Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

A Fair to Remember


Art in the Alley Presents

Yesterday I went to see the Folsom Street Fair. The two entry lines on the low side were around the block. The pervasive dance music (all 26 flavors of disco, all at once) and the cheek to jowl density slowed me down (been there, done that). I stopped on the corner and fell to chatting with a fellow about what was going on inside. He was undressed to the nines and reported that a grand time was being had by all. ( although I suspect he'll be paying for the combination of sunshine and white dungeon butt today). A sub from the Cult of Bruce (Bay Guardian) presumed to hitchhike on our conversation, but couldn't seem to answer certain questions. Such as:

  • What am I being liberated from?
  • What is them's name, address, telephone number or e-mail?
  • Who pays the cost? ( I already know that answer.)

My leather accoutrements consist of a pair of black cowboy boots and a well-worn tool belt. (Don't think about this one, it's just plain scary). Useful, but lacking that Mr. S flair shown by the other fairgoers. So I decided to take my unliberated, non-hot tuchis and go see Byren and Serena (previous post) On my way home I came across a little fair that fit my mood a great deal better.

A Fair to Remember was next to Vesuvio in North Beach. It had a DJ, granted, but he was operating at under 15,000 watts. Artists had set out their wares, and people from the neighborhood were standing around, enjoying the sun and each other. No food booths were up, but if you couldn't find a nosh where Chinatown meets North beach, you weren't hungry anyway. I guess some fairs work best as giant inculcation spectacles, and some are planned with people's enjoyment in mind.

Brandide and its Kin

According to Larousse Gastronomique, brandide is: A purée of salt cod (bacalo), olive oil, and milk, which is a speciality (sic) of Languedoc and Provence. ( garlic and potato were not in the original). Brandade de Moure Nimoise:

Desalt 1 kg salt cod, changing water several times. divide, poach gently, drain bone, and skin. Heat ¾ cup olive oil in flat bottom pan, add cod, crush with wooden spoon. Work cod into a paste while heating gently, remove from heat, incorporate 2 cups olive oil, 1 cup cream, and S&wP. It should resemble and be the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Cooks like to show off their chops, ( as do we all ) and simple dishes get subsumed into extravaganzas. Dominique Macquet offers Lemongrass Brandade Galette with Tamarind and Coconut Relish, with Caramelized Fennel-Shrimp Broth in his New Orleans restaurant. If you don't have a sous chef, a specialty purveyor, a large pot of shrimp stock on the stove, and several go-fers, it may be best to let him make it and you sit and enjoy it. For reference, the recipe is in August 2002, Louisiana Cookin' or his book Dominique's Fresh Flavors. A sub-assembly (the relish) you might use next spring is as follows:

Peel and grate 1 coconut, reserve 1 cup milk. Purée 2 pcs tamarind (seeded), 3T olive oil, 1t ginger juice, 1 jalapeño (seeded, juiced) 1 clove garlic, and reserved coconut milk. Add coconut, 1t fresh cilantro, 1t fresh mint, S&P.

Now this brings us to an Americanized variation. It's a bit lighter, much tamer, ( farmhouse be gone) and uses easier to obtain ingredients. Used as an appetizer, antipasto, or small plate. From the SF Chronicle 9/20/09.

  • Boil 8 oz Yukon Gold until tender, rub off skin, rice, S&P, let cool. Sauté ¼ c minced onion and clove garlic until clear. Process onion and garlic with 8 oz smoked trout, 3 T olive oil and 2 T cool water. When smooth add potato, pinch of cayenne, 2 more T olive oil and ¼ cup manufacturing (whipping) cream. Spoon into ramekins or baking dish, cover, let rest.
  • At Service: Let the dish come to room temperature. Sprinkle top with Panko, bring to heat in 350° oven and use the salamander if the top still needs browning. Use as a dip, spread for bruschetta, or put on some pretty-pretty for use as a small plate casserole.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

San Francisco Jiggles


A Jello Marina

Liz Hickok made a model of San Francisco in Jello. I'm reaching for something clever to say,but I suspect it would reveal more about my past peccadillos then I care to share in a public blog

Via: Bioephemera

Party at Byren's Place


Byron and Serena

Byren turns one today. He's celebrating his birthday by riding Mom around, finding new things to get into, and hanging with his sister. At the time of the photo (about 1:00) he was considering a nap, but couldn't quite make up his mind on the matter.

