HMS Lydia

Pho' recipe

2008-02-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

6lb rib bones
1lb beef gravy
2 sliced onions
1 thumb sized piece of ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 t whole black peppercorn
salt
1 lb rice noodles
1 lb bean sprouts
6 spring onions
4 firm ripe tomatoes
2 white onions
1 lb rump steak
fish sauce
lemon wedges
fresh chillies
cilantro

Color Me Excited

2008-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

New Star Trek... Directed by JJ Abrams

Raisin Wine-Could be interesting

2007-12-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice recipe that can be made with some grocery store ingredients. This recipe will make a 1 gallon batch.

* 2 lb raisins
* 1 gal warm water
* 2 lbs sugar
* 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
* 4 tsps acid blend
* 1 campden tablet
* wine yeast

starting specific gravity should be 1.090-1.095,acid .60%

Chop raisins.

Mix all ingredients except yeast in primary fermentor.

When cool(70-75 deg F) add yeast.

Cover and stir daily for 5 to 6 days.

Remove raisins and press.

Pour into secondary fermentor ,rack in 3 weeks. Make sure container is topped up.

Rack again in 3 months.

Age 6 months

Crock Pot Chicken Vindaloo

2007-11-09T12:47:00.001-08:00

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges through the root end
3/4 lb potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-3 teaspoon Thai red curry paste, can use green
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen broccoli carrots cauliflower mix
1/2 cup reduced-fat coconut milk

Not the one? See other Crock Pot Chicken Vindaloo (Ww 5 Pts. Per Serving) Recipes

* Indian One-Dish Meal
* Chicken Breasts One-Dish Meal
* Crock Pot One-Dish Meal
* Potluck One-Dish Meal

1. In single layers, place onion, potatoes and chicken in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Combine the broth, curry paste, and curry powder in a medium bowl; pour over the chicken and vegetables.
4. Cover and cook until the chicken and potatoes are fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
5. About 35 minutes before cooking is done, stir the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and coconut milk into the slow cooker.
6. Cover and cook on high until vegetables are crisp tender, about 30 minutes.

WENG WENG RAP

2007-10-20T07:24:00.001-07:00

I now introduce you to the great Weng Weng!

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

2007-10-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

3 T Oil
2/4 C Water
1.5 t Sugar
3/4 t Salt
2 C Bread Flour
2 t active dry yeast
Spices/Herbs to taste

Quote:

2007-08-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Worrying is like paying a debt you may never have owed

- Charlie Papazian

Relax. Dont Worry. Have a Homebrew.

-Charlie Papazian

DONT PANIC!
- Douglas Adams

Greek Yogurt

2007-07-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

Yogurt Cheese

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh plain yogurt (I use fat free)

Cheese salt (optional)

Herbs (optional)

½ packet of Splenda (this is a modification I’ve added to curb the bitterness)

Directions:

Let the yogurt come to room temperature (this actually makes a difference, when I’ve done it with cold yogurt, it doesn’t seem to taste as good).
Pour the yogurt into a colander lined with butter muslin. Tie the corners of the muslin into knot and let the bag drain for 12-24 hours, or until the yogurt has stopped dripping and reached the desired consistency.
Remove the cheese from the bag. Add the salt and/or herbs to taste, if desired. I also add a little sugar/Splenda at this point.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yield:

About 8 ounces

Girls Making Beer

2007-07-25T14:12:00.001-07:00

NICE!

Paella Recipe

2007-07-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Since it varies a lot with my mood, I’m going to give you the flexible recipe:

2 C of Arborio rice (short grain)
3 C of water +/-
3 C of stock
Saffron to taste (you don’t need much)
Veggies (and or beans)
Meats
Olive oil

Process:
Cook the meats you have selected and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a pan, then add the raw rice. Stir the rice constantly until it becomes opaque.
Add the stock and vegetables, and cook uncovered adding water as necessary.
Before adding the last cup of water add the meat back in.
It is finished when 1) the rice is no longer crunchy, and 2) a little bit of the rice is getting browned to the bottom of the pan.

Variations:
Rice: in Telluride, I used the prepackaged “Saffron Rice” that they sell in the grocery store. The disadvantage is that the long grain rice was hard to cook all the way through.

Stock: I usually use chicken stock if I am cooking meat and seafood stock if I’m cooking seafood. I also like to add “tomato stock” which you can find in the Mexican food isle.

