Submit yourself to a broken logic

I've taken my fair share of flights over the years - mostly in the US, but also in Europe and western/central Asia (think: Russia and its friends) - and even though I've never been the most comfortable on a planes in general, I've gotten on every single flight I've scheduled for myself, regardless of the weather, the airline, or any other "environmental" factor. But a Practical Traveler article in the NYTimes today got me thinking that maybe I should be paying more attention:

Does Low Cost Mean High Risk?
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Published: December 23, 2007

It explains the explosive growth of the low-cost airline industry in Asia, and how it's been a boon to business and the burgeoning middle class.. but it draws particular attention to the somewhat-shoddy safety record that has developed recently. It seems regulators can't keep up with the need for oversight, given that cutting corners is the (stereotypical) hallmark of emerging Asian ventures; initial capital is low, pilots can be under-experienced, equipment can be poorly maintained.. in fact, planes have been known to disappear, um, while in-flight. Quotes like this abound: "Currently, the European Union bans every Indonesian carrier." Of course, problems are not limited to Asia, but it certainly gets it's fair share of press coverage, given its emergence as a powerful economic force over the past decade or so.

It's funny, I read this just as I've never been more comfortable with the whole process of flying, enhanced security and all. That is, I literally go into a Zen-like frame of mind even as I'm heading to the airport, which continues until I've arrived at my final destination (even without, ahem, jokester friends hooking me up with large doses of anti-anxiety medication - as has been known to happen). Long lines?; whatever. Need extra screening?; whatever. Missed flight; whatever. Crying babies on the plane? whatever. Obviously I don't prefer these things, but for the most part they don't bother me anymore; they are all automatically filed under the "things I can't control" folder in my brain.

In any case, I'll keep the information in the article in the back of my mind next time I fly on an airline I'm not familiar with, especially if it's in Asia. But still, I see myself following my usual plans of "choose whatever flight makes the most sense from a timing+cost point of view" and not from a safety point of view. Does that sound stupid, given some of the statistics that the article drops on us? I think not, given that the real chance of an air catastrophe happening is still much less than that of an automobile accident.

Plus, when I travel, my "when in Rome" instinct kicks up a notch or two, riding packed local buses, front seating it in taxis sans-seatbelt, and so forth. I'll admit, part of that is a desire for a subconscious thrill, via total submission to fate. And somehow it seems to me - especially when I'm out of the country - that I've escaped from the trappings of "real life"; how can anything bad *really* happen when I'm on holiday? Of course, that's just my mind playing tricks on me, but, given that fact that nothing bad has happened so far, them's is sweet tricks indeed. How's that for broken logic? Knock on wood, for sure and forever; knock on wood..

Who ever said crutches were cool?

The Emergency Room is a funny place. And I'm glad that I haven't spent much time there over the course of my life. Minimal frequency is a statistic welcome, indeed, (and desired far into the future).

However, today I marred my record and stopped by my local ER for an x-ray. It's been about a week and a half since I started limping after a particularly hard run; to stress fracture city, I've wondered? On top of that, it's been about a week that I've been trying to schedule a doctor's appointment in the regular fashion (and in a timely manner - one not offered in 2008). The winter holidays is a darned time to hurt yourself.

So, against my intellectual instinct (but catering to my less-pain-is-better instinct), I slowly made my way over to the hospital at the end of the street, St. Mary's Medical Center. Luckily, the place was just about empty and they saw me as soon as I arrived. In total, the whole deal took about 3 hours as different medical people would cycle in and take care of different parts of the diagnosis/treatment; I thought ahead and brought a book, so the time went quickly.

The good news is that nothing is broken (yeah!); the pain be in my ligaments and other soft infrastructure. The bad news is that foot injuries of any stripe take forever to heal. But Santa bestowed a set of silver crutches into my possession, which will allow me to take the weight off my injured foot while I go about my daily business. Also, painkillers. Looks like Christmas was extended an extra day this year!

In any case, that was that; and I'm glad that I got myself looked at. You see, I now feel like I'm on the path to getting better (and getting back onto the bike, getting back into the climbing gym.. and getting back to the dance floor with TWO solid legs). I have felt a shadow of myself lately.. and with so many friends out of town, it's been easy to get a little stir crazy in the house, especially with Larry David as my main company. Baking walnut bread in your new cast-iron dutch oven only gets you so far from a mental health point of view. haha.

Still, I felt a little awkward being at the ER at all, especially as it started to fill up with folks suffering from some downright wicked afflictions. And given the tight quarters, you hear all the gory details; in fact, you hear and you see and you smell all the gory details. It's a place that puts a few things in perspective, and you thank your lucky stars that, ultimately, you are whole and well, regardless of any little bumps in the road; life is pretty good.

I would think to ask about your beers

My local Lucky's put a couple of brews from Firestone Walker Brewing on sale this week, and so, I *had* to pick something up; I've read such good things about them and, now, the price was right. And all I can say is that I've been missing out. Their Pale Ale is now my go-to, high-quality, session beer at the house, PBR or Tecate party nights notwithstanding. haha. Come by and we'll put back a few (if we don't break out some of my more exotic offerings, like Ommegang's Chocolate Indulgence Stout or Russian River's Damnation Batch 23).