Sunday Links


Stairway near Embarcadero Center

We had a fire on Friday just a few doors down. Link I was at work and didn't know about it until I rounded the corner on my way home. When you see fire engines, police lines, and blackened smoking junk on the sidewalk by your door, you become clear on the meaning of "this ain't good." The rest of the post is my usual Sunday morning link-dump, then it's off for coffee and a nice sunny day with no plans.

Enjoy

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Norwegian Star


I spent the 23rd, 24th and the 25th, on Pier 32. The Norwegian Star docked as part of a cruise, and its passengers were given the day to explore San Francisco. The job was to set up a Marsec 1 processing facility, and my part was to power it.

Apparently, Norwegian Cruise Lines has something of a reputation for just dumping passengers into the city and crossing their fingers. After being processed through homeland, who can even keep the city and dock location a secret (i.e. not very helpful) the passengers found us. "He's wearing a tool belt, he must know where we are." Pretty soon a rhythm was established.

  • Tell the driver to bring you back to Red's Java Hut. Nothing else has signs, but everyone knows where Red's is.
  • We've got a guy at the front gate waving a taxi sign, as soon as we nab one, it's yours.
  • Coffee emergencies: (apparently the ship serves bilge water ) Red's for a cup, or continue on past the giant bow and arrow to the clocktower for the real deal.
  • Fisherman's Wharf: That way and don't say I didn't warn you.

Pier 32 is a huge slab of broken concrete, tar, and chain link, sticking out into the bay. It seems that a city that prides itself on shunning every industry except tourism might want to fix up its dock facilities a bit. There were 2,200+ people on that ship with cash in pocket. No city representative, no maps, catch as catch can with the taxis and a giant iron plate over the hole a semi made a few weeks back. Note to circus of supervisors: more ships = more tourists = more income. So skip the soda tax, bait the darn hook, and invest in fixing it.

Security


The Norwegian Star is in port (pier 32), And Fleet Week is coming up. No one is above suspicion.


Image via: Anthony

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Nudge a Melody


Another little music app. Nudge acts like an eight voice, sixteen step sequencer. Set up a little melody on the matrix ( right click for a note ), set a tempo, and hit go. Stack your voices, make a canon, or just let it bloop and bleep. Have fun.

Corn Cooked Properly


There are about a million corn recipes. Ten percent of these involve corn on the cob.
  • Roasted Corn
  • Barbequed Corn w/ Lemon-Chipotle
  • Baby Corn Chow Fan
  • Corn Oysters
  • Grilled w/fancy sauce du jour
  • And so on
All these recipes are well and good,but in truth, they are just ways of dealing with corn that's not fresh. Ask any farm kid about corn and you will find two recipes. Having tried both, I can say, with no reservations, that all the others apply only when you don't have a field handy.
  • Go to the field at mid-day, shuck an ear, eat it.
  • Put a pot of salted water to the boil, go to the field, shuck the corn, run back to the pot and cook the corn (I go for ten seconds, some others recommend as long as a minute), slather on way too much butter, salt to taste, eat it.
  • Image from Book of Joe

Monday, September 21, 2009

Autumn Festival


This weekend was a busy time for both Classic Party and Abby rentals. A fair by the park in N Beach on Saturday, an event by St. Francis of Assisi Church on Vallejo, and the Moon Festival in Chinatown. The ¡Ándele-¡Ándele army was out in force setting up what had to be every white tent, chair, and table in the warehouse. The Autumn Moon Festival was packed to the gills on both days and pretty much spilled into the surrounding area. As usual, a neighborhood event for the family, the kids, grandma, and the neighbors, has turned into a corporate extravaganza. Once, long ago, you had your choice of moon cakes at one of the little shops. A buck and change bought you a sweet bean cake (my personal favorite) or one stuffed with pork or any of twenty others, along with a napkin and the room to eat it. In the new and improved now, you can stand in line at the Safeway exhibit and get a cellophane wrapped package of ten, containing a stabilized high-fructose substance, with genuine oriental flavor, and a shopping bag for use at the other exhibits. Not quite the same, but the secret is that when the weekend's over, the corporations go away and the little bakeshop remains.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Cloud Computing

