You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own. It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy. You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society. You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

You Have Fantastic Karma

You are a kind, sensitive, and giving person. And all your good deeds will pay off - if they haven't already. But you're not so concerned with what you get in return anyway. You have an innate caring nature - and nothing can change that!

How's Your Karma?

You Are 16% Capitalist, 84% Socialist

You see a lot of injustice in the world, and you'd like to see it fixed. As far as you're concerned, all the wrong people have the power. You're strongly in favor of the redistribution of wealth - and more protection for the average person.

Are You a Socialist or Capitalist?

You Belong in Australia

Ace! Sunny, upbeat, and cute You make the perfect surf bum Now stop hogging the vegemite!

What English Speaking Country Are You?

I could've told you that without taking a quiz...

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

You Should Drive a BMW

Refined and classy, you want a car that looks rich... and goes fast!

What Sports Car Should You Drive?

Sounds good to me!

Let me eat cake...

Hey kids!

First of all I'd like to thank all of my fabulous friends for their generosity last week. Thanks for the great grub and the wonderful gifts for my birthday. You're all very thoughtful. Thanks!

Last Thursday a couple of friends took me to Zingerman's Roadhouse for dinner. It's one of my fave restaurants and this visit was no exception. I started with a wonderful tomato and mozzarella salad (Insalata Caprese). They used perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes (orange, yellow, crimson, and striped purple), their homemade fresh mozzarella, locally grown organic basil, excellent quality Italian extra virgin olive oil (can't remember the name), and Tellicherry black pepper. Simply divine. The table also shared an order of their fabulous spicy onion rings with homemade spicy ketchup. I then tried the soup of the day- a wonderful Texas Beef and Bean with Niman Ranch beef. For my entree I ordered one of several macaroni and cheese options. I ordered the one made with Grafton cheddar (Vermont), smoked chicken, green chiles, and corn. It was wonderful! They use Martelli pasta for their mac'n'cheese. Martelli pasta is the best in the world...seriously! We sell it at the store. It's about 5 bucks a bag but it's worth it! I also had a side order of "Green Bean Casserole". They use delightfully crisp (not canned) green beans, fresh mushrooms, and a perfect onion ring on the top. They were offering a new dessert which I was entirely willing to try...a key lime and coconut coffee cake with macadamia nuts presented with macadamia nuts, homemade coconut gelato, and a homemade fresh mint syrup. Delicious! A fabulous birthday meal on my birthday! One of my co-diners was so pleased with her side of grits that she took another order home with her. They're having Rosh Hoshana specials and New Mexico chile harvest specials coming up...

On Friday I actually returned to my part-time restaurant job after a lay-off of about 4 months. It's good to be back! The re-design of the bar is fabulous and they also now offer several "Small Plate" options in addition to the regular menu.

On Saturday I was treated to dinner by a plethora of groovy friends at Richter's Chalet. I haven't been their in years. It's a great German restaurant and you can be well-fed for cheaps. It's not very vegetarian-friendly as it's a German restaurant...I think they even put bacon in the water. I had the French Onion Soup, the Schnitzel ala Holstein (lightly breaded veal sauteed in butter with a fried egg, anchovies, and capers), and the Schwarzwelderkirschtorte (Black Forest Torte) for dessert. Yum! German food is fairly simple, but wholly satisfying. We then went over to BST's for cake, but never had any cake as most of us had dessert at Richter's. I opened my gifts (thanks to everyone!) and we just sat around and shot the shit. Conversations ran from human penis on dog (the new IKEA catalog), childhood stories, politics, and more. Thanks everybody! I took the cake home and made a pig of myself for a few days. Some co-workers gave me a Bill Knapp's chocolate cake and then I took a Boston Cream Pie home from Saturday. Good times! I even had cake for my B-Day on Wednesday at work (a chocolate bumpy cake with a chocolate cream filling). Let them eat cake! Damn skippy!

Sunday was spent with friends eating and drinking. We had a "Cabernet Shoot-Out" and it was a lot of fun. Great food as always!

