The world as we know it is a crap sandwich...

First of all I have to say how deeply saddened I am by the death and devastation of Hurricane Katrina. I've been watching pieces of news here and there and I am simply overwhelmed by the aftermath in America's south. The damage done is unfathomable to me. I cannot believe some of the sights I've seen. The amount of people rendered homeless is mind-boggling. They say that this is the worst natural disaster in American history and I can certainly believe it. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a friend, family member, pet, or home. Watching people waving flags on their roofs waiting for rescue is disheartening, especially as there are so many of them. One of the pictures that most stuns me is the one of the Biloxi casino that has been tossed inland on top of a hotel. I think that this should be the number one news story, not higher gas prices. I'll pay higher gas prices as long as necessary. Lets worry about people instead. Hey Dubya! How about getting the troops out of Iraq and getting them into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Let them save lives (including their own) rather than take them. Iraq's infrastructure is in a lot better shape than our own right now. Maybe you could drop Pat Robertson in the middle of Tikrit in exchange for the troops coming home to help out in the south.

Please donate now to the American Red Cross!

There is more unsettling news...
I read about this in the new Metro Times. Apparently there is a "low-profile rewriting of rules and laws governing our national parks, with no input from Congress or the publlic, but apparently plenty from the off-road recreational vehicle lobby. The author of this sneaky rewrite is Paul Hoffman, deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Interior for fish, wildlife and parks."
Find out more about it here at www.npsretirees.org. Be sure to check out all the links, especially this very detailed one here that shows an analysis of draft NPS policy changes. Don't let Dubya and his "Good 'ol Boy Network" win!

Good news from the Metro Times...
Apparently the former Mason-Girardot Alan Manor in Windsor has reopened under new ownership. The new owner is former sous chef Jeff Kondrat. The review essentially claims that it's as great as it used to be, albeit without the infamous Dhiren Miyanger hosting your meal. Dhiren has returned to his acting career and may be seen in many Canadian films and Canadian TV. Mason-Girardot Alan Manor was the best Turkish-French restaurant in a Victorian house in Windsor that I've ever eaten at...and the only one. But seriously, it was a great restaurant, with lots of vegetarian options. If the new incarnation is half as good it'll be worth making the trip across the border.
411 Mill St., Windsor
(519)253-9212

Why are people so stupid? Seriously??? Customers often ask me "How do you know so much about wine?" or "How do you remember where all the wines are in the store? I could never do that...". Well...it's my job. That's what I do. If I couldn't find the wines I'd be doing a pretty piss-poor job as far as I'm concerned. I do have above average memory skills as far as numbers, cepages, regions, percentages, wine-laws and such, but it's still my job. We have almost 4500 wines and I know where each of them is and I know something about them. I've even tasted most of them. Maybe working in a library in my past has helped me with my mental organization, but regardless, I should still know how to perform my job. I often want to say, "I'm sure you're pretty good at your job too...drunkenly operating the Tilt-a-Whirl. You must have special skills too...perhaps drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon cans with a straw while making armpit fart noises with your free hand will move you up to the Elephant Ear stand soon enough. Someday the embroidered wifebeater with matching baseball cap will be yours. Dare to dream buddy, dare to dream..." Or maybe "I'll come to your job and ask you how you know when it's safe to clean the Frialator." I'm not saying that everybody is stupid, but people sure ask a lot of retarded questions.

I especially love the folks that matter-of-factly proclaim "I don't drink wine. I'm a beer drinker, but my girlfriend likes wine...and I might get laid if I get her ass drunk on wine. She likes wine. I don't. I can't stand the shit. Men are supposed to drink beer, anyway. So which one of these has the highest alcohol? Will she get all freaky n' shit if she drinks this? Cool...cool. I ain't gonna have me none, I'm gonna be drinkin' my Milwaukee's Best if you know what I mean..."
3 weeks later...
"Hey man! Thanks! My girl got all kinds of nasty thanks to that wine you picked out. I'm gonna buy be four more bottles for the weekend."
"Ummm...you're welcome, dawg."

Too many guys feel like they have to profess their disdain for wine as soon as they step foot in the wine department to retain some level of masculinity or something. I have nothing against beer drinkers. I like beer. But some guys feel emasculated by wine. Drinking a glass of cabernet is not going to castrate anybody, contrary to machismo belief. However, wearing your NASCAR/Skoal/John Deere/Who Farted? hat crooked while grabbing your crotch does affect your ability to think clearly, make intelligent decisions, or may even give your penis "Turtle Head Sydrome". It's okay to ask for help too!

I also just read about a guy that wants to start a rickshaw business (bike taxi) in Detroit. It may sound silly at first, but he thinks that a lot of people going to downtown games may want a ride from their parking lot to Ford Field/Comerica/Fox Theater/etc. It'll save them several minutes of walking and bypass panhandlers. He's trying to get the city to approve it and work out license requirements. Good luck to him!

Please answer this if you can. When exactly (month, date, year) did thongs become flip-flops and dental floss/G-strings become thongs?

Random poll- How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?
(The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind...)

But seriously...
Random poll- What will you miss most about summer? What will you miss the least?


and not for the squeamish...

"The World's Ugliest Dog" (3-time winner)

I love dogs, but how could anyone love this unfortunate thing?

Cheers,
Jason

I'd rather be riding the rails...

Tonight's Netflix selection was World Class Trains: The Ghan. This is a travel DVD that follows the Ghan train from Sydney to Alice Springs. It was well done and very enjoyable, but it left out quite a bit of what I wanted to see and hear. The Ghan is the sister train of the Indian Pacific on which I was a passenger. They are one and the same train from Sydney to Adelaide, but separate at that point. The Ghan travels north to the red center and Alice Springs. The Indian Pacific continues west to Perth from Adelaide. The leg of the journey I was on was solely from Sydney to Adelaide. There was barely a mention of Broken Hill or any mesmerizing shots in the Blue Mountains. It was still a pleasure to see, but I somewhat feel gypped. Luckily I still have my pictures and my memories. I unfortunately did not get any good shots in the amazingly beautiful Blue Mountains. If you have any interest in train travel I would highly recommend this DVD or if you have an interest in Australia, or even if you just want to see what I saw.