On another beer-related note, I've removed The Beer Pirate from the "Social Lubricants" link list on the right. No offense - it's a fine site - but it's not updated frequently enough, or with enough "required reading", for me to keep it.

But I do have a replacement: Pacific Brew News Blog, a site with great beer-related news and reviews, updated a few times a week; it's associated with the folks - it *is* the folks - that put out the Pacific Brew News print 'zine found in better beer stores here on the West Coast. If you live in the area and are into beer, it's required reading, for sure, but many of the stories have appeal to the beer world at large.

Yeah, so, get acquainted with the PBN crew via their Favorite Beers of 2007; in fact, you can learn a lot about *anyone* by talking with them about their favorite beers (and I guess it says something about me that I would think to ask). Cheers! And, no, really, do tell..

An approximation of insanity

I'm always interested when I come across - by reading, usually - folks developing "new forms of life", a topic that, without fail, sparks the imagination; for me, it has always been this way (as an incorrigible daydreamer). While I'd like to think that, over the years, my education and experience would allow me to cast more subtle molds around the subject.. I must admit that crazy animal hybrids are still the first things that come to mind when I hear the phrase "new forms of life". Liger, anyone? haha.

But then my (ahem) deeper intellect takes hold, and I think of the possibilities for maybe some less-extravagant flora and fauna; more specifically, my attention turns to transgenic organisms, in all their controversial, and financially-lucrative glory. In fact, Christmas is almost here and I've always wanted a GloFish®, or a bunch of cancer fighting tomatoes. Both would be great in a salad, I bet. But I digress..

It's rare when I'm blown away by something - especially something I read/see on the Internet, ha! - but I came across the work of Theo Jansen today, a man at the crossroads of art, engineering, and insanity (in a good way!). His creations, well, at first, shocked me, and then, they made me a little uncomfortable; finally, I settled into amazement. Mr. Jansen is best known as a kinetic sculptor, but that title doesn't do him justice; simple mobiles these are not.

From his website (transcribed sans typos):

"Since about ten years Theo Jansen is occupied with the making of a new nature. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. He makes skeletons which are able to walk on the wind. Eventually he wants to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives."

Behold his Strandbeests!

While nice as a teaser, a still photo of these massive, protoanimal devices should only be used to whet your appetite for watching videos of their incredible locomotion.. once they get going, that is. You see, the metabolism (I use the term loosely, in the spirit of the project) of most of the creatures is based on the wind; early ones used this energy source directly, turning beautiful sails or propellers that would then actuate their manifold legs, while later generations - who said evolution is dead? - have additional facilities to store this sort of energy for later use. Lemonade bottles never had such a glorious existence.

So, without further ado, check these videos (and if you're thinking about eating a brownie beforehand, then I would say to eat the brownie):

1. First, indulge in discovery. VIDEO #1!

2. Now, listen to Theo Jansen present several of his designs to an audience at a TED conference earlier this year; he talked about "The art of creating creatures". I will admit that occasionally he sounds like a madman, but his commitment to his ideas - and the ideas themselves - is/are fascinating. VIDEO #2!

3. Finally, watch more action of a Strandbeest on the beach - its natural habitat, of course - as it detects if/when it arrives at water's edge and reverses its direction, surely avoiding a dramatic and oceanic death. As you can imagine (or, as you heard, if you watched VIDEO #2 above), these lifeforms are very susceptible to drowning. VIDEO #3!

To see the Strandbeests in real life, get thyself to the Netherlands! Hmm.. it is tempting; you never know how one's travel plans with shake out. ;)

In any case, beyond the visceral amazement, knowing about this project - especially after hearing Mr. Jansen explain his (physical and philosophical) mechanisms - gets you thinking about what characterizes "life" itself. As I've alluded to, or, I guess, have said outright, hearing the artist say that he is developing "new forms of life" from plastic rods and lemonade bottles sounds fantastical at best, and (pleasantly) insane at worst. Still, let's keep in mind that definitions change all the time, as new information comes to light, or new ways of interpreting data are developed. Think about such debates surrounding viruses, prions, and other biological phenomena that straddle the boundaries of what it means to be alive. Pushing those boundaries further, Stephen Hawking once posited that "computer viruses should count as life"; needless to say, that comment caused quite a stir in the academic community.

But regardless of how you choose to define existence, what is *not* in question is the genius of the artist, the engineer, the man, Theo Jansen. And I hope he continues to evolve his Strandbeests so that one day he can realize his dream: to behold herds of them autonomously patrolling the beaches of his native Nederland. Wild!

The difficulties of multiple brains

More and more, all the little computer brains inside our laptops, in our communication equipment, and even in our handheld devices have multiple execution units in them. In other words, the tech guys that make these things have taken, say, two separate computer processors and stuck them into one chip.. and do it in a way that's cheap enough to put these powerful computing platforms everywhere now. As they say, this trend is the (foreseeable) future..

