Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Some observations on random shite...

I watched House again on Fox tonight (Tuesdays at 9:00PM). I'm now convinced that it's the best show on TV this season. I still love Law and Order: SVU, but House is edging it out. SVU is actually a late discovery for me and luckily it's pretty easy to find older re-runs that I haven't seen before on cable. Check out House, it's pretty damn good.

I love the new Adidas commercial. Turns out that Spike Jonze directed it and the vocals are done by Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It's nice to Spike doing some commercial work again. I guess he's got more time since he's no longer with Sofia ( who's now with Quentin Tarentino).

I was screwing around in the kitchen last night with the second pork loin that I had bought. I pureed an apple, about 10 garlic cloves, a small onion, and some butter until it was a fairly thick pasted and smeared it all over the loin (which had already been seasoned with S&P and chili powder). I then wrapped it with bacon and roasted it to an internal temperature of 140 degrees (500 degrees for 20 minutes and then reduced to 300 degrees). I had some asparagus and a baked potato to go with it. AWESOME!!!

I can't vote in any City of Detroit elections, but I think (at this point) that I'd vote for Freeman Hendrix for Mayor. He seems pretty forthcoming and honest and he's got a proven track record in city politics. He also seems like the obvious choice against incumbent candidate Kwame Kilpatrick and Sharon McPhail.

Have you been watching CBC lately? It's pretty interesting to see what they've been scheduling since there's no NHL hockey this year. Lot's of "big" American movies, re-runs, and LOTS of curling. Still a great f'in network. It's clearly so much better than American network TV. There was a special last night on teen sex, Canadian style. I watched a lot of it since there was really nothing better on. CBC is not afraid to talk to REAL teens (ie. punks, bisexuals, and others that don't fit into the "norm"). It was very refreshing. American networks would have played it a helluva lot "safer". Canadian parents, as with most Canadians in general, are also so much cooler than their American counterparts. Which proves once again that...I love Canadians!

There was another school shooting yesterday in northern Minnesota on an Indian Reservation. There are not a lot of detail released yet, but the news has alluded to the fact that he's "goth". I'm not defending his actions in any way, but most Americans rally against "goth", "punk", and otherwise "not cookie cutter" kids. Goths for the most part are some of the nicest, smartest, and most honest people around. Most of them are tormented by regular society. They say that this kid was constantly picked on by other kids. This may likely stem from singular personality traits belonging solely to him, but I'm sure there was a fair share of goth-bashing. I think a lot of people need to look at the "goth-bashers" and not the "goths". This kid obviously had other issues that led him to this, but don't blame it on his being different or wearing black. I actually haven't seen Waiting for Columbine yet, so I'm not letting that influence me in any way. Just remember...goths are nice (probably nicer than you).

I was flipping through channels tonight and caught some more of "The 60's Experience" on WTVS (PBS). I love PBS. I called tonight to make my donation. I don't have a lot of money, but I know what's important (actually the 60's CD 4-CD box set and the DVD combo premium is pretty good incentive). I still have to pledge for the WDET Spring fundraiser. I'm still pretty pissed about there change in programming (This American Life with Ira Glass is the best show ever!), but it's still the best radio in town. Do your part and support your local public TV and radio stations.

I was flipping channels and caught Daniel Day-Lewis and his wife Rebecca Miller (Henry's daughter) on Charlie Rose on the OTHER PBS station (Flint). I'm pretty much convinced that Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest living/active actor on the planet. Check out In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot, Last of the Mohicans, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and My Beautiful Laundrette if you need proof.

I recently read that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead has been released on DVD. I'll certainly have to get that. Great f'in movie. I'm still waiting for Erik the Viking to be released on DVD...

Are "Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procul Harum and "When a Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge the same song? They sound an awful lot alike...

I also caught a bit of Janis Joplin on PBS tonight which got me to thinking...
How different would the music world be if Janis, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, and Ian Curtis (Joy Division) were still alive. Music could have evolved a lot differently. It would certainly be a cooler world. I often wonder what would have happened in modern music if Ian Curtis hadn't hanged himself. New Order would probably not have formed and dance/techno music as we know it could be completely different. Could Joy Division become the biggest band of all time, if not the most important? They're already arguably one the most important (along with bands like the Velvet Underground), but what impact could Ian have made if he'd stuck around?

I also thought of 5 grossly under-utilized actors...
Matthew Modine
Elias Koteas
Courtney B. Vance
Arliss Howard (He's actually on Medium now with Patricia Arquette.)
Mitch Pileggi (I saw him recently as a US Marshall on Law and Order: SVU)

I'm also working on a list of "10 Great Song Intros", I'm about half way through with that. I'll try to post that soon.

Today's wine recommendation- 1999 Pewsey Vale "The Contours" Riesling $26.99
This sensational DRY riesling from the Eden Vale in Australia is really something else. Notes of lime, lemon, wet stone, and subtle white flowers are evident on the nose as intense notes of lime, lemon, mineral, and subtle paraffin and marzipan are noticeable on the palate. The acid is really in your face and aggressive. It's actually sort of acid-bomb right now. I'd be really curious to see what happens to this wine in 5 or 10 years. Try with scallop ceviche or an Asian influenced salmon dish. This wine is VERY limited and made by the fantabulous Louisa Rose. She's one of the best makers of white wine on the planet right now!

Until the next bottle...

Cheers,
Jason

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