Introduction to Cloud Computing Architecture

Cat Herding

Thanks: Milk and Cookies

I road managed some bands for a time, the urban form of cat herding.

Linkdump


Enterance Area by Embarcadero

Time's tight this week. This will have to be in the form of a linkdump.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Friday, September 18, 2009

Moondog


We're from New York, darn it.

I stumbled across an article in a pile of old magazines ( Wilson's Quarterly; Autumn '07 ) about Moondog. In 1954, the N.Y. court adjudicated the case Hardin v. Freed. ( Moondog, nee Louis Thomas Hardin and Alan Freed, big time DJ ) Freed claimed that Hardin was infringing on his trademarked name and his audience was being mislead and his value was being diminished. Hardin was a blind man, living on the streets, dressed as a Viking wizard, and playing avant-garde compositions. Freed was a DJ at WINS, i.e. not a waco. You would think the issue was foregone, but testimony by some heavy hitters (Benny Goodman, Arturo Toscanini ) and the fact that Hardin recorded as Moondog before Freed trademarked the name saved the day. Freed would soon see the inside of the courtroom again when that little payola matter came up.

I met Moondog once. In Utica N.Y., in the summer of '72, he just sort of wandered into town. Trust me, there are very few six foot, blind, Viking wizards in Utica, then or now. My friends and I showed him around, so to speak, listened to stories, rustled up some dinner, and gave him a couch to sleep on. The next day we packed him a lunch and took him to the throughway entrance, and down the road he went. Today, looking back, I wish I'd had the sense to write down some of those stories.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Dirk Dirksen Place

Dirk Dirksen Place

I walk by this little loading area all the time, but didn't notice the name change until yesterday. In days gone by it was Rowland Alley, loading dock for the Mab and The On Broadway. (Mab, door to the left, On Broadway, a set of hinged stairs with a fairly steep angle leading up, also on the left) The new name is Dirk Dirksen Place. A sidewalk plaque reads:

Shut up, you animals: Dirk Dirksen (1937 - 2006), ringmaster of the circus of the creatively inspired, and the willfully deranged, presided as Pope of Punk over nightly excursions into living theater on the premises 1974 - 1984 at Ness Aquino's Mabuhay Gardens, previously a Filipino supper club. He opened the lid on society's garbage can of new talent to look for truth and beauty that gave rise to San Francisco's counter-culture music scene.

I don't remember Dirksen being referred to as Pope of anything, and the fab part of Fab Mab was a newspaper invention. Later, the club became the Red Velvet Lounge ( bridge and tunnel ), The Stone ( across the street ) became a strip joint, Morty's closed and sits waiting, and the Chi-Chi club is now private. As I mentioned: in days gone by.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo is properly an à la minute service. All the tricks for stabilizing the sauce ( box mix from Colloids 'R' Us, flour, Parmigen flakes in a bag ) yield a fragrant wallpaper paste, but don't do justice to the real thing. As is the norm for simple recipes, buy the good stuff and work quickly. You can't hide behind a long list of ingredients. Since Fettuccine Alfredo is very rich, and sets rather quickly, its best position is as a quick lunch, appetizer, or as a primi piatti. Have your mise en place ready. If you have to hunt for the nutmeg, the dish will go south and you'll get sent back to the dishroom.