That said, this technology isn't particularly new (it goes back decades, in fact), but what *is* new is their proliferation into everyday devices. Sounds good, right? Well, for the end-user (i.e. you and me!), it is, for sure. This sort of computer architecture makes some really neat applications possible - in ways so much cheaper than the solutions available before. And *we* don't have to worry about what's going on underneath the covers, so to speak, as long as "it works"; we let the engineers and programmers and the rest of the geeksquad take care of that (amen).

But for them, this new development environment can be a nightmare!

You see, to make the best use of the multiple brains on these new computer chips, they have to figure out how to break up their programs (i.e. what they want the computer to "do"), and partition this work across all available resources. And this is a logistical problem that is, for the most part, easier said than done.

Yesterday, the NYTimes published an article about this very topic:

Faster Chips Are Leaving Programmers in Their Dust
By John Markoff
Published: December 17, 2007

It caught my eye because part of my job is to help our customers make the best use of these multiprocessor devices (i.e. my company sells such things), specifically for embedded and communication products. As the article implies, it is a new field of study and development - at least for the mainstream - and, therefore, no one solution is well-established. In fact, there aren't really that many experienced engineers doing this sort of thing right now; the industry has asked all these folks to get-with-it pretty abruptly.

Luckily, I've been doing this bit for a long time now (think: 1999!); as I mentioned, this isn't new technology; I used to work with some network processors that were pretty advanced for their time.. and, in some ways, more powerful than the mainstream stuff I work with now. More importantly (for my career - ha!), the theories are the same, and so I've ended up doing a lot of training and customer talks and so forth the past couple of years.

At a later date, I can bore you with the details.. if you're interested. ;) In the meantime, check out the article; it will give you a taste of what I do at work, as well as a greater appreciation for the advanced technology going into all our next generation computer gizmos.

Mixtapes for new kettle selection

In between episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, icing my damaged (body) parts.. and making Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes (it's pretty good), I've been playing a few of those mixtapes that I sometimes namedrop in casual conversation. Yeah, I've been playing them loud.. and, I guess, doing some approximation of dancing at my desk chair and/or on the floor. haha.

Here are my favorites; check them out:

1. Top Billin - Megamix Vol. 8
2. Djuna Barnes - Urbanizer mix
3. Crimp Yr Hair DJs - Eyeball & Chainsaw Mix

and.. still top dog:

4. Sam Sparro - Songs Not Bombs

Ok.. time to attend to another pot of tea. Ah, that reminds me, the handle of my ancient (but beloved) stovetop kettle broke the other day, so we've upgraded to modern times. It's amazing that sometimes it's the simple things in life that can be the most pleasing; drink up!

C'est la vie and all of that

I guess it's back to the swimming pool for me.

Man, I'll just say one more "what the fuck?" - I've been saying it a lot the past 24 hours - to the fact that I'm limping around the house today, icepack wrapped around my left foot. I even had to break a date at the climbing gym this morning. And, as, you can imagine, that's totally not cool, given my recent on-the-rock advances.. both physically and mentally; and I'm not interested in losing any hard-fought ground.

But, c'est la vie and all of that.

My consolation package comes in the form of the First Season DVDs of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (borrowed yesterday from the library), more time to self-study a half-semester of Russian before Russian 2B starts in January, and more time to finish a couple mix CDs that I started a while back.. oh, and, I guess, like work or something.

But, again, the one thing I'm trying to keep in mind is "c'est la vie and all of that". Still, it's a good thing I'm stocked up on quality beer.. and ingredients for making winter-inspired muffins; those will be delicious, and welcome, distractions of the highest order. And the framed Egon Schiele print, revived from storage and recently-hung in the living room - by the request of my roommate - will excite an altogether different set of senses.

Seize the immediate order

A few of you know that I've already got some big ideas for adventure holiday(s) in 2008; in fact, I have several trips in mind:

1. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro / visiting my sister in Kenya
2. Climbing Mt. Elbrus / indulging in contemporary Tblisi (Грузия)
3. Climbing Mt. Shasta / rocking some Northern California breweries
4. Trainride across Russia to Lake Baikal / visiting friends in Japan

I think you can see a common theme; yeah, but I'll admit I'm not sure exactly where this mountaineering kick is coming from. Oh, and note that I'm down for fun beyond what I've listed here; keep them ideas coming. I've even got some other trips in mind (ex. hiking Denali and Mt. Aconcagua, getting buzzed at the Great American Beer Festival), presumably to be done *after* the ones above, but totally willing to reorder. More specifically, I can appreciate the notion of taking advantage of serendipitous opportunities as they present themselves (front and center!).. even moreso, now that I've started reading "Seven Summits." More on the book later..