My adventures since Sunday have been pretty much non-existent. I don't intend to single out any one gift, but I will because it is so frickin' awesome. My landlord-types and roommate got me a frickin' huge-ass Le Creuset Dutch oven. They had given me one years ago also, but this one is about twice the size. It frickin' rocks! Now I can braise bigger briskets, more short ribs, and even roast whole chickens now! It's kind of celery greenish and it's beautiful! I can't wait to braise something when I have about 6 hours free.

I'm very excited because I received my DVD copy of The Proposition yesterday. I've mentioned it earlier as I saw it twice in the theater. The screenplay and music are both by Nick Cave (my favorite musician). It's very dark and brutally violent, but pretty realistic. I watched it again last night with commentary by John Hillcoat and Nick Cave. I also watched all of the extras. I certainly learned a few things. Most of the indoor scenes were actually shot at night as it was reaching 57 degrees Celsius (134 Fahrenheit) during the day. All of the actors were wearing layers of traditional clothing. The heat affected the performances in that people spoke more slowly. The brutal heat was also dangerous and made things very difficult for John Hurt, but his performance and appearance shone through. I also learned that my favorite actor (Noah Taylor) was in it and killed off in the first scene. I didn't even catch that at the theater. He's arguably the best Australian actor and he's not even billed in it. Pretty cool. It's a very violent and grisly film, but beautifully done. I highly recommend that you rent, Netflix, or buy it! The music of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (Dirty Three) is beautiful and haunting.

I was flipping channels last night and I stopped on C-Span for a while. It seems that every time they are filming a session of Congress Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Florida is speaking. She's a fairly liberal Democrat and I always like what she has to say. Look for her to go places (not that she isn't somewhere already).

I've got the day off today as I now have to work on Sunday. That's why I'm posting during the day for once. That's all for now!

Random poll- Orange juice. High pulp, some pulp, or no pulp?

Cheers,
Jason

You Scored 95% Correct

You are an 80s expert You never confuse New Order with the Pet Shop Boys You know which classical musician Falco rocked When it comes to 80s music, you Just Can't Get Enough!

How Much Do You Know About 80s Music?

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

"Just Pretend It's All Okay"

This will be very short. I was driving to the the restaurant job yesterday and traffic was a bit backed up and I noticed a patriotic looking magnetic ribbon on a car in the next lane. I thought nothing of it until we were both at a full stop when I happened to give it a glance. It said "Just Pretend It's All Okay". I thought that that was pretty darn clever. Stop pretending...

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

Short and lazy B-Day post...

The other day I actually had a bunch of stuff to post, but I was too tired to do it. Now I'm just too lazy to do it. It's my birthday and I really don't feel like posting much. I'm taking some days off to use up my vacation time. I'm pretty much just vegging out. Some friends are taking me to Zingerman's Roadhouse tonight for my B-Day and I'm looking forward to that. Tomorrow I'm actually finally going back to the restaurant job after a few months being laid-off. That's great! I've really been missing the extra cash! More friends are taking me out to dinner on Saturday, but I don't know where yet. I'm looking forward to that as well. Sunday I've been invited to a "Cabernet Shoot-Out" at a friend's house. Everybody brings a bottle of cab and we taste them blind and pick our faves and try to guess which is which. The host is a WONDERFUL cook so of course I'm looking forward to that as well. I have Monday off too and no plans which is just fine. I still have one vacation day left. I'll try to use it wisely...

There is a little bit of bad local news...
Emily's Restaurant in Northville is closing. Rick Halberg, the owner, opened another restaurant (Italian) a while ago and sunk his money into it. I guess both locations have been slow and he has no choice but to close. I've actually never eaten at Emily's, but have wanted to eat there for several years and just never had the chance. It's supposed to be wonderful. Two people whose foodie insight I highly regard both claim it as their favorite restaurant. Now I'll never have the chance...

Please watch Everything is Illuminated. I Netflixed it last week and it's really well done. Liev Schreiber directed it. It's funny, quirky, and weepy.

Please read this week's column from Jack Lessenberry here. Quite good again! It's about what's changed since 9/11...not much!

Have a good week y'all!

Random Poll- What was/is your favorite birthday cake?

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

A stolen blog survey to pass the time...

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
I really don't have many scars as I try to avoid situations that may be injurious. I have one small one behind my eyebrow from crawling into a chair leg when I was a baby. I was a fast crawler.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
A giant Veuve Clicquot Champagne banner.

