big steps + little feat

oh, and by the way.....

2009-04-11T15:36:00.061-04:00

(since you wanted to know)

I couldn't resist sending
one last jolt down the line
before finally cutting you
loose.

Making you reel is easy.

~M.D. Killer

on saturday i saw a blue heron take flight
it was headed for the ocean and
i felt like going home

death-cab-for-cutie

2009-04-09T20:34:00.030-04:00

with ra-ra-riot and cold-war-kids

daughters of the american revolution
constitution hall, washington, d.c.
08 april 2009: top notch performance
great seats, too, for this sold out show.
thanks to davy, kristin and dave

. . . . . . .

Marching Bands of Manhattan
New Year
Crooked Teeth
President of What
My Mirror Speaks
Company Calls
No Sunlight
Grapevine Fires
I Will Possess Your Heart
I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Title and Registration
Cath...
Soul Meets Body
A Movie Script Ending
Long Division
The Sound of Settling
Bixby Canyon Bridge

{encore}
Little Bribes
Expo '86
Transatlanticism

2009-04-08T17:07:00.013-04:00

al·ba·tross - noun

Any of several large sea birds of the family Diomedeidae that have the ability to remain aloft for long periods.

A seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility.

Something burdensome that impedes action or progress.

*Golf. A score of three-under par on a hole. Double Eagle.

the last waltz

2009-04-06T00:25:00.027-04:00

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

pizza:seven

2009-04-01T20:47:00.014-04:00

. . . . . . .

rotisserie chicken
artichoke hearts
mozzarella
chevre
. . . . . . .
sauce:

olive oil
tomatoes
red pepper
oregano
garlic
basil
sugar
s/p
. . . . . . .
crust: acme

mission question

2009-03-31T13:51:00.005-04:00

. . . . . . .

a to b

2009-03-30T12:16:00.015-04:00

. . . . . . .

"You're putting Buster in charge? The guy who thought the blue on the map was land?"

Eleven hour drive/sail for Cornel West, fresh cool young Lu, golf, bourbon, vinyl, Camel filters, Rocky's, Soaring Eagle, send-offs.

verbiage

2009-03-27T09:50:00.013-04:00

. . . . . . .

powered by Wordle

2009-03-23T13:48:00.023-04:00

ev·a·nesce - verb

To disappear gradually; vanish; fade away.

Real Real Gone

I got hit by a bow and arrow
Got me down to the very marrow
And I'm real real gone.

I can't stand up by myself
Don't you know I need your help
And I'm real real gone.

~Van Morrison

. . . . . . .

paris : paris : paris

2009-03-09T16:22:00.012-04:00

. . . . . . .

lunch

2009-03-01T13:51:00.015-05:00

butternut squash soup, portabella mushrooms
apple pie, broiled sharp cheddar cheese

philly flower show set-up

2009-02-27T23:59:00.001-05:00

i had already walked past the guards at the bottom of the truck ramp and eased through the bustle on the loading dock behind the convention center by the time i realized the camera was without its battery (around nine pm). picked up my pass and drove back to wilmington, round and round.

ting tings : kruger : greenspan

2009-02-24T10:44:00.006-05:00

twelve

2009-02-23T23:00:00.015-05:00

lyricology: WORD

2009-02-20T13:13:00.025-05:00

Lupe Fiasco's songwriting is absurd. I purchased The Cool last year; lyrics are a tapestry rich with conceptual continuity spanning from his previous album, Food and Liquor. I'm listening to that disc now, continually impressed by the light Lupe sheds - genuine, sharp, playful, empathetic, brilliant.

This lyric from a track on Food and Liquor caught me off-guard:

A two family habitat for humanity
With a view within the insanity.
Live? My vida loca was built
like Bob Vila villa gone.

Yo, did my man just drop a Bob Vila in there? That's what's up.

individual-ism

2009-02-15T12:33:00.006-05:00

"The illness that the western world faces isn't liberalism, or capitalism for that matter; it's the distortion of these 'isms' based on the delusional hubris that man has in regard to himself. When people value themselves over their community, society begins to deteriorate."

~ Cliff E.

2009-02-10T20:18:00.004-05:00

cognitive dissonance - noun

Psychological conflict resulting from simultaneously held incongruous beliefs and attitudes (as a fondness for smoking and a belief that it is harmful).

enchiladas

2009-02-09T15:22:00.016-05:00

sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chili powder (ancho/western)
1/2 tsp ground cumen
finely chopped onion & garlic (taste)
1 tbsp flour
8-12oz tomato sauce (one can)
1 cup water
1/2 tbsp salt

Medium/low heat oil in fry pan, add chili powder & cumen - simmer for a couple minutes to infuse the oil. Add onion first, then garlic (about 1/2 onion, 3+ cloves garlic). Add salt, cook until garlic is brown, add flour. Stir in tomato sauce, add water - simmer for 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

filling

Note: this is a flexible dish. I've used boiled chicken, smoked turkey, grilled steak, refried beans, etc. as the base for the filling. If it's going to be all veggie you may need to include some long grain rice for structure. I like to sauté diced pepper (poblano is nice) and extra onion/garlic to go into the filling mix.

Combine your base ingredient (if meat, shred finely) with veggies, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/3 stick cream cheese, broken into bits. I sometimes put some sour cream in, it's also good as a topping. The goal is a thick, formable paste that will be easy to roll in tortillas.

Preheat oven to 325-50°. Before you roll the enchiladas it's important to soften the corn tortillas. Dip each into sauce briefly and stack 'em up. By the time you're finished dipping the last shell the others should be ready to roll. Divide your filling amongst 6-10 shells (customize based on how they fit in the pan).

Place in an oven pan, pour sauce on. You shouldn't end a sentence in a preposition at. If you only use half the sauce you'll have crispier tortillas and leftover sauce to freeze for next time. Top with shredded cheese, a few dollops of sour cream, black olives, a can of green chiles, whatever. Bake for at least 20 minutes, probably better to go for 30. All the ingredients are cooked already, so your main concerns are thorough warmth, crispy tortillas, and happy flavors.