There's something special about rail travel. I've traveled by train in Switzerland, Australia, and Germany. Australia was something to behold, but I hold very fond memories of Swiss train travel. Not only are trains notoriously puntual, but the journeys are potentially stunning. You really haven't traveled by train unless you've traveled in the Alps. Seeing the myriad of waterfalls, brooks, streams, rivers, craggly peaks, lush green valleys, and fairytale-like Alpen homes and barns is something that just takes a hold of your spirit and lifts it above the timberline. That and a ham sandwich and I'm in heaven... I certainly hope to get some rail travel in this time around (October). I'm sure we'll take the train and then the tram to the Rigi. I really can't wait to hear the bells, whistles, and soothing sounds of the Swiss rail...

The tram rail to the Rigi.

The type of Swiss trail engine I have the most memories of...


Cheers,
Jason

Katrina, last meals, Moog, and litigioius Canadian Buddhists...

Not much of a weekend...
The restaurant was sort of slow on Friday and the full-time job just sort of dragged on Saturday. I got home to find out that the cable was out due to the storm earlier in the day. So no TV or internet until this evening (Sunday). I got some reading done and performed some alphabetical maintenance on my CD and DVD collections. The highlight of the weekend was probably the delicious pork loin I made this evening. I enjoyed it with some edamame (soybeans) 'cuz that's what I had around.

I wish everybody (Eri) in New Orleans and the surrounding areas much luck and safety. Hopefully as many people will be able to evacuate as possible and hopefully everybody at the Superdome will remain safe. A lot of lives are at risk and a lot of livelihoods are on the line with Hurricane Katrina. They say this may be one of the five worst storms to hit the US in a hundred years or something like that. Storm surges of possibly 28-feet may hit New Orleans (which is below sea level). This major shit storm has also had wind gusts up to 200mph. I wish everyone well!

Don't forget to give to the American Red Cross here. I already did...

I was flipping through channels tonight and a few times when I flipped through MTV (during the VMAs) I caught some segments with Beavis and Butthead. Are they coming back???

Apparently Leonard Cohen is suing his former business partner for about 5 million bucks that had been swindled from him while he spent about five years in a Buddhist retreat. I guess the 5 million was his retirement savings. I adore Leonard Cohen and what his partner did was undeniably wrong, but if Leonard Cohen is a buddhist does the money truly matter???

Speaking of Leonard Cohen...
This is probably public record, but it's the first I knew about it. Apparently the person giving Leonard a BJ at the Chelsea Hotel in "Chelsea Hotel #2" is Janis Joplin. I was reading a chapter in Take the Cannoli (by the beautiful and mega-talented Sarah Vowell) about the Chelsea Hotel. Interesting. I think that an amazing documentary could be made about New York's infamous Chelsea Hotel. Half of the coolest people in the last 100 years have lived there at one point...

RIP- Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer, passed away at the age of 71.

Morbid, but really neat...
Check out this website called deadmaneating.com and find out what death-row inmates ordered for their last meal. Apparently lots of murderers love fried chicken...

If I had to pick a last meal I don't know what I'd pick. I love so many things. I guess I wouldn't be embarrassed to completely pig out if I was going to be placed in the electric chair (mercy seat as Nick Cave calls it). It's hard to narrow down, but I think my last meal would include leg of lamb, duck, foie gras, garlic mashed potatoes, braised pork belly, scallops, braised beef short ribs, grilled weisswurst, asparagus, Bluefin tuna belly sushi, white truffle risotto, wood-fired pizza Margherita, Bill's Cafe's scrambled eggs, a flourless chocolate torte made with Valrhona 81% dark chocolate, TJ's Carlotta Chocolata, Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies, pancakes, croissant bread pudding, berry trifle, a loaf of crusty rustic bread and some Normandy butter. Since there's no alcohol allowed in prison I'd like a gallon of skim milk and some Coca Cola. Is that too much to ask for? I don't think so. It would be nearly impossible to narrow it down to a few things so why not ask for all of them and take a bite each.

Random poll- What would your last meal be if you could pick anything you wanted?

Today's wine recommendation- 2003 Consilience Santa Barbara Petite Sirah
This monster weighs in at a whopping 16.8% alcohol and it's absolutely delicious! It's big and rich with loads of blackberry, cassis, melted licorice, acacia, and graphite. This red is so dark in color it could stain a black shirt. It's high alcohol, but doesn't show any heat on the persistent finish. Fandiddlyastic!
About $32.00.

Cheers,
Jason

What mixed drink am I???

You Are a Martini

There's no other way to say it: you're a total lush. You hold your liquor well, and you hold a lot of it!

What Mixed Drink Are You?

I'd rather be a bottle of shiraz, but a martini will do...

Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator and observations way too late at night...

Your Fortune Is

Better to be pissed off than pissed on.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

...in bed.

Just a couple of observations...

I went to the Secretary of State today to renew my driver's license. I was out of there in 10 minutes. I don't know if I should give away the secret, but the Allen Park office has always been very efficient, friendly, and fast. I don't think I've ever waited more than 45 minutes. It wasn't packed when I got there, but it was sufficiently busy. I'll finally be getting the new Michigan license. I think I'm the last living person that still has the old one.

I work at the restaurant job every Friday night. Many Fridays I will go to Farmer Jack on the way home. I usually shop there sometime between midnight and 1:30AM. Tonight was no exception. I think I got there around midnight. It never seems to fail, but there always seems to be the same customer there at the bottle/can machines. This guy is kind of odd looking (I could imagine Robert Crumb drawing him). The guy is probably in his late 50s with the world's worst comb-over (it's thick and long and even covers, but it's still obviously a comb-over). He always wears shorts and a some sort of muscle-T. He looks like a heavyweight bodybuilder that hasn't worked out in about 4 months. He's there when I get there and sometimes he's still at the machine when I leave. I didn't see his purchase this evening, but on two separate occasions I witnessed him buying about 100 rolls of toilet paper with his bottle deposit slips. I think I need to make up a background story about this guy...if Robert Crumb doesn't meet me to the punch. I was also excited to see that Farmer Jack had 4-5lb pork loins on sale for $1.99/lb. Woo hoo!

I guess we're actually closed on Labor Day (Monday) this year at the day job. Woo hoo again!

I watched Casablanca the other night. I hadn't seen it in probably 20 years or so. I enjoyed it on first viewing when I was a kid, but I had somehow eluded watching it again. I put it in my Netflix queue and got it the other day. What a sensational movie. The writing is phenomonal and it holds up a amazingly well with time. And Ingrid Bergman??? Stunning!!!

Seeing as I'll be off on Labor Day I'm toying with the idea of going to this...



