twist of lemon peel

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Shake the gin, vodka, and Lillet with ice; then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with green olives or lemon peel.

It seems easy enough, but there is a problem with the ingredient list: you actually can't buy Kina Lillet anymore; it is a discontinued styling from the Lillet family of apéritif wines. So, you have to substitute Lillet Blanc instead; some would even say to add a few drops of bitters to more closely approximate the original Kina recipe. And if you haven't made a martini before - or have, but haven't thought that much about the process - note that you can widely vary the taste of the final drink by adjusting the size of your ice cubes OR the time that you are shaking all the ingredients together. You see, the shake with ice not only chills the drink, but it also imparts a component of water to "mellow" some of the alcoholic bite; the longer you shake or the smaller the ice, the more water ends up in the final product. Ultimately, it's personal taste on how much you'd like to add.

It's little things like this that make such a simple cocktail a difficult one to master. In any case, I'll let you know how my home experiments go.. with olives, of course. But if you want a twist of lemon or orange, we can make that happen as well. Again, I got all the goodies. And beyond olives, twists and Lillet, I've picked up some delicious new - new to the US, anyway - tonic water from Fever Tree and some spicy ginger beer. I think my gin and tonic (or gin and ginger) - and, therefore, my taste buds - never had it so good.

As for my (large-ish) stash of beer in the fridge (and in my cabinets), don't worry.. they will not go to waste. OHH NO! Regardless of my current hard-stuff leanings, sometimes you just want a beer. Plus I have thirsty friends (thirsty for beer, that is); and who am I to say no to a drinking sesh with them? haha.

ps. Martini's also make me a better dancer; who knew? ;)

Indulge in the Electrosexual

The frequency of dope new music coming out - or at least being accessible to me - seems to be increasing lately; and my number one source these days continues to be the Discodelle blog. I did some catching up this weekend on their site, musically that is, and they've got a slew of mad mixes posted; I downloaded every last one I could get my hands on. My new hard drive done be empty of music; and I know it does not have to be this way.

While there are a couple that stand out, including the Rebellion mix by DJ Excel and the 4OREVER mix by DJ Mykal, the one that really does it for me is the Electrosexual mix from Hey Champ DJs, posted on October 22nd, 2007. Check this track list:

1. Hey Champ DJs - Champ Intro
2. SebastiAn - Ross Ross Ross
3. MSTRKRFT - Street Justice
4. Postive Force/Prince - We’ve Got the Funk (HCDJs edit)/sexy Dancer
5. Kavinsky - Testarossa (SebastiAn remix)
6. Hey Champ DJs - In the White City
7. The Rapture - Get Myself Into It (SebastiAn remix)
8. Alan Braxe & Kris Menace - Lumberjack
9. Scenario Rock - Both Gotta Move On (HCDJs remix)
10. Alan Braxe & Fred Falke/Chic - Palladium/Everybody Dance
11. Fred Falke/Les Rhythmes Digitalis - Omega Man/Dreamin’
12. Hall & Oates - Out of Touch
13. Justice - New Jack
14. Air/Midnight Juggernatus - Sexy Boy/Road to Recovery
15. TEPR - Minuit Jacuzzi (DatA remix)
16. Soulwax - Krack (Nite Version)

Basically, you can't go wrong unless you're not listening to anything at all.

Going commando at the polls

I've never understood the appeal of "going commando", but found myself doing so, much to my chagrin, tonight. You see, I was heading over to a social gathering - which I'll talk about later - directly from the climbing gym and forgot to pack a clean pair of underwear (for a COLD post-shower dressing). So, I grunted a "frig" and applied 'dem jeans directly to my naked legs (and other parts). And I'm still not a fan; I was *ahem* glad when my bikerides (to/from party) were complete. But I digress; there are more important topics to discuss..

There is an ELECTION this Tuesday! November 6th, 2007.

Folks are expecting a low turnout, given that it is an "off year" for some of the sexier government positions at, say, the national level, but there are still plenty of local issues that demand your attention. In fact, the party I was at tonight was a so-called "Prop Party", where 11 of the folks, myself included (F represent!), presented an intro to each of the 11 Propositions (A-K) on the San Francisco ballot. It was a totally informal endeavor, and the crew (of about 20) was welcoming; if you would like to drink a beer, you could drink a beer.

