Wednesday, October 28, 2009

EFF Takedown Hall of Shame

Ah, near and dear to the old Stumpy, Dante, Jane Thane of Ohio, and Billy Sam Donnelly crowd:  EFF's Takedown hall of shame.
"Bogus copyright and trademark complaints have threatened all kinds of creative expression on the Internet. EFF's Hall Of Shame collects the worst of the worst."

Worlds collide, in the nicest way

I decided to have a sonnet writing contest in the tech group I manage, requiring a $1 or equivalent entry fee for each sonnet submitted.  The prize is the pot of all the entry fees, plus a diorama submitted by NY staff of a certain tech giant company in a diorama contest I ran last year amongst the various tech companies with which we spend gazillions of dollars.  (The theme of that contest, which had many, many rules, was the Mamas & Papas.  See here for a few images from that contest.)

With some prodding my folks ground out 20 sonnets in a couple of days.  The site I'm posting them to (which will come down in a week) has become the #11 site via google for the surname of our tech-giant rep of the prize-pot diorama.  (Oh, yeah, one of the rules of the contest was the inclusion of his 4 syllable Armenian surname.)  It's a little odd.

I came so close to making another pizza for breakfast - BAM Next Wave

Had the oven fired up.  Was going to go super minimal - seasalt and olive oil.  Then I remembered, Dude, you don't eat breakfast...

Will have to console myself with looking forward to this evening's doo.  Hope to see you local yokels there.

The Long Count

Part of the 2009 Next Wave Festival

Oct 28, 30 & 31 at 8pm

Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner, and Matthew Ritchie

In an inspired collision of creative worlds, three inexhaustibly original artists—brothers Bryce Dessner and Aaron Dessner of indie rock band The National and omnivorous visual art phenomenon Matthew Ritchie—combine talents to create a song-filled myth about the beginning of time. A feast of images, instrumentals, and songs thick with primordial mystery, The Long Count pairs Ritchie's protean forms with a twelve-piece orchestra and the Dessners' gothic mix of electric and orchestral sounds.

Guest vocalists Kim and Kelley Deal (The Breeders, The Pixies), Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), and Matt Berninger (The National) round out the line-up in this visionary collaboration between music and art.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Pizza, I am thy slave

Nuff said.  Refer to Charles & Michele Scicolone's Pizza.  This evening's experiments were a part whole wheat crust with tomato, garlic and anchovy (you can tell Lota was not at home), followed (because there was more dough, not because I could possibly stuff any more food into myself) by a tomato garlic and mozzarella pie. 

Hey, I'm also reading (and eating through) Elizabeth David's 1954 Italian Food, in a recent (10 year old) Penguin edition.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Young at Heart

I'm pretty sure the first time I heard this - or the time I first remember hearing this - was Pooky singing to Soupy...  Damn if this doesn't have a lot more than three chords!


       A              A9           A        AM7
Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
A7        Bm7-5      E7
If you're young at heart;
          E7           Bm7-5       E7        E7+5
For it's hard, you will find to be narrow of mind
           A
If you're young at heart.
       C#m7-5       F#7          C#m7-5            F#7
You can  go  to extremes with im - pos - si - ble schemes,
 B7/9            B7          B7/9         B7 
Laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams;
     E7       Gdim    E7    Gdim      E7
And life gets more exciting with each passing day,
     A6      Fdim   A6     Fdim     Bm7-5     E7
And love is either in your heart, or  on  its way.

            A             A9          A          AM7
Don't you know that it's worth ev'ry treasure on earth
 A7   Bm7-5     E7
To be young at heart;
        E7         Bm7-5          E7       E7+5
For as rich as you are, it's much better by far
       A
To be young at heart.
       B7/9           B7       B7/9         B7
And if you should survive to a hundred and five,
       B7/9           B7          E      Em
Look at all you'll derive out of being alive.
     A                      E7          Bm7-5   E7
And here is the best part - you'll have a head start
A           D9            Bm7-5      A
If you are among the very young at heart,

A          D9             Bm7-5  E7   A
If you are among the very young  at heart.

Clearly, the dogs will need to eat the SUVs to survive

Uh... save the planet, eat a dog.  Via /.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Larry => Manjul => Simone = plus ultra

Larry's back in Kathmandu and urging us to get there, too. I keep asking him, Where exactly in Brooklyn is that? (Juju keeps asking me, Where in Berkeley is Brooklyn?) Anyway, Larry says "My next task is to set up some trekking, probably to the East, to retrace the itinerary of Manjul toward Bhojpur." So I had to learn who Manjul is. And that also lead me to Susan Simone's photographs. And to Bhojpur Ke Marda. Give it a go.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

considering how much happiness...

ju ju's experienced watching Austin City Limits, it be easy for us to celebrate thirty five years of that wonder of television...

Winter squash

Dear diary, last night Dante came over and cooked dinner for us -
delicata squash from Bradley's cut up and sauteed in butter and rosemary and sage and then braised in cider and a little vinegar until that reduced to a glaze, and some of Mike's (Yezzi) grandma's hot Italian sausage that Dante put on a toasted Tom Cat baguette.

Dante also brought this photo with him, taken in 1925 at the BBG.