Meats: This is where the variety really begins. I’ve added meat balls, chicken bits, shrimp, muscles, calamari, lamb, chicken wings, etc.

The traditional Spanish meat balls have pine nuts in them. I like to make Italian meatballs w/Italian seasonings and garlic or Greek with mint and oregano.

If you add seafood, it will taste terrible the next day, so you shouldn’t make too much.

Veggies: I add peppers, artichoke hearts, onions, lima beans, butter beans and green beans.

Ginger Ice Cream

2007-07-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

2/4 C Sugar
3 egg yolks
1.5 C milk
1 T finely grated fresh ginger root including juice
pinch of salt
1.5 C heavy whipping cream

Directions
Combine the cream, milk, ginger and salt in a heaving pan and simmer for 20 minutes.

Beat sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow. Slowly whisk about 1 C of the hot cream mix into the egg yolk mix, then pour all the egge mixture in the pan and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Strain into a large bowl, pushing against the sides to extract the liquid from the ginger and isolate any fibrous pieces.

Pour into covered container and refrigerate until well chilled (overnight).

Process according to ice cream makers instructions.

Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

2007-07-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

2/4 C Sugar
3 egg yolks
1 C milk
2.5 T powdered green tea
1/4 C hot water
1.5 C heavy whipping cream
1t vanilla extract

Directions
Beat sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow. Set aside.

Bring milk to a slow boil in a medium sized heavy saucepan, turn off heat. Slowly whisk a cup of hot milk into the egg yolk mix, then pour the entire mix into the saucepan. Cook over low yeat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, furiously whisk the powdered green tea into the hot water, being sure to blend all lumps. Add to the ice cream base, stirring well. Stir in the cream and vanilla extract.

Pour into covered container and refrigerate until well chilled (overnight).

Process according to ice cream makers instructions.

Ayn Rand's Ideas: An Introduction

2007-07-02T11:13:00.001-07:00

The Official Ramen Homepage

2007-07-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

What a bunch of weird stuff you can do with Ramen Noodles.

Cowboy's Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

2007-06-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti Sauce
1 12 oz can of tomato sauce
1 12 oz can of diced tomatoes
1-2 cups of red wine
2-3 T Olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano
basil
cayenne pepper
red pepper
and shit loads of garlic (5-6 cloves)
Simmer 1.5 hours

Meat balls
1 LB Ground beef
equal volume of bread innards soaked in milk
onions chopped
1 T Oregano
1 T Mint

Squeeze the milk out of the bread innards and mix with everything else. Fry in lots of olive oil.

Mix with noodles and eat.

Age of Fighting Sail Ends

2007-05-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've been reading "Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sale" by Nathan Miller, so this news is really sad. And Goddamnit, this ship has been in London and I never bothered to visit it. Shame on me.

"LONDON, England (CNN) -- The Cutty Sark, thought to be the world's only surviving 19th century tea clipper and a prime relic of the golden age of sail, was engulfed by flames Monday, causing extensive damage to one of London's most popular tourist attractions."

Dwight as Jim

2007-05-14T13:04:00.001-07:00

And a follow up!

The Office -- Playing Dwight Schrute is...Jim Halpert?

2007-05-14T13:03:00.001-07:00

Damn this was funny!

The Office New Promo: The Death of Jim Halpert

2007-04-24T12:09:00.001-07:00

Ok... this is the last one!

Why Can't We Be Friends

2007-04-24T11:42:00.001-07:00

The Office -- Confrontation between Roy and Jim

2007-04-24T10:52:00.001-07:00

The Office Heroes

2007-04-24T07:46:00.001-07:00

Brilliant

Come Sail Away cartman

2007-04-16T11:15:00.001-07:00

Herb Combinations

2007-04-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Fines Herbes:
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Marjoram
Tarragon
Chervil

Herbes de Provence:
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Marjoram
Savory
Hyssop
(Lavender)
(Bay Leaf)

Italian Seasoning:
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Marjoram
Savory
Oregano
Sage

Scarborough Fair Seasoning
Parsley
Sage
Rosemary
Thyme

New favorite search to find my blog...

2007-04-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Someone found this blog by searching for "spanked by lydia"

HA!

Theory of Progression in Life

2007-04-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today at my toastmasters club I heard a theory of the progression of life through anagrams...

First your are a YUPpie... young upwardly-mobile professional

Then you get married and you're a DINK... dual income no kids.

Then you have a couple kids and you become a sitcom (sitkom)... single income two kids overwhelming mortgage.