I like to serve with finely shredded lettuce with a squeeze of lime and a dash of kosher salt. Leftovers are good reheated.

firenze : aosta : milano

2009-02-04T23:36:00.022-05:00

floo floo bird

2009-01-22T17:12:00.027-05:00

from Aaron Britt's contribution to the dwell blog:

President Obama's inaugural address sent me running for William Safire's splendid compendium of great speeches (he used to write speeches for President Nixon), Lend Me Your Ears. I set out to consult Jefferson's first inaugural address - notable for those wonderful lines: "Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle," but found myself wandering around inside the book until I hit upon a doozie from Frank Lloyd Wright.

Given to the Association of Federal Architects in Washington DC in 1938, Wright's speech castigates the direction of American architecture by comparing it to a floo floo bird, "that peculiar and especial bird who always flew backward. To keep the wind out of its eyes? No. Just because it didn't give a darn where it was going, but just had to see where it had been."

...

Obama may be one hell of an orator, but Wright had him beat in at least one category: orneriness. He closes the speech with two thunderous lines that every libertarian should have stuck to his fridge: "I know of nothing more silly than to expect 'government' to solve our advanced problems for us. If we have no ideas, how can government have any?"

In his 1957 interview with Mike Wallace, an 89-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright betrays his elitist attitudes toward architecture and society (and demonstrates a bit of orneriness).

2009-01-20T17:44:00.011-05:00

confusion became anger, which yielded to understanding.
understanding has brought only sadness.
and in sadness there is hope.

2009-01-19T20:29:00.002-05:00

jin·go·ism - noun

Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism.

2009-01-11T18:43:00.027-05:00

a steady, balanced diet of

it's always sunny in philadelphia,

arrested development,

duckman,

genesis,

the killers

: : day man : : fighter of the night man : : champion of the sun : :

: : there's nothing i can do now : : we've got to get in to get out : :

2009-01-09T15:51:00.004-05:00

sub·ter·fuge - noun

Something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity.
An artifice employed to escape censure or the force of an argument, or to justify opinions or conduct; a shift; an evasion.

The Gang

2009-01-04T14:49:00.013-05:00

One of the first posts on this blog lauded the merits and lamented the probable demise of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Alas, three full seasons later, the show continues to be a rare gem of reprobate, lunatic, narcissistic, pathological, and antisocial facets.

Adding Danny Devito's character compromised the original continuity "The Gang" established in the first season. But it did unleash the limitless insanity and hilarity possessed by Dennis, Dee, Mac and Charlie.

2009-01-03T15:20:00.002-05:00

expectations

2009-01-01T15:19:00.008-05:00

Anticipation is a killer.

This new year's eve, much like the past year, was a sleeper. Entered with few expectations; any/all exceeded. I bring new perpective each time I travel to Grand Rapids. I leave with new perspective. Perfect place to ring in twenty-oh-nine. Cheers!

Travel well this year.

pretty/absurd

2008-12-25T17:08:00.011-05:00

I think of myself as a Thinker, then
I think, "Let me think about that..."

If I have a thought, most of the actual
thinking that occurs is post: rationalizing,
validating, or otherwise reasoning out a
case for that thought. So, it occurs to me

That I'm more of an Arguer than a thinker,
prone to commit/defend arbitrary notions.

It's pretty absurd.

P.S. Merry Xmas

2008-12-23T16:47:00.004-05:00

fe·ral - adjective

Existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not domesticated or cultivated; wild.
Having reverted to the wild state, as from domestication: a pack of feral dogs.

o v e r g r o w

cui bono appétit

2008-12-18T12:57:00.028-05:00

Been hankering to try cui (roasted guinea pig) for a while now. In mountainous Peru guinea pigs are raised for food in lieu of bulkier livestock (they reproduce quickly and require little space). The indigenous Peruvian cuisine has spread to neighboring countries, and supposedly is even served here in the States.

Imagine suburban America with a cui coop in every backyard... or better yet, guinea pens in which tri-color rodents run free until the day they become dinner. Geoff Manaugh (BLDGBLOG) recently suggested converting backyard pools for agri/aquacultural use; why not cellular edible-rodent farms?

"The Last Supper" by Marcos Zapata, 1753, hangs in the Cathedral of Cuzco (note the cui platter). I think bottom-right dude is Judas, clutching his quid pro quo below the table. He's the only person in the painting looking back at the viewer, a gaze that says: "We know something these guys don't."

Children of Men

2008-12-10T13:55:00.015-05:00

Recently signed up for Netflix and have been blasting through my queue (is that really how it's spelled?). Netflix is great - opens the door to a long list of good movies I never got around to seeing.

My #1 pick so far:

Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

"The bleakest movie you'll ever want to see twice." Indeed, after viewing I forced my parents to watch the next day. The cinematography is dreary, but when "Bring on the Lucie (Freeda Peeple)" by John Lennon is reprised as the end credits roll... well, it just makes me want to dance.

Also, wow. I just read this article: "Legalize Drunk Driving". Don't let the *gasp* title turn you off, it's an interesting argument. The warning about giving the government "power to make the application of the law arbitrary, capricious, and contingent on the judgment of cops" struck a chord with me.

Prohibition

2008-12-05T16:27:00.000-05:00

December 5, 2008
75th Anniversary of the
Twenty-first Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States

Amendment 21 repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, ending federal prohibition of alcohol (1920-1933). Teetotaling crusaders were the initiating force behind the 18th Amendment. The Temperance lobby constituted such a substantial influence on policy that the unpopular national ban stood for thirteen years.

Grass roots political efforts coupled with the blatant link between prohibition and a surge in organized crime led to the first and only full reversal of any amendment to our Constitution.

So drink up, and enjoy your freedom (to abstain, use, or abuse) that was won by the people for the people. One may observe, however, that such dynamic democracy exhibited in the repeal of alcohol prohibition did not conflict with any major corporate interests (other than the government enforcement agency). Nor was the institution of prohibition spurred exclusively by demagogues willing to propagandize the public and appeal to dehumanizing fear and prejudice.

Federal prohibition of cannabis-sativa: 71 years and counting...

True green, not industrial greenwash. Easy to grow; requires few chemicals for production and processing; beneficial to soil; absorbs CO2; abundant uses including bio-fuel, food, clothing, paper, construction material, almost infinite applications.

Cui bono? Who benefits from prohibition of this plant?

2009 A.D.

2008-12-04T12:09:00.010-05:00

Is it real? Is it safe?

I'm afraid to get optimistic about this,
despite all the signs pointing to yes.

I've been hurt before.