In any case, I *do* want to, um, rock several of the bad boys on the list above, but realize the need to, first, prioritize and, then, start some concrete planning. There are a couple of complications, of course, but one of them is that my sister is actually climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in February, which is a little bit sooner than I had in mind (i.e. if I wanted to join her).. and, also, she's leaving Kenya altogether in August, giving me a deadline for having a place to stay in western Kenya (and to see the life that she's put together for herself this past year or so). Beyond that, I've got a friend in Kyiv (the guy I went to Russia/Kyrgyzstan with this past summer, actually), who - as we've already discussed - might be interested in all or part of the Elbrus/Tblisi trip; and I'm not sure how long he's staying in the area. Oh yeah, in the bigger picture, I find out today that some of these adventures actually fall under the umbrella of "Doom Tourism", where the destinations are "endangered" for one reason or another. Still.. I know, I know.. poor me; I'm choosing from a set of awesome alternatives. ;)

And, for sure, I know it's cliché, but I've sorta (mentally) resigned myself to not, actually, getting my ass in gear, so to speak, planning-wise, until after the New Year. So we'll see how everything actually shakes out - and who I can cajole into adventuring with me - over the next couple of weeks.

But back to my reading list.

After finishing "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families" - a book about the (still ongoing?) Rwandan genocide - a few days ago, I started into "Seven Summits" - a most timely birthday gift from one of my aunts. It's about the the first two guys to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents. The proposition sounds like something that would have been accomplished a century ago, but is was only the early-1980's that two amateur mountaineers - both in their 50's! - gave it go.

As I mentioned, I just started into the story.. and was thinking, at first, that it might not be for me at all, given that the book was written from a beginner's - wow, we're climbing mountains! - point of view. But, it's actually resonating with me quite a bit! In particular, I'm overlooking the minutia of the climbs (ex. the main "characters" not necessarily being in shape), and taking note of the bigger themes, those on the order of "seize the day!". Hmm.. I guess those are the types of messages I'm looking to hear right now..

That actually reminds me of a conversation that I had with a friend a few weeks ago at a wine bar, here in San Francisco. Among other things that we talked about, we agreed for the need to say "fuck it" every once in awhile - not in a nihilistic sense, but in a sense of escaping from the expectations of our particular "daily existences"; further, we talked about the need to say it more often. I'm feeling, lately, that I haven't been following this particular advice; it's amazing how that sort of thing works - or, I guess, doesn't work - even when you "know what to do".

So, it's all well and good - née, great! - that I'm planning all these far-flung adventures, but I also need to keep in mind that I should also, well, seize the day closer to home. But I think *that* discussion is another blog entry altogether.. wait, that "discussion" is, actually, something to *do* in real-life, something to make *happen*, preferably, with a partner-in-crime; writing about it later, after the smoke has cleared, would be bonus. ;)

Whew! With all that said, let me leave you with this, admittedly, tangential recommendation: if you ever come across the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc from Kawarau Estate (New Zealand), drink up! It is, for sure, one of the most delicious white wines I've had in recent memory. And who wants to say no to that?

A musical three return

It was exactly one month ago that I dropped a few musical recommendations in a blog posting for folks to check out, and as coincidence would have it, three of them have appeared back in my life this week.

1. Two days ago I found out that The Cool Kids are headlining their own tour; it seems they have blown up after opening for MIA earlier this year. In fact, I even saw them recently in a commercial while watching an America's Next Top Model marathon (what?). Yeah, so I bought me some tickets to their January 17th show at the Independent.. and, per usual, have an extra. It's going to be a b-boy fest - not my usual element - but should be a great show, and within stumbling distance to my apartment. ;)

2. Next, I get wind of a new music video from those raunch-festers known as Spank Rock - for their single "Loose". In fact, I posted about it last night, maybe offending the three of you that read this thing. haha. Oh man, and I'm not exactly sure what the lyrics are or how exactly the simulated sex fits in, but, damn, that video is a wonder to behold in terms of not-giving-a-fuckness. I guess with Internet distribution, they really don't have to answer to anybody with respect to their, umm, artistic vision (although it seems the video is down as of today??).

3. In any case, tonight I got a major tip from a friend to revisit Sam Sparro's myspace page because he posted a mixtape called "Songs Not Bombs". Sounds like a sentiment I can get behind.. and wooo-whee, it's full of some delicious dancefloor jams, everything from 80's R&B to '07 bangers, one moving smoothly into the other.. and back. I've actually been downloading quite a few mixtapes lately - mostly with heads-up from the Disco Belle blog and a few other random places on the web - and this is my favorite of the past couple of weeks. I just wish they posted a track list!

So, I guess it's just a matter of time because I cross paths with DiskoError and DJ Aristocat; what's up with you guys?

On a note related to #3 above, 11 minutes into the "Songs Not Bombs" mix, a snippet of Snoop Dogg's new single, "Sensual Seduction", rolls up in your business. Have you seen the video? I *mostly* like it.. in fact, it might even be mindblowing for taking (what I'm guessing to be) some stellar 70's vibe - and production values - and tweaking them to a ridiculous level.. I mean, totally fetishizing the original scene. And I can appreciate that. BUT.. what I can't get over is that it's Snoop Dogg in the goddamn video. I mean he's done great for himself, and good for him and all that, but I just can't take him seriously anymore; I don't even really like his voice. And that's all I'll say about that. haha. Check it out for yourself.

Sexually explicit and profane lyrics

Umm, so.. I'm just saying.. DON'T watch this music video at work; it is the most pornographic music video I've ever scene (that wasn't an actual porn). And, for that, it is passingly interesting.