I thought that was pretty funny.

When a 3 year old is asked about monsters

2007-03-30T07:50:00.001-07:00

Cute!

Potty Training Made Simple

2007-03-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

Link

"Naked and $75
Parent(s) stay at home with the child for several days and allow the child to walk around the house naked all day long. The potty is put out so it is constantly available to the child. Parents regularly remind the child to use the potty when necessary. Rosemond argues that children won't tolerate urine and feces running down their legs, and will quickly learn to go to the potty to avoid accidents. The $75 is for carpet cleaning."

I've been listening to a course on integration in human life. Part of the course is on child rearing, which covers teaching children to conform their thinking to reality and this was given as a method for potty training that teaches children to recognize reality very early.

I know this is random, but I have an acquaintance whose 4 year old son is not toilet trained yet. It seems like this is an easy problem to fix, but she hasn't managed to do it.

Cowboy Philosophy

2007-03-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sir:

I want to thank you for putting "Old Ty" and me out there for everybody to see; and my deep gratitude for the thought and research that went into the article.

I say this in spite of your cursory, patronizing attitude concerning the political beliefs I espouse. THE SILENT MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR NATION ARE BEGINNING TO VOTE THE WAY I THINK and to resent the "care from cradle to grave" philosophy which your articulate liberal-left minority are smugly taking for granted as a way to political power in this country.

John Wayne
Hollywood
Letter to the Editor of Time
10/3/1969

For Warren Buffett fans

2007-03-27T09:26:00.001-07:00

A history of value investing: http://www.econ.duke.edu/dje/2000/bierig.PDF

How to make Greek Yoghurt--the video

2007-03-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Link

Gumbo Recipe

2007-03-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Make Roux: 3T Oil, 3T Flour Brown Slowly
Add Shrimp/Sausage Cook Til Pink
Add Chopped Onion 1 Med
1/4 tsp garlic salt
Chopped Green Pepper
Bay Leaf
Chopped Celery
Parsley
Sautee 5 minutes
Add 1 can Tomato Sauce
5 minutes
Add 1 1/2 C water
Simmer 40 Minutes
Add Crab Meat and Oysters at 20 minutes

Cook Frozen Okra Saute until edges brown.

Gore's Personal Inconvenient Truth

2007-03-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

Gore isn't exactly practicing what he preaches. His household uses 20x more energy than the average household.

Here's the link.

Trogdor... the Videogame

2007-02-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

Check out the Trogdor videogame...

Don't know what the hell Trogdor is... check out the introductory video.

Star Trek vs. Star Wars

2007-02-20T15:33:00.001-08:00

Damn... I'm a dork!

Darth Vader orders food

2007-02-20T15:26:00.001-08:00

I love Eddie Izzard.

JOSS WHEDON DIRECTS THE OFFICE

2007-02-16T07:34:00.001-08:00

Ok... So we did get a little Joss on the office last night.

Buffy Syndrome

2007-02-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

This article referred from Whedonesque is what happened to me.

"I use the Joss Whedon series "Buffy" as an example because it describes how I allowed nothing more than a name to rob me of months and almost years of television viewing pleasure, simply because I had the wrong mindset."

I heard from a number of people that Buffy was a great show. I couldn't get over the name. Finally, after falling in love with Firefly I looked into Buffy. Keep in mind... the show had been canceled. Finished. There was no more Buffy. So I watched the entire series on DVD and it turns out that it is my favorite show on TV (if you count syndication).

So the moral of the story... don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge a series by its name.

PS As noted by others, Joss Whedon isn't going to be doing the new Wonder Woman. Damnit Joss, we need our fix... can't you get that... we need new Whedon.... so get on that will you.

Roast Lamb and Potatoes

2007-02-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

I visited my friend, Ari, in St. Louis. He's ex was Greek so he's learned to make some great food.

He made the dish captioned above this weekend and I got the recipe by osmosis:

Ingredients:
1 Leg of lamb
3-4 potatoes peeled, sliced
mustard
olive oil
spice rub: rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic mixed with oil and lemon

Take the potatoes and mix them with mustard and olive oil. Ari bathed them in olive oil, but I think enough to coat them would suffice.

Prepare the spice rub and... well rub it on the lamb.

Put the potatoes in with the lamb on top. Roast in the oven at about 350 degrees F for about an hour or an hour and a half. If you care about how cooked it is, you might get a meat thermometer. If not... wing it.