Luna is my old hangout (when it was called 3D and then later the Groove Room to a lesser extent). My friend DJ DAVO will be spinning just like in the golden era. I should go, but I'll feel pretty old next to all the kiddies. Anyone up for it?

Cheers,
Jason

US citizenship test...

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Pheeeewww!

"What would Jebus do?" , the awesomeness of Netflix, and places I'd like to haul my fat ass...

First of all...

Shut up fucknut!!! Read what asswad said here. Hope he doesn't run for Prez again...he could actually win the way things are these days. I could see the Pat Robertson/NASCAR/Skoal Bandit/KKK combination bumperstickers now... Is it possible that someone could be worse than Dubya??? Maybe... Just another reason the "Religious Right" scares the fuck out of me...

Thank goodness I have Netflix to soothe my nerves...
I am loving Netflix! Last night was Yojimbo (the 1961 Akira Kurosawa classic that inspired Fistful of Dollars). I recently discovered that Netflix has a bunch of cool music videos/concerts and also travel DVDs available. They've got an assload of Globe Trekker DVDs and other travel programs. I've mentioned before how much I love Globe Trekker on PBS. Now I can watch the episodes that I've missed. Tonight's Netflix selection was a two-parter on Queensland, Australia and the Outback. Great stuff! My absolute favorite two hosts are the beautiful and clever Megan McCormick (I wonder if she'd say "yes" if I asked her to marry me...) and the witty and hilarious Ian Wright. I think that being a host on Globe Trekker may be my new dream job. Chances are pretty slim that I'd get the gig or that I'll ever be able to visit all of the amazing places spotlighted on the show, but one can dream.

If I won the Lotto (I'd have to play it first) I'd probably buy a house and travel the world as much as possible. I'd bring all my friends if I could afford it. I've been much luckier than a lot of people I know as far as travel is concerned. While I've seen a lot more of the U.S. and the world than many, I've still hardly made a dent. I can't think of many places I wouldn't like to visit, but I have a sort of dream wishlist of places that I would like to visit.
Here are 10 places that I would love to visit...

1)Uluru (Ayers Rock)...and of course the rest of Australia, but Uluru is my ultimate goal before I die.
2)Egypt, including especially the pyramids at Giza, Luxor, Valley of the Kings (by hot-air balloon), and Abu Simbel
3)China, including the Terra Cotta Army, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall
4)India
5)South Africa
6)Peru, including Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines.
7)Nepal
8)New Zealand
9)Someplace tropical with a breeze and froo-froo drinks
10)Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe (the end of the earth in The Gods Must Be Crazy)

It's definitely my goal to get back to Australia someday and Uluru will be on the top of the "To Do" list. That goal is somewhat reachable except for the great expense. It would be really awesome if I were able to make it to Uluru and ANY one of the other places on the list. World travel rules! Too bad I'm poor...

Coming up in my Netflix queue is a travel DVD of the Ghan railroad in Australia. That's the same train I was on. I really can't wait to get that one...

Pat Robertson can suck my left one and I hope Dubya gets a rattlesnake bite on his cocaine-abused nose while on vacation...

Random poll- Mirror mirror on the wall...who is the scariest televangelist of them all?

Cheers,
Jason

French Name Generator...

Your French Name Is

Dartagnan Beaufort

What's Your French Name?

How about "Froggy LeFuqer"?

Misrepresentation of Detroit in film and a damn Top 20 list...

Hmmm...it's been a pretty uneventful week.

Work is shit. Total shit. I won't go into details, but let's just say that it would be more fun to be sodomized by a narwhal tusk right about now...
At least the boss will be out of town for 2-3 weeks. That will be sweet relief indeed, but it won't make things much less sucky.

Can't wait for Switzerland!!!

I went with friends to see a movie today. By process of elimination we went to see Four Brothers. Definitely not my first choice (I wanted to see Broken Flowers or The 40 Year Old Virgin), but it was better than some of the other options. It was okay. It wasn't great by any means, but it was okay. Not John Singleton's best effort. It was entertaining at best, but predictable. This is another one of those movies that is supposed to take place in Detroit...that's not filmed in Detroit. A few of the opening sequences and a few shots of abandoned buildings were definitely shot in Detroit. The film, to my knowledge, was shot in Toronto. I understand that it's cheaper to film in Canada and that it snows there too, but how about a little more reality? The performances were fine, including a surprising turn from Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000 from Outkast), but nothing really wowed me.

Did the film portray all of the shittiest aspects of Detroit, you ask? Yes. Yes it did. Thanks for asking. When I'm out of town and people ask where I'm from I say Detroit. I know that I live in a suburb that borders on Detroit, but it's just easier to say that I'm from Detroit. Saying that gives me a little bit of street cred, not a ghetto-pass, but just a little bit of street cred. Here are a few problems I have with the film...
1)Josh Charles should not play a "tough crooked cop". He's a brilliant actor (see the absolutely wonderful series Sports Night), but a "heavy" he is not. He could play sleazy or crooked, but he needs to buff up a bit to match this character's bravado.
2)Black people don't watch hockey.
3)Black people don't play hockey.
4)There are no free outdoor ice-rinks in Detroit (that I know of).
5)Even though the lakes and the Detroit "River" freeze up none of them freeze up that far out and support several SUVs. I'd like to know where they freeze at least 2-feet deep.
6)The Garden Bowl is not that clean or modern (don't let the shiny pictures in the link fool you). There was a scene at a mock-up of the Garden Bowl (under a different name, but it was definitely implied)and it was way too shiny and clean. Any real Detroiter knows that the Garden Bowl is dirtier than Nick Nolte's boxers after a 4-day bender. Don't get me wrong...I love the Garden Bowl.
7)Light-up beer/liquor signs in Michigan bars are illegal.
8)There is no view of the Detroit skyline like that anywhere, especially from one street...except for maybe Ford Rd. heading east on a clear day. (I think it was painted or a photo.)

One of the few accuracies in the film is the presence of Arabic writing on a Highland Park party-store sign...

This film portrays Detroit as a violent, gang-infested, gun-laden city, with corrupt police and city councilmen...which are all true, but it's a little over the top. The city is being misrepresented, which is disheartening, but at least it still gives me a little bit of street cred for now.