But there is more.. I am saying that you *should* watch this music video when you're ready for some neo-Miami-bass (and nakedness), courtesy of those 2 Live Crew aficionados, Bangers and Cash. These guys put out some pretty ridiculous music; it's totally over the top - with EXTREMELY sexually explicit and profane lyrics - but I think it's done in a wink-wink sort of way. And damn if they don't have a deep, deep, and crazydancey bassline (again, in a stripper sort of way) in most of their tracks.. something that makes the whole operation palatable.

Umm.. I'm not sure if I'm really selling this one too well (and I'm not sure I should be selling it at all!). So without further ado, just check out their latest video - courtesy of the FiftyOne:FiftyOne blog:

Bangers and Cash feat. Amanda Blank - Loose

(The link above takes you to a blog with a link to the video, along with a little bit of commentary; access the video directly here, but, again, it is EXPLICIT - nakedness abounds.)

Some people like these guys (like Fader magazine) and some people absolutely hate them (misogyny - winks or not - does that, you know?), but let me say that after I saw it, I went out and bought some champagne.

Just kidding (I already owned the champagne). haha. You see, never is there enough champagne in your possession; it seems to bring out the best in people, or, at least, it enhances the potential for silly exuberance. In fact, any sort of sparkling wine - and the willingness to spray it around the room - works too; most people don't know the difference. ;)

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

UPDATE 121307: Yikes, looks like the video has been pulled for some reason, even the direct link to the Bangers and Cash site doesn't work. C'est la vie..

Abstractions of François al-Hajj

There are bombings of some capacity everyday - somewhere in the world, someone is disgruntled enough (or the pawn of those that are) to manifest it through extreme violence.. and apparently it is pretty easy to create and deploy an exploding device that can do a fair bit of damage.

However, the psychology of such folks, the societal conditions surrounding such events, and other such heavy subjects are things that I will not get into right now. Still, a front-page article in the NYTimes today about a bombing in Lebanon has me mentioning this topic to you:

General Killed in Bomb Attack in Lebanon
By Nada Bakri and Graham Bowley
Published: December 13, 2007

Again, I will leave the real analysis and discussion for later (and, perhaps, to folks more learned than I), and so will stick to the superficial. The target of the bombing - and main victim (there were several) - was a senior Lebanese Army officer; his name was François al-Hajj. I know nothing about the man, his politics, or his military record (besides what I gleaned from the article above); but I know he had a badass name.

Please excuse the flippancensical attitude that would allow me to focus my attention on the poetic appeal of the victim's name, while disregarding the whole terrible circumstances surrounding his death. To that, I will just say that it is an odd world that we live in, and the human mind - similarly strange - makes such abstractions so possible, and, further, so accessible.

This leaves us to meditate on the syllableistic pleasure intrinsic in the words - again, nevermind the man for now: François al-Hajj

Right off the bat, the exotic sounds roll of my tongue like a fancy magical spell (eye of newt!); in full, it is an invocation to conjure up (romantic visions of) faraway lands and times that may-or-may-not have actually existed in reality. No matter, no matter, of course; we are more interested in fodder for the imagination; and I am surely inspired to dream, to dream and write. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, close your eyes and chant "François al-Hajj" (pause) "François al-Hajj"; there is no other. And, in doing so, indulge in the fantastical episodes that unfold before you.

The subtleties of bread-baking technique

Aww man.. I pulled one of the most beautiful loaves of bread I've ever made out of the oven earlier tonight, a golden round of walnuts and wheat. It had been awhile, but I broke out the "No-Knead Bread" recipe I've mentioned before; you know, the one from the NYTimes that helped to get me on this baking kick earlier this year.

Per usual, I modified the original recipe a bit - partially on purpose and partially by accident (no harm, no foul). I just cut off a slice and it's pretty good; not my best ever, but pretty good.. and, as I mentioned before, it's oh-so-pretty. Here you go:

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

1/2t rapid rise yeast
1/8c warm water
1T honey

1 1/2c white bread flour
1 1/2c whole wheat bread flour
1 1/2c warm water
1 1/4t salt

1/2c walnut halves (shelled)
more flour for dusting

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

1. Place the yeast into a large mixing bowl and stir in the 1/8c of warm water and honey; let this mixture sit for a few minutes while the yeast froths back to life.

2. To this, add in both the flours, the salt and the final 1 1/2c of warm water. Note that I usually add the salt after I've added the flours because I don't want to take the chance of deactivating my yeast by dumping them with a hyper-sodium environment up front.

3. Take a wooden spoon and mix everything in the bowl into a wet dough; it will be still be very sticky once everything is combined! This is actually desired; the extra liquid in the dough will allow the chemical reactions needed for tasty bread to happen much easier compared to a consistency you might be used to.

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 18 hours, at a warm room temperature; the inside of your oven would probably be a good choice (make sure it is OFF!). For this particular instance, I let my dough rest for about 40 hours because I didn't have the time/desire to bake it yesterday. ;)

5. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles (and if you waited 40 hours it most certainly will be ready), which have been generated by the metabolic action of the yeast. At this point, lightly flour a clean and level work area, and place the dough on it. I find that keeping a bowl of water nearby and dipping my fingers in it throughout this process helps from me sticking to the dough (as much).