Last step... eat up.

Mr. Deity

2007-02-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Funny modern take on religion.

Shi Thead

2007-02-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

This is a card game my friends were playing. I couldn't keep track of the rules so they wrote them down.

It starts with the same premise as BS, discarding in order. There are some differences...

3's require the next person to play a 3 or a 9
9's can be played on anything
7's require the next person to play a 7 or lower
10 can be played on anything and clears the pile
2's can be played on anything (except required above) and restarts the sequence.

Crap... this is complicated, especially when drunk.

Media swapping services

2007-02-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Here are a list of swapping services from a RMN article.

Peerflix - movies

What's On My Bookshelf - books

Book Mooch - Books

Barter Bee - Music Videogames movies

Title Trader - All media

Chipotle @ Home

2007-02-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

I'm a big Chipotle fan. Love the stuff. So the other day, I decided to try my hand at making a burrito bowl at home. I had all of the ingredients except the fresh cilantro and pico de gallo.

What I made was good, but tasted nothing like Chipotle. After some research, I found the recipe on google answers. Check it out:

CHIPOLTE'S MARINADE
-------------------

 1 (2 ounce) package dried ancho chiles
 1 teaspoon black pepper
 2 teaspoons cumin powder
 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
 6 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion, quartered
1/4 cup vegetable oil
 4 chicken breasts or small steaks (6 ounces each)

Soak dry chilies overnight in water, until soft. Remove seeds. Add all
ingredients except meat in food processor. Puree until smooth.

Spread mixture over chicken, or other meats and refrigerate at least
one hour, up to 24 hours.

After marinading, heat grill to about 400 degrees F, or if cooking
inside, heat small amount of oil in skillet or grill pan over high
heat. Salt meat to taste (optional), and grill lightly, turning only
once, until done. 4 minutes per side for chicken, 8-10 minutes per
side for 3/4" thick steak.

CHIPOLTE'S BASMATI RICE
-----------------------

 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
 2 tsp. fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white basmati rice
 1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat,
stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for
1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At
boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender
and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Marketing for Global Warming

2007-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Day by Day

Berlitz German Commercial

2007-01-31T11:20:00.003-08:00

Berlitz German Commercial

2007-01-31T11:20:00.001-08:00

SNL Skit --Really?!?

2007-01-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

http://hokiestone.net/v/vickreally.wmv

Wi-Fi Spoofing Scam

2007-01-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

It seems every time something good comes along someone figures out a way to make it dangerous.

Here is a scam and the way to avoid it.

Hat tip to GeekPress

Circe Link: Live in Japan 'Bluebird Tattoo'

2007-01-26T17:11:00.001-08:00

Yeah... I love this woman's voice... and her name is Circe... gotta love the Oddessy reference.

A Tour of Fallingwater

2007-01-25T07:47:00.001-08:00

Last time Denver had this much snow 1913 - cool old picts

2007-01-22T10:13:00.001-08:00

James Brown Cover Tribute

2007-01-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

Coverville just did an episode of all James Brown Covers...

Check it out here.

Three Word Answers

2007-01-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

3 word answers!: Not as easy as you might think...
answer all questions with 3 words.

1. Where is your cell phone?
On my hip

2. Boyfriend/girlfriend?
What about her?

3. Your hair?
short and brown

4. Your mother?
smart and scrappy

5. Your father?
fun loving guy

6. Your favorite item?
my new mandolin

7. Your dream last night?:
Don't remember dreams

8. Your favorite drink?
Alcoholic: Jack Daniels

9. Your dream car?
It does everything

10. The room you are in?
My messy office

12. Your fear?
Not your business

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?:
rich married happy

14. Who did you hang out with last night?:
my own self

15. What you're not?
able to answer

16. Muffins?
sometimes, sometimes not

17. One of your wish list items?
Brand New iPod

18. What time is it?
half past one

19. The last thing you did?
finished an appraisal

20. What are you wearing?:
clothes, normal variety

22. Your favorite book?
The Fountainhead, donchaknow

23. The last thing you ate?
potato chips unfortunately

24. Your life?
generally pretty good

25. Your mood?
frustrated with this

26. Your friends?
too far away

27. What are you thinking about right now?
six word stories

28. Your car?
getting old now

29. What are you doing at the moment?:
finishing the quiz

30. Your summer?
sailing, sailing, sailing

31. Your relationship status?
who is asking

32. What is on your tv?:
too much Tivo

33. When is the last time you laughed?
late this morning

34. Last time you cried?
watching TV recently

35. School?
Teaching next week

Not Evil Enough

2006-11-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Theresa brought over some Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans made by Jelly Belly. (If you haven't read Harry Potter, you should be ashamed of yourself. Go read it and come back to this post once you've read it.) Needless to say they had a number of off color flavors like soap, dirt, earthworm (tastes like a mild form of dirt), etc.