After hearing the issues, and their pros and cons, here's my go at it:

Prop A - [YES]
Prop B - [YES]
Prop C - [NO]
Prop D - [YES]
Prop E - [NO]
Prop F - [YES]
Prop G - [NO]
Prop H - [NO]
Prop I - [NO]
Prop J - [NO]
Prop K - [NO]

(Check the SF Voter Information Packet for details.)

The mayor, district attorney and sheriff are also up for election, but there isn't much contention this year (in fact, one of the three incumbents is running unopposed). In any case, if you're not in San Francisco, but it's election day in your 'hood, be sure to check out your own local issues, and vote (yo).

In the beginning there was a sex procedure

Well, it's been awhile, but I guess it's a symptom of the turn in weather here in SF.. I rocked a nosebleed Tuesday (at work), and a residual one yesterday (at El Castillito). And, beyond pointing out the appropriateness of a little blood on Halloween (or at El Castillito.. I know, yuk!), I will say that it does remind me of a little story from 2001 (heavily updated, of course - you know the drill):

~~~~~~~~~~~~

What?

No really, what?! I'm just another guy watching warm blood drip down his unshaven face and onto the floor on another Tuesday night at his apartment in the city, a guy dreaming of his ancestors - bygone and obsolete - and if this is what they would have wanted for him one thousand, two thousand, three-thousand-I-can't-stop-the-years into the future. The living red color sequence contrasts nicely with the fairness of the skin of my upper lip, but looks downright primal as it navigates a path downwards, towards my jawline, through the dark, coarse hair of my beard.

Of course I didn't see all of this coming; the current situation was spawned from the mysteries of evolution at work, I suppose. More immediately, the light of occupation must have stimulated my optic cells, but by the time the signal that would tell me to *do something* traveled nerves and nerves for miles and miles, there was no buffer for action. It is a simple calculation to figure where the operation went wrong: Start with the pure propagation time for shine-y photons to space-time converge at my eyes, then add the same for spark-ly electrons to dart through my ganglion pathmarks - from my photron transmutors to my visual nervosa cortextion - hahaha, that reminds me of a funny story, but I will digress..

Anyway, there's plenty of time for me to react now, although the reactions are involuntarily: tearing, bruising and, ultimately, allowing fluids on the "inside" of my body to escape to the "outside". And here (always, in fact), I thought I had an agreement with alllll the cells in my body: those that would mutiny would die (and leave those left over - inside! sil vous plait - a little more vulnerable). This much is true, but there are apparently more powerful forces at work.. a mystical alchemy of osmosis and diffusion and keeping up with the Jones. It makes you think that you're NOT the center of the universe; what's up with that? SOo short-sighted, it seems, that we could all perish back into the elemental materials of such a place.

Back in the here-and-now, nodding my head is the first sentient (and symbolic) thing that I do with my much-evolved body; it is ritual designed to assure myself that I'm going to be ok, and I've got *at least* five more minutes of life in me (and, then, well.. no guarantees in nature, my friend). However, the nod doesn't stop the river of molten copper from flowing upward, then downward, through the internal channels of my head (surely creating small, horror-film, eddies as this outpouring hits the wrinkles on the inside of my throat). Surely! But why do I think my blood tastes like copper? Just one of those things that I made up a long time ago and still believe, I guess. No matter.. maybe I meant iron (the result is the same, and no less tasty).

It's hours later, and I'm thinking about how it feels to bleed while I'm safe, back in my apartment, and, in the shower of all places - hooked up to the periphery of my life support system (yours too!) - and washing the old blood and sweat from my body. The earlier blow must have knocked something loose from my usual safety-minded protocol of existence because I want to *feel* again, regardless of the consequences. So, with one hand holding the bridge of my nose, I blow hard - what a minor chance I'm taking here - and open the shower door to stare my naked body in the mirror above the sink. Thus the story starts again: a small trickle of red soon becomes a river (and I'm beginning to feel sleepy).

Superseding the animal instinct for life - even in such a minor capacity - once again exposes genetic flaws; sex not a perfect procedure, you know?

Sorta complicated, I guess

I was writing some other, "more meaningful" entry, but what I really mean to say (always and forever, it seems) is that I'm a little bitch, the details of which - this time - are only sorta complicated. Oh man.. hahahahaha.. I guess.

It seems the extent of my night - before my voice went out, that is - brought me to two parties and NO Chromeo; where are my priorities? And, really, I shouldn't be on a computer right now (it's only a shade past the midnight).. but c'est la vie..

Complain, complain, complain. ;)

ps. I wasn't a pirate tonight; not that I'm retiring that costume forever, but two years (and last weekend) is enough for now!