6. Fold the dough over on itself a few times; and in each instance, throw some of the walnut halves into it until you've used up the full 1/2c. At the end, the walnuts should be evenly distributed throughout the dough (but don't worry about it being perfect).

7. Cover the now-walnuted dough loosely with the plastic wrap - right there on your work surface - and let rest for about 15 minutes while it "sets itself up"; it will be easier to work with for the next step.

8. Dip your fingers into the water bowl (again, to keep them from sticking) and shape the dough into a ball as quickly as possible by curling the circular edge of the dough under itself; the visible portion of the ball should be smooth, while the underside will have a "seam".

9. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour and drop the dough onto it, seam-side down; dust the top with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel (loosely) and let rise for another 2-3 hours. Again, due to the timing of other things going on today, I let this particular batch go for more like 5 hours.

10. At least half an hour before dough is ready, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and place your 6-to-8 quart baking vessel in it while it comes up to temperature; the baking vessel should be a heavy covered pot, made of cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic - it is important that it can retain heat well.

11. When the dough is ready (finally!), remove the baking vessel from the oven - be careful.. it's going to be HOT! - and flip the dough from the towel into the pot, seam-side up. Don't worry too much if it looks like a mess; shake the pot once or twice to straighten it out a little, but any residual "imperfections" will, soon enough, become "character".

12. Cover the baking vessel with its lid and bake for 30 minutes. Once done, turn the oven up to 450 degrees and let the pot sit for 10 minutes more, lid still covering the pot.

13. Then, remove the lid and let the loaf bake - and the outer crust develop - for 30 minutes more at 450 degrees. At this point, the bread should be beautifully browned, with some highlights of off-white flour stuck to its exterior. Cool on a rack and rock this thing with some good cheese.. or simply by itself.

** Note that you might have to play around with the baking times and temperatures, depending on your oven and other environmental variables. For example, I've heard that some folks raise the temperature to 475 or 500 degrees in the last step to get their preferred level of crust. Baking bread is, for sure, a learned skill; the subtleties of technique will develop over some trial-and-error (and, therefore, oh-so-satisfying when you get it right).

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

Warm bread from the oven has no match!

A return of the infamous No. 9

If you caught me soon after I returned from my trip to Russia this past summer, there was a good chance that I told you about my desire to host a taste test featuring the full line-up of beers from Балтика (Baltika) brewing. It was a request slightly out of (my beer) character; you see, Baltika brews lagers - almost exclusively - and I'm not a fan of lagers in general. But! With my adventures in Russia still on the forefront of my mind, the novelty of tracking down the ten different Baltika beers, numbered from 0 to 9, seemed fun and worthwhile.

Baltika No. 0 is a non-alcoholic lager
Baltika No. 1 is a light lager, at 4.4% abv
Baltika No. 2 is a pale lager, at 4.7% abv
Baltika No. 3 is a pale lager, at 5.1% abv
Baltika No. 4 is a Vienna lager, at 5.6% abv
Baltika No. 5 is a golden lager, at 5.0% abv
Baltika No. 6 is a Baltic porter, at 7.0% abv
Baltika No. 7 is an export lager, 5.4% abv
Baltika No. 8 is an unfiltered wheat ale, at 5.0% abv
Baltika No. 9 is a strong export lager, at 8.0% abv

*There are a couple more "special" beers that really don't get much distribution, so the list above is really what I was looking for; Baltika also brews some other product lines (like Арсенальное), but, again, the list above suffices for my (ahem, imagined) purposes.*

Soon, though, my taste buds reigned in such fanciful (and alcoholic) fascinations - back to my usual kickass West Coast ales! - and the tasting never came to fruition. So it was only yesterday that I came across another Baltika beer. And, in fact, it was the infamous No. 9! haha.

No. 9 is, for sure, the go-to beer for bang-for-your-gettin'-drunk-buck (if you're not drinking cheap vodka, that is). At 8.0% abv, a few half-liters will put you on your ass.. and along the way, you know exactly what you're getting into, given it doesn't try to hide its alcohol at all. Yikes! Fortunately, I was sharing a couple of bottles with a few people over a homestyle Russian dinner at Sadko, a Russian restaurant in the Outer Richmond. It was, I can assure you, the first time that I poured Baltika No. 9 into a wine glass (once I emptied it of its original contents: квас); in fact, it was the first time I wouldn't have thought to drink it straight from the bottle.

In any case, if you want to know what Russian food "is", I'd recommend checking out Sadko; you'll even get that stereotypical Russian service (i.e. brusk) included in the price! haha. From a culinary perspective, it helped that I was there with my Ukrainian buddy and a crew from his work (but only my buddy speaks Russian; the rest were even more clueless than me at what they were getting into). As such, he ordered a huge amount of "classic" Russian food and drink for the lot of us; and so, we got to try a lot of different dishes at once. Good stuff!