In any case, we had fun dumping the lot on the table and sorting them into their different flavors based on the "flavor guide". We ate all of the standard flavors and sampled some of the less offensive exotic flavors. I think Theresa was going to die laughing when she asked me what I had just eaten and she got a luke-warm answer of "earwax".

In the end, we had a pile of "exotic" flavored beans, some of which border on disgusting. I got to thinking, this is a great prank. I've got nasty jelly beans...I know my sister keeps a stash of jelly beans at the office...why don't I mix the two and wait for chaos to ensue.

Here's the problem. I can't do it. I just cant bring myself to do it. I keep thinking of the looks on their faces when they eat a jelly bean that looks like it will taste like coconut but really tastes like sardines and it makes me laugh so hard. And still I can't bring myself to do it. I guess I'm just not evil enough.

PS Sparky's ghost cat has come back and now taunts him. She is evil enough.

Psycho-kitty Deluxe--part 2

2006-11-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

So I was in a bit of a halloweeny mood before and thought you might enjoy a bit of creepy goodness along with the weird story of Sparky and his obsession with the cat outside.

Seriously, this cat is a little creepy. It only shows up at night and it is white, fluffy, and makes Sparky go absolutely crazy. It is like he's been given catnip spiked with speed.

There are about six or seven cats that periodically visit Sparky from the neighborhood. One is a mangy cat from Pennsylvania street who braves the busy street to say hello to S. Another is an orange Tabby who is super friendly and loves to make Sparky jealous by asking me to pet him on the way in the back door. Another is a long haired little guy who sits below the side window and stares up at S with the wisdom of an old owl. The white cat is the one that makes S go bonkers. More bonkers even than the squirrel.

Psycho-kitty Deluxe

2006-11-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

On Halloween night, about two in the morning, the house is all quiet. I'm dead asleep.

All of the sudden, I hear this pounding from the next room. Loud, aggressive pounding.

Startled, I walk to the next room and see the blinds to the front window are moving. I hear a faint hiss... Sparky is hissing quietly and pawing at the window. He was between the blinds and the window, going berserk at something outside.

Is it a burgler? Is it pumpkin smashers? Is someone digging a grave in my front yard?

I peek outside and a stark white cat is on my front porch. It is teasing Sparky. Watching him... like it is his conscience is outside the door... haunting him... Is this the ghost of a cat Sparky once wronged? Is this his long lost soul mate? Is this the Kitty cat devil or angel?

[to be continued...]

What's On TV

2006-10-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

So you all know that I am a big Joss Whedon fan (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Firefly fame); you also know that Joss doesn't have anything on TV right now. We are waiting for him to get his Wonder Woman script into production, but who knows when that will be. Instead we are left with what is on TV now. So here's my rundown of what I think is at all worth watching on TV given my self imposed limits.

First, a short list of what not to watch. Any thing with news (AP stories will get you a lot further), anything with no characterization whatsoever (ie most Law and Order franchises), and anything with a talking head (Think for yourself and screw Hannity and Combes or whoever).

What to Watch or What I Watch

We know that Veronica Mars is one of Joss's favorites. And can you blame him! It is
a detective show where the dectective is a college age woman who's father is a PI. A modern day Nancy Drew with witty dialogue and a sexy star. (grr)

How I Met Your Mother.
A show about how Ted met his wife. We don't know who his wife is, which makes it more interesting to watch. The show has been compared to friends, but I think the show is funnier, the characters are more interesting and Barney is way more of a stud than Joey. Plus, I like red heads (Allyson Hannigan).

Lost.
God damnit. I got sucked into another JJ Abrams show.

Heros
The premise is what happens when ordinary people discover they have superhuman powers. The show has an arc that has sucked me in. The writers have kept the "worry line" alive and now we just have to wait to find out if they save the cheerleader do they really save the world. The best part of this show is that it has interesting characters. The Japanese suit who can bend the space time continuum; Ali Later's character who is, well, sexy, and has an evil or at least purely pragmatic alter ego; the artist who paints the future, but only when he's high on heroine; and the indian Doctor who is searching for his father's killer and seeking to walk in his father's intellectual footsteps.