3. WHAT DOES YOUR CELL PHONE LOOK LIKE?
Small black and silver flip phone.

4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
Shoe-gazer, No Wave, Post Punk, New Wave, punk, jazz, indie, opera, classical, industrial, world, some hip-hop, and very, very little country.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
9AM-ish

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
Respect from my employers, a chocolate chip cookie, and a little nookie...

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
The Oregon scenery.

8. WHAT IS THE VELOCITY OF AN UNLADEN SPARROW IN FLIGHT?
African or European swallow?

9. DO YOU PREFER HOT DOGS OR HAMBURGERS?
Hamburgers

10. WHAT ARE YOU CONSIDERED [[PREP, GOTH, JOCK, ETC]]?
Dork/wine geek hybrid

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
Only when there's a killer on the loose.

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
I don't remember the last person that made me cry. It's usually a movie. Or the last girl that said "I just want to be friends".

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?
Whatever ladies like the best on me. I've been told that Joop would smell good on me, but I'm partial to Givenchy for Men.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Dark or red hair, any color eyes will do, but blue and green sort of stand out.

15. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?
Coffee, but I don't drink it for the energy. Energy drinks taste like sour, dirty ass.

16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
Mushrooms (fresh)

17. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A bowl of Pho

18. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?
Probably my boss

19. DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?
Ein bischen Deutsch.

20. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE EVER GAVE YOU:
I don't recall, but it may have been a stuffed animal or sorts.

21. DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?
I have a stack of assorted crushes. Some more than others.

22. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
No

23. FAVORITE CLOTHING STORE?
Any place that has something that fits me and doesn't look like complete ass.

24. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS TAKEN?
It's possible, but I'd never act on it.

25. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU?
Maybe punch them, pull their hair, or tell them they have cooties. Seriously, I'd just tell them. Quality of time spent together should be reflective of how you feel about each other be it friends or even more. I like to cook for my friends and get them thoughtful/useful gifts.

26. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
Brunettes or redheads.

27. WHO IS THE NUMBER ONE PERSON YOU CALL OFTEN?
R

28. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST?
Ignorance and mosquitos

29. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE U.S.?
Yes. Canada, Australia, Germany, and Switzerland (7 or 8 times).

30. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Food

31. FIRST JOB?
Senior page at a public library, unless you count stints of picking strawberries/blueberries/raspberries in Oregon when I wasn't old enough for a work permit.

32. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
In elementary school

33. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS?
Reading Metro Times and Real Detroit while Good Eats was on in the background on TV.

34. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Nothing. Maybe I'd have a dorsal fin added to my back, or have botox injections in my back forming a happy face.

35. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?
Because it was there...and I didn't have any ideas to post.

36. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
My demeanor and sense of humor. Customers appreciate my honesty and wine/food knowldege.

37. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME LEGAL FOR ANY AGE?
I'd move to Iran. Seriously though, I'd stop going to clubs/bars and do all my drinking at home.

38. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
Anything on my Amazon Wish List, a hug, world peace. Whatever you can afford. Only one week to go kids!

39. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?
0-2. I doubt that I'll find anyone that will want to procreate with me, but if I do I wouldn't mind a kid or two. Zero would be fine too, and more realistic...

40. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My mother was an au pair for the young son of a headmaster of a private school in England. His name was Jason.

41. DO YOU WISH ON STARS?
No. But I do make birthday wishes or wishes on a wishbone...still waiting for any of them to come true.

42. WHICH FINGER[S] IS YOUR FAVORITE?
\m/, or an extended middle finger to the current administration.

43. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
Watching the Band of Brothers marathon a few weeks ago or so on the History Channel. I almost cried yesterday but my anger extinquished it (after hearing about the ordeal of a good friend). I'm too pissed to cry. I've been in sort of a daze since.

44. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No. It was okay until I started waiting on tables and had to print. Now it's just ugly.

45. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Serrano (Spanish ham) or Prosciutto di Parma

46. ANY BAD HABITS?
Eating too much, nailbiting, killing sprees

47. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON THE SHELF?
I certainly don't think so, but you'd probably say any of my Cyndi Lauper CDs.

48. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOURSELF?
I think so. I'm good looking and a lot of fun to be around...

