Relax & Enjoy

2009-01-20T01:24:34Z

2008-11-16T00:11:42Z

2008-11-15T22:13:29Z

2008-11-15T03:01:13Z

Calamari

Ummm...I made calamari tonight.

In my apartment.

All by myself.

No one cooked it for me first. It was.completely.raw.

And it was fantastic.

Well, one of the dishes was fantastic. The fried kind. (I think it's in my genes. Everyone knows that people from Wisconsin would fry their shoe if they thought they could eat it.) Here's the recipe I used...

The baked kind was...not as great...BUT it was pretty darn good. It just didn't live up to the model (from my early days as a server at Mona's).

Anyway, my latest hobby puts me in the kitchen and I think I'll start to write about it. At least I'll post my big winners and losers. Wish me luck!

Help!

Hi, it's Tim from Pandora,

I'm writing today to ask for your help.  The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora.  The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays, and broadcast radio doesn't pay these at all.  Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora.

In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters.  I hope that you will consider joining us. 

Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio: http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541 

Please feel free to forward this link/email to your friends - the more petitioners we can get, the better. 

Understand that we are fully supportive of paying royalties to the artists whose music we play, and have done so since our inception.  As a former touring musician myself, I'm no stranger to the challenges facing working musicians.  The issue we have with the recent ruling is that it puts the cost of streaming far out of the range of ANY webcaster's business potential. 

I hope you'll take just a few minutes to sign our petition - it WILL make a difference. As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA. You, our listeners, are by far our biggest and most influential allies.

As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support.

-Tim Westergren
(Pandora founder)

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Seems all that exercise was actually BAD for me. I herniated a disc... L4/5 ...and am not supposed to exercise for at least three more weeks. It has already been over two weeks and I'm going crazy.

So yes, Lukas, you're right: Running is bad for you. (It happened during yoga, but I'm blaming the running.)

Thanks for all of the words of encouragement and for your music suggestions. I've got a few great running / workout playlists now. Not that I need them...

For my memoirs

I ran three miles today.

I have to remember this day.

That's three times the distance I was running a week and a half ago.

And three times longer than I'd ever run before last week.

Yaeh!

iTunes is evil.

I'm "training" for a run.

Yes, me.

Stop laughing.

In a search for some motivation, I just downloaded every upbeat 90s song I ever listened to while at Revolution 360.

Who doesn't want Pump Up The Jam on their iPod? C'mon! It's Technotronic!

If I start talking about buying a bodysuit, please smack me upside the head.

I think I need to call my brother and remind him that he had that CD.

I *heart* New York

I've been spending more time in New York for work and while I haven't done much exploring, I tried a new place for dinner tonight: Alfanoose. A client recommended Alfanoose to a colleague and me and we had dinner there tonight. Great hummus. Great falafel. Decent baklava.

I'm headed to Orchid Lounge tomorrow night to see David Hodorowski in all of his glory. AND it's his birthday! If I'm lucky, I'll really get to see him in ALL his glory. :D

Recent Round-up

It has been awhile...here are some thoughts from last week / today:

• You can't be serious. McCain was my fall-back candidate for '08. I had hoped that he would win the Republican ticket ... and then, if the Democrat lost, I'd be okay with him running the country. No more. Uggg.
• The best $14.95 I've ever spent. iTunes...I love you, but I think I'm going to have to let you go. I'd rather really, truly own the music I buy.
• Geek alert. I now DVR Fox News Sunday, CBS's Sunday Morning, and Meet The Press as part of my series recordings. I'm watching them now...I watched last week for the first time in awhile. Not a whole lot has changed. Juan Williams is still torturing himself by being on Fox News (he must be a masochist, there is no other explanation) and Bill Kristol is still ... well ... an ass.
• Question: Why didn't they just change the content? Really, I mean...how many people are searching for Fuzzy Zoeller. I'm sure it has done more damage now that he has drawn attention to it.

The Current Soundtracks...