Ok. So I also watch nip/tuck, but I only fast forward to the "good parts"!

More later. Let me know if I'm missing anything else.

The Blog is dead; Long Live the Blog

2006-10-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

So... I really haven't been a very consistent blogger. :(

But I have been steady Eddy on the Podcast. :) I've had loads of fun on it.

In any case, I wouldn't count on lots of new posts here, but I'll probably start posting a little more frequently.

In any case, here is something a little funny to whet your appetite.

It's called Neitzshe Family Circus. It pairs a Neitzsche quote with a Family Circus cartoon. Thanks to NoodleFood for this one.

link: http://www.losanjealous.com/nfc/

Into the black....

2006-07-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, not the black of space, but the black of silence on the blog....

So I've posted several podcasts...

I've been in Dallas for three weeks, Austin for two, and now Houston for one. Oh, yeah, and I ran out of gas at one stop.

Lots of show's eh. I even got my own theme song using my Nomme de Guerre (sp?).

Here's a link to fan created trailer to the sequal of serenity. Thanks to Whedonesque.

Oh, yeah... I got in a boating accident a few weeks ago. I'll post on that in a bit. The long and short of it is: don't race sail boats unless all of your crew mates can follow the skipper's instructions.

Sail Log

2006-06-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Friday June 16, 2006
I showed up at CC Reservoir to rent one of the little boats. The park rangers weren't there---again, so I was about to go home. Fortunately, Bruce and Jeff were there. They were taking out one of Victoria Sailing School's J-boats and they invited me along.

The winds picked up. We heeled the boat. I got totally soaked. It was a great night of sailing.

Monday June 19, 2006
My crew bailed. YK was "sick". So I took one of the J-boats out myself. It is so much of a challenge to get one of those boat by yourself. It can be done, but it is a challenge... mostly intellectual. I managed it with only one little hitch. I did ram the dock a wee bit when I came in the first time. I fortunately wasn't going fast enough to do any damage.

So it's been a learning, fun, sailing week for me.

New Traveling Juke Joint Podcast

2006-06-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Check out the website at http://travelingjuke.libsyn.com/

Photos

2006-06-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

I just realized how valuable flickr is. I'm uploading all my good photos and some average photos up to flickr. I've almost maxed out my uploads for the month. You can check them out here.

Sorry no Sparky photos, but lots of photos of my little nephew Kailash!

:)

Sparky Sleeping

2006-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Traveling Juke Joint-Dallas Part 2

2006-06-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

The Traveling Juke Joint 13, Dallas Part 2 just posted.

You can visit the site at: http://travelingjuke.libsyn.com/

or a direct link to the show is here.

$0.49 Breakfast

2006-06-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

No shit. I paid 49 cents for breakfast. And not that crappy "continental" breakfast. Real breakfast... with eggs and hashbrowns.

I went up to Cripple Creek with TG to ride the narrow gauge railroad. It brought me back to my Disney days as a conductor on the steam trains. The big difference was the size of the trains and that these were coal burning instead of deisel.

Anyhow, we arrived early and were planning on breakfast. I didn't realize that Cripple Creek was a gambling town (slots only), so the casinos almost give away food to entice their clients to stick around. Damn good breakfast.

In a sense, it was like going back in time, when a dollar was worth something. It was marvelous. The total bill, with coffee and a side of green chili---$3.70. Awesome!

I wish I had categories on this blog like you do on wordpress... I'd definitely put it under "cheap bastard".

Traveling Juke Joint

2006-05-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

This week in Dallas.

Joss vs. Joss (or Buffy vs. Angel vs. Firefly)

2006-05-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Kim... you asked... so here it is...

This is the long awaited Joss v Joss post. I have to say that I love everything Joss has done for various reasons and I'm not choosing. It would be like choosing among Joss's children.

Lets start with the easy piece. What is the same? (I mean aside from the mastermind.)

Characterization. All three shows have great characters. They are all distinct and like nothing you've ever seen before. In Buffy, you have Buffy herself, Angel, Spike, Giles, Willow; In Angel, you have Fred, Gunn, the new-Wesley Windham Price, Lila, the new-Harmony, Cordelia, Conner. And Firefly has the captain, Zoe, Simon, River... None of the characters are rehashes of other characters. There is no cardboard here. They are all unique and they all grow over time.