Kiss

2008-11-20T11:16:00.020-05:00

Keep it simple, stupid.

Great advice;
Hurts my feelings every time.

Simply:

Free your heart from hatred.
Free your mind from worry.
Live diligently.
Expect less.
Give more.

Repression

2008-11-17T21:49:00.012-05:00

All the times I should have ______ ___,
Are one hundred times I ____ alone.

Practice makes _______.

Forgetiveness, have ___ arrived?
No, the shuffle ____ __ open again.
Rememberemption is a _____.

Wait for ____...

Do ___ really exist at all?

good eats

2008-11-14T07:39:00.023-05:00

grilled n.y. strip w. fried onions-garlic & feta green bean salad

pizza III: yellow heirloom, broccoli, red pepper, smoked chicken, 'shrooms, goat cheese, h.m. sauce (ciao crust)

chicken parmesan

grilled salmon fillet w. dill sauce & h.g. heirloom slices

chicken/cheese enchiladas (h.m. sauce: garlic, onions, three chili powders, cumen, tomato sauce, etc.) w. cilantro!

pizza V: a slice is nice (chevre, baby 'bellas, garlic/o.o., rotisserie chicken, tomato, f. onions, bacon, love)

2008-11-06T18:31:00.006-05:00

in·er·tia - noun

Physics. The tendency of a body to resist acceleration; the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or of a body in straight line motion to stay in motion in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force.

Resistance or disinclination to motion, action, or change: the inertia of an entrenched bureaucracy.

Four Key Principles

2008-11-05T11:30:00.029-05:00

...for the next president to ignore or actively contradict:

Foreign Policy

The Iraq War must end as quickly as possible with removal of all our soldiers from the region. We must initiate the return of our soldiers from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East. We must cease the war propaganda, threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran, nor should we re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia. We must be willing to talk to all countries and offer friendship and trade and travel to all who are willing. We must take off the table the threat of a nuclear first strike against all nations.

Privacy

We must protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons under US jurisdiction. We must repeal or radically change the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the FISA legislation. We must reject the notion and practice of torture, eliminations of habeas corpus, secret tribunals, and secret prisons. We must deny immunity for corporations that spy willingly on the people for the benefit of the government. We must reject the unitary presidency, the illegal use of signing statements and excessive use of executive orders.

The National Debt

We believe that there should be no increase in the national debt. The burden of debt placed on the next generation is unjust and already threatening our economy and the value of our dollar. We must pay our bills as we go along and not unfairly place this burden on a future generation.

The Federal Reserve

We seek a thorough investigation, evaluation and audit of the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationships with the banking, corporate, and other financial institutions. The arbitrary power to create money and credit out of thin air behind closed doors for the benefit of commercial interests must be ended. There should be no taxpayer bailouts of corporations and no corporate subsidies. Corporations should be aggressively prosecuted for their crimes and frauds.

These four key principles were outlined on September 10, 2008 at the National Press Club during a joint press conference held by Ron Paul (R/L), Ralph Nader (I), Cynthia McKinney (G), and Chuck Baldwin (C). See the full synopsis at DissidentVoice.org.

Overall theme: American democracy is failing.

The interests of peace, social justice, ecological wisdom, and constitutional organization are not priorities for our morbidly obese government, which has fixed its position and contains massive inertia to perpetuate itself for its own sake. Presidential elections are a charade, a collusion between the duopoly two-party establishment and complicit media.

But there's a whisper, a hushed intangible that persists. All the noise created by the powers-that-be is designed to drown out this resilient idea: we the people have the power. A big lie that gets repeated, one we frequently tell ourselves, is that structures and systems in place are immutable, unchangeable. One says, "That's just the way it is." Another says, "Some things will never change, so why should I?"

Instead, be the change you wish to see in the world.

The game is rigged, but the rules created by the beneficiaries can be rejected. We must become concientious of our surroundings. Seek to educate, don't indoctrinate, your neighbors. Encourage every person to consider issues through an alternate lens - identify propaganda and resist it! Be humble and patient; induce real change by living properly first and worry less about convincing others (actions speak louder).

This is my idea of grass roots. As it applies to American democracy, I believe the top priority is to override the choking effect of the two party system. How did the mantra of lesser-evil become an American virtue? How could the expectations of the society that represented such hope for human civilization sink so low? How can our prospects for doing justice in the future improve?

I really like the idea of the Vote Pact. Under current conditions, disenchanted Republicans and Democrats continue voting for their party out of fear of helping the party they consider the greater-of-two-evils. With the Vote Pact, a disgruntled D can pair with similarly rebellious R and agree to vote for an alternate party candidate. Both are freed to vote for the candidate they deem to be the best, not the least worst. This breaks the cycle that allows the evil-and-eviler two party system to easily propagate.

Promoting alternative voices is the best way to achieve real dialogue, by which ideas of Common Wealth can once again flourish in the United States of America.

P.S. - Barack Obama will be our next leader. For so many millions his presidency represents the path to change. The change they hope for is one handed down by a newly beneficent federal government.

I question: Are the expected changes real ideas, or illusory hype? What is the expectation for change based on? How easily could this dream for the future turn into a continuation and expansion of the current nightmare?

be like ben

2008-10-27T12:04:00.014-04:00

drivin' that train

2008-10-24T13:24:00.018-04:00

Put my money in your meter,
so it won't run down.
But you caught me in the squeeze play
on the cheesy side of town.
Throw me a dime, throw me a line -
'cause there's a fat man in the bathtub with the blues.

Fat Man in the Bathtub
Little Feat

Was it Casey Jones or Casey at the bat
Who died out of pride and got famous for that?
Killed by a swerve, laid low by the curve -
Do you ever think they ever thought
they got what they deserved?

To the Dogs or Whoever
Josh Ritter

world serious

2008-10-23T12:20:00.020-04:00

The Phillies are up a game in the World Series.
It's exciting, but the distraction fades quickly.

Ultimately insignificant, like most things
I dedicate my attention and efforts to...
To avoid raking my mind over the coals,
Imaginary ashes of what never was.

|| ||| |||

My one addiction;
I have become so tired of this junk.
Yet, unable to throw it all away.

