(at least) one cool thing

Ok, this is brilliant

2008-04-01T15:30:00.001-07:00

If you have been to YouTube today and clicked on a recommended video, you have the context and should see why this is nice twist on a joke that became too popular. If that's confusing, check this out.

(thanks to valleywag for making me laugh)

the anniversary issue

2008-02-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

The New Yorker is a frequent topic and I enjoy sharing noteworthy issues and articles. The newest edition, instantly recognizable as the Anniversary Issue from the reference to Eustace Tilley on the cover, is an example of the magazine at its finest.

Several excellent articles are available online. These include Seymour Hersh's A Strike in the Dark, which poses a number of a questions surrounding Israel's September attack against a mysterious target in Syria, and James Stewart's Wall Street’s unloved Midas, which profiles Blackstone Group founder (and billionaire) Stephen Schwarzman. In addition, there is an Alice Monro short story, “Free Radicals”.

However, the best content is only available in print. In ANNALS OF INVENTION Susan Orlean provides insight into the inventive mind of Steve Hollinger in "Thinking in the Rain: How to build a better umbrella." And, In LETTER FROM POLAND, David Grann delves into the mind of a killer in "True Crime: A postmodern murder mystery." Either is reason enough to venture to your local newstand.

Still left for me to read: John Updike on The novels of Flann O’Brien and Rebecca Mead on "Nico Muhly, Generation Y maestro."

Bonus links: Jeffrey Toobin: The high price of trying to save an infamous killer’s life and Evan Osnos: In the sport that Mao banned, China’s hopes rest on one man from the Feb 4 issue.

98 billion, not including flickr

2008-02-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

Our old friend Shpigler is back with a little advice for Jerry Yang. Enjoy.

Si, Se Puede

2008-02-04T23:44:00.000-08:00

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

I first saw this Saturday night, shortly after I finished reading a New Yorker profile on Newark's mayor Cory Booker. The original speech is brilliant in its simple message, and its remix, by will.i.am and Jesse Dylan adds power and emotion. If have seen it yet, watch. If you have, perhaps you should watch again.

Bonus link: a NYT profile of the campaign's head speechwriter
Bonus link 2: the New Hampshire victory speech on which the above is based

having the vibe

2007-07-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is just too funny not to post. I’m sure that even my venture capitalist friends will agree. If you are interested in start-ups, technology and the process of securing venture funding, this presentation from Shpigler on raising money from VCs is must-watch. Just remember, if you find yourself presenting before a partnership, use acronyms and always project the vibe.

Btw, the Smart Player technology is very cool as well. Click the button to access a broad menu of choices. Slow down, widescreen, story board and alternate language subtitles are among the options. Very well done!

(a hat tip to techcunch for discovering this)

draggable driving directions

2007-07-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Google Maps is the best, true ‘dat double true. In fact, the pace at which they have been introducing new features over the last two years has been enviable. First, hybrid view, combining their Google Earth satellite imager with standard web maps. More recently, street view, the impressive ability to take a 360 degree look around many street corners in the US. Sure, A9 was first with the idea many years ago but the scale and integration of Google’s effort makes it much more useful. Now, draggable driving directions.

Don’t like your suggested route? Need to take a detour? Looking for a lunch stop along the way? Google has you covered. Jess and Evan have the details in the above video and even provide some travel tips should you ever decide to drive from the Bay Area to Kirkland, WA.

For tips, tricks and Google Maps mashups, like mapping your Picasa photo album, check out the Google Maps Mania blog. And, for a in-depth discussion of the impact of Google Maps, check out this month’s Wired.

introducing simplify media

2007-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Paul’s note: 18 months ago I started a company with some of the smartest people I know. In secret we have been working on technology to transform how digital media is used by small, trusted groups of friends and family, and today we are ready to unveil our first product and our company: Simplify Media. Obviously this is not an impartial review, but I do hope you find it to be a helpful introduction.

Simplify Media lets you access your home music over the internet and connect with friends and family, all within iTunes. Designed for the PC and the Mac, it's simple to install, safe to operate, and free of charge. There are a number of existing products that assist you with remote access to your digital content. However, Simplify Media offers several key advantages. (Learn More)

First, when you use Simplify Media shared libraries appear right within iTunes without any additional configuration. You don’t have to port-forward or set up a VPN to access music right in iTunes. Libraries appear as if they were on your local network, and you can sort, search and play. For your own account you can even access your iTunes-purchased, DRM-protected songs.

Second, Simplify Media does not require you to upload files to a website. When you connect with another user or another one of your own computers, files are available in minutes. More importantly for the privacy concerned, you have complete control over what you share and with whom. And, all computer-to-computer communication in Simplify Media is encrypted.

Third, Simplify Media is designed for small groups. Simplify Media provides a hassle-free way to view all of your music wherever you are and browse your friends’ libraries as if you were in their living room. In private testing, we have learned that this fun way to find new music and rediscover old favorites. Frankly, we have been shocked by the large percentage of our friends with ABBA albums.

You might be wondering, what does it mean to “share” music within Simplify Media. Within the small set of users you designate, “share” means stream. We are cross-format (mp3, wma, aac) as well as cross-platform (PC and Mac), but we do not transfer copies of files, let you download songs to your iPod or permit you to burn them to CDs. We want you to explore, and when you find things you want to own, we encourage you to buy them using the links we provide. That way you can continue to enjoy those songs even when your friends are offline. (FAQ)

With a name like Simplify Media, you’d expect us to be easy to install, and getting started is much faster than you would expect.

1) Download the appropriate version. Note that we are still in “beta” and do not yet support Windows Vista.
2) Create an account. This is faster than on a website as the only information we require is your screen name and password.
3) Install on a second machine and sign in with your existing account for an instant connection or invite other users.
4) Open iTunes and enjoy.

norah jones

2007-06-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

I just came home from the Norah Jones concert at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. I had high expectations: Norah’s laid back, sultry voice is a perfect match for a warm summer evening and the Handsome Band is a perfect match for their lead singer. But, I was blown away by how good this concert really was.

M Ward opened receiving an assist from a jeans-clad Norah for the first four songs. As they would later prove on Creepin’ In during Norah’s set (for which she changed to a very cute dress), their very different vocal styles are wonderful together. M Ward is a great young talent, and highlights from the opener included re-interpretations of Roy Orbison’s Blue Bayou, Willie Nelson’s Permanently Lonely and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance. M Ward’s own Eyes on the Prize fit right in.

Norah has been generous with her celebrity, lending vocal support to recordings by friends like Jessie Harris, Jim Campilongo, Jools Holland and my favorite, Richard Julian. She is also always game for side projects like: guitarist Adam Levy’s solo album; The Little Willies with Jim, Richard, bassist Lee Alexander and drummer Dan Rieser; and, El Madmo with the delightful Daru Oda. Apparently Norah can’t whistle but she loves to sing, and she showed it all night long.

Inspired by a wonderful evening of music and empowered by clips of questionable legality on YouTube, I thought I would recreate some of the magic here for you. Buy her albums, support her friends and make sure you see her next time she returns to the Mountain Winery.

Norah opened with the title track from her first album, Come Away With Me. Reworked for the 2007 tour, it featured her guitar and her smooth, effortless voice.

She followed this with Those Sweet Words, a favorite from her second album Feels Like Home.

Then, she played cuts from the newest album: Not Too Late. Released in January, I had lukewarm impressions on first listen, but I have come to appreciate its artistry more and more.

In concert, the songs sounded even better than the well-engineered album. The sound was pristine, and I enjoyed the very slow rendition of Rosie’s Lullaby. Also noteworthy: the spunky Little Room, played as a duet with the mutli-instrumental Daru. Throughout the evening Daru provided well-blended backup vocals and played base, piano, flute, harmonium and some square metal things.

Norah would play almost every song on Not Too Late. A nice example is Until the End.

However, the setlist was well-balanced. I thought that Hank Williams’ Cold, Cold Heart (from Come Away With Me) was a standout, showcasing that bewitching voice and Lee on upright.

Another amazing moment came near the end of the show when she covered Townes Van Zandt’s For the Sake of the Song (Norah, please record this!) followed shortly by Willie Nelson’s Hands on the Wheel. Willie would have been proud.

These were hard to top but the three song encore did just that. Starting with a nice rendition of Don’t Know Why (from Come Away With Me).

shifting to a soulful What Am I to You (from Feels Like Home) and ending with Tom Waits’ Long Way Home (from Not Too Late)

Bonus links: more Norah performances you might enjoy:
That’s The Way The World Goes Round (with Richard Julian)
One Flight Down (from Come Away With Me)
Sunrise (from Feels Like Home)
Humble Me (from Feels Like Home)
Wurlitzer Prize (with Willie Nelson)
Drown in My Own Tears (a tribute to Ray Charles)
Easy as the Rain (as The Little Willies)

More bonus links: concert DVDs
Live in 2004 and Live in New Orleans

air-conditioned golf carts

2007-06-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the magnanimous Warren, I was in Vegas again this weekend. Warren was playing poker with the stars (Hollywood and financial) and I was golfing with friends, like me, happy to have a seat on Air Warren.

The loquacious Rick and I had a 36-hole match with Bammer and Sherri, and we started at The Badlands. The conditions Friday afternoon fit the course name perfectly. 107 degrees, 25 mph sirocco, brutal rocks blanketing all but the tiny green targets on the 7200+ yard monster, and no other golfers in sight. Fortunately, we had a powerful weapon to help us tame the beast: air-conditioned golf carts.

