Friday, January 29, 2010

Hearth With Mirror


Firewood self-portrait. "The Kind Dyes" VW symbol t-shirt. December 2005.
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Cookie Monster House

Here is a favorite place of mine. You know who you are. I love you.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

A Book & Many Beers

When I finished reading 'Life and Fate' by Vasily Grossman, I was saddened beyond belief that it was over. I could have read about all those characters for at least another 880 pages. What a fabulous book. Since it was such a big read, a lot of new craft brews were consumed during the reading process. Among them: Chatoe Rogue's "Dirtoir Black Lager. Bell's "Hopslam Ale". Sierra Nevada's "Glissade".

Howard Zinn, Peoples's Historian


The amazing, much loved & respected historian and author Howard Zinn died of a heart attack yesterday. I will miss this speaker of truth. His 'A People's History of the United States' will always be a must-read.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Tornado dream...

i am at the home of a friend...a storm is on the way, we look out the window, i see five tornadoes coming our way...i call out to her about this, she and i run to the basement...i am looking for someplace for us to crouch down under for safety, but she sits on one of the two couches with a pillow, i sit on the other couch which faces her, i also have a pillow...we talk a little bit, but mostly we listen...after a while we no longer hear the loud rush of the storm, so i walk upstairs and notice sunlight peeking out from the clouds...there are other people in the upstairs rooms looking around also...i tell my friend that all is clear, the storm has passed us by...looking out, i can see where the tornadoes touched down around us...there is some debris scattered about...the sky has moving clouds of dark gray and white, patches of blue show through, the storm can be seen far in the distance, moving on...

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Dream segment...

i am at a large gathering of people for a music event...each person performing is playing one song...i am going to play Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" on guitar...i have not cleaned my guitar in a while, so i am looking for something to use for this purpose on the store shelves behind the seating area...i find some baby oil, and say "this will do"...there is a guy i know there who is being helpful...i am next to perform, i get my instrument and walk over to a folding chair, i say "hi!" as i look around the room at everyone...a man seated in front of me says, "just play the song"...there is silence in the room as i leaf through my music book for the song, i think about how i should have practiced so that i wouldn't need the music...i find the song and begin to play, soon i am lost and begin to just make it all up...i am singing with a lot of feeling, however, even if my strumming is a bit bland...somehow i bring it all to a close, one of the guitar strings has frayed, i laugh quietly to myself about this...in the underwhelming aftermath of my performance, i lean over to the person next to me and ask, "am i supposed to play another song?", she replies, "no, just one"...i am glad, as i did not know what i would have played...

Friday, January 08, 2010

Beer & a new cookbook...

RastafaRye from Blue Point Brewing Company in New York. A delicious copper ale made with rye malt and west coast hops. Blue Point donates portions of the sales of this ale to help needy Caribbean children through Tajandadowa.

"Clean Food" by Terry Walters. I like this format, the sections being divided by season. We are making "Bok Choy and Mung Bean Sprout Saute with Peanuts and Scallions" first. See some interesting recipes here.
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Monday, January 04, 2010

Ninja Dream

i dream an action/adventure segment featuring Tomoe Gozen...



I am not sure if I was Gozen, or observing her. The dream was action-packed. When I awoke, I was amazed and thrilled that I had dreamed such a thing. I have not read the Tomoe Gozen books by Jessica Amanda Salmonson since the 1980's, when they were first published.

Friday, January 01, 2010

Films Viewed 2009

  • King Corn (Aaron Wolf), 2007
  • The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson), 2007
  • Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry), 2008
  • Volver (Pedro Almodovar), 2007
  • Run Fat Boy, Run (David Schwimmer), 2007
  • Appaloosa (Ed Harris), 2008
  • Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck), 2007
  • Coraline (Henry Selick), 2009 **at the theatre**
  • Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee), 2005
  • Troy (Wolfgang Petersen), 2004
  • Shadow of A Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock), 1943
  • Screamers (Carla Garapedian), 2006
  • Milk (Gus Van Sant), 2008
  • Body of Lies (Ridley Scott), 2008
  • Into The Wild (Sean Penn), 2007
  • Away From Her (Sarah Polley), 2006
  • Humboldt County (Grodsky & Jacobs), 2008
  • Slacker Uprising (Michael Moore), 2007
  • Step Brothers (Adam McKay), 2008
  • State of Play (Kevin MacDonald), 2009
  • Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green), 2008
  • Star Trek (J.J. Abrams), 2009
  • A Good Year (Ridley Scott), 2005

Year of Virginia Wine 2009

  • Barbera - 2006, Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville
  • Meritage - 2006, First Colony Winery, Charlottesville (52% Petit Verdot, 48% Cabernet Franc)
  • DeChiel Reserve Cabernet Franc - 2005, Rockbridge Vineyard Inc., Raphine
  • Cabernet Franc - 2006, Jefferson Vineyards, Charlottesville
  • Toscanello - 2005, Villa Appalaccia Winery Inc., Floyd (65% Cabernet Franc, 25% Sangiovese, 10% Primitivo)
  • Viognier - 2006, Michael Shaps, King Family Vineyards, Crozet
  • Rosalie's Rose - 2006, Marterella - Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery, Leon
  • Meritage - 2007, The Winery at La Grange, Haymarket
  • Vidal Blanc - 2006, Marterella...
  • Vignoles - 2006, Rockbridge Vineyard, Raphine
  • Viognier - 2008, La Grange...
  • "Simpatico" - Villa Appalacia Winery, Floyd
  • Rose - 2008, Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane
  • Bowhaus White - 2008, Barrel Oak....
  • Seyval Blanc - 2008, Barrel Oak...
  • Blanc de Blanc - 2005, Kluge Estates, Charlottesville
  • Albemarle Sauvingnon Blanc - 2008, Kluge Estates...
  • Albemarle Simply Red - 2005, Kluge Estates...
  • New World Red - 2005, Kluge Estates...