Hard to see past the threshold.
Still, it's nice to win game one.

inflation

2008-10-21T17:21:00.009-04:00

The Joker combats the Federal Reserve's reckless monetary policy.

eclipse Q + A

2008-10-16T14:58:00.022-04:00

Could the Sun need the Moon...
in the way that Moon needs Sun?

If Moon cried out, would Sun run?

There is no D.S.O.T.M., really...
as a matter of fact, it's all dark.

2008-10-15T23:45:00.002-04:00

po·lem·ic - noun

a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.
a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist.

N L C S

2008-10-14T12:50:00.048-04:00

The Phillies/Dodgers game last Friday was a great experience.

Citizen's Bank Park was a blur of rally towels and RBIs by the fightin' Phils. The sellout crowd particularly enjoyed Bret Myers' d.i.y. approach at the plate as he helped himself with three hits (all on the first pitch) to drive in three runs. Incidentally, the end score was PHI:8-LA:5 after "Lights Out" Lidge applied the final touches to earn his 45th consecutive save. That put Philly up two games to none in this series.

The weather was perfect, and the seats were decent. Drank some beers, waved the rally towel, threw a few high fives. I know Davy had a blast; the thorough shaking I received when the Phils went ahead was a good indicator.

Last night Phils went up 3-1 in the NLCS, making a trip to the Fall Classic very likely.

P.S. - I was a little disappointed (none surprised) by a few "Manny Sucks" chants to greet Manny Ramirez coming to bat. I am generally hesitant about collective recitation, as it tends to appeal to the worst parts of our nature. Needless to say, sports arenas are quintessential for mindless crowd-speak. Groups often succumb to the boorish behavior of a few, even when it makes most of us uncomfortable (as anyone who went to junior-high or has worked at Parcels knows).

Also, the FOX broadcasts of this series have been abusive (and exclusive) in their alternating employment of the "Rocky" tune and "I love L.A." as cut music. The height of cliche, the lowest of denominators.

2008-10-09T14:16:00.003-04:00

II

2008-10-07T20:18:00.007-04:00

[Sauce: garlic, onions, pablano pepper, basil, oregano] heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, chicken sausage, chevre (soft goat cheese), previously frozen pizza dough (Ciao)

Illuminated Grand Opera house, night of Wilco concert
(photo credit: DVD)

Playoff Baseball

2008-10-06T10:20:00.007-04:00

Hardly made it to any Phillies games this season (one).
Saw the Phils blow out the Dodgers from the cheap seats.
I'll make up for any missed games on Friday.

Dodgers again, only this time it's October.
SECOND ROUND of the MLB Playoffs.

Come on Burrell!
Two home runs in the NLDS clinching game.
Forget about it.

skeleton sanctuary

2008-10-03T11:34:00.010-04:00

first unitarian church in philadelphia
moonlighting as a concert venue
for alternative music.

tuesday november 18: margot & the nuclear so and so's

p.s. - bought the ticket, missed the show. oh well oh well.

That's a Pizza

2008-09-20T20:29:00.006-04:00

That's a Tomato

2008-09-18T09:17:00.001-04:00

Midnight Rider

2008-09-08T15:30:00.031-04:00

Too much damn noise! The months before a presidential election are a crowded sports bar at a chain restaurant. Really loud and way too bright: the atmosphere is designed to prohibit thought and conversation. This (surprisingly popular) establishment's sole purpose is to keep patrons returning to their respective sides of the trough, filling up on mass-produced domestic swill.

Hey, that turned into a pretty good analogy.

Isn't all the noise (i.e.- conventions, smear ads, all sorts of punditry, etc.) intended to distract, divert, misinform, confuse or flat-out deceive the electorate?

If heartless global corporate interests have truly wrested control of the American republic from its republicans, is there any hope of electing free-thinking individuals?

The short answer over the short term is, no. Especially not in presidential elections, where the collective will of the people is only defined and dominated by massive concentrations of power. This current reality is far removed from a vision of a free society rooted in and empowered by an educated population.

Bartender: (Shouting over roar of crowd) Whatchu need?

Conscientious Patron: Let me get a Ron Paul.

Guy At Bar: Ron Paul? Isn't that the one with Gold-Standard in it? Weird, man. (He swigs from a bottle of R-Lite or D-Lite. It doesn't matter which, they're the same.)

Bartender: We don't serve that. D-Lites are $4 during the football game.

A look around the bar reveals only sponsorship materials from the Big Domestics. Their hegemony of inferior quality and mass distribution is secure, for now. This bar is thriving on loudness, brightness, and the marketing ability of its suppliers to provide a crowd.

There is peril in unpalatable American Lite beer! It is not the beer that our founding fathers envisioned for us. More grave is the threat embodied by crowded, loud, over-lit sports bars. I say "embodied by" because these are only the brick-and-mortar manifestations of our own willingness to be enslaved by the noise, convinced (somehow) this is where we want to be.

We need a brewer patriot to sound the alarm.

P.S. - The original purpose of this post was to feature a link to an article that describes Ron Paul as a "reincarnation of Paul Revere" (the midnight rider). It started to rhizomate with the pub analogy, then came full circle when a shorter leap back to Mr. Revere presented itself in Samuel Adams (the brewer patriot). I Googled "Samuel Adams and Paul Revere" and came up with the linked article. Not only are they ostensibly connected, but it turns out that microbrew status of Sam Adams beer is a "marketing shell" propagated by its corporate-industrial contractors (Anheuser-Busch). Oh well, at least it tastes better than Bud Lite. I don't drink that much beer anyway.

Paul Revere: American hero, misapropriated beer mascot.

P.P.S. - Hmmm, I looked into the 'contract' brewing thing. Seems that Samuel Adams has been produced at a number of large plants, and the man who helped Jim Koch develop the brewery in 1985 worked for Anheuser-Busch. Today 60% is brewed at the Boston Beer Company's facility in Cincinatti (only a small "R&D"/giftshop site exists in Boston). The recent sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgian conglomerate InBev does not seem to have affected Sam Adam's sovereignty as an independent brewer, but the "craft beer" propaganda is a bit fishy/phony.

tomato tornado

2008-09-04T23:04:00.007-04:00

Homegrown heirlooms becoming pasta sauce (olive oil, garlic, onions, zucchini, basil, mint).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Strip steak with mac & cheese, fried onions, heirloom tomatoes.

