Badminton Wimper

man, so myself and 2 others plod 12 blocks up and down a couple of pretty significant hills to discover that no one else had shown up. Not to be detered, in spite of being the only one of my group that actually wanted to play, and with just a single badminton racket at our disposal, I set up the net and went at it.
In the supply closet were birdies and a couple of racketball rackets. So after recovering from the combination of cigarettes and sprinting 5 laps, we started playing. For the record, I have a general natural ability in every racket sport and the girls I was playing with are fairly uncoordinated. So while I was the dominate force, it was less than satisfying. Apparently all the kooks show up on Friday nights. It won't happen this Friday or next, but soon after there will be all out battliing on the badminton court.

Badminton Revolution

Alright
It is now time to play badminton again. Oh yes, you played it in the back yard and at the campground one site removed from the squirrel hunting, mullet headed, coyote wailing, horse faces next door. Ya, badminton. Last weekend while on an epic walk, I discovered a fountain to run in and a place to play badminton on Tuesday and Friday nights. Now I ain't any kinda bar hopper or party animal. I generally have next to no interest in those activities because my nerves get the best of me. Small talk is not my game, it bores me and I make it boring for those I am involved in it with. I do really like beer, IPA, Porter, Stout, Papst, Budweiser, or King Cobra... only thing is, I can't drink a 40, my stomach isn't large enough; give me 2 drinks and a rope to swing on. Many of my usual Friday nights are jumbled jags of thrift stores, movies, marijuana, midnight walks, and homemade sourdough pizzas. I see an hour or more of badminton naturally fitting into that equation. To me, people are much more unique outside of both work and bars. While there will likely be fewer cute ladies playing badminton than in the ol' hipster bar down the street, none will become twisted ass ugly by 11pm.
Badminton at Miller Community Center

Fahrenheit 911 Impressions

Overall I liked this movie. This movie can be the first stage of an antidote to many of the cable, newspaper, and radio news networks. Everyone in the USA should watch this movie... we ought to buy tickets for people who wouldn't otherwise go to it.
One thing kinda pissed me off in Fahrenheit 911:
Moore breaks into an aside on The Coalition of the Willing. He lists 4 or 5 tiny little countries, Republic of W, X, Y, Z. He never mentions England, Australia, Italy, Spain (now withdrawn), Poland, or Japan. I think he did this to illustrate that the coalition was/is a joke. I believe it is a joke and we don't need to gloss over reality to come to that conclusion.
89% of the troops in Iraq are American 89%
To me, this is much more poignant
Troops, by country, in Iraq:
U.S.A. 136,000____South Korea 600
U.K. 8,700____Japan 550
Italy 2,950____Denmark 500
Poland 2,350____17 Other 2,956
Australia 850_______Countries

Total: 152,500
89% American does not equal an international coalition

Gay Pride Parades

So did you people go to your friendly neighborhood Gay Pride Parade? Second year in a row I went to the one here, much more lively than the Thanksgiving variety. That may be a lie, I"ve never actually been to a Thanksgiving day parade and have no particular interest in doing do. No, I don't mind Thanksgiving day parades, even Christmas day parades are ok, just boring. Perhaps they aren't boring. If I helped make a float then I'd surely care what happened and what passed by. Hmmm, you know what? I guess I'd like be part of a float making team. If anyone knows a float maker position opening up, please let me know... willing to travel.

Fahrenheit & Dynamite

Well today's the day Fahrenheit 911 opens nationwide. Got my tickets last night; today is sold out everywhere in Seattle, I'm going Saturday night. I hope everyone goes... I hope we blow The Passion of the Christ out of the fucking water.
Yes, most have Fahrenheit 911 on their radar, but there is an odd, odd, odd, strange, little movie called Napoleon Dynamite. I saw this as a free preview and was stunned at how entertaining it was. If you ever liked Revenge of the Nerds, if you were the slightest bit of a dork before dork could be fathomed as cool, then check out this movie. If you're a bohunk or a princess, don't go, it will seem stupid. For the others, this is an instant classic, check it out.

Air America

Al Franken has a really quality show
9am PST/ Noon EST ...
Air America doesn't have many radio stations, but I recomend listening online. Unfortunately there is not an archive.
Air America
cool

Nashville & Pretenders

Nashville
I am somewhat ashamed, it took me 3 seesions to finish watching this movie... finally made it through the enirity of it's 2.5hours. For much of the movie i questioned if it was worth watching. Just felt kinda pointless, but the last 15minutes squelched that.
So who likes Jim Jarmusch? Born and raised in Akron, Ohio. The same Akron that brought us DEVO & Crissie Hynde of The Pretenders.
"My City Was Gone"
du du duda du daaa, went back to ohio...
I'm from a rural township, Chatham, that is outside the last suburb of Cleveland. 45minutes to Cleveland/ 45 to Akron/ 90 to Columbus/ 180minutes to Detroit/ something like 240 to Chicago. I live in Seattle, but am an Ohioan for life.
I assume you know Ohio is the heart of it all.
I was confused about that growing up, someone had told me that our state was in fact the "armpit" of America. Upon closer examination with adult eyes, by applying biological parallels to the geography of the contigous US, it becomes clear that Ohio is actually in the region of the aorta, "the main vein (artery)" for nearly 50% of Ohioans.
So where are you from? Is your city still there?
Has it been chewed up by strip malls and corporate chains?