Year of Craft Beer 2009

  • Dark Starr Stout - Starr Hill Brewery, Charlottesville VA
  • Odd Notion - Spring '09 - Magic Hat Brewing Company, South Burlington VT
  • HI.P.A. - Magic Hat...
  • Legend Brown Ale - Legend Brewing company, Richmond VA
  • Messiah Bold - He'Brew by The Shmaltz Brewing Company, Saratoga Springs NY
  • Hop Devil India Pale Ale - Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown PA
  • Storm King Imperial Stout - Victory...
  • Brown Ale - The Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn NY
  • Hop Wallop - Victory...
  • Genesis Ale - He'Brew...
  • Washington's Porter - Williamsburg AleWerks, Williamsburg VA
  • Hazed & Infused - Boulder Beer Company, Boulder CO
  • Sierra Nevada ESB: Early Spring Beer - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico CA
  • Old Brown Dog Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth NH (label features Olive)
  • Troegenator (Doublebock) - Troegs Brewing Company, Harrisburg PA
  • Leinenkugel's Classic Amber - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls WI
  • IPA - Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma CA
  • IPA - Smuttynose...
  • Blackberry Witbier - Samuel Adams...
  • Stone IPA - Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, San Diego County CA
  • Double Bock - Imperial Series - Samuel Adams...
  • Imperial White - Imperial Series - Sam Adams...
  • Oatmeal Porter - Highland Brewing Company, Asheville NC
  • Wacko - Summer Seasonal - Magic Hat...
  • Odd Notion - Summer '09 - Magic Hat...
  • Lucky Kat - Magic Hat...
  • Witte - Brewery Ommehang, Cooperstown NY
  • Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada...
  • Road Dog Porter - Flying Dog Brewery, Denver CO ("Good Beer. No Shit")
  • 1888 Bock - Leinenkugel Brewing...
  • Unearthly IPA - Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood NY
  • Scarlet Lady Ale - E.S.B. - Stoudts Brewery, Adamstown PA
  • The Love - Starr Hill...
  • Anniversary Ale - Sierra Nevada
  • Golden Ale - Legend Brewing...
  • Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery, Comstock MI
  • Organic UR Pils - Brauerei Pinkus Muller, Munster Germany
  • Organic Hefeweizen - Pinkus...
  • Sunrise Weissbier - Victory...
  • Festbier - Victory...
  • Double India Pale Ale - Stoudts...
  • Harvest Fresh Hop Ale - Sierra Nevada...
  • Rye Pale Ale - Terrapin Beer Company, Athens GA
  • iniquity black ale - Southern Tier...
  • mokah - Southern Tier...
  • Depth Charge - Terrapin, with Left Hand Brewing & Jittery Joe's Coffee...
  • India Style Brown Ale - Terrapin...
  • Odd Notion - Fall 2009 - Magic Hat...
  • Lager - Legend Brewing...
  • Coney Island Freaktoberfest - Shmaltz...
  • Moonglow - Victory...
  • HOWL - Winter Seasonal - Magic Hat...
  • Odd Notion - Winter 2009 - Magic Hat...
  • Smoked Porter - Stone
  • Tripel - Belgian Style Ale - Red Hook Ale Brewery...
  • Organic Raspberry Ale - Samuel Smith @ Melbourn Brothers Brewery; Stamford, Lincolnshire
  • The Gift - Starr Hill...
  • Organic Cherry Ale - Samuel Smith...
  • Jewbelation Bar Mitzvah - He'Brew...
  • Hibernation Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company, Boulder CO
  • Merry Christmas Happy New Year 2009 - Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco CA
  • Merry Monks' Belgian Style Golden Ale - Weyerbacher, Easton PA
  • Cabin Fever - New Holland Brewing Company, New Holland MI
  • Alta Gracia Coffee Porter - Wolaver's @ Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury VT

Books Read 2009

Angler by Barton Gellman, 2008
Bad Money by Kevin Phillips, 2008
Post Office by Charles Bukowski, 1971
The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins, 1986 (1996 edition)
Fermenting Revolution by Christopher Mark O'Brien, 2006
Family of Secrets by Russ Baker, 2009
Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg, 2002
Fire In The Lake by Frances FitzGerald, 1972
Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler, 2001
Vietnam by Stanley Karnow, 1983
A Mercy by Toni Morrison, 2008
Bearing The Cross by David J. Garrow, 1986
Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, 2002
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, 2004
A Wolf At The Table by Augusten Burroughs, 2008
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs, 2004
The City & The City by China Mieville, 2009
Dry. by Augusten Burroughs, 2003
Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs, 2006
Drop City by T.C. Boyle, 2003
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, 2008
Against The Day by Thomas Pynchon, 2006
Blaze by Richard Bachman, 1973/2007
Promises To Keep by Charles de Lint, 2007
The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint, 2009
Endless Things by John Crowley, 2007
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon, 2006
Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood, 1982
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, 1997
Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen, 1986
Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen, 1995
'C' Is For Corpse by Sue Grafton, 1986
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, 1999
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen, 2006
Digging To America by Anne Tyler, 2006
The Theory of Everything by Lisa Grunwald, 1991
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, 1988
Diary by Chuck Palahniuk, 2003
Wicked by Gregory Maguire, 1995
The Absence by Bill Hussey, 2009
The Cobra Event by Richard Preston, 1997
Just Above My Head by James Baldwin, 1978
Under The Dome by Stephen King, 2009
Angel Time by Anne Rice, 2009
Last Night In Twisted River by John Irving, 2009
The Sioux by Irene Handl, 1965
Loving Miranda by Aaron Ankers (unpublished)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde,1890