Developed by Coolwell, an Arizona-based company, the G2 is one of the greatest inventions of all time. The system consists of a cooler-sized container, blocks of ice and a fan that forces air over the ice and out a tube. The G2 can chill air to 50 degrees below ambient temperature and with the tube aimed at the back of your neck, even the warmest conditions seem pleasant. A pressure activated seat switch ensures that the cold air is put to good use (it shuts off when you aren’t sitting down) and the system is shockingly energy efficient.

If you’re a player headed to the desert, ask about the Coolwell when planning your next trip. And, if you are course manager, get in touch with the manufacturer. Leasing rates are a surpsingly low $8.25 a month, and fleet discounts are available. The only significant expense is the infrastructure for block ice production.

A final note: thanks to the Badlands/Troon Golf staff for creating a premiere experience. And, for the curious, Rick and I lost on hole 35.

the police

2007-06-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

After a 24 year absence from the road The Police are touring again, selling our arenas even faster than they did for the record-setting 1983-84 concerts. Through the generosity and foresight of my friend and old roommate Warren, I was about 15 rows back dead center for last night’s show in Oakland.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Stadiums tend to have bad sound – and Stewart, Andy and Sting are getting old. Fortunately, my fears of an over-hyped performance were completely unfounded. Although guitarist Andy Summers might have been a tad rusty, Stewart Copeland anchored the trio with precision percussion and Sting was incredible. His vocals on the challenging Roxanne and So Lonely were spot on, and his energy fed the crowd all night long

The show was a hit-packed 2 hours. Wikipedia has all the details, including the set list. As critics have noted, the intros of most of the songs were reworked to keep the fans guessing, and many were nicely updated. However, the changes didn’t stop all 46,500 in attendance from signing along to hits which have proven timeless. The tour moves East hitting all the major cities before starting the European leg in Sweden August 29.

Bonus link 1: a great SmugMug gallery
Bonus link 2: Stewart’s drum set-up

channel islands

2007-06-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Don is a great photographer and he loves the outdoors. Last weekend he visited the Channel Islands off the Central California coast, and he was kind enough to send a trip report. In his third contribution to (at least) one cool thing, Don writes:

Channel Islands National Park is the least visited in the National Park system with only about 250,000 visitors a year - and the majority of the visits logged are to the visitor's center on the mainland. Far fewer people venture out to the islands themselves, making them a great place to get away. Two of the islands, Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands are readily accessible from harbors in Ventura and Oxnard. Having previously visited Anacapa Island, I elected this time to make the journey to Santa Cruz Island. The skies were gray and overcast and my plans to photograph the seascapes by moonlight were dashed, but the trip still exceeded my expectations with some thrilling encounters with rare wildlife.

Although not formally part of the park, a channel crossing by boat is mandatory, and is often as interesting as the island visit itself. The Channel Islands are located near a confluence of warm and cold currents and are near a steep undersea cliff which results in an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters - perfect for plankton blooms upon which complex food chains can be built. In addition to the normal dolphin and seals, the morning trip to the island included an electrifying encounter with what we believe was a large basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus swimming slowly along the surface. These slow moving animals can be up to 30 feet long and are surpassed only by the more famous whale sharks in size. They are an extremely rare sight in the Channel - our boat's captain had never seen one before after many years of crossings. I also was lucky enough to see a giant ocean sunfish swimming at the surface.

Once at Santa Cruz Island itself, I disembarked with the rest of the passengers and went on a short hike led by Claire, a park ranger and naturalist, who pointed out various species that exist on the Channel Islands and nowhere else. There are over 140 of these plant and animal species that have survived extinction or evolved away from their mainland progenitors in the isolation of the island ecosystems (some people think the Channels are the "North American Galapagos" for this reason). Among them, I was keen to see the endangered island fox (a miniature fox about the size of a house cat) and the island scrub jay (an example of island gigantism, a species that has evolved to be much larger than its mainland counterpart).

Hiking from our landing at Scorpion Bay to Potato Harbor along the bluffs overlooking the sea, I was fortunate to see one of the small foxes in the grass and snapped some photos. These small canines were on the brink of extinction due to predation by non-native Golden Eagles, which filled an ecological niche vacated by native Bald Eagles that were killed in the 1960's by DDT poisoning. Now that the Island is under control of the National Park Service and the Nature Conservancy, their population has rebounded and there may be as many as a couple hundred of these animals on Santa Cruz island, which is somewhat larger than Manhattan. This being a dry year, Claire explained to me that the blue jays were not in their usual haunts and I left without seeing one of them, but I plan to return to the islands soon for another try.

Photos from my trip

Bonus link: Bald Eagle Nest Webcam

city hall falcons

2007-05-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Paul’s note: I’ve just returned from a great trip to Italy that has inspired a half-dozen post ideas. However, today, Scott sent in a report about new residents in San Jose that I think you will enjoy. Scott writes:

I sit in my office and watch a majestic bird, nesting not many miles from my cramped cubicle. It is a simple act, heightened by technology. One that reminds me how innately calming it is to witness nature at work.

She is with her babies now, three peregrine falcon chicks, born Sunday April 29. They sleep while she in turn keeps watch, then nods off. Dad will return soon, a fresh pigeon in his talons. He picks it apart like a hyena takes to a gazelle. It is not a pretty sight – to us – but it is a beautiful thing to his hungry wards. They gobble it up in amazing quantities, given their size. Afterwards they often struggle with the awkwardness of a feather clogged in their little beaks.

The family nests on San Jose City Hall. The webcam is courtesy of the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group. Over the weeks, hordes of online viewers have witnessed first the chicks’ birth, then their growth. Their progress has been followed by local papers, and discussed in several forums. My two daughters want to see the cute babies at morning and night, fearful that the littlest isn’t going to make it.

Why is it so fascinating to watch these creatures? Perhaps it is their stately nature. Perhaps it is natural voyeurism. I think it has something to do with the fact that, when you strip away our complexities, you can see a likeness in kind. How do the family dynamics work? Does she sleep on the babies while Dad carouses on the town at night? What are the most basic needs? Food, security, protection from the elements. How are their parenting skills? It certainly seems like little Runty gets half the food of the favorite son.

It is basic drama. It is occasionally boring. It is life. It is a window into a simple world without errands, politics, traffic and deadlines, but – yes – with the wonders of the Internet.

The falcons' official site

wrinkle free packing

2007-05-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

A few readers have asked me about the lack of cool things lately. Laziness accounts for much of the inactivity, but things have been very busy at work and my blogging time has been reduced by planning a trip to Italy. Fortunately, this last endeavor has resulted in new discoveries, like today’s secret for wrinkle-free packing: Pack-It Folders from Eagle Creek.

Stuart is getting married in Lake Como, so that means beautiful vistas, Northern Italian cuisine and the need to pack dress shirts. For suits and shirts, I used to use a garment bag. Unfortunately, it can create unpredictable, deep wrinkles and, more damning for this trip, it lacks wheels.

The 21” and 24” bags that are now travel-standard solve the wheel problem but not the need for ironing on arrival. Enter an ingenious solution from Eagle Creek.

The Pack-It Folder is a giant envelope for your clothing. In the 15” size, the base is 15” x 10” and re-enforced with a plastic board. As part of the kit there is a second plastic board for folding clothes that creates perfect folds in shirts and pants. To use Pack-Its, simply stack your clothes up, place the folding board on top for extra support, and then pull the 4 Velcro-covered sides over the top to create a tidy and sturdy bundle.

You can see the 7 long sleeve shirts, 3 pants and 5 short sleeve shirts I wanted to bring on my trip. Notice the same clothes, compacted in 2 15x10x6 stacks. Finally, the same stacks in a rolling case with plenty of room left over for t-shirts, socks, shoes, etc.

Eagle Creek also makes an 18” size that is good for pants and even more items but, after arrivng it Italy and seeing the results of my efforts, I couldn’t be happier with the 15”. An added bonus for the 15: if you asked for your shirts boxed from the dry cleaner they will come folded 15x10. Pack-It Folders are available from REI and other fine retailers.

buying the war

2007-04-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

Last year, Stephen Colbert was the host for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. In his speech, he said this to the Washington press corps:

As excited as I am to be here with the president, I am appalled to be surrounded by the liberal media that is destroying America, with the exception of Fox News. Fox News gives you both sides of every story: the president's side, and the vice president's side.

But the rest of you, what are you thinking, reporting on NSA wiretapping or secret prisons in Eastern Europe? Those things are secret for a very important reason: they're super-depressing. And if that's your goal, well, misery accomplished. Over the last five years you people were so good -- over tax cuts, WMD intelligence, the effect of global warming. We Americans didn't want to know, and you had the courtesy not to try to find out. Those were good times, as far as we knew.

But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put 'em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know - fiction!(complete transcript here)

It was humorous, subversive and, as Bill Moyer’s latest documentary Buying the War: How the mainstream press got it so wrong demonstrates, sadly accurate.

Bill Moyers gained national prominence as Press Secretary for President Johnson and then worked as a television journalist for NBC, CBS and PBS. He has won more than 30 Emmys and almost every other major journalism award. Of late, he has been a vocal critic of national media for their lack of investigative reporting, and in Buying the War he makes a devastating case for his position.