The Big Bad or Good v. Evil. This is prominent in each of the shows. There is a definite good guy and bad guy. The characters struggle with moral issues. They have to deal with the consequences of their actions, both good and bad. There is no free lunch in the Wheedonverse.

Genre. Wheedon runs amok over all of the traditional lines of genre. Buffy is listed on Direct TV as: Drama/Horror/Comedy. Firefly was a scifi/western. What more can I say.

And most importantly.... writing! The writing on all of the shows is incredible. The writers in this show know how to turn a phrase in a way that is unique, clever. It makes you think. It makes connections you wouldn't. For evidence, see the quotes from my Buffy top 10. For the reasons, read Jane Espenson's blog. (Jane was one of the writers on Buffy).

So those are the glaring and obvious similarities. If I think of more, I'll post later. Part 2 will be on the differences.

PS There is enough room for the brown coats and the black coats in the Wheedonverse!

Traveling Juke Joint

2006-05-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yet another episode of....

The Traveling Juke Joint

Sparky on Sunday

2006-05-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

This one Tina took of her little man! He's so photogenic.

New Traveling Juke Joint

2006-05-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Click the title for the newest episode and get ready for the heat... we're in Phoenix this week!

Sailing

2006-05-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

With a name like HMS Lydia, you'd think that I'd post about sailing a little more...

well, I'm finally getting out on Saturday!!!

Traveling Juke Joint

2006-05-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

New Traveling Juke Joint up!

Direct link to the show -->here<--

Saturday Sparky

2006-05-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sparky going to town on catnip toys!

Traveling Juke Joint - San Diego

2006-05-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Katie Bar the Door, its a new Traveling Juke Joint:

San Diego!

Kitty Fu

2006-04-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Talk about a cat fight!

New Traveling Juke Joint

2006-04-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Check it out here. Or go to the website.

Saturday Sparky

2006-04-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it's Monday... but I've been pretty bad about this.
A new Traveling Juke Joint will be up tomorrow.

Traveling Juke Joint-Buddapalooza

2006-04-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

The new Traveling Juke Joint is up. Check it out here.

Happy Birthday Jefferson

2006-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here's Jefferson's Infoplease bio.

Spell Checker

2006-04-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Why doesn't blogger's spell checker recognize the word BLOG?

Two Firsts

2006-04-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Two firsts for me. The first time I was quoted AND the first time I was censored. I admit I deserved the second. I was out of line. In my defense I put in a spoiler alert. Check out the link here.

This is Ian's blog. He's a writer living in China. He is at his best when he writes reviews on movies and books. His commentary on Chinese culture is also very interesting.

True Confessions and News

2006-04-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I've been gone for a bit. I have some news, but first I do have a confession...

I know I've mentioned that I've been hanging out with this podcast for a while. I know I told you it wasn't serious, but... this is really hard to say... I think I've fallen in love. The Traveling Juke Joint and I have been spending a lot of time together and I don't see that changing any time soon. I know you may be a little jealous, but I have to be honest about where my passions are.

Don't worry. I will still be spending some time with you, which leads me to my news.

THE BOATS ARE IN THE WATER!

The "Why Buy" J-boats are in the water at Cherry Creek so I'll be sailing soon. That means more sailing posts. More sailing reports. More fun and excitement.

More later... :)

PS You might just like the podcast too. Check it out here! If you like it vote at Podcast Alley!

Occasional Quote:

2006-04-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilizing the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye."

Occasional Quote:

2006-03-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

Sir Winston Churchill

"One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half."

Another strange search to find my blog

2006-03-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

Sparky the Stackable Pig!

Value Investing vs. Contrarian Investing

2006-03-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

I said about six months ago that I would post on this.

Basically, I view value investing to be looking for bargain investments by using an objective valuation process. This requires an independent mind to do things different than the market and to use an objective process to value the investment.

Contrarian investing is simply investing in unpopular stocks.

In terms of people, value investing is the man who walks his own path, the people be damned. Think about Verdi, the opera composor, who lived with an unmarried woman in spite of the negative publicity, who ignored the public's contempt and praise, and lived his life.

Contrarian investing is the lone wolf. The man who does everything the opposite of what other people did, simply it is the opposite. I always think of the early punk rock bands who was "anti-establishment".

NoodleFood had a good post on the difference between these two things a few months ago. Diana was quoting Ranil Illesinghe. Here is the relevant litmus test that applies to both investors and people.