  • Prep: Bring your pasta water up to heat and salt it. Grate or shave 1½ oz Parmigiano-Reggiano per four servings.(¾ cup) Reduce 1 cup heavy cream or manufacturing cream ( again per 4 servings ) to 2/3 cup.
  • Service: Put a ladle's worth of boiling water into the serving bowls. Drop 9 oz fresh fettuccine. Put 2/3 cup reduced cream, 1/2 cup fresh cream, two twists black pepper, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, a pinch of kosher, and bring to heat. When the fettuccine floats, add it to the pan along with the ¾ cup cheese and 1/8 t of nutmeg (notes). Simmer and toss until cheese incorporates, thin with ¼ cup pasta water, toss some more. Empty water from bowls (should be hot) divide pasta, and get it over the rail.
  • Notes: Nutmeg should be fresh. Use a nutmeg nut and grater. More is not better. Nutmeg is a strong spice, so balanced is better. On cream; reduced cream has a velvet mouthfeel, but tastes rather blah. The addition of the fresh cream remedies this. Adding the pasta water yields an initially thin sauce, but the starch in it will thicken by the time you get it to the table. It adds a bit of flavor, and gives you a bit more time to work with. The same thing goes for preheating the bowls with boiling water. Don't monkey around with measuring cups or one size fits all, get the correct size ladle, get the correct amount to the pan, and get on with it.

Cheesy Art

Centerpiece made of Cheese

For those of you who don't have a walk-in freezer large enough to do centerpiece ice sculptures, get a big hunk-o-cheese and...

Via: Unorthodox Chef

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I'll be Watching You

These glasses with a built-in video camera allow you to discreetly record all that you see. The 0.3MP pinhole camera is located in the bridge, providing 320 x 240 resolution for AVI videos. Up to 2-1/2 hours of video can be recorded directly onto the built-in 2GB memory. The left temple's frame houses a slot that accommodates a microSD card for additional memory storage. Videos can be copied to a computer running Windows XP/Vista using the built-in USB port and included cable. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to two hours of recording from a two-hour charge using the included AC adapter. Plastic lenses have UV-400 coatings.

I know I could develop this post in several directions, but I ain't going there. You decide what you think about one more surveillance tool in general circulation. And just to give that creepy feeling a boost, I saw an ad for a laser interferometer, optomised for audio frequencies, for under three hundred dollars. Just the thing for all the budding Nancy Graces. Build yourself a boogie-man, win some advertising dollars.

Via: Book of Joe

Monday, September 14, 2009

Jim Carroll

Jim Carroll .. August 1, 1950 – September 11, 2009 ... R.I.P.

Chocolate Brownies

Here's the deal. Brownies have already been invented and perfected. It's done. Box mixes, containing the new and improved whatever the heck don't save time, while complicated recipes by a leading pâtissier might yield excellent deserts, but we want brownies. ( hold the pistachios and varaq )

  • Preheat the oven to 325° Line a 13" x 9" baking pan with foil or parchment ( allow to hang over the edge ) and spray. Optional: Toast 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
  • Whisk together 1¼ cup cake flour (not A.P.), ½ teaspoon of salt, ¾ teaspoons baking powder. set aside.
  • Melt 1½ sticks unsalted butter and 6 oz of unsweetened chocolate in a stainless bowl over simmering water. When smooth, remove to counter and whisk in 2½ cups sugar, then 4 eggs, one at a time. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract then use spatula to fold in flour mixture. ( do it in thirds so you don't clump)
  • Pan it, sprinkle on nuts if using, bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on rack.

Notes: When melting chocolate, don't let steam or moisture hit it, it might seize. Yes, all purpose flour will work, but cake flour is what you want. If you're using an uncalibrated oven, go with the middle shelf and keep a close eye on the time.

Sated Sweet Tooth

I didn't think such a thing was possible, but one can eat too much chocolate. The Ghirardelli square's Chocolate Festival ( Sat + Sun ) had a stage at one end ( Third Ear Sound) , a place for food demonstrations in the mall area, and tent after tent after tent representing various chocolate oriented businesses. A nibble here, a sample there, a comparison of this milling process to that blend, and so on. Dinner was not an issue.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

They're Here

Ilya Stavinsky says:

UFOs not only visit our earth but also live in the Earth's atmosphere at a distance 30 - 70 km. Above my city of Park Ridge, I counted more than 100 UFOs and the same number in the neighboring cities of Montvale and Saddle River. I visited New York City, where over Manhattan I counted more than 100 UFOs in the area of 86 Street and Broadway.