I mentioned earlier that it's cheaper to film in Canada, but I'm sure that it must be even cheaper to film in Detroit. I think that more films should be shot here. Recently parts of The Island were filmed here (to represent a post-apocolyptic Los Angeles or something). People know to shoot here if they need shots of urban blight, but how about filming a whole film or even just some dialogue? Grosse Pointe Blank wasn't shot here, Detroit Rock City wasn't shot here, Narc wasn't shot here... The only films that were actually filmed in Detroit or painted Detroit in a fairly accurate light were Hoffa, Polish Wedding (in Hamtramck), Out of Sight, True Romance, and Zebrahead. I know that there are more, but these stand out a bit. Some of the most accurate and gritty shots of Detroit are in True Romance, but I think the greatest and most accurate Detroit film is the wonderful and scarcely seen Zebrahead. It stars the young (at the time) and talented Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, and N'Bushe Wright. Good stuff! Rent it or Netflix it. I think that the city of Detroit should be more aggressive in trying to get Hollywood to shoot here. If they start shooting more films here maybe the money can go to beautifying the city and the movies made will no longer be about post-apocolyptic society or Newark's armpit, but about real things and a great and beautiful city. Doubtful, but hopeful. Let's bring Hollywood bucks to Detroit...

My next Netflix film to watch is Yojimbo. I've seen it before, but it's been a very long time. Great film!

I went to Glen's store on Friday and picked up the new Knitters, two Sufjan Stevens albums, the "The Stooges" re-issue, a Boo Radleys 2-disc set, and the new Kronos Quartet. Great stuff!

I don't know how I got to thinking about this, but I started thinking of some of the great couples in television. This is off the top of my head, but here's a quick, thrown-together list of my Top 20 favorite TV couples...
(The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy will not be found here as I hate both of those shows and they were NOT healthy relationships!)

In no particular order they are...

1)Winnie and Kevin in The Wonder Years (aaawwww...young love and great writing on one of the best TV shows ever)
2)Dan and Roseanne Connor in Roseanne (As real as it gets!)
3)Archie and Edith Bunker (Classic! Sweet and real. Shows that even older folks can still love each other. Not much of that on TV!)
4)The Huxtables (Fun and even pushed kinky...)
5)Marge and Homer Simpson (Go together like frosting and donuts)
6)Sam and Diane (Sexual tension, sparks, fun...)
7)Ross and Rachel (Hate to say it, but it was a great storyline and a great couple...ultimately)
8)Fry and Leela on Futurama (Okay...they weren't a couple, but this honestly is one of the sweetest and most natural looks at adoration. Fry was infatuated with Leela and she wouldn't have him. This was a continuing sub-plot that was played out beautifully although they never got together. Fry's affection for Leela and her constant dismissal was one of the most sincere, sweet, gentle, realistic, and heartbreaking plots in TV history. Laugh at me if you will, but I think it was brilliantly written. Fry's yearning/longing for Leela had deep roots and his gentle soul always shone through. I always wanted them to get together a la Some Kind of Wonderful (in reverse) or how we all wanted Duckie to get Andie... As crushed as Fry always was he was always eager to just be friends if that's all he could have.)
9)"Hawkeye" and "Hot Lips Houlihan" (Again...not a couple. But that kiss in the last episode was something to behold. Lots of chemistry and tension. Brilliant!)
10)Jack and Norma Arnold in The Wonder Years (These were Kevin's parents. It felt real. It was subtle and sweet, although not a big storyline. Jack never showed any weakness in front of his kids, but his insecurities would show when he was one on one with Norma.)
11)Gomez and Morticia Addams (Freaks gotta love too!)
12)Dr. Bob and Emily Hartley of The Bob Newhart Show (Classic!)
13)Tobias Beecher and Christopher Keller in Oz (Nothing like prison love...)
14)Brenda and Billy (brother and sister) in Six Feet Under (F'ed up!)
15)Felix and Oscar in The Odd Couple (Not like that...)
16)Maddie and David in Moonlighting (Sexual tension and yelling!)
17)Mulder and Scully (Again...not a couple, but everyone wanted it.)
18)Magnum and his Ferrari (Who's on top?)
19)Hal and Lois in Malcolm in the Middle (Slightly exaggerated realism.)
20)Kermit and Miss Piggy (Another classic, although I think Kermit may have cheated on her with Candice Bergen, Lynda Carter, and Janice.


Random poll- Who's your favorite television couple?

Random poll #2- What's your favorite "Detroit" film?

Cheers,
Jason

Don't wear a white suit to a BBQ joint...

First of all...
Happy Birthday to Kathleen!

I was driving down Michigan Ave. last night past Westpoint Barbeque and a gentleman went inside wearing a white suit. Is that a good idea? Although I seem to think I've got decent table manners I'm still likely to make some kind of mess while eating ribs. What a dumbass!

I've got to run a few errands today. I'm going to Switched On CDs today to buy some stuff and hopefully Glen will be there so that I may drop off Julie's belated b-day present. I'm also going to try to get to the Secretary of State to renew my license as my birthday is next month. I'm one of the last people in the state to still have the "old school" license.

Gotta go! Maybe I'll post more later...

Cheers,
Jason

My swear word...

Found this quiz on Katm6's blog...

Your word is SHIT. You are laid back and relaxed,
and most people like you. You don't especially
want to stand out from the crowd, you are
pretty happy with your lot.


Which Swear (Curse) Word Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

There IS a god in an alcove, poop jokes, and CornNuts

I heard a rumor...and apparently it's true. I've recently heard some very important news...
BAUHAUS is Coming to Detroit!!!

News is that they're playing the Royal Oak Music Theater on November 19th.
Yee-f'in-haw is all I've got to say! Can't wait! They were great the last time around...


Well I finally saw The Aristocrats and it was pretty damn funny. I went with Brian and a friend from work. Bob Saget is a dirty, funny motherf'er! Gilbert Gottfried is at his funniest and I now I'm even more in love with Sarah Silverman. She's a dirty, dirty girl. I also discoverd that Brian is in love with her too. We may have to have a duel. The people behind us must have been completely offended as they walked out of the theater pretty promptly after the opening salvos. Go see it...unless you don't enjoy scatalogical, genital, anal, bestial, incestual references...or if you find Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles offensive. It'll make you feel dirty all over...

Sorry this is so short, but I've got to go to bed...

Random poll- When was the last time you ate a CornNut? (I had a strange hankering for some yesterday. I probably haven't had a CornNut in a good 15 years or so. I used to love them as a kid. "Original" were my fave, but the BBQ were good too. Looks like they've got all kinds of crazy flavors now. I think I'm gonna have to go out and get me some...)