And while I'll be no substitute translator, if you're interested in going, let me know; I certainly plan on a return trip. While I'm (still) not going to be craving Russian food on any sort of regular basis, the overall ambiance certainly has a place in my heart; at the least, Sadko's version of квас was the best I've had (and it comes in pitchers).

Of course, if you're just interested in a Baltika No. 9 experience, I think we can skip the restaurant altogether and track one down - one for each of us, that is - from a local grocery and just hang out in the park. Classic, for sure (even if we have to paper-bag it; the SF police look down upon the open container)!

Less and less Prohibition

Ahh.. I heard about it last week, but forgot in the hubbub of the past couple of days (i.e. guest in town, final for Russian class, etc.). The Drink Blog at 7x7 reminded me today that December 5th was the 74th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition here in the US. And given that the weekend is just about upon us, remember that a brief toast in appreciation of our ability to imbibe (at all) is in order. (And then put it out of your mind and just do your, um, weekend thang.)

Out of coincidence, 2007 - and just recently, at that - was the year that saw the repeal of another archaic liquor law; this one was surrounding La Fée Verte. You see, absinthe, that anise flavored liqueur of ill-repute, is back for sale in the US (legally); and, if you want to actually distill it here, you can do that too (after A LOT of paperwork, I imagine). In fact, St. George Spirits distillery in Alameda is making their own version (after years of under-the-radar experimentation). Check the full details at the NYTimes:

A Liquor of Legend Makes a Comeback
By Pete Wells
Published: December 5, 2007

While I did have some Eastern European-based absinthe drinking fantasy when I was in college - it seemed like the epitome of subversive sophistication! - it doesn't exactly have the same appeal for me now that I've done a little traveling and drinking and all that. How jaded of me, I know. haha. That said, if a bottle of good-quality stuff came my way, I will not say no; and a cafe in Budapest will not be required for me to enjoy it. A nice place in NYC with friends would do. Or, Alameda.

One the bike, more variables = less control

Most bicycles are made for a single rider. And given the fragility of personal balance - on the bike, I mean - I fully appreciate this fact. More parts on a bike means more that can break; and if one of those "parts" is another person, well, then your variables of control just went up exponentially.

more variables = less control

But, on occasion - on the right occasion - I'll submit myself to the whims of the night and ride in just this way: 2 people, 1 bike. While I'm still not a huge fan of the tandem bicycle, riding a regular bike with another person is kinda charming for me, (if, admittedly, a little uncomfortable). haha.

You see, there is a prerequisite for silliness to even try this feat, given the aforementioned stability problems inherent in the operation. And you can do it in a couple of ways, depending on how your bike is set up (ex. if you have a rack) as well as how the bodies of the two people line up. My usual mode is to have someone sit on my bike seat while I stand and pedal (and, if I'm lucky - or forceful, maybe get a little of my tailbone on the nose of the seat).

Yeah, it's hard work.. and I don't want to be riding for miles and miles like that, but, still, there is something about the arrangement that seems so simple and pure in attitude (and, therefore, appealing); again, it must be the silliness thing. All that said, it's still not gonna happen *too* often, given that when I'm hanging with someone else and I'm on a bike, the other person usually has a bike too.

Well, that is, unless I get some sweet pegs for my citybike. Who doesn't want to ride on some pegs?

Choosing the future at one hundred mph

I only have the barest knowledge of political systems in general, and even less for the particulars of any one country.. but, that said, I am (superficially) drawn to all news stories out of Russia, especially when they deal with the consolidation of power in the Kremlin (by the manliest world leader, Владимир Владимирович Путин).

Yeah, this week's parliamentary elections only solidified their position; Mr. Putin's party, United Russia, has enough seats now to amend the Constitution if they so desire. Interesting times, indeed.

But a report from the NYTimes over the weekend really caught my eye. Beyond tightening their grip on general media outlets, like newspapers and television stations (standard stuff, of course), it seems that they're now going as far as censoring contemporary art in various forms. For example, the Russian culture minister censored a state-sponsored show of Russian contemporary art in Paris a few weeks ago (as part of France's A Year of Russia); 17 of the works were deemed to be a "shame on Russia" and removed from the collection. Read the details, and find more examples, at the NYTimes:

Putin’s Last Realm to Conquer: Russian Culture
by Michael Kimmelman
Published: December 1, 2007

Still, there seems to be *some* backlash by the art community. In fact, the Tretyakov Gallery - the ones who put the show together, including the ultimately-censored works - filed a lawsuit against Culture and Press Minister Alexander Sokolov on November 20th, 2007. The court system in Russia - again, something I really don't know that much about - has a reputation for bending to the will of the executive administration, so we'll see where that goes.