Preparation:

1-1/2" thick NY Strip Steak
Garlic, Onion, Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil, Butter, Tobasco

-Take steak out of fridge 30 min. before cooking
-Slice garlic into chips, simmer in oil over low heat until crisp
-Season both sides of steak w. S&P and a few dashes of Tobasco
-Remove garlic chips, increase heat to high (until oil smokes)
-Sear 1 min. both sides, transfer steak to broiler-safe pan
-Put two tabs of butter on top, place steak under high broiler
-Broil about 4 minutes on each side, add more butter when flip
-Fry julienned onion over medium heat in the remaining oil

Let steak rest for 5 minutes. Serve on bed of onions, top with garlic chips.

Wilco setlist

2008-09-03T09:20:00.011-04:00

from show @ wilmington's grand opera house, august 10 (less than one month after the show, following a couple of half-hearted/hapless attempts to blog from my cell phone). concert was good, tweedy et al took the stage on time and played a great set:

Sunken Treasure
Wishful Thinking
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Blood of the Lamb
You Are My Face
Company in My Back
Hotel Arizona
Handshake Drugs
Pot Kettle Black
Side with the Seeds
Radio Cure
Impossible Germany
Jesus, Etc.
Theologians
Poor Places
Spiders (Kidsmoke)

[encore one]

Hummingbird
Hate it Here
Walken ~~Walk On~~
I'm the Man Who Loves You

[encore two]

Heavy Metal Drummer
The Late Greats
Casino Queen
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

the grand opera house made an ideal venue; there was some speculation about whether anybody would fire one up inside the venerable establishment (olfactory confirmation at the beginning of the second encore).

fantastic show. hope they come back to delaware.

Fwd: real time

2008-08-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

Mobile

2008-08-28T07:28:00.001-04:00

Blog

Sent from my iPod

2008-08-27T10:14:00.017-04:00

self·less·ish - adjective

characterized by or manifesting the appearance of selflessness while actually being selfish
somewhat selfless

on trains and lazy blogging

2008-08-22T15:31:00.008-04:00

"The sound of an approaching train awoke him, and he started to his feet, remembering only his resolution, and afraid lest he should be too late. He stood watching the approaching locomotive, his teeth chattering, his lips drawn away from them in a frightened smile; once or twice he glanced nervously sidewise, as though he were being watched. When the right moment came, he jumped. As he fell, the folly of his haste occurred to him with merciless clearness, the vastness of what he had left undone. There flashed through his brain, clearer than ever before, the blue of Adriatic water, the yellow of Algerian sands....and Paul dropped back into the immense design of things."

from "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament" by Willa Cather, one of my favorite short stories. Are short stories more effective as literature than novels? They are for me - due primarily to a deficit of reading persistence.

This one's a half-hour read, click above if so inclined.

I dig the last phrase: back into the immense design of things.

"What is that, some sort of Eastern thing?" - The Dude

2008-08-01T00:46:00.009-04:00

No difference between who I am and who I could be.

Realization that you already know this: a
Stealth train, relentlessly crushing my mind.

Abandonment and acceptance: not a destination,
Only a deserted track with no end.

Hope? All I can achieve is to forget.

Power to become more than I can be
Does not come from me.

It comes from you.

photos i didn't take

2008-07-13T20:39:00.027-04:00

one of food i didn't eat: parisian shellfish

From big steps + l...

pumpkin portraiture

From big steps + l...

everything burns

From big steps + l...

especially eggplant parmesan in the shiny pan [delicious]

From big steps + l...

$25 per methane producing, dry-aged pound

From big steps + l...

[lobsters]

From big steps + l...

I'm Not There

2008-06-22T13:12:00.007-04:00

Tobias = Ginsberg

guilty cognition

2008-06-19T20:18:00.009-04:00

come on, max,

say you're sorry.

i'm sorry.

it's only me, it's not my mind.

said max, the single-celled organism.

2008-06-18T12:47:00.008-04:00

an·thro·po·cen·tric - adjective

Regarding humans as the central element of the universe.
Interpreting reality exclusively in terms of human values and experience.

occupy

2008-06-07T21:47:00.012-04:00

fear explodes
distraction turns to ash
no key unchains self from me
thunderstorms and morning light
a thread stitching all things
whispering, "I miss you"
and it won't stop
I won't let it

Cry Love

2008-05-23T16:32:00.016-04:00

Arrested Development is like an onion. It's delicious. I like garlic, too. Cheers, AD, you laser beam of crispy goodness piercing the smog and drudgery of our daily existence.

Just heard John Hiatt's "Cry Love" (featured in Episode 4, "Key Decisions") on XPN. Nice.

Avoidance Deportment:

Believe over thinking
Forget her by drinking
Work trumped by wishing
Talk instead of kissing
Laugh to dodge crying
Live instead of dying

2008-05-01T21:55:00.001-04:00

Wilco @ Grand Opera House

2008-04-25T18:03:00.008-04:00

I just started listening to Wilco recently. Was first put off by roaring ambient noise crescendoing in some of their songs. Still not sure what that's all about. Digging the sound now. Lyrics are just right - ambiguous enough to project my own experience onto everything, yet avoiding complete nonsense.

Dad waited in line early this morning (5 a.m.) and got tickets for the Grand Opera House show. What a coup! Getting into this one is, like, a major privilege. Everything's coming up Millhouse.

Pastime

2008-04-23T13:03:00.007-04:00

Sometimes life passes by like a baseball game I force myself to watch, unmotivated by the action or outcome.

Sometimes life passes me by when I'm forcing myself to watch a baseball game.

It's OK to denigrate the homilies of the United States, unless you are a professional baseball player.

I've been very, very good to baseball. What has it ever done for me?

2008-04-20T15:34:00.009-04:00

T-Shirts: $14.99
Sizes: S,M,L,XL
Colors: White, Black
100% Cotton

Got a light?

2008-04-17T13:52:00.027-04:00

They took away my light.
You said I can't play with fire.
With the flame gone I was angry,
Scared, ashamed that I had come to
Depend on how it made things bright.
Paralyzed, thrashing in darkness;
Convinced I needed that sight.

I never would have seen the sun
If you hadn't taken away my light.

from The Night, Love Lost
P.T. Roll

A Drinking Song

2008-04-16T16:57:00.007-04:00

Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift my glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.