49. HAVE YOU EVER TOLD A SECRET YOU SWORE NOT TO TELL?
Yes, but the circumstances merited it.

50. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Not really. They sure are nice, but I find myself becoming attracted to people as I get to know them better. Personality is way more important. I'm certainly drawn to attractive people though. I'm not going to lie.

51. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER?
I don't get angry too often. I'm relatively calm. I'm most likely to be angry with politicians, policies, and injustice. I'd blog about it, donate to appropriate counteracting causes, or bottle it up.

52. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME?
Work, unfortunately.

53. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?
Not immediately. I only trust my friends.

54. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
There was this ragdoll that my Swiss grandmother made for me. It was very important in my early years. My Tonkas were pretty cool.

55. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE ON YOUR CELL PHONE?
92, but that's a combination of personal and business. Embarassingly I only average about one call a week. I really don't like my cell phone.

56. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
No! Never! Absolutely not!

57. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT?
Many times. It's not my bag any more. I'd just assume sit down now for a show if I could.

58. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GIRL/GUY?
Sense of humor, personality, compassion/empathy, and open-mindedness. Someone who isn't smothering or a stalker. Pale skin, a nice smile, a full set of teeth. Anyone who isn't offended by me.

59. WHAT'S YOUR NICKNAME(S)?
I don't really like nicknames, but some people call me Jay. Some people incorporate my last name into things. I've also been called some off-color things.

60. DO YOU UN-TIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No. My Blundstone boots are slip-on. They rock!!!

61. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Golly...butter pecan maybe.

62. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST/BAND?
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

63. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE?
All 4!

64. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
I've been listening to a re-issue of "Burning the Ice" by Die Haut and Nick Cave lately. I've been listening to a mix CD I made for my car which includes Joy Division, Tom Waits, Them, 13th Floor Elevators, David Sylvain, Sufjin Stevens, My Morning Jacket, Folk Implosion, Stereolab, Billy Bragg, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ride, Luna, John Cale, the Kinks, and Nico.

65. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Leftover braised brisket and boiled red potatoes.

66. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Not including work, R.

67. WHATS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Their face and smile. I'm a face person (the whole face overall, not individual elements). Height, butt, and chest size can be all over the map.

68. FAVORITE THOUGHT PROVOKING SONG?
"Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan
"The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (a song about the electric chair)

69. FAVORITE THING TO DO:?
Hang out with friends, cook, eat, watch movies, listen to music

70. FAVORITE DRINK:
A bottle of 2003 DeLisio McLaren Vale Grenache would be nice...

71. FAVORITE ZODIAC SIGN:
I'm not into that scene, but I'm a Virgo.

72. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT?
Any Olympic event

73. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Blonde

74. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR?
Greenish

75. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES?
No

76. SIBLINGS?
No

77. FAVORITE MONTH?
October

78. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
Hell yes! River eel or toro tuna

79. LAST THING YOU WATCHED?
An episode of Good Eats

80. Favorite Day of the Year?
It used to be St. Patrick's Day, but now I'd settle for any day off

81. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
Yes. Although I've asked several people out, I'm really shy about the ones that I really like. I generally wait way too long and then it's too late. They're either involved with someone else or we've become friends (happily enough). Friendship is always most important though.

82. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter

83. KISSES OR HUGS?
Hugs! I love hugs. Can't get enough of 'em. (I don't come from a very hug-friendly background. Not a lot of body contact in my family.)

84. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
Relationships

85. BIGGEST FEAR?
Dubya, Cheney, and millipedes. A millipede with Dubya's head!



Cheers,
Jason

You Are a Liberal for Life

You've got a bleeding heart - and you're proud of it. For you, liberal means being compassionate, pro-government, and anti-business. You believe in equality for every person, and you consider yourself universally empathetic. Helping others is not just political for you ... it's very personal too.

What's Your Political Persuasion?

Justice not served...

I can't write about it, but the justice system is a travesty. There are so many safeguards to protect the "victims" that the truly innocent are found guilty despite the absolutely incontrovertible evidence. I'm deeply saddened and pissed...

Globe trekking, cookbook rants, and Zebraman...

Not much to report. I've been back to work for a week (after vacation) and it's as much fun as a barrel of dead monkeys. I'm really not digging this back to work shit. Nope, not at all.