I have an Uncle who lives in Saddle River ( NJ ) and several cousins who grew up there and not a single one has bought this to my attention.

From: The Presurfer

PHD Comics

PHD comics

Click Comic to Enlarge

Link Dump

Morning: Broadway x Kearny

I dropped the content on notepad rather late last night, and now I'm paying the price with cranky HTML. The computer insists on having the quotation marks and spaces where it wants them, which is not necessarily where I put them. This post is bought to you by the edit function.

Fall is on its way. Have a good one.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Pre-Marvel Disney

The third cartoon released by Disney. Directed by Ub Iwerks, it was the first Disney cartoon to feature synchronized sound. Disney used Pat Powers' Cinephone system, created by Powers using Lee De Forest's Phonofilm system without giving De Forest any credit, a business move he repeated often.

Devil lives in N.Cal

Tom Waits plays the Devil in the upcoming Terry Gilliam film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus due out October 13.

Works for me

Thursday, September 10, 2009

More Useless Sophistication

California Representative: Michael Duvall

Family values Mike got busted. Already with the denials, higher standards, rehab, deeply saddened, and massive bla-bla. Setting aside the effective red herring of morality, what really ticks people off, liberal, conservative, and real, is that the leadership of both sides consider themselves exempt from the very laws they enact. In an ostensibly classless, democratic republic, this raises some hackles. A number of government theorists and schools teach that a certain sophistication is needed in evaluating these incidents. Government as parens patriae and so on. Baloney. Walk it like you talk it.

Getting in Trouble

via Susan

Hollywood II

Robert Zemeckis is negotiations to direct a remake of Yellow Submarine for Disney, says The Hollywood Reporter. Like all Zemeckis productions, the film would be done in performance capture and would also be a digital 3D endeavor. Disney is still negotiating for the music.

If I remember correctly, one of the definitions of decadence is useless sophistication. The Prisoner (II), Ghost in the Shell (Live action), Popeye (Robin Willams riffing on Max Fleischer): hardly anyone thinks the improvments were improvments. East European and Japanese animation houses, Bollywood, and English soundstages are currently producers of choice. When, not if, they decide to disintermediate the dreaded Hollywood Movie Executive... (some of the best westerns were Italian) Strong anti-piracy laws, heartfelt testimony before Congress, and union baiting ain't going to do Jack if the best you got is Land of the Lost (The Movie).

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Levon Helm

Tennessee Jed

The Boy Mayor

I'll fix it.

The brylcreem boy is falling in the money race, the polls, and in a great many people's opinion. He seems to be under the impression that tweeting about a Bold, Fresh Idea is the same as accomplishing it. I guess when you're sponsered by the Gettys, handwaving and exclusive parties are sufficent. His plans for governor? Bigger and more exclusive parties, and more tweets.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

8 %

Picture of Paris Hilton at a news Conference in Broumana, Lebanon

Below is a comment by Haiku to an article in Techdirt entitled Only 8% Of Journalist Coverage Of Healthcare Debate Is Actually About The Healthcare System.

A number of years ago I attended a talk given by the managing editor of South Africa's highest-circulation newspaper. His theme was simple:
  • The sole purpose of a newspaper is to sell advertising.
  • Editorials exist simply to fill empty space, i.e. to join the adverts.
  • Only the incredibly naive believe in 'crusading' journalism (or similar) e.g. Watergate.