I find that the best test to see whether or not someone is an individual is to ask the following question: If the mainstream acted in the same way that he acted, would he:
A. Stay the same OR
B. Do things differently?

If he chooses to stay the same, then he is a true individualist, because it does not matter how many people act LIKE you, as long as you are relying on nothing but your independent judgment. If they start being different for the sake of being different, then that person is the worst sort of coward -- the fashionable non-conformist.

Occasional Quote:

2006-03-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

Malcolm X

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today."

I'm not entirely sure what to make of the above quote. There is a similar quote from Ayn Rand:

"Those who fight for the future live in it today."

Traveling Juke Joint

2006-03-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

Episode 3: Portland, Part 1 is up! Click here for the website. Click here for the download!

I'd love to get some feedback; leave comments on the libsyn site or send an email!

Occasional Quote:

2006-03-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Thomas A. Edison

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

More Culty Wierdness...

2006-03-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

From NoodleFood

Saturday Sparky

2006-03-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is the throne from which I rule.

Occasional Quote:

2006-03-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Winters

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it!"

Oops... I discovered Viagra

2006-03-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

I didn't, but here is a list of 10 accidental discoveries. (|> GeekPress)

Coolest Blog Search to find HMS Lydia

2006-03-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

One viewer found my blog from the google blogsearch for "violent sneeze". How cool is that!?!

Occasional Quote:

2006-03-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

Peter Drucker

"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work."

The Dangers of Hybrid Cars

2006-03-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

...they are just too damn quiet. (|> GeekPress)

Drunk Driving Penalties

2006-03-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently in Taiwan, you can either pay a fine for drunk driving or pay mahjong with the elderly. Which would you choose?

Happy Birthday Bach

2006-03-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

He brought polyphonic baroque music to its culmination, creating masterful and vigorous works in almost every musical form known in his period.

Life

Born into a gifted family (see Bach, family), J. S. Bach was devoted to music from childhood. He was taught by his father and later by his brother Johann Christoph, and was a boy soprano in Lüneberg. His education was acquired largely through independent studies. He had an insatiable curiosity about music and sometimes walked great distances to hear the organists Johann Adam Reinken (at Hamburg) and Buxtehude (at Lübeck). In 1703 he became violinist in the private orchestra of the prince at Weimar but left within a year to become organist at Arnstadt.

Bach went to Mühlhausen as organist in 1707. There he married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach, who was to bear him seven children. In 1708 he was made court organist and chamber musician at Weimar, and in 1714 he became concert master. Prince Leopold of Anhalt engaged him as musical director at Köthen in 1717. Three years later his wife died, and in 1721 he married Anna Magdalena Wülken, a woman of considerable musical cultivation who eventually bore him 13 children. In 1723 he left Köthen to take the important post of music director of the church of St. Thomas, Leipzig, and of its choir school; he remained in Leipzig until his death.

Why HMS Lydia?

2006-03-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

Paul from GeekPress asked me "Why HMS Lydia?"

I thought I'd recycle my posts about this and put them below. This more or less started as my captains blog for sailing, but it evloved. Kind of like the old quote: I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. Anyhow, now that summer is here, I'll probably start with a little more of the sailing bit.

So below are the posts:

Why HMS Lydia?
I don't have a good reason for naming the blog after one of Horatio Hornblower's first ships as captain. I just did. If you've never read Hornblower, you're in for a treat. Start with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower and follow his career from beginning to end.

and

More on HMS Lydia
Again, this was Hornblower's ship in "Beat to Quarters".

In this ship, Hornblower captured La Natividad, which was under Spanish domination. He surprised them and took the much larger ship without ever receiving a shot.

Unfortunately, he was required by orders to turn La Natividad over to a madman, with whom the British had allied themselves against Spain. Days later, Hornblower comes to find out that Spain and England are now allies.

Hornblower takes it upon himself, as his duty, to re-take La Natividad before she can sink a valuable Spanish cargo vessel.

The Lydia takes on the much larger Natividad in a fight to the death. At the end of the battle, Hornblower tows the Lydia across the becalmed sea into action. As the Lydia is towed, he has the men who dance the best jig compete for the top prize. Hornblower does this to keep the men's spirits high as they move slowly into action, but it cements his reputation as a man of iron nerves.

Saturday Sparky

2006-03-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

"So that's where I put all my toys. Ew... Jason needs to clean under the couch."