Although there are still some fine national reporters (these Pulitzer Prize winners, for example, as well as Walter Pincus for the Post and a handful of New Yorker authors), the institutions that published the Pentagon Papers and exposed Watergate clearly lost their way. Howard Kurtz on the Post’s coverage:

I went back and did the math. From August 2002 until the war was launched in March of 2003 there were about 140 front page pieces in THE WASHINGTON POST making the administration's case for war.

It was, "The President said yesterday." "The Vice President said yesterday." The Pentagon said yesterday." Well, that's part of our job. Those people want to speak. We have to provide them a platform. I don't have anything wrong with that. But there was only a handful-- a handful of stories that ran on the front page. Some more that ran inside the pages of the paper that made the opposite case. Or, if not making the opposite case, raised questions.

Buying the War aired last night. Watch on-demand or read the transcript

geekdad

2007-04-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wired Magazine hosts several blogs that I have included in my news reader. Listening Post covers digital music, Gadget Lab reviews the newest gizmos, and Autotopia discusses the future of cars. To this list, I just added Geekdad.

Geekdad launched in March. It is a group blog focused on kids and technology, and its writers include some dads familiar to readers of (at least) one cool thing. Jim Bumgardner is the creator of the Whitney Music Box, Thomas Hawk takes very pretty pictures, and Warren Packard has written for (at least) one cool thing on memory cards, MAME and (in a precursor to his current position) strollers.

If you are a dad, a mom or just like fun things, check out Geekdad and posts like:

Beginner’s Video Rocketry
Introducing your kids to the machine shop
Novel uses for model rockets
Places to take your kids in Portland
The origins of Lego Mindstorms
Combat gliders

and the Redwood Valley Railway.

reactions to the record

2007-04-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Jeff of Riding East mentioned an amazing symposium sponsored by the Stanford Music Department. Reactions to the Record starts tomorrow and it features very talented musicians from around the world. Of most interest to me are the 8pm concerts tomorrow and Friday nights, and the Saturday morning class with the gifted and generous St.Lawrence String Quartet. More details below:

STANFORD UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC PRESENTS

REACTIONS TO THE RECORD:

Perspectives on Historic Performance

April 19-21, 2007

The Stanford Department of Music is hosting a three-day symposium to explore the vivid styles of performance heard on the earliest acoustic recordings and player piano rolls, styles that began to vanish with the First World War and were considered almost scandalous after the Second. This will be a forum for experiment and dialogue, and the focus will be practical: what might these traces of vintage styles mean to performers, composers and listeners today.

Symposium Homepage

About the Symposium
Schedule of Events
Reservations & Fees
Performers/Presenters Bios
Contact
Links
Concert Details
Banquet Information

Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet

2007-04-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Alonzo King is a gifted choreographer. His innovative and sophisticated works are performed by ballet companies internationally, but his passion is LINES, the Bay Area company he founded in 1982. LINES has an extensive touring schedule and a repertoire of groundbreaking work, and this Spring they add to it with a collaboration with the Shaolin Monks of San Francisco.

In Collaboration premiered this Friday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and performances continue Wednesday April 18 through Sunday April 22 (tickets). I was fortunate to see a preview as part of a fundraiser for LINES and I was stunned by the integration of these very different art forms.

The Shaolin Foundation in San Francisco is the only sanctioned monastery and school outside of China. Its monks study Chan Buddhism and wushu, the martial art developed in the 6th century at the Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain. The San Francisco group is quite extraordinary, and its members include:

Master Shi YongYao, the Temple’s 70 year old Qi Gong master and expert in the “metal finger” technique;

Master Shi GuoSong, a 1998 Gold Medalist in the World Wushu Tournament and a leading practicioner of the non-contact Shaolin Boxing;

Shi ChangQiang (pictured above with Brett Conway), a young and very accomplished student expert in Seven Star Boxing and the Nine Jointed Whip;

Shi ChangJun, a master master of Red Boxing and Spring-Autumn sword. Like Shi ChangeQiang, ChangJun is in his 20s (read interview);

and, the delightful 10 year-old triplets: Shi LongHu, Shi HuHu, and Shi BaoHu.

Alonzo has choreographed a cultural exchange. The monks and the dancers have very different backgrounds but they share an amazing command of physicality and in interest in each other’s disciplines. During In Collaboration, this exchange plays out in fantastic demonstrations of martial arts and modern dance as the monks teach wushu and learn about the West in return.

Adding the appeal of this unique performance is a beautiful score played on traditional Chinese instruments. For the fundraiser, Musical Director Hong Wang enchanted us with stunning melodies on the erhu, the bawu and the ma tou qin. For the full performances, Hong is joined by Sheshen Zhang and Wanpeng Guo.

Photography by Marty Sohl

the inn at spanish bay

2007-04-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Not only haven’t I been blogging often enough; I haven’t been golfing enough either. To celebrate Stuart’s upcoming nuptials, the guys decided to help me change that. Golf at San Juan Oaks on the way down (a great layout but the back 9 is brutal when the wind is up) and Poppy Hills the next day (phenomenal course, and with green fees under $100, a great value). In between we stayed at the Inn at Spanish Bay.

Spanish Bay was built by the Pebble Beach Company in 1987. They acquired land at the tip on the Monterey Peninsula that had used for a sand mining operation and they meticulously restored the habitat. They also hired Robert Trent Jones, Jr. to design a world-class links course at home with its siblings Spyglass and Pebble, and they opened a 269 room hotel.

For the past 20 years, the Inn at Spanish Bay has been a premier escape. It is not inexpensive, but the consensus opinion is that it is worth it. The rooms are very large and quiet, the service is friendly and efficient, and there is no better place to enjoy an evening beverage than by their outdoor fire pits.

A tip for your visit: book a forest view room. You’ll save some money and will find that most spectacular scenery is available when walking the grounds. If you book directly you may get a better rate and be able to secure a one night stay instead of the usual two on weekends. Oh, and if you dine at Roy’s as we did, order the Kobe beef and crab roll. It is delicious.

lots of links

2007-04-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

Last year I learned that it was easy to develop a blogging routine. Last month I discovered how it easy it was to drop the habit. But, just because I haven’t been writing often doesn’t mean I haven’t been finding interesting things. To catch up, tonight I offer 9 links across 3 categories.

Food and drink

I was back at Evvia. I continue to recommend the Greek salad and the Gigantes, but the braised goat with feta and pearl onions is my new favorite entry. The rack of lamb is also excellent; consider a half order.

I have been enjoying some nice wines. Two value oriented selections from the Russian River Valley are the lively Quivera Sauvignon Blanc and the well-balanced, fruity Crossbarn Pinot Noir. Crossbarn is Paul Hobbs second label.

And, we tried more creations from Sushi Sam’s. Don took detailed pictures, and Joy and Mike provided sake. To their Yuki No Bosha “Cabin in the Snow” Limited Release Junmai Ginjo and Hatsushibori “Pure Snow” Junmai Ginjo I added a bottle of Mu Sake “Nothingness” Junmai Diaginjyo. All three were clean and delicate on the palate, not surprising given their very similar SMV values.

Movies

Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People’s Temple, a 90-minute documentary that premiered tonight on PBS, tells the very disturbing story of Jim Jones through interviews with 8 former followers and extensive footage from the 50s, 60s and 70s. It re-airs this week.

Babel – I wanted to see this in the theater and finally caught it on DVD. I was impressed. Think of it as a better version of Crash with more intense acting.

When it was released, The Illusionist was overshadowed by The Prestige (which I loved), but it is possible that it is the better film. I’m not sure why it didn’t generate more buzz. Edward Norton delivers another outstanding performance, and the story is both romantic and mysterious.

Interesting news

A new species of dinosaur capable of burrowing underground has been discovered.

An excavation on Keros has unearthed new clues about Cycladic civilization.

Finally, an article from the Smithsonian describes how SSRL imaging is used to unlock the mysteries of the palimpsest and expose the lost writing of Archimedes.

Häagen-Dazs Reserve

2007-04-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Super-premium ice cream giant Häagen-Dazs has released 5 new flavors in a line labeled Häagen-Dazs Reserve, a nod to the exotic nature of the main ingredients. From the left, they are: Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet, Amazon Valley Chocolate, Pomegranate Chip, Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream and toasted Coconet Sesame Brittle. Last night, we tried the Pomegranate Chip and it was quite tasty, rivaling some of the best options from my favorite local ice cream shops. I can’t wait to try the acai berry sorbet next.

Häagen-Dazs flavors contain no artificial ingredients or emulsifiers.

what we call the news

2007-03-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

What We Call the News | Send To Friends

A new JibJab video debuted last night at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Annual Dinner. As we have come to expect from the Spiridellis brothers, the lyrics and visuals are both humorous and biting.

There was a time not long ago when each and every day,
At 6 o’clock each evening you knew news was on its way.
From anchors of integrity and three channels to choose,
It’s what we call the news.

Then along came cable, and a ratings race ensued.
Great legends found themselves replaced by blondes with big fake boobs.
Debate replaced with punditry, politically skewed.
It’s what we call the news!

We interrupt this story which is coming from Iraq,
‘Cuz Rosie’s suing Donald, Donald’s suing Rosie back.
We’re cutting from Darfur, we’re in Des Moines with urgent news,
“There’s a finger in my food!”

Guitar strings! Titles! Sound Effects! And graphics everywhere!
Breakin’ news each minute in the rush to get on-air!
With scandals, dramas, tragedies and mindless ballyhoo,
That’s turned our brains to goo!