Based on his criteria I have come to the conclusion that the 'purest' form of journalism is represented by the so-called trade magazines, whose editorials are simply a reprint of the PR company's hand-outs ... 8-)

I agree

The Old Ship Saloon

Pacific x Battery

The Old Ship Saloon is said to be one of the oldest in San Francisco. Its marker reads:

After a 178 day voyage from N.Y. via Cape Horn in 1849, the sailing ship Arkansas arrived in San Francisco Bay. Among her 112 passengers were 76 Methodists, all bound for the gold fields or church propagation. The ship was nearly lost while anchoring off Bird Island, now Alcatraz, then was rowed and purposely grounded in Yerba Buena Cove. Here an entrepreneur cut a hole in her bow, creating an instant saloon. The ships colorful past has included a seaman's bar, boarding house, bordello, and a shanghai-shop.

In days gone by, the water came up as far as Hawthorne St., which is a block and a half up Pacific, so I think you had to access the bar by clamoring over raised walkways, other wreckage and mud. Getting out of the bar later? It was the Barbary Coast, you figure it out.

Next to the bar (left in the picture) is a little ramp. It leads down to a sunken parking area. Across the top, by the street, is a row of Evergreen Pears (Pyrus kawakamii, a native of Taiwan) They produce about a zillion little white flowers every spring and for a short time the sidewalk is covered in petals. It's rather nice while it lasts.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Craymachine

Craymachine

Another fun synth app

Nouc Mam Pla

Making Fish Sauce

Nuoc Mam Cham is the dipping sauce for spring rolls served in Vietnamese restaurants. It customarily comes in a small bowl with shredded carrots on top, and daikon and/or chilies on the side. To make it you need fish sauce (a fermented anchovy product - Nam Pla), which is common here (S.F.), but probably a bit harder to get in some other places. (i.e. Cooperstown in the off season). As a workaround, I've included a vegetarian substitution.

    Simple
  • 1 part lime/lemon juice. Vinegar has also been known to be used in a pinch
  • 1 part fish sauce
  • 1 part sugar
  • 2 parts water
    Workaround
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 1/2 t crushed chili flake
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1/4 c water
    Southern Style
  • 1/4 cup water or fresh coconut juice
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 red chili, seeded, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce

In each case, you make a simple syrup first. (boil the water, melt the sugar in, and let cool), add the other ingredients, toss in some grated carrots, and let it meld. It keeps well, so it's best to make it way ahead of time. Most restaurants make a huge batch (enough to fill a agua fresca jug - several gallons) and portion it with a little ladle. You might not need quite that much for a dinner at home.

Brunch Strata

The day before; Take ten ½" slices of commercial bread (sourdough, Italian, French) and cut the crust off. Air-dry or dry in slow oven. Defrost a 10 oz package of frozen spinach and drain.

The night before; Sauté 4 minced shallots with 2 T butter until clear, squeeze spinach dry, add S&P, and cook until combined. Set aside. Deglaze pan with ½ cup dry white wine and reduce to ¼ cup. Set aside. Spread a little butter on one side of the bread slices, and lightly butter an 8x8 baking pan. Arrange half the slices, butter side up, in one layer. Spread half the spinach mixture in a layer, top with ½ cup grated cheese (I like Gruyère) and repeat for the next layer. Beat 6 eggs into 1¾ cup half & half, add the reduced wine and S&P. Pour over casserole, shake out any bubbles, and cover with plastic wrap. Put a weight on top, a gallon zip-lock with rice works well, and fridge.

Morning service: Pull casserole and let stand while oven is coming to temperature (325°) Uncover and sprinkle with another ½ cup of cheese and bake on middle rack until edges have pulled and center is puffed (about 55 min). Let it stand on a rack before cutting or your portions won't come out clean.

Variations: It's essentially bread pudding with layers. Keep your filling (Asparagus And Crab, sausage and mushroom, etc) relatively dry and match your cheese to the flavor profile of the rest of the meal. Don't overcook, remember that the residual heat will finish the job as it stands. If you absolutely gotta need to get a golden top, use the salamander, some panko, and butter. The recipe will double for a 8x13 pan, just add 5 or 10 minutes to the oven time.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Been There, Done That

Lullatone

Serge modular analog synth

This link is just too much fun. It's a little app (Java I suspect) that lets you paste short percussive sounds into freestanding six second loops. Sort of a build your own musical rain patter background. I spent way too much time on it already, and now it's your turn.