My iPod died. Yep. Can you say paperweight? I replaced it, but my disorganized butt was bitten when I realized that I have music on three computers and I couldn't just transfer everything over nice and neat. And then, when I tried to get most of my music off my home PC, my disorganized butt was bitten once again because I don't have the newest version of iTunes on there and my wireless stopped working up there...so my PC doesn't correctly recognized the new spiffy iPod for file storage purposes (sigh).

It's all good...I've been forced to listen to all of the music I've downloaded in the last couple of months but haven't listened to because I really like the Rent soundtrack and Damien Rice, 0...oh! And Dar. And others.

The good thing? I've got good taste and am loving the new music.
The bad thing? I was without Rhinestone Cowboy while I was on vacation in Cancun.

Here's what I've been listening to...

On My Flights

• Regina Spektor, Begin to Hope
• John Coultrane, Coultrane for Lovers
• Brett Dennen, So Much More
• John Legend, Once Again
• The Little Willies
• Rachel Yamagata, Happenstance

On The Beach

• Damien Rice, 9 (why do I always listen to depressing music while lounging on the beach?)

In The Car...I just bought an adapter that allows me to listen to my iPod through my car speakers, but I've been listening to my CD player since I got back...

• Garth
• Diamond Rio
• Pearl Jam
• Willie Nelson
• Bob Seger
• Ice-T
• George Strait
• Five For Fighting
• Johnny Cash
• Kenny Loggins
• Sinatra
• Bill Withers
• Little Texas
• Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan
• Joe Diffie
• Robbie Williams
• Israel Kamakawiwo Ole'

At The Gym

• Beyonce, B'Day
• Destiny's Child, #1s

Dear Fellow Business Traveler (FBT),

I don't care that you just loaded the new AOL to BOTH of your computers and they're BOTH running "slower than molasses." I don't care that you will be in cities in OH, MI, FL, OH, OH, and FL again in the next two weeks. I don't care that you special ordered your sons birthday gift from one of THREE stores in the country that carry it.

And I know this one sounds crazy but I don't care that your flight was cancelled...cause so was mine.

I'm tired and have no desire to listen to your conversation, but you FBT .... you haven't given me a choice, have you?

Noooooo.

Not unless I put my headphones in, which I don't want to do right now because I'm trying to listen to announcements about my flight.

Isn't it enough that I have to listen to Lou Dobbs?

I can't stand that guy.

I really dislike that every airport in the country broadcasts CNN so intrusively into my ears. But I can drown that out, for the most part.

You, FBT, I cannot. Jackass.

New Toy: Pandora Internet Radio

This is the coolest ... and helping me get over my satellite radio withdrawl: Pandora, created by the Music Genome Project.

This is free and ... beautiful.

(By the way, the Coffeehouse station on Sirius is fantastic...I might be needing to get me a satellite radio for my car.)

A New Year's weekend to remember...

I hope everyone had a nice holiday and new years. Overall, this holiday was more and less relaxing than previous ones. I spent less time in Wisconsin than I normally do, which in and of itself is more relaxing given my rock-star tendencies while there, yet I worked more than normal, which was less relaxing for obvious reasons.

I did, however, have an opportunity to take a short trip with someone. We went to Maryland's eastern shore and spent some time on the Chesapeake Bay. It proved to be a relaxing and interesting trip--two adjectives you can't always simultaneously attribute to trips.

It was my first time in that area and, even though it was their off-season, we managed to find enough to do--and not do (which was exactly what the doctor ordered). Here's what I liked:

• The location was far enough away to feel like a getaway, yet it was an easily manageable road trip from the Philadelphia area. It was about a two and a half hour drive.
• The people. Almost everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. I think Captain Ron, from Tilgman Island Marina, topped the list. Even though he thanked us multiple times for being his final customers of the season, he was closed for the season and not really expecting to rent equipment to anyone on New Year's Eve day, I'm sure. He happily rented us a canoe, provided us with gear, and helped us in and out of the water ... on what was very likely a day he didn't plan to spend working. He was jovial and excited to help and you can tell he's loving life. (He made sure to tell us that he was happy to be out of New Jersey and away from the 'burbs up there.)
• The scenery. It's a beautiful area. And even though it was cloudy during much of the trip, the quiet, serene setting made up for it. We saw a bald eagle during the canoe "trip" and my partner in crime took a couple of nice photographs (given that it was my first time in a canoe and the water was a bit brisk, it wasn't long nor very adventurous ... the last thing I wanted was to fall into the water and even though I'm sure you all would take me for an expert paddler...I suck). Even though I grew up seeing bald eagles at my grandparent's cabin and occasionally around the farm when we were kids, it's still exciting to see them. I think I'm just in awe of the grace...how can something so big still be so graceful? Obviously, I have a lot to learn.
• The food. We had a decadent dinner on New Year's Eve at the Tilghman Island Inn. While we didn't indulge in their extensive wine list (my immature palette was happy with the house Cab), the Wine Spectator has awarded the inn with its Award of Excellence many of the last several years. You can usually bet on the food at a restaurant with such a penchant for wine...and this was a safe bet. Ultra-fresh oysters, some sort of mushroom concoction, salad, the freshest scallops I've ever tasted, and the absolute best bananas foster that has ever landed in my mouth. It was five courses of heaven that resulted in a major food coma.
  

Away from the inn, we had lunch at Harrison's Chesapeake House Country Inn, dinner at the Bay Hundred Restaurant, and a couple of lunches at Taste in St. Michaels. I love seafood and it was fresh crab all weekend long. I had a cab cake, crab salad, crab soup...
 

I didn't watch either of the big football games last weekend...but again, I think that was the relaxing part. I was happy to learn about both victories after the fact.

There's something to be said for only looking at the time to make sure you don't miss dinner...

In case you're living under a rock....

You voted..........right?

Right?

Just checking.

Two out of three ain't bad?

Ahem.

I think someone failed to mention to me that Meatloaf released a new collection.

I mean...commmmmme onnnnnn kids.

Y'all know how I love Meatloaf.

Well...the first Bat Out Of Hell at least. I mean...seriously. He jumped the shark with Celine Dion.

Let's see if he can redeem himself...going to listen now...

When you say Wisconsin...

...you've said it all.

I spent the weekend in Madison, i.e. my favorite town in the Midwest and one of my favorite places in the world. I used to think my love for Mad-town came from my romantic memories from college. While that may be partially true, I don't think it accounts for everything. In some ways, I think I appreciate Madison more now. I spent the weekend with my cousins and traveled specifically for the Wisconsin vs. Minnesota football game...a 12 year tradition of theirs that I joined my freshman year in college. (In my 10-year stint, the Badgers have won Paul Bunyan's Axe 8 times--including the most recent 48-12 ass-whooping they delivered to the Gophers.)

If you're around in the next month, I think you should go see the CowParade. I saw it in April and then again this weekend...and it's one of those things that just makes you smile. I'm sad that it will end in November; I wish it would be there indefinitely. You can view each one of the cows here, but the photos don't do the exhibit justice. It's just fun to see them up and down State Street and lining the Capitol Square.

Insisting that the world be turnin' our way...

...and our way...is on the road again...

I've spent more time on the road lately...and by the end of next weekend, I will have spent three out of four weekends in Wisconsin. Last weekend was one of those weeknds, and while I was indeed in Wisconsin, I was actually there for the firm. For the last three years, we have held a conference in Lake Nabagemon. It's always a great getaway for the consultants in the firm--and while work retreat may sound like an oxymoron to some, it really is a retreat for us. Here is what we wake up to...

It's going to be one loooooong season...

Hang in there, Brett.... 

We'll see what happens with Wisconsin once we play MI next week...

Must Watch

Courtesy of my friend Alan:

Pocky

From Wikipedia:

Pocky (ポッキー, pokkii^?) is a Japanese snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico Company of Japan. "Pocky" is pronounced like "pokki" IPA: /pokːi/ however many English speakers pronounce it as written, to rhyme with "hockey". The classic form of Pocky was first sold in 1965, under the name "Chocoteck", and consists of a biscuit stick coated with chocolate. Pocky was an instant hit among Japanese teenagers, and brought in sales of 30 billion yen in its first two years. The name was changed to "Pocky", after the Japanese onomatopoetic word for the sound Pocky makes when bitten, pokkin (ポッキン). The original was followed by "Almond Pocky" in 1971, with an almond coating, and "Strawberry Pocky" in 1977. Today, the product line includes such variations as milk, mousse, green tea and coconut flavored coatings, and themed products such as "Decorer Pocky", with colorful decorative stripes in the coating, and "Men's Pocky", a dark (bittersweet) chocolate and "mature" version.