Cheers,
Jason

Some kind of blog quiz...

Here's something a little different...

1) Reply with your name, and I'll respond with something random about you.

2) I'll tell you what song/or movie reminds me of you.

3) I'll pick a color/flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.

4) I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.

5) I'll tell you my first memory of you.

6) I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.

7) I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.

8) If I do this for you, you must post this on your blog. You MUST. It is written.

Amish on crank, Walla Walla onions, and Sarah Silverman is my dreamgirl...

It's been a pretty uneventful week. The weather today is actually fantastic. It's in the 70's and it's been threatening rain all today. Awesome! It rained last night and a bit on Friday. That's a nice change-up from the nasty-ass weather that we've been having. I can't wait for the crisp, cool air of fall. Can't wait...

I watched a pretty damn interesting documentary last night. I've been wanting to see it for some time and I finally had a chance to see Devil's Playground thanks to Netflix. Devil's Playground is a film about Amish teens during rumspringa. Apparently the Amish really now how to party...SERIOUSLY!!! Very, very interesting film that I would encourage anyone to see. I learned quite a bit about Amish society and actually find its ideals well placed. The ideal that I probably most agree with is adult baptism. The idea of being able to choose whether or not you'd like to be baptised after you've been made fully aware of the church and its teachings is something that I could agree with. Mind you...I could never ever be Amish. Watch this film...there's some scary shit going on in Amish country. I won't make a joke about the time I was in Intercourse, Pennsylvania...
(I really was in Intercourse, Pennsylvania once. It's an Amish community.)

I watched Devil's Playground last night after watching Some Kind of Monster on VH-1 last night. That's the Metallica documentary. Pretty interesting...

I went to Westborn Market today to pick up a few things and I very happily discovered that they had Walla Walla onions in stock. I LOVE WALLA WALLA ONIONS!!! Vidalia onions are nice and all, but Walla Wallas friggin' rule! You don't see them very often in Michigan, but they were a staple of Oregon summers. Walla Walla onions grow in Washington and Oregon an are generally available mid-June to September. They're sweet and absolutely divine. Here are some Walla Walla onion recipes. I bought a few and I'll be going back shortly before they're all gone. I did make a pretty nice dinner for myself today. I seared a thick Delmonico steak that had been seasoned with Murray River salt and pepper and rubbed with extra virgin olive oil on both sides then topped it with a couple of sliced Roma tomatoes that had I just picked from the garden, fresh basil (just picked), and a whole sliced Walla Walla onion. I then popped the pan into a 475 degree oven for about 7 minutes. I then threw a bit of flour, Bourgogne (pinot noir), and beefstock in the pan and let it reduce on the stove and then finished it off with some butter. Nice! Walla Walla onions rule! Find out for yourself...

I'm a little nervous. I ordered something from Amazon.com that should be here already according to their delivery estimate, but UPS tracking shows that it hasn't been picked up yet from Amazon (a week later). I normally wouldn't care so much, but it's for a friend's birthday and the clock is ticking. I also ordered something from E-Bay that was put in last Monday's mail in England. I just hope that that gets here in time as that has a deadline as well...

I was actually watching the Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson. I wasn't watching it for Pamela's sake, but to see some people make fun of her and Tommy Lee's legendary schwanz. Jeffery Ross is a funny-ass motherf'er! You can book him here. One of the highlights of the evening was an insane Courtney Love rambling on about how she's been clean and sober for over a year...ha ha ha ha! If she was clean and sober I'm the f'n Dalai Lama. (No offense to the Dalai Lama. He's a cool cat.) Also on the dais was one of my favorites...the lovely, talented, beautiful, filthy Sarah Silverman. I would marry her if she'd let me. She's gorgeous and has a dirtier mouth than a trucker with Tourette's. What more can a person ask for?

I definitely need to see The Aristocrats this week. Anybody want to go to a 9:30 showing some time this week at the Main? I'd rather not go alone, but I will if I have to. Just be warned that it's FILTHY!!!

Cheers,
Jason

"Pass the crack-pipe on the left hand side..."

Glen posted this list from SPIN magazine on his blog and I thought that I'd comment too (in bold)...