Soughdough: Create Starter

How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter:

I am trying to explain how to CAPTURE wild yeast and make sourdough starter. For thousands of years, sourdough was the only way to leaven bread… commercial dry yeast is a modern, bland, engineered version of the yeasts that are available in the local airs all around the world. We attract wild yeasties into our Sourdough Pot with, essentially, flour and water. Kinda like if we had a small fish bowl with water in it but no fish. If fish floated in the air, eventually one would flop into the aquarium, they don’t, so that won’t happen. Yeasties are different, they are floating around. If you make an environment that is an attractive place for yeasties to live they will eventually come… and multiply… and evolve… mature… die… generation after generation. That is what the following is, an outline on how to trap wild, floating little yeasties with a mixture that is tasty and attractive to yeasties.
Good luck… I Promise it works… let me know it goes
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Things You’ll Need

* Glass Jar/ Container -> 1 Liter… extra space ‘cause this stuff expands when active. Also known as “Sourdough Pot”
* 1 to 2 Cups Flour -> Enough to make a thick batter. I suggest using white flour at this point as it is easier to capture the wild yeast.
* 1 Tablespoon Sugar -> Sugar is speed for yeast. Don’t get over zealous with this business. Use sugar to nudge, not fuel.
* 2 Cups Potato Water -> Cut a medium sized potato into several chunks, boil like hell till they fall apart. Mash potato into water, stir to even consistency & measure out 2 cups.
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Directions


1. Put POTATO WATER, FLOUR, and SUGAR into Glass Container. Stir till smooth.
2. COVER LIGHTLY: It must breathe. You are capturing living creatures; they need, Food (flour/ potato/ sugar), Water, and Oxygen to live. If your container has a lid, just set it on top, if not, use tin foil and cover. As long as the cover is not air tight
3. SET IN WARM PLACE: With summer coming on, this is much easy to do… else, set on top of hot water heater or fridge
4. STIR AT LEAST ONCE A DAY with a wooden spoon… You may not need to use a wooden spoon but I enjoy having one that is only for sourdough as it will confuse any person who has it taken from their hand as they go to stir the sauce on the stove.
5. Every other day ADD a couple of tablespoons each of FLOUR & WATER… fresh feed.
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IS IT WORKING?

So how are you supposed to know if your sourdough is actually starting to happen? Easy, BUBBLES. Another good reason for using a glass container, you can see into the sides of your batter.
Within 2 to 6 days bubbles should appear, this is a sign that the little yeasties are in your batter breathing/ respirating. If after 6 days there is no sign of yeasties (unlikely), throw your batch away… by that time I’m sure it smells less than pleasant.
· Once you see signs of bubbles (tiny bubbles) stir in a little bit, equal parts, flour and water.
· Once there is a lot of activity (fizzy, foamy action), stir well, and transfer ½ cup of your initial starter to a bowl. In that bowl, ADD 1 cup FLOUR and 1 cup WATER (with starter, always think equal parts flour and water)
· Stir till smooth and cover lightly with tin foil. Within 24hrs, there should be lots of activity, bubbles… once this is obvious, throw out your original, days old batch… transfer the starter that is in the bowl into your clean glass container
· You now have sourdough starter
· SOON I will give some tips on tending to your starter (can be kept alive indefinitely) and rough recipes that you can use your sourdough with… bread & pancakes (different than the IHOP junkie ones you are familiar with)

Cavities & Fillings

I'm getting a filling today
3rd one of my life
I still remember these 3 old, grey haired ladies visiting my first grade class. None of the three had ever gotten a cavity let alone a filling. They lectured at length on the virtues of oral hygiene. Apparently what resulted was a deep seeded bias against those with fillings; they were failures. That sentiment weighed heavily on me as a 21yearold when I'd gotten my first two. In shame, I didn't leave my apartment for nearly a month and a half. Not sure how I'll react this time, but I'll recommend to all of you, go to the dentist while you're in college.

Sourdough, intro

Who would like to learn how to make sourdough bread? Sourdough is merely bread that has been leavened by wild yeast, white, wheat, rye, pumpernickel, whatever. Yeasties and many other creatures are in the air that each of us breathe, walk through, and sneeze out. Little microbial monkeys that would eat everything we hold dear if they were able. Thankfully, though, they are easily tamed and used for our own schemes, bread making.
For those of you that don’t make bread, maybe you should consider trying. It is easier than you may think and breeds an unexpected sense of good feeling. Kneading dough has a near sexuality to it; an apartment full-a-the smell of baking bread easily spurs to the real thing.
Just imagine it, a beautiful round of sourdough cooling in your kitchen. Cut that thing open while it’s still warm and touch it with butter or oil & vinegar. Damn.
Really, it is not difficult, just a Process that takes a little bit-a time. With practice and patience, I guarantee that you will refine your way and be able to bake bread that will impress others, and more importantly, amaze yourself. I’ve wondered to myself many times how a bum like me could make so good a loaf of bread.
I’ll do my best to outline how to roughly do it, you’ll figure it out
* Have any of you had sourdough pancakes or waffles? They’re fucking great.
Instructions will follow...........................................

The Fiery Furnaces

There's a rock-n-roll band that I'd like people to hear. They are called, The Fiery Furnaces.
Albums
1. Gallowsbird's Park 2003
2. Blueberry Boat(release date July 13, 2004)


Streaming Concert from 2003 (Starts in earnest 00:42)
Fiery Furnaces Concert

Enjoy
even though no one will read this
co
lin
cs

Hello