Now only 3 percent can point to Kabul on a map,
But 96% can claim they’ve seem Brit’s putty-tat… (Meow)
The word’s greatly affected by the stories you choose
To put into the news!

Bronco chases, plane wrecks, shootings, victims on a cruise!
JonBenet, Scott Peterson, and Anna Nicole too!
Celebrities in rehab and a mauling at the zoo!
It’s what we call the news!

Bonus links: President Bush’s remarks

the music videos of michel gondry

2007-03-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

43-year old Michel Gondry is well-known as a writer and director of films like the fantastic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Before directing movies, though, Gondry built his reputation with innovative music videos.

Gondry started his musical career as the drummer for the French group Oui Oui, and he created four of their promo clips including 1989’s Les Cailloux and 1992’s La Ville. However, it was his work with Björk in 1993 for the odd and influential Human Behaviour that brought Gondry wide acclaim.

These 3 videos are among 16 I have selected for your viewing pleasure. They include artists ranging from Beck and Radiohead to Daft Punk and Kanye West. Deserving special mention is the concept for Come Into My World (see how fast you identify it) and the execution on Behind (1 frame per second during 7 days of driving).

Despite his Hollywood success (he won an Academy Award for the screenplay for Eternal Sunshine), Gondry continues to make music videos. As hard as it is to choose among the more than 60 he has created to date, I offer my top 5:

5) Massive Attack – Protection (1995). A gorgeous song and a video filled with detail and shifts in perspective. The set: a building 6 stories flat.

4) The White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl (2002). Lego sets and figures built, demolished and rebuilt 5 frames at a time.

3) Jean-François Coen - La Tour de Pise (1993). Gondry sub-titles the song using signs he filmed all over France. I can’t imagine how long this took to produce.

2) Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar (2003). Landscapes as viewed from a train perfectly translated into a musical score. Each visual element matches a sound in the track.

1) Cibo Matto – Sugar Water (1996). Incredible!

YouTube offers a sample of his genius, but to really enjoy his artistry I recommend the 2-DVD The Work of Michel Gondry. It contains 27 videos and shorts and a 75-minute interview that answers many of the “how did he do that” questions you will have as you watch. My thanks to Cathy for introducing me to this wonderful collection.

Bonus clips: Michel has also made visually interesting commercials for clients like Levi’s, Coke, Diet Coke, Nike, The Gap, and, my favorite spot, Air France

super stunt

2007-03-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

April Fools Day is fast approaching and, if you haven’t already, it is time to start planning your jokes. For inspiration, I offer one of the most expensive and intricate pranks of all time: the Super Stunt.

As John Hargrave from Zug explains in the press release:

Just days after the Boston bomb scare, another team of Boston-based pranksters smuggled and distributed 2,350 suspicious light-up devices into the Super Bowl. Due to its attractiveness as a terrorist target, Dolphin Stadium was on a Level One security alert, a level usually reserved for Presidential inaugurations. By posing as media reporters, the pranksters were able to navigate 95 boxes through federal marshals, Homeland Security agents, bomb squads, police dogs, and a five-ton X-ray crane.

During the second quarter of the Super Bowl, the team of pranksters—who call themselves the “Super Six”—quietly distributed thousands of “Prince Party Packs” to an entire section of Dolphin Stadium. Each packet contained a light-up necklace with official-looking instructions. By turning on the necklace lights during the halftime show, Super Bowl fans believed they would be spelling out the word “PRINCE.”

But they didn’t. They spelled a secret message that was broadcast to 93.1 million people.

Read the riveting full story (in six parts) and then watch the video. The obsessed can read this account from another participant and some coverage on Engadget and a Wired blog. What was the real secret message? A good clue is that John has just published a new book: Prank the Monkey.

Bonus pranks: the best of MIT hacks. The police car complete with donuts on the roof of the Great Dome is incredible, although the Changed Inscription rivals it for attention to detail.

apple caramel bread pudding

2007-03-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

Bread pudding is a favorite topic here at (at least) one cool thing. I have featured a tasty recipe before and mentioned variants in numerous restaurant write-ups. On Wednesday, Dmitry was kind enough to bring some to the office from Tartine and that reminded me that I hadn’t discussed the excellent bread pudding Joy made a while back.

Joy followed the recipe in A Passion for Desserts. Chef, author and James Beard Award Winner Emily Luchetti is known for her fantastic creations at Farallon, and although bread budding might not be her most elegant, it is certainly one of the most delicious.

4 golden delicious apples
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/3 Cup apple juice
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
1 Cup Sugar; scant
4 1/2 Cups sweet baguette; cut into ¾ inch cubes
1/2 Cup water
1 1/2 Cup heavy cream
3 Cups milk
4 eggs
5 egg yolks
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350. Peel, core, and slice the apples 1/4 inch thick.

Cook the apple slices, butter, apple and lemon juices, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large sauté pan over medium high heat until the apples are soft (about 15 minutes).

Evenly spread the apple slices into the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart ovenproof baking dish. Place the bread pieces on top of the apples.

Stir together 2/3 cup of the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Increase to high heat and cook, without stirring, until the sugar is amber colored (8-10 minutes). Remove from the heat. Wearing oven mitts, carefully stir about 1/2 cup of the cream into the caramel. Be careful, as the caramel will sputter when the cream is added. If it sputters violently, stop stirring. Let the bubbles subside and then stir again. Carefully stir in the remaining cream. Stir in the milk.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and salt. Whisk a quarter of the caramel cream into the eggs. Add the remaining caramel cream and whisk until incorporated. Pour the caramel cream into the pan over the apples and bread pieces. Using a metal spatula, gently press the bread pieces into the liquid, coating them.

Bake the bread pudding for 35 minutes. While it is baking, stir together the cinnamon, ginger and remaining 1 1/2 T sugar in a small bowl. After 35 minutes, sprinkle the sugar over the top of the bread pudding. Continue baking until the tips of the bread pieces are golden brown and a small knife inserted in the middle comes out coated with thickened custard (about 10 minutes). Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve the bread pudding warm. (via Sur La Table)

Read more of Emily’s wonderful recipes here, here and here.

preparing for march madness

2007-03-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

There are two types of people in the world – people who text and people who don’t. I’m in the latter category as are most of my friends. I have figured out T9, but typing anything on a telephone keypad is so much slower for me than email or an actual call that I rarely bother. I’m just not cool enough I guess.

However, there is one text service that is so awesome even I get it: 4info. 4info gives you information on your phone without the hassle of using a mobile web browser.

On my clamshell, getting a game score or a stock quote is a major 10+ step connecting to the internet pain. With 4info, obtaining the same information is much simpler. I just text a message to 4info (44636) and add what I am looking for in the body of the message. For example, warriors or msft. And, 4infro responds back with real-time results.

Their how to page lists the types of searches 4info supports. Examples include very useful services like local weather, flight tracking, package tracking and headlines as well as some more creative ones like jokes, movie times, wifi hotspots by zipcode and pickup lines.

There some advanced features too. In sports, you can get schedules, player stats and standings, but there is more to 4info than search. Web phones can bookmark wap.4info.net for faster queries, and smart phones can run the 4info application. Free. 4info is advertisement supported. No charges, apart from any your carrier may impose for texting, are passed on to you.

The greatest feature, and the reason for this post, is the 4info alert providing customizable, instantaneous updates. And, the most kick-ass alert of all is the one designed for March Madness.

You’ve filled out your brackets, you’ve made plans to watch your favorite teams, but you are not truly prepared for the Tourney unless you have sent “TOURNEY ALERTS" to 44636. In return you will receive scores in a text message immediately after each game. Better still, you will get messages anytime there are upsets in progress.

ps watch out for the PAC-10

synctoy

2007-03-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

Some of Microsoft’s most genius products are both free and under-publicized. Over the summer I wrote about Cleartype, and today I would like to introduce you to SyncToy. SyncToy makes tasks like file backup, replication and synchronization super simple, and version 1.4 runs on Windows 2000, XP and Vista.

With SyncToy, you start by creating folder pairs, for example your My Pictures folder on your home machine and an external drive. You then pick your desired flavor of sync. The choices are:

Synchronize – New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.

Echo – New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.

Subscribe - Updated files on the right are copied to the left.

Contribute – New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.

Combine - New and updated files are copied both ways. Nothing happens to renamed and deleted files..

That there are 5 options may be the hardest part of the program.

I use Synchronize to mirror My Documents on my laptop and desktop since I create and edit on both computers. And, I use Echo to backup all of my content from my desktop to an external drive (although I could see how Combine might be safer). Subscribe would be handy if you have a subset of documents on portable media that you update offsite and want to re-sync when you return.

A nice feature is that all actions can be previewed, and recovery of deleted files is as easy as fishing them out of the recycle bin. Cooler still, SyncToy can be scheduled, reducing my excuses for not performing nightly or weekly backups. Step-by-step instructions for adding SyncToy to your Scheduled Tasks are in the Help document.

Download SyncToy 1.4

the right stuff

2007-03-07T23:34:00.000-08:00

On October 14, 1947, a Bell X-1 piloted by Chuck Yeager was dropped from a modified B-29. After ignition of its rocket engine, the X-1 became the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. Yeager and the X-1 reached a speed of Mach 1.06.