If any of you come across any follow-up news for this story, let me know. And I'll do the same. By the way, I'd recommend checking out the "Multimedia" part of the article above; it's a little tangential to the main story, but it gives some context for the high life in Moscow. Russia is "choosing the future, it seems, at a hundred miles per hour." And we'd be best to pay attention. ;)

33.2 million is a lot of people

Last week, The Economist reported that, according to WHO and UNAIDS, the number of people infected with HIV worldwide fell from 39.5m to 33.2m over the course of this past year. And while that sounds like an awesome statistic (and it is, in many respects), the "drop" is actually due to a change in the statistical methods used by the aforementioned organizations. If you use the revised models with last year's data, last year's HIV total would have been 32.7m; in other words, there are 500,000 more cases this year versus last year.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Most people attribute the larger number to two things. First, more people are living longer with HIV and AIDS due to the availability of new treatments, and second, the number of new infections seems to be going down. In any case, there are a number of other statistics in the article that give cause for hope towards the ability for humankind to manage the disease (much like it manages other chronic afflictions like diabetes). Read the full article for more details:

WHO's counting?
by The Economist
November 22nd 2007

Still, the current treatments aren't perfect (nevermind a cure), and they don't work for everyone. So, research (for treatments) and education (for prevention) must continue. In fact, I was reminded of this earlier today by my mom, who mentioned that yesterday was World AIDS Day; it seems my sister (who works for the Peace Corps in western Kenya) had helped put on an educational event in her community for the occasion.

World AIDS Day has been observed every year since 1988 on December 1st. In some respects, this post is a day late.. but, as I mentioned, it is important that we're reminded of the issue once in a while, regardless of an "official", um, holiday. But beyond World AIDS Day, the US Department of Health and Human Services sponsors several "Awareness Days" throughout the year, each aimed at a different population; if you're interested, check out their full schedule of events.

Hopefully, the repercussions of HIV and AIDS aren't too close to home for you personally, but chances are, someone you know *is* affected on some level; 33.2 million is a lot of people. And in the global scheme of things, a scourge on such a large scale has secondary and tertiary effects that certainly affect our economy, our scientific research priorities, and, perhaps most sadly of all, our sense of personal "freedom".

With all of this in mind earlier today, I did what any American consumer would do: I bought a tshirt (with part of the proceeds going to AIDS research). Who's "doing their part" now? Oh man.. haha.

GY!BE is a tonic

You know, there are some bands that can change your life.. or, at least, will it in ways subconscious; their music is something - somehow - that stirs emotion; your reality changes for a given time and place (and space: we live in three dimensions, you know!). Wake up to the reality of an insightful riot of alternate brain activity! For this, their ability, I love them all the more; drugs don't have any affect on me. ha!

C'est la vie!

In any case, the aforementioned sonic phenomenon is most real for me now, as the expansive and cinematic sounds of Godspeed You! Black Emperor [sic, punctuation] warmly wrap around me as I be, sitting here in the prosaic, and slightly messy, scene of my San Francisco bedroom; a quiet Saturday is my fate. And I flash back to the first time I picked up - and I mean pick up in a most physical sense; I picked up the cardboard containing "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven" (GY!BE's forth studio album) and I remember not knowing what to make of it. That is, their *reputation* preceded them, but only slightly - as I was only just beginning to blossom into the world of (good) music at the time - and a record of seemingly-random sound bites (from a somewhat-familiar, if ghostly, singularity) overlaid with 30-plus minute instrumentals is not for the faint of heart. The year was 2002 and I was at Waterloo Records in Austin on a work trip; it was nighttime for god's sake, but, yet, I wasn't ready to let GY!BE into my life.

But now, I actually own a few GY!BE CDs (and have for a few years), and I play them on occasion. In fact, it seems that they have made a comeback-into-fashion for me, at least in between Kitsune-this and neo-soul-electro-that, of course; yes, GY!BE and my biological rhythms happen to be aligned in this late 2007. In this way, again tonight, I find myself more-than-on-the-edge-of-tears; I am crying. Hmm.. yeah, so this is fine (sorta); I'm not fully comfortable with this sort of thing, but I *am* trying to be, given that I acknowledge the need for emotional release (as a general theory of human existence); I also acknowledge a personal backlog of emotion that may or may not have other outlets. Here, the music is the trigger; yes - the tears also made an appearance a few weeks ago in similar circumstances, GY!BE and all, so something more than coincidence is at work.

In such a situation it's hard to keep typing with a flow unbroken. And further, it's hard to *not* want to fall towards the floor - to *not* be reaching for the teasingly-horizontal floor (gravity, you are a seductress always).. the subconscious goal is that you just want to be (in a way, mathematically-speaking, chaotic). It sounds nice - right? - to just be listening to, to be surrounded by, the mystery language intrinsic in such deep-seeded music, and to let this set of temporally-extended melodies encompass the whole fabrinific realm of your most-immediate and hypotonic existence? Right? Well, ultimately, it's ok (it's ok for me, for me, for me now); the lights are low (they will only get lower); and my eyelids are vaguely transparent.

Tonight, while GY!BE delicately thumps from a set of lovely speakers (so far, so good), the butt of my right hand rubs a short and shallow - so shallow, it's imperceivable! - track, slowly, center-to-right, across my forehead, just above the space between my eyes; the action inadvertently adjusts the angle of my head upon my shoulders; my head is no longer upright (but, thankfully, still connected). And, as I mentioned before, a few tears roll down a man's cheek (mine!) while he sits as a twisted frame of flesh. It seems that this sort of music exposes me to the true workings of the world, and for that, I am grateful.

Godspeed, Godspeed.