Which of course reminded me of the pic I'd seen of Stumpy's Dad, taken, what? 15 years later? Up in Hunts Point.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Bikes, Cameras, Beers - and you!!

Bikes, Cameras, Beers: PSA Tickets on Sale Now


Transportation Alternatives presents a special evening screening of Public Service Announcements to promote why Biking Rules in NYC! Over 80 artists submitted new and creative images, documentaries, narratives and animations that promote safe, civic-minded cycling as part of T.A.'s Biking Rules campaign.

Come see the premiere of jury-selected PSA entries at BAMcinématek. The evening will include prizes and a special reception afterward with free beer courtesy of the Brooklyn Brewery.

The Biking Rules PSA Competition and Festival
Tuesday, November 17th
7:00 pm
BAMcinématek
30 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY
Advance tickets available at: bikingrules.org/tickets

Proceeds from advance tickets support Transportation Alternatives.

Cantharellus cibarius and the nice BC airport lady who searched through my luggage

She confiscated my nail-clippers. But didn't look in the bag filled with chanterelles.
Night one we did up a batch with shallots and corn as a side to a roasted chicken (oil, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and that special voodoo paprika that the Bradley Farm makes in New Paltz every early autumn). Night two, the shredded leftover chicken and another batch of chanterelles, tossed with some orecchiette. All gone. Sigh.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Monday, October 12, 2009

DeHavilland Beaver, our new best friend

Me having lived largely in Neuva York and it's immediate environs, and Lori largely here or in the desert, we haven't had all that much experience with float planes. And I get queasy on merry-go-rounds, you know?

But... all that's over now. We had a couple of float plane flights as part of this past weekend's journey. Think Teletubbies. Again again again again!

We love you, DeHavilland Beaver!

Bike shop, Ganges, Salt Spring Island, BC

Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Alara is going to show itself as a very reasonable facsimile

I don't have a clue what this means, but I found myself repeating the phrase over and over in my head. I'm going to try to work it into a conversation today. You should, too.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

NYC threatens to rip Garment District

Ah, Lorishki knew her when. The days of sample sales and N. Lapore's sassy jackets & Nick Thatos' jewelery. Nice Marketplace / American Public Media segment featuring Nanette L: NYC threatens to rip Garment District.

What if Stell D'oro left the Bronx? Who would that child I was be?

From our friends at the Working Families Party / Democracy in action. I know our host here has some professional conflicts about this, but I also know that Stella D'oro anisette toasts and a cup of coffee mean the world of memory to him:
It's a story we've heard too many times before. Wall Street firm buys a family owned business, sells its assets and throws the employees onto the street.

Workers at the Stella D'oro cookie company have been fighting for months to keep their Bronx bakery open and save 136 jobs. After an 11 month strike and a court victory, work at the bakery was supposed to resume. Instead, the owners - private equity firm Brynwood Partners - announced their intention to sell the bakery and move the jobs to Ohio.

We're fighting back. Join the WFP and Stella D'oro workers in a rally at City Hall demanding that the bakery stay in New York.

WHAT: Rally in support of Stella D'oro workers & demand that the bakery stay in the Bronx.
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 8, 1pm
WHERE: City Hall
Subways: A, C, M, R, W, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Stella D'oro received more than $400,000 in tax breaks since 2006, meant to modernize the factory and keep jobs in the city. Goldman Sachs owns a significant chunk of Brynwood Partners, and it too has received millions of dollars from the city. It should be obvious: Companies that receive taxpayer dollars meant to sustain good jobs should not be allowed to destroy them while keeping the money.

Join the Stella D'oro workers and supporters from across the city in a rally at City Hall this Thursday at 1pm.

Thank you,

Bob Master & Sam Williams
WFP Co-Chairs

Help Working Families fight for the little guy: We can't count on Wall Street. We rely on contributions from ordinary people like you to keep the WFP going. If you'd like to support our work, visit: http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/contribute.php

Friday, October 2, 2009

Other Muslims who might wet Juju's wiki

Totally coinkydinky to Juju's RT post and 3,000 miles to the right, Lota and I (and Bunny & Bunny) will be swinging by Powerhouse Arena tomorrow night for some of the Taqwacore night. I've already looked in at the Muslim punk photo exhibit, and love it. See you there?

my favorite muslim...

aka Richard Thompson: link to today's Fresh Air (NPR) show on RT and release of new boxed set celebrating his 40 year career. Juju only wishes he could play with half the dexterity and ability that RT makes look so easy, and on top of all that, RT be one hell of a songwriter.

add'l linky bits:
BeesWeb, official RT website;
halfway decent RT guitar tablature site;
YouTubeish linkage - RT Guitar School
(more related video on the page);
from Guitar Player online - Richard Thompson;
via Innerviews, Richard Thompson, Narrative Journeys;
R. Thompson, Sway into Emotion;
the Night Light RT interview;
via The Hook, Oct 2006,
1000 years, Thompson's Long Look at History;
RT, Master Craftsman, from Performing Musician;
13 Conversations about Richard Thompson;
a personal tribute to RT c.1997;
a fan's notes, c.2007;
HuffPost, Sept 2007, Publish & Be Damned;
Salon, Aug. 1999, Everyone has their own cliches;
mess o'misc RT related items via Acoustic Guitar online