As the above video shows, Mac Hodges is obviously a fan of The Right Stuff. He has constructed a 20-foot, 100 lb. B-29 radio-controlled replica that launches its own rocket-powered X-1. I don’t want to give away all the best parts, but when the B-29 appears to be in distress and stalls, pay close attention. Thanks to Bill for the great discovery.

Bonus link bonanza:
-Fly into the danger zone with this RC F-14 Tomcat
-See what happens to this 8 engine, 300 lb. $60,000 B-52. Sadly, it isn’t pretty
-Check out 240 mph, $15,000 RC jets doing acrobatics
-Watch this incredible flying exhibition conducted in a gymnasium
-Finally, defy the laws of physics with RC helicopters. How are those tricks possible?

multiple-choice correspondence

2007-03-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

Hand-written notes are wonderful to receive. They are the ultimate mark of civility and manners but, sadly, they are increasingly rare. It is difficult to find the time to put pen to paper. Luckily, the folks at knock knock have the perfect solution: Multiple-Choice Correspondence.

Send a letter with MCC is easy. First, select the appropriate category. The 112-page booklet offers: thanks, staying in touch, congratulations, regrets, complaints, terminations and love. Next, pick an appropriate subject. Regrets offers options like “forgot” and “personal setback.” Thanks covers gifts, parties, help and, quite humorously, “nothing.”

Third, complete the pre-printed sentences with your choices. For example, Termination: Relationship begins with:

It pains me deeply to tell you that:

- I don’t love you anymore
- I’ve fallen in love with someone else
- I hate you
- I’m gay
- ______________

Finally, turn your completed form over, and address, fold and seal. No envelope necessary.

To see how this wonderful system could enrich your epistolary communications, enlarge the photo on the left. It is a scan from Thanks: Gifts. Note details like special box for references and the extra room for postscripts. As each letter reminds recipients, “the honor of receiving a piece of multiple-choice correspondence lies in the knowledge that someone cared enough to check off just the right phrases for you.”

san francisco as seen by thomas hawk

2007-03-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

Lost As the Sky is High, Part 2 Hosted on Zooomr

Thomas Hawk takes amazing pictures. I linked to his 8,000 photograph collection on flickr when I discussed One Bush Street, but after reading his blog more regularly and exploring his 11,500 photos on zoomr I have really begun to appreciate his eye for composition and overall talent. Here are a few of my favorites of San Francisco, and I encourage you to explore his work.

Golden Gate Bridge at Dusk Hosted on Zooomr

Countles Visions of the Other She'd Reflect Hosted on Zooomr

Just the Place I'm Looking For Hosted on Zooomr

Imposing Hosted on Zooomr

the goose

2007-03-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

The Dutch Goose, has been a Stanford institution for 40 years. It isn’t exactly a college bar as there isn’t a real college bar anywhere near Stanford, but it is the best approximation on the Peninsula with its patio seating, great burgers and, thanks to new ownership, LCDs showing sports. Popular with students, alum and its family neighbors in West Menlo Park, the Goose draws a very diverse crowd and you never know whom you might run into. Take yesterday afternoon for example.

Brian, James and I headed over to the Goose after attending the Arizona / Stanford basketball game. (thanks Brian!) Stanford had trailed by 19 at the half but fought back to tie with 6 seconds left before losing in overtime. Clearly, beers were called for to take the edge off of that thrilling but disappointing defeat. And, the Goose offers many on tap to choose from.

We settled on Fat Tire and added Goose-traditional peanuts and deviled eggs. Actually, the smell of the eggs makes me queasy so I ordered a pork sandwich that was tasty, but next time I want the brisket sliders. Those looked awesome, however I digress.

So the three of us are drinking our beers and in walks Steve Lavin, former men’s basketball coach at UCLA, followed by his good buddy Brent Musberger. They had called the Stanford game for ABC. Seating was a bit tight so they shared our long table.

A few minutes later Joe Kirchoffer, a former forward for the Cardinal, dropped in for a snack. The only thing that surprised me was not seeing Goose-regular and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Plunkett. Perhaps he was out of town as he was not in his regular seats at the basketball game.

The Dutch Goose: 3567 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Menlo Park, CA (650) 854-3245

wooden charcoal barbecue house

2007-02-27T23:51:00.000-08:00

Korean BBQ is refined cuisine. Lots of meats and just enough vegetables to create the illusion that the meal is healthy. Sadly, good Korean BBQ is hard to find in the Bay Area, but one reliable option is Wooden Charcoal Barbecue House on Geary in San Francisco. Brad and I have been going for many years, and Saturday night Christie and Lisette joined us for a mini-feast.

WCBH is a no-frills establishment. A large refrigerated case at the front hold bottles of OB beer, and the smallish restaurant is filled with tables with (not so powerful) vent hoods. It is safe to say that no one goes for the décor. The food, on the other hand…

Dinner starts with flavorful bahnchan (9 types). The sprouts and cucumbers are crispy and the kimchi and daikon are well-marinated. WCBH also serves salad and spicy tofu soup. Don’t worry, the soft tofu isn’t that spicy.

As you would guess from the pictures, we ordered chap jae, but the key to any Korean BBQ meal is the beef. We tried the bulgogi (thin sirloin) and kalbi (short ribs). At WCBH both are marinated and you cook over extremely hot charcoal. It is smokier this way but it is authentic. I like the bulgogi, but it is too thin to stand up to the high heat. The thick and fatty kalbi is the way to go. Excellent flavor - not quite good as Chosun Galbee but much more convenient than driving to LA.

WCBH: 4611 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA (415) 751-6336

poleng lounge

2007-02-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

Dinner last night was at the very chill Poleng Lounge. The Poleng Lounge is a restaurant / tea bar / nightclub on Fulton at Masonic, near USF and on the western edge of the improving NoPa neighborhood. It is opened last year, and it received 3 stars from Michael Bauer and a spot on his 10 best of 2006 list. He writes that Poleng Lounge:

is one of the freshest and most interesting restaurants to open in the Bay Area in some time. It could easily become my casual hangout simply because of the interesting Asian street food created by chef Timothy Luym. But the atmosphere is also terrific, attracting a young and wildly diverse crowd. And the staff is genuinely friendly and enthusiastic.

Poleng Lounge is Burmese influenced with menu items not dissimilar to (but less expensive than) what you might find at Straits Café. Poleng Lounge has two rooms: the Temple Room in back with room for large parties and a small stage for evening entertainment (see schedule); and, the Fireside Lounge in front (also with its own sound system). We dined at a small, low table in the center of the Fireside Lounge while seated on sofas and small stools, so the attentive staff had to pace our little dishes.

We started with sweet potato fries serverd with banana catsup ($3) and crispy roti ($1.50). We followed this with the Lumpia Shanghai (mini egg rolls filled with shrimp and pork, $6) and Burma Samosas (curry roasted potatoes and peas with a sweet tamarind chutney, $6.50).

Next up - garlic noodles with crab ($10). I had just been back to Thanh Long so their very buttery, rich version was still in mind. At Poleng Lounge, the flavor is quite a bit spicier and much less garlicy. Still yummy however. Then we had the highlight of the meal: poached bone marrow ($11). It is served with cubes of beef tenderloin, fried onions and a pineapple salsa, but the standout is the delicious, fatty marrow and the buttery rectangles of toast.

After the Beef Salpicao we had the Golden Gindara ($12), black cod in miso-mirin sauce with sesame spinach. It was a perfect transition to the desert that Joy, our waitress, brought when she overheard that we were celebrating my birthday. Coconut is not one of my favorite things, but both the bread pudding with fresh shaved coconut and the unusual coconut milk tapioca with basil seeds were delicious. Great company, tasty food and a very reasonable prices – I am looking forward to my next trip to the Poleng Lounge.

Poleng Lounge: 1751 Fulton, San Francisco, CA (415) 441-1710

random link dump

2007-02-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

I haven’t had as much time to write the past week as I had hoped, but it doesn’t mean I have stopped finding cool things. There are some bigger topics that will get their own posts, but here is a random assortment of links you might find interesting:

Spank your cat. He might just love you for it. The amazing video is above and, shockingly, there is a new website devoted to the topic, and they have footage of 7 more kitties. (via Thomas Hawk)

Improve your PowerPoint. Potentially effective presentations are often ruined by bad animation and too many words. Seth discusses common pitfalls and how to avoid them, and Guy Kawasaki gives great advice with the 10/20/30 rule. 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30 point font (or bigger). His recommendation was for funding meetings but it is universally applicable.

fresharrival – “one amazingly cool thing, everyday” for times when (at least) one cool thing is publishling less regularly. fresharrival is a group blog written by 5 authors with collectively good taste, and their coverage is eclectic. The one major drawback: navigation. It should be easier (and faster) to view previous days posts.

Win bar bets. The site wisebread has videos from Alex, Jess and Paul explaining how to hustle “drinks off your mates” using the proposition bets. There are 5 at wisebread and each is amusing, but the magic whiskey trick is the best. (via the consumerist)

Remove objects in Photoshop. This tutorial walks you step-by-step through the process of making perfect background edits to photos using Photoshop CS. If you are like me and still use an older version that does not have the amazing Vanishing Point perspective tool, it is still helpful as you will learn more about basic operations. (via lifehacker)

Finally, read about military commissions and Guantanamo detainees. Vanity Fair has a detailed profile on Charles Swift, a Navy lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps, who, with Neal Katyal, litigated the Hamdan case. Note: their victory was short-lived. See Tuesday’s ruling in Al Odah v. USA for the latest.

avant-garde clothing design

2007-02-14T23:42:00.000-08:00

Fashion shows are filled with drama; each season becoming more shocking to command the attention of a jaded audience. Leading the designer arms race has been the avant-garde Alexander McQueen. For his Spring/Summer 1998 ready-to-wear collection he made it rain on the runway (warning: NSFW). For Autumn/Winter 1999 he made it snow, and then for Spring/Summer he used robots to paint a white dress on the stunning Shalom Harlow.