A Drinking Song
W.B. Yeats

The War on ____, Free Speech Zones, Panopticon Society

2008-03-16T23:53:00.012-04:00

Here is the entirety of an earlier quoted piece by Ron Paul
(from post "Fear is a Renewable Resource"):

Freedom vs. Security: A False Choice, June 2, 2004

In recent days administration officials have warned the nation about possible terrorist attacks, subjecting us once again to color-coded threat charts and puzzling admonitions to go about our lives as usual. The message is clear: grave danger surrounds us, but ordinary citizens should do nothing and trust the government take care of it.

But the obvious lesson of September 11th is that government cannot protect us. Even with trillions of tax dollars spent on “defense,” hijacked planes flew unchallenged over our skies and attacked national symbols of business and government. Yet now we’re told to put even more faith into the same bureaucracies that failed us so miserably in the past? Self-reliance and self-defense are American virtues; trembling reliance on the illusion of government-provided security is not.

It's easy for elected officials in Washington to tell Americans that government will do whatever it takes to defeat terrorism, but it’s your freedom and your tax dollars at stake – not theirs. The history of the 20th century demonstrates that the Constitution is violated most egregiously during times of crisis. Many of our worst unconstitutional agencies and programs began during the two world wars and the Depression, when the public was anxious and willing to view government as a savior and protector. Ironically, the Constitution itself was conceived in a time of great crisis. The founders intended to place inviolable restrictions on what the federal government could do even in times of great distress. America must guard against current calls for government to violate the Constitution – meaning break the law – in the name of law enforcement.

The misnamed Patriot Act, presented to the public as an anti-terrorism measure, actually focuses on American citizens rather than foreign terrorists. For example, the definition of "terrorism" for federal criminal purposes has been greatly expanded; future administrations may consider you a terrorist if you belong to a pro-gun group, a citizen militia, or a pro-life organization. Legitimate protest against the government could place you (and tens of thousands of other Americans) under federal surveillance. Similarly, your internet use can be monitored without your knowledge, and your internet provider can be forced to hand over user information to law enforcement without a warrant or subpoena.

The biggest problem with these new law enforcement powers is that they bear little relationship to fighting terrorism. Surveillance powers are greatly expanded, while checks and balances on government are greatly reduced. Most of the provisions have been sought after by domestic law enforcement agencies for years, not to fight terrorism, but rather to increase their police power over the American people. The federal government has made no showing that it failed to detect or prevent the September 11th attacks because of the civil liberties that will be compromised by this new legislation.

America was founded by men who understood that the threat of domestic tyranny is as great as any threat from abroad. If we want to be worthy of their legacy, we must resist the rush toward ever-increasing state control of our society. Otherwise, our own government will become a greater threat to our freedoms than any foreign terrorist.

Volume Knob

2008-03-14T18:10:00.002-04:00

A.M. and P.M. are short for Latin ante meridiem and post meridiem.

ouch, my car

2008-03-08T14:02:00.012-05:00

crashing cars
in his brain
keep him tied
up to a dream
and only she
can set him
free

Got home last night after running out to pick up a bottle of Kettle One. The seal seemed to be broken, so after some deliberation I decided to return it to the liquor store. Waiting to turn left into the shopping center ***CRUNCH*** kicked in the back by a thousand donkeys (actually, one donkey driving a Pontiac).

No warning, no squeal of breaks – just smash.
Subaru was tossed about 80 feet down the road.
My neck hurts.

2008-03-04T09:54:00.004-05:00

en·nui - noun

a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom

ups/downs

2008-02-27T19:44:00.030-05:00

I have a recurring dream where I'm in a moving vehicle (definitely a convertible) that goes over a series of ups/downs in the road. Each time a peak is reached I levitate a little bit and then plunk back into the car. The dream feels just like the hollowness I've experienced in my waking life when driving over a rise, that lifting/dropping sensation. In the dream I hold on so I won't drift up (no seatbelts on this ride). Eventually I hit the big bump, and I can't hold on, my seat escapes below me, and I'm floating up and over the road... distinctly aware of the eminent impact.

One variation: being in a train that goes through the same process – lifting off the rails at the top of a big rise and floating upward and out of control. Free from the tracks for a moment, but ultimately under the influence of gravity.

It's numbingly terrifying. Speaking of dropping... Jerrrrrsey!

On the plus side, there's Duckman:

"And a pedigreed golden retriever. Because pedigreed is good."
Check out the full episodes on YouTube, this show rocks.

Fear is a Renewable Resource

2008-02-20T15:35:00.022-05:00

"America was founded by men who understood that the threat of domestic tyranny is as great as any threat from abroad. If we want to be worthy of their legacy, we must resist the rush toward ever-increasing state control of our society. Otherwise, our own government will become a greater threat to our freedoms than any foreign terrorist."

– Ron Paul, from Freedom vs. Security: A False Choice

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

– John "Q-Tip" Adams

Perhaps the application of the second quote is to do the right thing even (especially) when the wall of opposition seems insurmountable. Now, where did I put my "The Good and You" reference guide? Often it is speciously simple to ossify what the right thing is. In many situations it becomes a matter of perspective. An example is the spectrum of viewpoints on current military action by the United States.

I have encountered, and at times been a self-contained example of, an array of conflicting beliefs held by the highest conviction as being right. I find it epistemologically problematic when people hold contradictory, irreconcilable absolutes. If, as Lennon/McCartney placed in addled words, "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together," then I feel a shared culpability for others' absolutes, as they could easily have been my own. This affliction of empathy is uncommon amongst the highly polarized/politicized compartments of Democrats and Republicans. The team-mentality of election time in the U.S. is a playful outcropping of a deep need for "Us and Them," a deadly way of alleviating our personal fear and guilt by clinging to a group dependent on each other for survival.

I think we are each imbued with an innate sense or intuition for the good, although that intuition requires empirical honing. That honing should include drawing on the collective experience of history to augment our individual lens for the world. My personal intuition about implementing the good has been very haze-y in recent years, but some developments have emerged. "Revolution is dead." "Why bother?" "There is nothing new under the sun." Lazy pessimism. The battle of wills that has raged for the millennia is a race toward death, but there is, perhaps, another way. It involves withdrawal and self-sacrifice, not revivalist coercion or militant fascism. Thomas Jefferson wrote:

"To preserve the freedom of the human mind and freedom of the press, every spirit should be ready to devote itself to martyrdom; for as long as we may think as we will, and speak as we think, the condition of man will proceed in improvement."