Public Purse

Simon Perry ... The Public Purse

Red granite and stainless steel sculpture of an oversized snap-close change pouch. Located in Melbourne, Australia, within the Bourke Street Mall, with what appears to be a money temple in the background.

Unique Outdoor Sculptures

Odds and Ends

Here are the longer articles I found during the week. Things that really don't lend themselves to a blog format, but are best realized as links. I have a sense that the magnetic monopoles will be very different than Dirac's. Perhaps they found something structural in nature, but the real deal, short of GUT energies is something of a head scratcher. The next step in physics or a byline in Alternative Energy magazine? As for granular spacetime, it's pretty much accepted by the blackboard crew, but we just can't attain the energies needed for validation. Mom Nature is under no such constraint, however.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Living in your art project:

Spiral Shell House

I'm not sure I'd like to make a home in someone's conceptual art project, but I can see this as a killer clam shack.

According to a new study:

Research, published in the Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology, shows men who spend even a few minutes in the company of an attractive woman perform less well in tests designed to measure brain function .

Jeez, who let the cat out of the bag.

Friday, September 4, 2009

415 Records

Saturday, September 5, 415 Records will be having a reunion at Slims. Debora Iyall (Romeo Void) and Peter Dunne (Pearl Harbor), Wire Train, Translator and Ben Bossi (Romeo Void) will be playing.

".. arguably the last time San Francisco boasted a real music scene." Joel Selvin

I think he means the last scene he had any relationship to. There's plenty of music around and lots of fine players. Never the less, it will be nice to see old friends.

Felinophilia

Now of course, no one in my family or circle of friends shows any predilection for excessive felinophilia.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Buddha Pears

via: Book of Joe

I'm told that a Pear in a Bottle works the same way. (Poire William eaux-de-vie) A clear bottle is placed over the bud and the pear forms inside. As for ships in a bottle ....

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Storebought Authenticity

MUNI stop: Kearny x California @ BoA

Just the thing for those boardroom boys looking for some storebought authenticity. On the other hand, there is that guitar collection.Anyone who spends their own money helping luthiers move the craft forward is a good'un by me.

Sore Looser

In response to Disney acquiring Marvel, comes the fan's mash-ups. Superpunch collects a number of them.

Don't Mess With City Hall

Planners wanted Qu to quit his cliffside home to make way for a new village in Liulin, northern China, but were furious when he tried to block their diggers with his car.

Link

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Affordable Glasses

If you wear glasses, you know what they cost. This idea might also work for people that do fine work; engravers, working on circuit cards, inspectors of this or that,etc.

Link

Mozzarella in Carrozza

Making Mozzarella

Here is an easy panini (sandwich). In the classic style, it's deep fried, but that's a difficult sell now.

Cut the crust off of four thick slices of bread (pain de mie, Pullman, or Texas toast) Divide four oz of thin sliced fresh mozzarella in half and stack on two slices. grind a bit of black pepper over them, or if your feeling Italian, some red pepper flakes. Check the mozzarella before you use it. If it's the least bit sour, stop. Go to the deli. It never ceases to amaze me how far ahead some kitchens and stores receive their perishables. (yeah, that should be enough for the next three weeks)

Anyway, beat a large egg into 2/3 cup of milk and add S&P. Slice the sandwiches on a diagonal, and soak them in the mixture. (until moist, not soggy) Set them on a rack for a few minutes to let everything settle out. Pop them into a panini press on medium or grill on a flat-top or in a pan with a weight. Your looking for golden with the cheese just starting to melt. Serve with a tomato salad or just some olive oil for dipping

I know it's a lot of explaining for a fancy grilled cheese sandwich, but in practice you can send them over the rail quickly.

Chandrayaan-I

Chandrayaan-I

India's lunar probe,Chandrayaan-I, has gone dark this weekend. Launched 10/22/08, it was on a mapping mission and successfully released an impact probe. BBC story here and the wire story (AP) here

In a related story, American scientists discover another cure for baldness.