For 2001 and 2002, the sets and fashion became more elaborate. Autumn/Winter was carousel-themed and Spring/Summer featured inspiration from the bull ring. In 2004, McQueen had his models dance and, in 2005, he transformed them into chess pieces.

McQueen certainly has a sense of the theatrical, and for Autumn/Winter 2006 he produced a finale that will be hard to top. To conclude his show, a vision of the controversial Kate Moss appeared in the center of the stage, twirling ethereally before floating away.

The effect, incorrectly described as a hologram, was amazing. If I paid any attention to the fashion industry I would have written about it last March. Instead, I discovered the clip on YouTube quite accidentally while searching for 80s music videos. Glassworks has the details on how the illusion (an updated version of Pepper’s ghost) was produced.

Bonus link: watch cutting edge designs from Hussien Chalayan featuring animatronic dresses, including one that completely disappears for the finale. Read coverage

semi-obscure 80s videos

2007-02-12T23:56:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I was practicing my procrastination skills by reading the Download Squad, a handy blog that lists new software and websites. Their description of vodpod caught my eye, and I decided to try out vodpod’s content aggregation capabilities. Ah, but what to add?

In a moment of inspired genius, I searched YouTube for an 80s band. I was surprised at how many results returned and more shocked still to see videos that I never knew existed. So I searched again for something a little more unusual and I received more results.

Emboldened by my success, I wondered: would YouTube have the complete version of Duran Duran’s Girls on Film? After determining that the answer was yes, I started to create my first vodpod pod.

To fill my pod I decided on some rules. First, only “modern” music. Eligible are new wave, post-punk, pioneering rap and almost anything English. This elinimates 80s video stars like: Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Van Halen and all of the metal bands that would dominate MTV in the later half of the decade.

Second, the groups had to be semi-obscure. I’m not yet ready to proclaim the greatest bands of the 80s (I’m still reeling from the controversy my 70s post created), so I exclude more famous bands like Devo, The Cure, U2, The Clash, The Talking Heads, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Eurythmics, The Smiths, Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, Squeeze, Duran Duran, The Cars, Yazoo, Queen, Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and George Michael and Wham.

Third, it had to be a video I never saw and didn’t know existed. This leaves out anthemic hits from groups that did well on MTV in America like: Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins, A-ha, The Bangles, Banarama, The B-52s, The Go-Gos, , Blondie, The Pet Shop Boys, The Alarm, Oingo Boingo, ABC, Wang Chung, Animotion, Bronski Beat, Level 42, Psychedelic Furs, Dead or alive, Gene Loves Jezebel, Madness, Men at Work, Men Without Hats, Gary Numan, Tom, Tom Club, Modern English, The Communards, The Fine Young Cannibals, UB40, The Stray Cats, Billy Idol, Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones, Dire Straits, Bow Wow Wow and Adam and the Ants.

So with those 3 rules as filters, I present 60 semi-obscure 80s videos. Most are from the early to mid 80s, although (as I will explain) there are a two from 1979 and one from 1978 selected for their influence.

To show off the slick vodpod controls I have embedded videos with “Solid Style.” The Solid Style category is quite subjective, but these ones that I would have remembered seeing at the time if they had been aired in the US with any frequency. Now that I have found them, I don’t mind watching them again as each has a distinctive visuals stand up well 20 years later.

In addition to the embedded songs, there are more categories for the collection of semi-obscure 80s videos on my main pod. These include:

great hair (must be seen to be believed)
post-punk (for bands like The Stranglers, Shriekback, Killing Joke and Bauhaus)
cool dancing (check out the Gap Band moves and watch for Lawrence Fishburne in White Lines)
British pop (for Aztec Camera, Haircut 100, the Blow Monkeys and others)
better known (including The Church, The Violent Femmes, Berlin and Missing Persons)
very electronic (home to OMD, Freur, CCCP, Chris and Cosey and 6 more classics)
one-hit-wonders (who can deny this status to The Vapors, Trio or Belgian superstar Plastic Bertrand)

Of course, some like Tarzan Boy have the hair, the moves and the one-hit-wonder fame.

Then, there are the 5 you must watch. Kraftwerk’s 1978 The Robots is an easy call for its incredibly influential sound and theme. 1979’s Human League Being Boiled and the Flying Lizard’s Money make the list for similar reasons. The most random pick is the Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight. I added it because I was shocked it had a video. Finally, Front 242 rounds out my selections because the visuals are every bit as disturbing as I hope they would be.

A final note: there were a few other videos which I had hoped to link to. For example, Peter Godwin’s Images of Heaven is a perfect fit for this concept, but it seems to get removed by YouTube as quickly as it is added. My apologies in advance for any broken links that may result from YouTube efforts to comply with takedown notices.

the queen

2007-02-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

When it opened last fall, I was not that excited about The Queen (official site, imdb, trailers, website for HRH ). Recognizing that they had the good sense to do away with their monarch almost 218 years ago, I am more of a Francophile than an Anglophile; thus, the prospect of two hours on the intimate workings of Her Majesty’s inner circle did not seem enticing. More importantly, I avoid current events movies like Flight 93 or World Trade Center, and I saw no reason to abandon a principle that has served me well.

However, since its release, The Queen has received tremendous critical acclaim and six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay. Watching The Queen has become an essential preparatory step for informed predictions Oscar night, and when Lisette suggested we go, I thought it was an excellent idea.

The Queen concerns the Royal Family and their newly elected Prime Minister the week between the death of Princess Diana and her burial. The story is framed by news clips and public events, but the actions and conversations are fiction imagined by screenwriter Peter Morgan.

After Diana’s death, Queen Elizabeth’s instincts are for private expressions of grief. She and Prince Philip feel that this is best for the children. Besides, it is the way things have always been done (stiff upper lip and all). The citizenry’s need for public mourning is inexplicable from her perspective, and it falls to the media-savvy Tony Blair to implore the Queen to reconsider.

There is not much suspense in the film as the outcome is well-known, so it is the details that make The Queen captivating. It’s the precision of dialog, the atmosphere of Balmoral and the contrast to that at Downing Street. It’s the beauty of the sets, the appropriateness of the costumes (compare the cut of Mr. Blair’s suits with that of Lord Airle’s) and, most especially, the quality of the performances.

Helen Mirren is amazing as the Queen, and she is surrounded by actors who portray their very public roles with astonishing credibility. Michael Sheen has become Tony Blair, James Cromwell is perfectly cast, and Roger Allam is both humorous and circumspect as Robin Janvrin, Private Secretary to the Sovereign.

If you grew up watching Upstairs Downstairs on PBS, thought Gosford Park should have won more Academy Awards and are convinced that Manor House is the best reality show ever, I’d tell you to see The Queen, but I am suspecting that you already have – twice. My recommendation is for those who, like me, were avoiding it. There is no need to be afraid: Stephen Frears has made a very entertaining movie.

ze frank

2007-02-09T23:47:00.000-08:00

Ze Frank is a graphic designer, Flash artist and astute observationist. Each weekday for the past 11 months he has produced a video blog of humorous commentary on the mundane to the absurd. Today’s topic was the non-binding resolutions; yesterday’s was the cock fight. In honor of his just-concluded trip to San Francisco I present the very funny Ze Frank sharing his expertise on a subject close to my heart: procrastination.

Bonus links: the best of the show and his helpful guide to punctuation

free stuff

2007-02-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

I love free stuff. In the past I have written about free software, free music, free activities and free services. Today I present:

Free money (via slickdeals)

Spend at least $30 with a merchant that accepts PayPal and get a $15 rebate. Just sign up for this promotion and then purchase something with your PayPal account by March 31. You will be automatically credited with your money, hassle-free.

Free minutes (via gizmodo)

I’ve written about Skype before. It’s an easy way to save on long-distance and conference call fees. Computer-to-computer call are free, and computer-to-phone calls using SkypeOut are not more than 2.1 cents per minute. Various inexpensive plans are available, but to celebrate Chinese New Year, Skype is offering 24 free SkypeOut minutes. Get yours by following this link.

Free shipping and returns

Shoes seem like an odd thing to purchase on the internet. There are hard to fit: each manufacturer has different sizing, and even within a brand the shape and comfort can vary widely. Construction and material are especially important for shoes, and those can be hard to assess from a photo. Online companies realize this, and the best ones have developed a solution: free shipping and free returns.

Zappos offers free overnight shipping, and Endless take sevice a step further by charging a negative $5 for overnight DHL. Add in good prices and great selection, and you are presented with offers that are hard to refuse whether you are shopping for men’s, women’s or children’s styles. I’ve used both services, and if I didn’t have more shoes than almost all of the women I know, I might order these, these, these or these.

valleyfreude

2007-02-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

You know Carly’s gonna cackle when Patricia gets the shackles!