Spin's Top 100 albums since 1985

100. The Strokes - Is This It
99. Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
98. Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time (One catchy song does not a Top 100 pick make...)
97. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (It's okay. Just okay.)
96. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and The Lash (#96? Are you f'ing kidding me? Top 10!)
95. Elastica - Elastica
94. Slint - Spiderland
93. Pearl Jam - Ten (I don't like Pearl Jam, but this deserves to be higher.)
92. Big Black - Atomizer
91. XTC - Skylarking (Awesome! Should be higher.)
90. Sonic Youth - Sister (I absolutely love this album and I'm shocked that it made it to the list ahead of all the other Sonic Youth albums. It's my 2nd fave SY album after "Daydream Nation". Well done!)
89. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell (Oh hells no!)
88. Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (I'm in total agreement with Glen on this one. Although it's a good album, other Stereolab albums deserve higher ranking than this one.)
87. Blur - Parklife (Damon Albarn is overrated.)
86. Meat Puppets - Up On The Sun
85. REM - Automatic For The People (Although it's a good album I'd place "Out of Time" or "Murmur" higher on the pedestal.)
84. Soundgarden - Superunknown (Not my bag, but a solid album.)
83. At The Drive In - Relationship Of Command (Come on...seriously)
82. Jeff Buckley - Grace
81. Beck - Mellow Gold
80. D'Angelo - Voodoo (More like "poo poo".)
79. Moby - Everything Is Wrong
78. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (Again agreeing with Glen...this should be much higher.)
77. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
76. Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister (Good job on this one.)
75. Le Tigre - Le Tigre
74. Portishead - Dummy
73. Pulp - Different Class (Again, Damon Albarn is overrated.)
72. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (WTF?!?!?)
71. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Psychocandy (Nice.)
70. Jay-Z - The Blueprint (No thanks!)
69. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
68. Tricky - Maxinquaye (Why don't you step on a hallucinogenic toad for the same effect.)
67. Slayer - Reign In Blood
66. Outkast - Aquamini (???)
65. Basement Jaxx - Remedy (Someone at SPIN is goofin' on skunkweed.)
64. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (Detroit represent!)
63. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
62. Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly (I once took a dump better than this album)
61. Weezer - Pinkerton (I'm sorry, but I just don't get the whole Weezer phenomonon.)6
60. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (Decent, but not worthy of Top 100)
59. Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (Not so much...)
58. Metallica - Master of Puppets
57. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
56. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
55. The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
54. The Breeders - Last Splash (More like poop splash...)
53. Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles (Ummm...again agreeing with Glen. Did they never listen to the their groundbreaking first album? The first Rage album hits you like a bag of bricks made of dark-matter.)
52. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill j (Hell yeah!)
51. Nirvana - In Utero (Kurt Cobain farted and this shit-bubble came out.)
50. New Order - Low-Life
49. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
48. Radiohead - Kid A
47. Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full (This does NOT belong on this list.)46.
46. The Fall - This Nations Saving Grace (Hell yes! Mark E. Smith is a snarling god!)4
45. Kanye West - College Dropout (Oh hell no! The flavor of the moment may taste like ass when it sits around a bit.)
44. Green Day - Dookie (No thanks guys. Decent album, but not quite enough.)
43. Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (No!)
42. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
41. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
40. Run DMC - Rasing Hell
39. Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams
38. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
37. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
36. Pixies - Doolittle (#36? Are the people at Spin on crack? Top 10!)
35. Dr Dre - The Chronic (Looks like the SPIN editors are smokin' it.)
34. Elliot Smith - Either/Or (Sorry, but nicht!)
33. Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (Not so high!)
32. The Replacements - Tim
31. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me (Good band, good album, but not top 100)
30. The Notorious BIG - Ready To Die (He's dead now. You can take it off the list if you were worrying about getting a cap busted in your ass.)
29. Fugazi - 13 Songs
28. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
27. The Cure - The Head On The Door
26. Bjork - Post
25. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
24. Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (Great album, but not that great.)
23. Outkast - Stankonia
22. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (Top f'in 10! Right now!!!)
21. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
20. Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang 36 Chambers (nooooooooo...)
19. Hole - Live Through This (Pass the meth please...)
18. Guns and Roses - Appetite For Destruction
17. Nas - Illmatic (No disrespect, but f' no!)
16. Beck - Odelay
15. Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville
14. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
13. Husker Du - New Day Rising (I was gonna say "Where's Zen Arcade?" Until I remembered it came out in '84)
12. Beastie Boys - Pauls Boutique (Not quite Top 100 material, but what about Ill Communication?)
11. U2 - Achtung Baby (Good album, but where the f' is Joshua Tree?)
10. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
9. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
8. Prince - Sign O The Times
7. De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
6. Pixies - Su4fer Rosa (Great album, but Doolittle belongs here.)
5. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
4. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
3. Nirvana - Nevermind
2. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
1. Radiohead - OK Computer

Wow! Apparently Dubya's "War on Drugs" is failing. Whoever came up with some of these choices are definitely a bunch of raging high-ons. Where is Nick Cave, Sinead O'Connor, more Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Pale Saints, Ride, Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode, Robyn Hitchock, more Pogues, Tori Amos or Sarah McLachlan, Kate Bush (Hounds of Love), ???

Pass me the crack-pipe.

How could they forget Justin Guarini and Clay Aiken? They may as well have been on the list.

Sounds like a challenge to come up with my own list. I'll have to do some thinking...

Cheers,
Jason

3000 hits! Thanks Dr. Porkenheimer!

According to Sitemeter I've gotten my 3000th hit today. That's kind of cool seeing as I started less than a year ago. However, probably half of those hits probably came from people Googling/yahooing/etc "Dr. Porkenheimer's Boner Juice" and stumbling onto my site. Anyway, thanks everybody for stopping by!

I'm very happy to know that the space shuttle Discovery landed safely. That's quite a relief. Welcome back to Earth! Apparently the future of the space program is questionable though...

On a sad note...
Anchorman Peter Jennings died yesterday at the age of 67 of lung cancer. Peter Jennings was a fixture throughout my life. I grew up in an ABC News household and continued watching it as I preferred it over the coverage of CBS and NBC. He was definite favorite of the "Big 3". Peter Jennings always kept a cool head and presented in a clean, precise, professional manner. I'll miss him. It's up to a new generation now. It's sad to lose another great Canadian...

Another stolen blog quiz (from Kathleen). This one's kinda cool...
The idea is that all of the questions are answered with song titles from one band. The band that I'm going to use is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Here we go...

Are you male or female: Long Time Man

Describe yourself: The Carny

How do some people feel about you: Stranger Than Kindness

How do you feel about yourself: Darker With the Day

Describe your current significant other: Nobody's Baby Now

Describe where you want to be: City of Refuge

Describe what you want to be: Rock of Gibraltar

Describe how you live: I Let Love In

Describe how you love: Into My Arms

Share a few words of wisdom: People Ain't No Good

That sorta worked...

Another stolen blog quiz (this one is from Julie). The idea of this one is to do a Google Image search of the answers and post the pictures that come up. I will be somewhat selective as I've already encountered a penis searching for "33"...

The age you will be on your next birthday

The place where you live

Your favorite color

The place you want to get married

Your first love

Your favorite fruit or vegetable

Your favorite animal

The name of your pet (my landlords')

Last name of your favorite actor

Your favorite song

A bad habit of yours

Your middle name




Another stolen quiz from Kathleen...

01. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at? To see if I need to shave...hopefully not.

02. How much cash do you have on you? About 4 bucks

03. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"? Breast (tee hee tee hee)

04. Favourite plant? grapevine

05. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? No cell phone

06. What is your main ring tone on your phone? Again, no cell phone

07. What shirt are you wearing? White V-Neck undershirt (I'm at home and the AC is out)

08. Do you "label" yourself? Yep. Fat, poor, underachiever

09. Name brand of your shoes currently wearing? Barefoot (Blundstone boots earlier)

10. Do you prefer a bright or dark room? Dark

11. What did you have for breakfast? Nothin'

Where is #12?

13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Watching TV

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say? No cell phone

15. Do you ever click on "Pop Ups" or Banners? Hello no!

16. What's an expression that you say a lot? "Oy vay Maria" or "F*ck"

17. Who told you they loved you last? My mom. I think she's the only one other than relatives and my co-worker and his wife.

18. Last furry thing you touched? Huey

19. How many hours a week do you work? 51+

20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed? One that's only half used. The last pics taken on the roll were in February. I need to take more pics on it of something now that I've gone digital.