It's all about Freeeedom, man. Liberty. Not the vacuous hedonism of self-destruction and dogmatic nihilism. Nor the false construct of mystical superstition. I appreciate the inclusion of "freedom of the press" as a sibling to "freedom of the human mind." The communication of ideas, education by a variety of perspectives, is the best hope for the improvement of the condition of man.

I was looking for a clip from King of the Hill where Dale Gribble (a cartoon hero of mine) is using bookstore basement as a firing range.

"And so we say farewell to A Farewell to Arms."
[Blasts a giant hole through the dangling book.]

Copyright-infringement-free YouTube has failed me, but I did come across this, which seemed relevant (and priggishly obscure) enough:

The Minute Men perform "King of the Hill" – I checked out some more of their stuff. Don't really care for the sound, a kind of frantic, strained, ska-punk-pop. And thought the production value of this video was pretty childish (ok, I like the part where the big dude rolls down the hill). But their counterculture appeal against modern feudalism is cool.

Out of Time, Out of the Muck

2008-02-08T12:39:00.006-05:00

"Out of the muck" is derivative poker terminology for off the ground or up to speed (i.e. – "Finally, this game is out of the muck"). Which is odd, because muck refers to the discard pile at a poker table. Maybe it is slightly pejorative, muck, since it also can be used as a verb; to fold. And folding is lame.

a·nach·ro·nism - noun

Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time.

An error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one.

The Grand!

2008-02-06T16:01:00.002-05:00

Yes, Gabe Kaplan is in this movie. And David Cross:
How did you learn to play poker?
"By playing darts."

YouTube!

2008-02-06T09:35:00.001-05:00

I'm seeing a lot of questionable exclamation points recently.

What about exclamatory question marks – Who's on stage?

Cheers, YouTube, for being so conducive to lazy blogging.

Fecund Mind

2008-01-21T14:43:00.004-05:00

"During asparagus season, members are requested not to relieve themselves in the hatstand."

Sniffing for a solution to another of life's great mysteries, I went straight to the source (previously effective in illuminating pompatus).

From big steps + l...

Found that the smell in urine produced by ingesting asparagus is attributed to thioacrylate and thiopropionate, stinky compounds known as thioesters – according to the 1975 findings of UCSD chemist Robert White. The metabolic processes by which the chemicals are formed in urine were not determined by that study.

Mystery prevails.

"Love. A urine mirage in a desert of fear."

P.S. – just because fecund sounds like it has something to do with bodily functions doesn't make it so.

Mr. Pitiful

2008-01-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

"Unfamiliar Faces" new album from Matt Costa release tomorrow (1/22/08 - big day for the Gloucester Township Municipal Court).

Single out now, you can see the video on YouTube and others on mattcosta.com

Since I can't embed here, you get "It Makes No Difference" from Scorcese film of The Last Waltz:

2008-01-11T19:36:00.007-05:00

en·tro·py - noun

A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.
A measure for the loss of information in a transmitted message.
The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

mac_attack

2007-12-22T15:14:00.001-05:00

I was watching a show about Ralph Nader last night on PBS. Seemed to have a pro-Nader, pro-third-party slant, maybe not. there were a number of interviews with former "Nader's Raiders" (from Ralph's days as a consumer/political watchdog in decades past) decrying his "spoiling" of the Dems (Gore, then Kerry) by running on a third-party ticket. I laughed. Nader stated that there wasn't "a dime's worth of difference between the two parties;" everyone's in the pocket of corporations and special interests.

He referenced the stature and glory of politics in its birthplace, ancient Greece. Now the word has a worse than negative connotation. Politician is never far from crook, liar, self-server in most people's minds. The only thing that keeps us committed to the political process is a ritualistic cycle of self-delusion, induced at election time. People convince themselves, chant "Hooray for our side!" then run to the polls. Each time a lesser-of-two-evils is elected, both parties are innately enabled to become more evil. It's not a two-party system – it's a sham perpetrated by the oligarchy.

I tell people that I don't vote. I support the system implicitly by understanding that real power is not held by the population and its ability to vote.

And I let it be.

Voters don't like hearing this, and respond:
You can't complain if you don't vote. Voting is your voice. Every vote counts. It's your sacred right as an american. Or the most popular: you HAVE to vote.

Amusing, these demo-fascists, trying to force their beliefs about voting in america on me. Maybe the american public has been so conditioned (by who, I wonder) to associate their participation in voting with liberty and democracy that any contradiction to such a notion seems like heresy. Proselytizing ensues.

ANYWAY, I did speak up at my former place of employment. Subjugation to incompetent tyranny was the response mandated after my voice was heard. So I quit/was fired. So much for the stature and glory of small-business. Here's my new place of employment:

Working from home. Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse - a terrible autonomy, so to speak. Going well so far.

2007-11-17T15:36:00.003-05:00

zeit·geist - noun

The general moral, intellectual, and cultural climate of an era; zeitgeist is German for “time-spirit.” For example, the zeitgeist of England in the Victorian period included a belief in industrial progress, and the zeitgeist of the 1980s in the United States was a belief in the power of money and the many ways in which to spend it.

shrimp

2007-11-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

here are some pictures of half eaten meals:

curry shrimp (w. pineapple, peppers, zuchini, broccoli, jasmine rice)
takeout from jean wong's @ wilmington riverfront market

pocono mountain & new orleans (shrimp, crab, aparagus, tobiko roe, masago) w. kettleone/clubsoda @ mikimotos, wilmington

old bay shrimp w. side salad & bloody mary (and chicken wing)
steelers v. browns/eagles v. redskins @ timothy's, newark

superPOST (#100)

2007-11-08T11:46:00.011-05:00

What exists?

on·to·logy - noun

the study of conceptions of reality and the nature of being.

on·to·log·i·cal - adjective

Of or relating to ontology.
Of or relating to essence or the nature of being.
Of or relating to the argument for the existence of God holding that the existence of the concept of God entails the existence of God.

In the 11th century Anselm argued the existence of God a priori (from what comes before). Without a lot of philosophy jargon: God exists because the concept of God exists (see definition #3 above). A similar ontological foundation was put forth by Descartes hundreds of years later: "I think, therefore I am."