Last week I had the pleasure of dining with my friend Chris who brought as his dates the lovely Randi and Jen. Randi and Jen are the creative duo behind How to Get a Guy in Silicon Valley and today’s feature: Valleyfreude.

Did you ever read this site? Are you following Michael Arrington’s deadpool? Rooting for the mug over the startup? Then Valleyfreude, a hilarious send-up of the pleasure we take in companies’ failures, is for you.

Filmed in Palo Alto, the video has the wit and style of a college musical. Better still, it has sock puppets - an appropriate touch given that is it a parody of this Avenue Q song (iTunes) and it lampoons over-hyped, bubble enterprises. Want to dress like the coolest sock puppet? Get yourself some LAMP gear.

Bonus link: speaking of college musicals, I just discovered that Rams Head has scripts and photos from the last 15 years of Gaieties online. The best ever scene: Don Kennedy as The Quadfather

the queen mary 2 in san francisco

2007-02-06T23:27:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Queen, originally uploaded by michael.paul.

The Queen Mary 2, the grandest ocean liner ever conceived, paid a visit to San Francisco as part of an around the world voyage. Built at a cost of $800 million, she is 1,132 feet long, 147 feet wide and 154,000 tons. She has a 3,000 guest capacity, a crew of 1,253 and, with power plants that produce 157,000 hp, she can cruise at 28 knots. Fantastic images of her arrival on Sunday and departure last night courtesy of the photographers on flickr.

DSC_4266, originally uploaded by bkusler.

IMG_2610.JPG, originally uploaded by SJL.

, originally uploaded by birglet.

Queen Mary 2 Made Her Maiden Call in San Francisco, originally uploaded by peace-on-earth.org.

el super burrito

2007-02-05T23:57:00.000-08:00

Paul’s note: My grand vision is to transform (at least) one cool thing into a Talk of the Town for my friend set. Ideally, I’d post 3 times a week and guests would fill out the remaining slots with their picks for food, travel and toys. This dream may never be realized, but fortunately Bill is doing his part with his second contribution of 2007. Joining his list of important WWII movies is a review of a restaurant that is like his home away from home. Bill writes:

El Super Burrito (sorry, that's "The" Super Burrito for those that don't speak Spanish) on El Camino in Millbrae makes the best burritos in the world. That may sound like a strong opinion, but it's not. It's a fact. If you disagree, I'm not looking for a debate. I just feel sorry for you.

What makes El Super Burrito the best is their runny guacamole, equally runny refried beans and the red sauce from their chicken. This combination not only tastes great, but it serves to bind all the other flavors together and makes the inside almost soupy. The result is a burrito so wet that you need to slurp up liquid with each bite, or it will run down your fingers. As my friend Paul learned to his detriment, you don't want to unwrap more than about 2 inches of foil off a Super Burrito at one time, or you risk a messy blowout in the sidewall of the steamed tortilla. When you've grown up with El Super, any other burrito seems very dry in comparison. Like eating toast with nothing on it.

Not everyone is cut out for El Super. It's not unheard of to encounter otherwise decent human beings who don't appreciate it. Take my friend, Eric S. (I'm abbreviating his last name for his own protection). Eric doesn't like what he calls El Super's "stewed chicken." Yet in every other aspect of his life, Eric is a model citizen: hard worker, good friend, loving father. So, you just need to accept the fact that not everyone is chosen. In the end, that's actually a good thing for me, because it means there will be fewer people in line next time I stop by El Super Burrito.

El Super Burrito: 780 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA (650) 583-0487

the second best television show ever

2007-02-04T23:52:00.000-08:00

Paul’s note: I received some very excellent presents this Christmas. As I have a chance to enjoy them more, you will be reading about things like this, this and some very cool items from here. Today, I review a gift from Scott and Julie: the HBO series Deadwood.

In 1868, the Fort Laramie Treaty granted the Sioux Nation “absolute and undisturbed use and occupation” of the sacred Black Hills of Dakota. On the pretext of reconnaissance “to better control the Indians making...raids toward the south,” George Armstrong Custer led a military expedition of the Black Hills in 1874. As rumors suggested they would, Custer discovered gold in French Creek.

In 1875, while the US government tried unsuccessfully to secure mining rights from the Sioux, pioneers began arriving in the Black Hills in search of their fortune. Their presence was illegal, but following the start of war with the Sioux and the 1876 rout of General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, no attempt was made to slow settlement. By 1877, the war was over, the Sioux had been relocated, and the Black Hills were annexed into the United States abrogating the Fort Laramie Treaty.

It is this context that creator David Milch chooses for Deadwood, the extraordinary HBO series that just completed its third and, most probably, last season. Milch, one of the very talented writers of Hill Street Blues and co-creator of NYPD Blue, had originally shopped a drama about police in the time of Nero. With Rome in development, HBO asked Milch to adjust the concept.

In 1876, Deadwood the city was lawless and part of no state or territory. It was a rough camp, averaging a murder a day, and it was filled with the most rugged of adventurers. Yet, economic opportunity forced the development of order and community, and it is this aspect that fascinates Milch.

At the center of Deadwood the series (wikipedia) is Al Swearengen, owner of the Gem Saloon. Like many characters in Deadwood, Al is an historical figure re-imagined with fictional depth and personality. Al is amoral (he runs his brothel ruthlessly and won’t hesitate to order a murder), but as the series progresses we learn that Al is also human. He is a deeply nuanced character perfectly played by the English Ian McShane.

As New Yorker reviewer Nancy Franklin suggests, the characters of Deadwood go beyond “the familiar cardboard cutouts” of the Old West to acquaint us “with the real forces and peoples that converged to form our country.” An aging Wild Bill is present (Keith Carradine) as is a multifaceted Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert). But, we also meet businessman Sol Star (John Hawkes), former marshal Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), Trixie the prostitute (Paula Malcomson) and a cast of 40 other brilliantly written and acted characters.

It is hard to identify the most noteworthy performances, but if pressed I’d mention William Sanderson as the peculiar E.B. Farnum, owner of the Grand Central Hotel; Keone Young as the non-English speaking Mr. Wu, a leader among the Chinese in camp; Jeffrey Jones as the too jovial A.W. Merrick, editor of the Deadwood Pioneer, Brad Dourif as the grumpy Doc Cochran, the camp’s physician; and, Powers Boothe as Cy Tolliver, the larger-than-life owner of the Gem’s upscale rival. Famous close-up illusionist Ricky Jay is also enjoyable as Eddie Sawyer, Tolliver’s right-hand man.

Milch loves colorful language. NYPD Blue brought “rhythm” and “tune-up” into our lexicon and terms like “asshole,” “dickhead” and “deadbeat scumbag” to prime time. (Ironically, the Parents Television Council has a longer list.) On HBO, Milch is unrestrained. Instances of f*** and c*** pepper most sentences, but so too does beautiful phrasing and an anachronistic style that demands your attention.

I’ve previously proclaimed that The Wire is the best television program I have ever seen. Having watched the 24 episodes of seasons 1 and 2 of Deadwood as quickly as possible I am confident that Deadwood is the second best. Despite the extreme profanity, the dialog is more rewarding in Deadwood and the relationships may be better developed. The Wire’s genius is the tightness of the story, and in this aspect is it unrivaled in television history.

Thanks to Emmanuel (who introduced me to The Wire) for recommending Deadwood and to Scott (who told us all about Primer and Arrested Development) for the gift of season 1.

Bonus link: a re-post of the New Yorker’s 2005 profile on David Milch

joey and eddie’s pescheria

2007-02-03T23:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, Daphne, Lisette and I dined at Joey and Eddie’s Pescheria. Earlier in the week I had had a chance to chat with Joey (local chef Joseph Manzare) about his other ventures (Globe, Zuppa and Tres Agaves), so I was anxious to head over to Noe Valley to check out his newest restaurant.

Pescheria is small (45 seats) and warm. It opened in the fall and the crowds indicate that it is already a neighborhood favorite. Glass tiles and pale blues and yellows are suggestive of the sea, and the concrete floors, polished aluminum chairs and laminated bamboo tables hint at Pescheria’s modern, comfortable cuisine.

The menu (sample) is short and packed with great choices. To start, we sampled the rich lobster bisque, a very creamy polenta with crab, and orecchiette with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. These offered a wonderful beginning to our meal; however, our entrees were even better.

Daphne and I both selected the butterfish with mushrooms, leeks and porcini butter. It is cooked in parchment opened tableside for a dramatic and delicious presentation. The aromas from the dish are enticing, and the parchment technique produces incredible texture. Tragically, I was without my camera, but I found a 7x7 magazine photo of this delightful dish. (right)

Lisette’s choice was even more intriguing. Her artic char was served a bed of celery root puree and topped with a pesto that was a perfect compliment for the sweet flaky fish. A poached egg completed the plating although we weren’t exactly sure what this whimsical extra added – it was balanced and memorable without.

At the end of our very tasty meal we all remarked that the service was excellent. Everyone was quite friendly and helpful without being intrusive. After reading Michael Bauer’s glowing review of Pescheria, I understand why. Mario Nocifera, who has managed The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, Michael Mina and Scott Howard, oversees the front of the house. And, Joseph has tapped the very talented Jerry McGinnis from Supperclub to run the kitchen. Together they earned a rare 3-star rating from SF’s most important critic and the suggestion that Pescheria is the “best casual seafood haunt in the Bay Area.” We agree.