21. Favourite age you have been so far? 22 (94' was a good year) or 31 (Australia)

22. Your worst enemy? Dubya

23. What is your current desk top picture? The Palace Hotel in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia

24. What was the last thing you said to someone? I put the vodka on your deck. (Don't ask)

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose? Million bucks! All the mistakes I've made led me to be the person I am today with lots of great friends that I wouldn't trade for the world.


I'm really glad that Julie and Glen had a safe and fun trip to London and Paris (even if she hated Paris...)

Only 39 days to go to Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Cheers,
Jason

Celebrity Music Match

Your Musical Tastes Match: Nicole Kidman

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

Musical taste isn't the only thing I'd like to share with her if you know what I mean...

...and the winner is "Sweaty Horse Balls" by a nose!

So I judged the homemade wine contest today...that was something. I guess I lucked out today. I was supposed to judge the "Dry Red" category, but there was only one person judging "Sweet Red". I jumped over to the "Sweet Red" table help out. Turns out there were only 3 wines entered in the "Sweet Red" category as opposed to the 20 or so in the "Dry Red" category. I only had to taste 3 wines, but I didn't go away unscathed. The winning wine in our category was reminiscent of sweaty horse balls. Yeah...it was a real winner, but at least it didn't kill me...yet. The second place wine in our category tasted like it was made from monkeys. In its defense it tasted like it was made from real monkeys...not that articial stuff. The last place (and still bronze medal-winning) had a nose of diaper and Tang with notes of fermented pollywog and dungbeetle feces and a persistent finish of isopropyl alcohol, kimchi, and rotting jellyfish anus. I'm lucky to still be alive. At least I didn't swallow any (I spit), but I'll still have to worry about tongue absorption. Please remind me to say "no" next year. I complain about tasting bad wines at work all the time, but they're still a hell of a lot better than homemade...

I went to a going-away party for my friend John C. last night. That was nice. I didn't get there until later because I had to work, but I was still able to hang out for a while. I really love getting together with my friends. We have great times and lots of laughs reminiscing about the ol' WUMD days. I got about 30 mosquito bites last night, so I must have West Nile by now. John is moving to Austin, Texas to be with his girlfriend. He will be sorely missed. Austin is a great place for a music geek. I think he'll fit in pretty well. Good luck to you John! Last night also raised another question...
"How many doctors, engineers, lawyers, and computer analysts does it take to start a fire?" A lot...apparently.

I really hope that the shuttle Discovery lands safely early tomorrow morning. Let's all pray or do whatever you do and wish them a safe return to Earth.

I realized that I've already forgotten the new Pope's name. The fact that I haven't heard anything about him in a while may be a good sign...

I finally saw Mondovino last week. I enjoyed the wine documentary, but it would probably be extremely boring and confusing to someone who's not a wine geek/wine professional. Most of the people interviewed held very strong opinions of Robert Mondavi, Michel Rolland, and American thinking. I could take or leave Bob's wines, but he's an important figure in the industry. As for Michel Rolland I will defend him to the bitter end. (No pun intended) The wines that he consults on are infinitely better with his magic touch. I may not understand in great detail the process of "micro-oxygenation", but it sure makes wine taste damn good. I also enjoyed George...Robert Parker's farting bulldog. If you're not a big wine geek don't bother watching, but if you are...

I finally saw The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. It was good, but definitely not my favorite Wes Anderson film (that would be Rushmore). Willem Dafoe and Noah Taylor turned in fine performances as always. The use of Sigur Ros in the soundtrack was brilliantly matched with the "leopard shark" scene. Can't wait to see the new Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers with Bill Murray...

Can't wait to see The Aristocrats some time next week...
Here's a look at the cast. You can see the South Park clip from The Aristocrats here. WARNING! It's filthy!!!


I cooked up a great batch of pasta today. Gemelli pasta with marlin, sea scallops, garlic, tomatoes (just-picked from the garden), hot Hungarian banana peppers (just- picked from the garden), basil (just-picked from the garden), Vidalia onions, and vegetable stock. Mmm mmm good...

I guess the cop from the Village people was arrested when he was pulled over and the real cops found a loaded gun and cocaine in his car. I guess he was playing "Bad Cop". Speaking of the Village People...did you ever see Can't Stop the Music? One of the worst films I've ever seen starring the riveting superstar Olympian Bruce Jenner. His acting almost rivals Johnny Bench in the old Rust-Oleom commercials...

There are a bunch of people and cars moving in front of my house right now for the fireworks display. Thank unnamed deity that Dearborn Homecoming is almost over...
















The fireworks from my backyard.

Here's a list of my 12 favorite directors in no particular order...
1. Krzysztof Kieslowski
2. Akira Kurosawa
3. Wim Wenders
4. Jim Jarmusch
5. Alfred Hitchcock
6. Robert Altman
7. Julian Schnabel
8. Terry Gilliam
9. Lee Tamahori
10. Yimou Zhang
11. Stanley Kubrick
12. John Hughes

Who are your favorite directors? Let me know...

Cheers,
Jason

My summer ride...

Your Summer Ride is a Beetle Convertible

Fun, funky, and a little bit euro. You love your summers to be full of style and sun!

What's Your Summer Ride?

Pizza personality blog quiz...

Cheese Pizza

Traditional and comforting. You focus on living a quality life. You're not easily impressed with novelty. Yet, you easily impress others.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Although I may be a "cheese" personality I'd like a perfect pizza Margherita please...

Homeade wine is NOT good...

This weekend is going to suck toad vomit. This weekend is Dearborn Homecoming. Dearborn Homecoming sucks! It sucks a lot! It also conveniently takes place "just down the road a spell". It's at the park near my flat. It really screws up traffic and parking everywhere and makes it difficult to get into my own driveway. The worst part, however, is that I stupidly agreed to be chief judge of the homemade wine competition...for the third year in a row. Why can't I just say no? I should've learned my lesson the last two years. Being chief judge just means that I give a little speech to the other judges and tell them the proper way to taste and judge. The other judges really have no clue. Some don't even like wine. I've judged red wines the last two years. It's really amazing what people can come up with in their basements and garages...have you ever tasted possum bile and wet ashtray in a wine before? I have. At the last two competitions. The really sad thing is that the winemakers and their families are so proud of their wines and they watch you as you're tasting. It's really hard not to make a face sometimes...or gag. These people actually drink and enjoy their own swill. I guess it's sort of like your own fart not stinking... Why haven't they ever asked me to judge the pie or salsa contest? Remind me not to agree to this shit next year...