The most exciting thing in my life right now is the fact that one of my favorite shows is now on Monday nights on the Travel Channel. Globe Trekker is now airing at 8:00PM on Monday nights and re-airing at 11:00. This, coupled with No Reservations at 10:00PM, makes for an evening of fine TV viewing. And all of the Globe Trekker episodes are Ian Wright episodes. That's a darn fine thing too. I'd be a little happier if they were half Ian Wright-hosted episodes and half Megan McCormick hosted episodes. She makes me swoon. Beautiful, smart, funny, and well traveled...that's a package!

I also can't wait for the new season of No Reservations to start (October I think). Anthony Bourdain...he's cooler than you. Speaking of Anthony Bourdain my landlord happened to make the Onion Soup Les Halles (French Onion Soup) recipe from the Les Halles Cookbook. He brought me down a steaming crock and it was damn fine if I may say. Damn fine! My lunch at Les Halles in New York last January was one of the simplest and most sublime. This prompted me to get out my copy of the Les Halles Cookbook and look through it. I scanned the recipe, but also took in the introduction as well as several other recipes. The ability to salivate is a prerequisite to reading any Anthony Bourdain book. I would really love to have a few beers with him sometime while the Stooges and Ramones are blaring in the background. That would be really cool. But here I am posting about my food geekiness... He's also now prompted me read Emile Zola's The Belly of Paris, but I've discovered that it's out of print...

This week I made a big-ass pot of turkey vegetable soup. Good shit. I was originally just going to make a vegetable soup (with a chicken stock base), but I saw a roasted turkey breast next to the roasted chickens at Farmer Jack and threw it in the cart. I started the soup with a mirepoix (the holy trinity of onions, carrots, and celery), tomato paste, and a bay leaf, and then I added potatoes, grape tomatoes, corn, lima beans, carrots, red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, green beans, ditillini pasta, and chicken stock. I shredded the pre-cooked turkey and tossed it in. Good shit! I froze about a 1/3 of it and I'm still working on finishing the pot.

Today I actually had Labor Day off and I braised a beef brisket and boiled some red potatoes. Tasty!

FOODIE/WINO RANT- You know what I hate? Recipes that call for sherry, port, or Madeira and they don't specify what kind...that's what I hate. Either for my own cooking (I can usually guess the appropriate one based on the recipe) or for customers. If a recipe calls for "sherry" what kind are you supposed to use? Fino, Manzanilla, Oloroso, Amontillado, Cream, or PX? What kind of port? Ruby or tawny? What type of Madeira? Rainwater, Sercial, Bual, Verdelho, or Malvasia? Each type of fortified wine could be anywhere from subtly different to extremist. Ruby and tawny port provide completely different flavor profiles. The difference between a Fino sherry and a Cream sherry is night and day. Fino sherry is the driest (almost salty) white wine in the world. Cream sherry could be poured on pancakes. When a home cook follows a recipe that calls for a "sherry" which type should they use? Using the wrong type could ruin a recipe. The average consumer does not know the difference in sherries and may choose inappropriately ultimately creating a big ol' mess. There are cheap, domestic sherries, ports, and Madeiras that are generically labeled, but please don't ever consider using that garbage. That's for your 90+ year old grandparents to drink...
END OF RANT

Last night I was invited over to BST's for a BBQ/get-together. It was fun as are most of our get-togethers, but we had the added bonus of watching Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Hilarious! Heavy Metal Parking Lot is a documentary made in the parking lot of the Cap Center in Maryland before an actual Judas Priest concert in 1986. The fashions and the hair are a site to behold. A flashback to my middle school/high school days that I really didn't need. And not at all disturbing is the 20 year old guy making out with his 13 year old date...no kidding. Or Zebraman (see for yourself). Heavy Metal Parking Lot is a must see! Also made were Neil Diamond Parking Lot, Monster Truck Parking Lot, and Harry Potter Parking Lot, but the original reigns supreme.







Awww!!! How I long for the old days...
Rock and Roll!
\m/

Random poll- What is the best meal you've had in your travels and where was it?

Cheers,
Jason

Death by stingray...

Steve Irwin - RIP

Infamous "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin has been tempting fate for a long time, but a stingray has finally gotten the best of him. Read the story here.