It's one of my favorite snack foods...and one that I rarely eat. I ate it non-stop on Japan Airlines during my flights from Chicago to Tokyo, Tokyo to Bali, and back. If you're near a Japanese or Asian grocer, I recommend you check it out.

Comfort Food

If you ever find yourself in Penn Station...wanting a little comfort food...but not wanting a Krispy Kreme...go to Penn Sushi. I just had a pretty incredible Dragon Roll and Spicy Tina Roll--both made with brown rice. And if that's not enough, I got myself a box of caramel Pocky and a bag of melon gummies. The only thing better would have been butter and honey Pocky...but I'm not complaining.

I *heart* New York.

Breaking "News"

I'm sitting in one of the Northwest World Clubs in Minneapolis on a layover (Lukas...I was 90 minutes from Fargo...sorry my fat feet couldn't make it home)...and CNN has managed to intrude on my solitude.

For the record, one of my greatest annoyances stems from the lack of quiet space. I rarely go anywhere anymore without being invaded by a television or some other form of sound. All airports have TVs in the waiting areas now...blasting CNN or some other news program (the only time I've welcomed such an assault is during Sunday or Monday night football...when I have to get to the airport for a flight and the Packers are still playing). Train stations are usually a bit better and I'm thankful for Amtrak's "quiet car".

So ... I'm sitting here and I've cycled through three "different" news programs on CNN now and they've all covered the same three news stories (if you must know, they involve Boulder, Boston, and Seattle, but I'm not listing the topics of the stories). I've learned nothing new and, frankly, I could give two shits about any of the stories.

I stopped ranting and just inserted my iPod earbuds...

...and I just (finally) unsubscribed to the CNN Breaking News Alerts that I allowed to invade my inbox for the last five years. Why? Because it was rare that they informed me of news. The information may have been news to someone...but sure as hell not me...and what's more, whenever I would see one, I would feel a little panic sweep across me. I would usually assume the worst and then CNN would negatively violate my expectations with tales of celebrity births. (I really like Brad and Angelina, but I have enough to worry about without knowing their new child's name.)

I should have listened a long time ago...

Living The Life: Travel Notes From Newberg, OR

So...here are the brief notes from the retreat in Oregon. I'll definitely go back and take a longer tour...the hills are peppered with vineyards we weren't able to visit. If you want to go, you'll need to go soon...the locals predict that it will turn into Sonoma / Nappa in the very near future...

Vineyards Visited (and enjoyed...)

Sokol Blossor. Favorite: Meditrina II. Best host.

Adelsheim Vineyard. Favorite: 2005 Deglace. Most cookie-cutter.

Brick House. Favorites: 2004 Chardonnay Cascadia and 2004 Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais. Most intimate tasting.

Lemelson Vineyards. Favorites: 2004 Thea’s Selection Pinot Noir, 2004 Stermer Vineyard Pinot Noir, and 2004 Jerome Reserve Pinot Noir. Best tour and a great host.

Wines Enjoyed with Dinner (there were others...these are my favorites)

Owen Roe: 2004 Chardonnay and 2004 Cabernet Franc

Andrew Rich: 2004 Gewurztraminer

Rex Hill: 2005 Pinot Gris

Penner Ashe: 2003 Syrah

Sineann: 2004 Pinot Noir and Riesling

Decadent Restaurants

Dundee Bistro. Fun atmosphere. Great service.

Joel Palmer House. Incredible food. I'll be back just for a bite of the mushroom tarte.

Bistro Maison. Intimate outside seating. Absolutely amazing fondue.

Tina’s. Delicious oysters and goat cheese apps.