Two holes:
a. this argument limits the being of God to a human cognitive scale
b. the concept of a unicorn also exists

What exists?
Tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and Grey Goose Le'Citron

A fine meal served at La Tolteca Express, particularly notable since I was the only patron in the entire restaurant.

"Hell is other people."
- Sartre

. .. ... .. . .. ... .. . .. And For Good Measure ... .. . .. ... .. . .. ... .. .

"Two of the greatest poker minds." Bear in mind that they're playing with their own CASH. That's what makes GSN's "High Stakes Poker" the best on television. Also Gabe Kaplan's masterful commentary.

If you really want to feel sick (or schadenfreude), check out this hand between Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu.

2007-11-06T14:08:00.002-05:00

scha·den·freu·de - noun

Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.

"What a fearful thing is it that any language should have a word expressive of the pleasure which men feel at the calamities of others; for the existence of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing. And yet in more than one such a word is found."

distinction

2007-11-02T12:31:00.001-04:00

egoist

A self-centered or selfish person.
An adherent of the metaphysical principle of the ego, or self; a solipsist.

egotist

A conceited, boastful person.
A selfish, self-centered person.

It appears that an egotist may be an egoist, but not necessarily the other way around.

capitalism

2007-11-01T12:36:00.000-04:00

"Again, how immeasurably greater is the pleasure, when a man feels a thing to be his own; for surely the love of self is a feeling implanted by nature and not given in vain, although selfishness is rightly censured; this, however, is not the mere love of self, but the love of self in excess, like the miser's love of money; for all, or almost all, men love money and other such objects in a measure. And further, there is the greatest pleasure in doing a kindness or service to friends or guests or companions, which can only be rendered when a man has private property."
[Wikipedia: Homo Economicus]

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
Phillippians 2:3-4

12.03.2007 Update:
I finished reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. In this work of fiction, Rand's Objectivist philosophy registers loud and clear. She espouses a perspective of socio-economics founded on the merit of the individual. Not simply capitalism for the low sake of profiting second-rate owners (see: Jim Johnson), but a world in which each individual is empowered to achieve, an end to themselves. The historical setting in which Rand wrote (Fountainhead was published in 1943) was a factor, I believe, since much of her underlying ideology seems to be a reaction to communist socialism. The idea that "the Masses" are to be served as a chief end disgusts Rand, who believes only mediocrity and suffering can result (see: Pol Pot). I tend to agree.

2007-10-23T11:09:00.000-04:00

Who are you?

Where does the world come from?

Fillmore NYC - Irving Plaza

2007-10-18T13:13:00.000-04:00

Went all right, show started a little late.

We roll into the city via the Holland Tunnel around 7 pm. Found a ridiculous parking spot at Irving Plaza about two blocks from the show. Only a block in the other direction to Pete's Tavern for dinner and drinks (another claiming oldest bar in NYC) - pasta primevera had 8 cloves of garlic.

Long line to get into Fillmore at 9:30 (doors opened at 8) and Eisley has not gone on the stage yet. Mute Math starts before 11 pm and plays their typical hour and a half set - consistently brilliant live performance enhanced by real-time and recorded video displays (cool addition to the 'tube wall' lights)

Highlights:
Stand-up bass for "Stare at the Sun/Obsolete"
Darren standing on drum hoisted by crowd during "Break the Same"
PECULIAR PEOPLE - finally!
The NYC audience

Great concert.

Hegemony

2007-10-12T15:26:00.001-04:00

Ohio National Guardsmen fire on student protestors at Kent State University, Ohio, killing 4 and wounding 16. May 4, 1970

"When President Richard Nixon said he was sending troops to Cambodia, the nation’s colleges erupted in protest. At Kent State some threw rocks. The Ohio National Guard, called in to quell the turmoil, suddenly turned and fired, killing four; two were simply walking to class. This photo captured a pivotal moment: American soldiers had just killed American kids."

Contemporary implementation of the "convert or die" paradigm. Use of force to control the behavior of others. Power and physical domination - but more commonly the threat of harm, pain, suffering.

How do you convert someone who isn't afraid to burn?

Precision Color Graphics

2007-09-27T12:04:00.001-04:00

Will there be any fallout from Parcels following the great divorce? Time will tell. In the meantime, PCG is up an running - fully functional. And I've got my own office (status boost!).

Children. Fun and games.

Oppression

2007-09-12T13:25:00.001-04:00

"H2" (Hydrant) violation: $45
The funny thing is that I didn't move the car to take this picture - which I certainly would have...

Three Day Weekend

2007-09-05T12:45:00.000-04:00

2007-08-28T18:14:00.002-04:00

al·tru·ism - noun

Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness (as opposed to egoism)
Zoology. Instinctive behavior that is detrimental to the individual but favors the survival or spread of that individual's genes, as by benefiting its relatives.

Deutsche Bank Championship

2007-08-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

"This Labor Day weekend the top 120 players will converge at TPC Boston to compete for their share of the $7M championship purse, but only the top 70 will move on to the next round.
Momentum is building around the first ever PGA TOUR Playoffs and all are in pursuit of the FedExCup title and the single largest bonus payout in sports, $10M."

got tix to sunday and monday (labor day finish) -- can't wait, should be some kind of something.

Tiger at TPC Boston (on sunday, i guess)
look for updates on proposition bets and from the tourney itself.

11:10 PM -- I'm taking 14:1 ($140:10) on Brandt Snedeker to place in the top 5 in Boston. Get there.

2007-08-24T14:54:00.002-04:00

ol·i·gar·chy - noun

form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few

The World

2007-08-21T19:24:00.000-04:00

been reading BLDG/BLOG...consistently excellent content - def check it out

bumped into this link to interesting article (newleftreview - pinkos!) about DUBAI - the middle east's burgeoning superfabulous bourgeois playground [trans.- "mecca for conspicuous consumption and economic crime."]

below: ski dubai

Dubai is crafting and marketing istelf as the cutting edge for architectural gigantism (likened to the vision for Imperial Berlin) - a hub for premium lifestyles (Rod Stewart spent $33M to reserve his faux "England" sand spit on the private cluster known as The World). Of course, it's a mirage predicated on quintessentially unsustainable oil glut and an indentured workforce of laborers who build and maintain the hotels and theme parks for the superich to spend excessively amongst. Horrifying to the core, or the ultimate consumer wonderland?