I watched American Masters tonight on Sun Records. It was pretty interesting. Sam Phillips has a bit of an ego, but deservedly so. There were several musicians performing old Sun tunes including Paul McCartney, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Mark Knopfler...cool. Also Third Eye Blind and Matchbox Twenty...not cool. There was also an Italian recording artist by the name of Zucchero performing a song. I've never heard of the guy but he sounded like a Ray Charles/Joe Cocker hybrid. This guy actually sounded like he deserved a spot/performance. Third Eye Blind and Sun Records should not be used in the same sentence. Scotty Moore still plays a mean guitar...

I mentioned in a previous post how I'm pissed that I can't go see The Knitters on Friday, but now I'm doubly bummed as I found out that Phranc is the opening act. Remember Phranc??? I forgot about her. Now I really want to go...

AWESOME!!! Apparently The Aristocrats IS going to come to Detroit starting August 12 at the Main Art in Royal Oak. I am SO there!!! I'm sure that my friend Brian would be willing to go with me as it's supposed to filthier than sin? Any other takers???

I haven't seen Murderball yet...hope I get a chance before it leaves theaters...

Holy crap! ABC is coming with English Beat in September!

Here's a few pics from the garden...


Tomatoes a'poppin'


Holy crap that's a lot o' basil!


Caliente jalepenos!


Holy cukes!


Hot Hungarian banana peppers...they grow like weeds.




I saw Senator Joe Biden (D-New Hampshire)on The Daily Show last night and he said that he would be honored to run with or against John McCain. That could be cool...

There's a great article in the new Rolling Stone on America's "War on Drugs" and how the focus has been turned to marijuana. Don't worry about coke, meth, heroin, or anything...
Oh yeah! That's right! Dubya used to be a cokehead. How could I forget? The red states sure have...

Cheers,
Jason

Freman wins...now we wait

WTG Freman! Now please kick Kwame's ass in November...

Monday night TV, "heat n' eat" Indian, and more bubkis...

First of all, I'm really happy that my friends Julie and Glen are having a fun and safe trip to England/Paris.

Huzzah and kudos to Michael for winning on Hell's Kitchen! He was my favorite since day one. There was more than one surprise in the end. The winner was supposed to win his/her own restaurant. Chef Gordon Ramsay proclaimed Michael the winner. Chef Ramsay recognized the talent in Michael and made him an offer...win his own restaurant or move to London to train under Gordon Ramsay to become a world-class chef. Michael chose to move to London. A pretty ballsy and cool move as far as I'm concerned. I liked Ralph (the other finalist) more and more as time progressed, but I've always been a Michael supporter. Maybe it's his quiet demeanor with tattoos and piercings everywhere... Good luck Michael!

I'm really loving the new No Reservations on the Travel Channel with Anthony Bourdain! But I also really love Anthony Bourdain. This week's episode took place in Iceland in January. Ouch! I'll try anything once, but I may pass on the opportunity to ever try fermented shark thanks to Mr. Bourdain's warning. I would try it though just to say that I did despite the warning that it's the most disgusting thing he's ever put in his mouth. I'd also like to try a "1000-year old egg" sometime. Last week Paris, this week Iceland, next week New Jersey...

I'm also really loving this new brand of Indian vegetarian foods that we're carrying at the store. The brand is called "Kitchens of India". I've already tried the Rajma Masala (Red Kidney Beans Curry), Pindi Chana (Chick Peas Curry), Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cottage Cheese and Sauce), and Dal Bukhara (Black Gram Lentils Curry). The last one for me to try is the Pav Bhaji (Mashed Vegetable Curry). The dishes come in sealed packets and may be microwaved in a dish, boiled in the packet, or heated on the stovetop. Just heat and eat... They're absolutely delicious, especially for the low price of $2.50 each! Although they might not quite be restaurant quality (pretty damn close) they're flippin' good! None of them are super spicy, but they have just enough gentle warmth to them with lots of flavor. Absolutely no preservatives, all natural, Kosher, vegetarian, and delicious!!! They're good by themselves, but they make a great meal on rice. I suppose that you could doctor them to make them hotter, but I'll take them as is. I love spicy foods, but I have cried on occasion in Indian and Thai restaurants. I know that I can order "hot" in some places and be fine, but I've ordered "medium" in a few places and I've been brought to absolute tears. It's a good burn though. "Please bring me a 7th pitcher of water and more rice please..." Actually I find mango lassis to be quite soothing. I am not being payed to endorse these fine "Ready to Serve" products from Kitchens of India, but I wholeheartedly recommend that you try them. Not bad for pre-packaged...I could almost become a vegetarian with the existence of Indian food...almost. At least they use butter...

The Detroit Mayoral Primary is tomorrow...I really hope that the voters show up in support of Freman Hendrix. Detroit...it's a mess.
Here's a picture of current Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (to those of you not from the Detroit area). I couldn't find any pics of him partying with strippers...

Here's the guy that I hope will win...

Not that pictures mean anything...
Don't get me started on Sharon McPhail...
I can't vote in the election as I'm not a resident of the city, but I do have a strong opinion. Detroit's future is looking dim under the current leadership...

Apparently there's a rumor that David Lee Roth may take over Howard Stern's radio spot when he moves to satellite radio...
Diver Down! Diver Down!

Also in music news...
Patti Smith was made a Commander of the Order of the Arts by the French government. Cool!

Right now I'm drinking the 2002 Eric Ross Rauser Ranch Vineyard Old Vine Carignane from Lodi. It's pretty good, not fantastic, but pretty good. It's actually a little too warm in my flat right now and the alcohol level is showing a little more aggressively than it would under cooler conditions. Not bad...

I really, really, really, really, really, really, really hope that The Aristocrats comes to Detroit. After reading a few more reviews I really have to see this documentary based on a dirty joke. It's supposed to be absolutely disgustingly filthy and ubelievably hilarious. The scary thing is that Gilbert Gottfried is supposed to steal the movie. Sounds like my kind of film...

I'm really loving Netflix! Over 50,000 films to choose from. Outta sight!

It's hot again and our AC is broken...at least it's not as hot as it was a week ago. That was just downright icky.

Switzerland is almost two months away...can't wait. Here's a pic from Lugano (where I'll be visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins)...

It's in Ticino...the Italian speaking Canton.
Ciao!

Cheers,
Jason