Joey and Eddie’s Pescheria: 1708 Church, San Francisco, CA (415) 647-3200

the ambrose

2007-01-31T23:52:00.000-08:00

When I travel to the Southland, I prefer to stay in West LA. It has great restaurants, and it is convenient to the places I am most likely to visit.

When cost is not an object, there are many excellent hotel options, ranging from the W in Westwood at the moderate end of the expensive range to Shutters on the Beach and the Peninsula Beverly Hills at the high end. But, this trip I was delighted to find a stylish and reasonably priced alternative: the Ambrose in Santa Monica.

The Ambrose is a 77 room hotel that opened in July of 2003. Constructed in the Craftsman architectural style, it is in mid-town close to Yahoo, Sony and Universal. It is 1.5 miles to the beach and a much shorter walk to the shops on Montana Ave.

Rooms at the Ambrose start in the high $100s and have unexpected amenities for that price point: Frette towels, Aveda products and free underground parking. They also include complimentary WiFi access and a delicious continental breakfast. We enjoyed the orange and grapefruit juices, the croissants and pastries, and the yogurt and fresh fruit.

The Ambrose does not have a pool and its gym is tiny, but it is minutes from the 10 and the 405 and it has charm missing from larger properties. More importantly, the beds are very comfortable and the hotel is quite quiet. The Ambrose proved to be a nice base for our LA operations, and I urge you to consider it for on your next trip.

The Ambrose Hotel: 1255 20th Street, Santa Monica, CA (310) 315-1555

din tai fung

2007-01-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

Besides the Getty and Korean BBQ, another must-do activity in LA is to have dim sum. After reading pages of glowing yelp and chowhound reviews, Lisette suggested we try the LA-branch (top center) of Taiwan’s famous Din Tai Fung for dumplings.

Din Tai Fung is renowned for their Xiao long bao, and they did not disappoint. Sealed with 18 folds, each delicate dumpling had the perfect amount of juicy pork and a generous quantity of broth (middle left). The dumpling skins were very thin, but even I was able to pick them up without breaking. These are the reason we had to wait for an hour for our table.

We also tried a variant on the traditional XLB, the juicy crab and pork dumpling (middle right). As you can see from the cross-sectional picture (middle center), it was packed with flavor. The second close-up shows the inside of the delicious pork and vegetable dumpling (top left).

The other items we ordered (hot and sour soup, noodles and vegartarian dumplings) were all tasty. And, dessert was a special treat: red bean dumplings (bottom right). The meal was a nice way to end a fun trip to the Southland, and I am happy that Lisette’s friends were able to join us.

Din Tai Fung: 1108 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA (626) 574-7068

chosun galbee

2007-01-27T23:29:00.000-08:00

Last night Lisette and I set out in search of LA’s best Korean BBQ. Our friend Irene had just been to Chosun Galbee the week before, so we decided to follow her recommendation.

Chosun Galbee is a very attractive, modern restaurant on Olympic at the corner of Koreatown. The interior features lots of marble, bamboo and glass, and they have patio seating and grilling that should be perfect for typical LA nights. With large tables and several private rooms, Chosun Glabee must be a great place to bring a group.

Chosun excels in the most important category for Korean BBQ: the meat. Our galbee was excellent: tender, exceptionally marbled and only lightly marinated. Its flavor and texture were perfect, and I enjoyed eating each slice most when only adding a little garlic and jalapeno.

The chap jae was also wonderful at Chosun; however, there are a few quirks I should mention. First, it closes a bit earlier that I might have guessed. We had a late start and didn’t arrive until 10:30. I thought that would be fine on a Friday night but we were the last patrons to be seated.

Second, the bahnchan (small dishes) were a somewhat disappointing. Some of my favorites were missing; there were no marinated cucumbers, soybean sprouts, green onion pancakes or the yummy little potatoes. And, the kimchi wasn't very spicy. Third, the very helpful waitresses had numbers instead of names. A little impersonal, but perhaps this is traditional? But, these flaws could not detract from our enjoyment of the fantastic short ribs.

Chsoun Galbee: 3330 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
(323) 734-3330

fridays off the 405

2007-01-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

There is never a bad time to go the Getty Center in Los Angeles. They have a strong Western collection, especially early Renaissance Italian paintings and 18th century decorative French art. They help arrange wonderful special exhibits like the beautiful Holy Image, Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai. And, everything is perfectly showcased in its stunning Richard Meier designed gallery spaces.

However, extended hours on weekends make late afternoons and early evenings the best time for a visit. As Lisette and I discovered today, you can arrive as most people are leaving and feel like you have the museum to yourself. Better still, you can enjoy the Center’s spectacular architecture and views in the changing light of sunset.

The Getty remains open until 9p on Fridays and Saturdays, and it plays host to a number of unique events. Perhaps the hippest are the (usually) monthly Fridays Off The 405 which features artists like Dntel (aka James Figurine aka James Tamborello) in the courtyard along with a cash bar.

Admission to the Getty is free. Icons from Sinai continues until March 4, and the next scheduled Fridays Off the 405 are March 16 and April 13.

iConcertCal

2007-01-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

I enjoy live music but I tend to find out about the most interesting shows too late. Often I have plans or the concerts are sold out.

I’ve mentioned some of the event websites I use to learn about shows, but I’ve long thought that there had to be a better way. I want to see a schedule for the bands I like (popular and obscure) without having to scroll through an endless list of all shows. Thanks to a tip at Lifehacker I have found the perfect solution: iConcertCal.

iConcertCal is a free iTunes plugin for the PC and Mac, and it creates a personalized event calendar for you based on your music library. It cross-checks the artists in your collection against sites like Pollstar and The List for performances in your area, and it produces a monthly calendar in the Visualizer space of iTunes (see screenshot) with links for more information.

Created by two genius EE grad students, the plug works exactly as advertised. Run the installer, start iTunes and give it a minute or two to build your custom hot list. If you have never used the Visualizer in iTunes (and who has?), finding your calendar is non-obvious, but there are only two steps:

View -> Visualizer -> iConcertCal
View -> Show Visualizer (Ctrl + T)

I can’t describe how happy I am to have discovered this excellent software. Although I can think of a few features I wish it had, I appreciate its simplicity. Shows I might have never have known about include:

1/27: Keane at the Berkeley Community Theater
1/30: Carbon Leaf at the Independent
1/31: Of Montreal at the Attic in Santa Cruz
2/2, 2/3: Of Montreal at the Great American Music Hall
2/11: Erin McKeown at Cafe Du Nord
2/13: Si*Se' at the Independent
2/14, 2/16, 2/17: James Taylor at the Orpheum
2/24: Teitur at the Swedish American Hall
2/28: Josh Ritter at the Swedish American Hall
3/1: Snow Patrol with Silversun Pickups at the Bill Graham Civic
3/2, 3/3: Lyle Lovett with John Hiatt at the Fox in Redwood City
3/9: Willie Porter at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley
3/10: Bright Eyes at the Great American Music Hall
3/17: Bloc Party at the SF Design Center
3/28: Gilberto Gil at the Fox in Redwood City

Thanks iConcertCal! Download for PC and Mac
(listings are US only and update weekly)

lessons learned from WWII movies

2007-01-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

Paul's note: I am pleased to weclome back Bill to (at least) one cool thing with his third contribution. Previously Bill has written about talbot's toyland and the rosicrucian egyptian museum, and today he shares his encyclopedic knowledge of films with a discussion of some of his favorites.

Paul has been asking me to do a post on the top old WWII movies for some time. To narrow the list, I decided the movie had to be made before 1980 and had to portray either a true story or fictional characters within actual battles (which means I'll have to put The Guns of Navarone in another list). As I considered some of my favorites, I realized that many of them made a lasting impression on me. Here's a list of some of the best old WWII movies and the lessons I learned from them:

Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

Good thing I didn't see this movie right before either of my sons were born, or I would have named at least one of them Stryker, after the marine sergeant played by John Wayne. Stryker is the ultimate leader of men: tough as nails but with a heart of gold. In order to teach one recruit proper technique for bayoneting, Stryker smacks him in the face with the butt of his rifle, but then dances with him later on. How's that for tough love! Even the whiner in his platoon finally appreciates Stryker after he gets killed by a sniper. The lesson? You can't be too sensitive when your coach/boss/wife yells at you. It's probably for your own good.

To Hell and Back (1955)

Unlike the fictional Stryker, Audie Murphy was a true hero. It's hard to beat a real Medal of Honor winner playing himself. I haven't seen this movie in a couple decades, but its lesson is still indelibly etched in my mind. When your good buddy gets killed right next to you, the best thing you can do is go berserk, charge the hill and take out a few dozen of the enemy. Not only do you get to avenge your friend many times over, but you may get a medal to boot! Fortunately for my close friends, I haven't had to apply this lesson yet.

First To Fight (1967)

The sole survivor of a night attack on Guadalcanal, marine Jack Connell single-handedly kills the last 50 or so Japanese. He is sent home as a hero and promoted to Lieutenant. Things start to go bad when he meets a pretty girl and gets married. Feeling guilty, he volunteers to go back to the Pacific. But as he leads his men onto the beach, Jack suddenly thinks of his wife and freezes in fear. His sergeant finally has to kick Jack in the butt to snap him out of it. Jack redeems himself by blowing up one pillbox with a bazooka and repelling down a cliff to toss explosives in another. The lesson? Getting married turns even the toughest guy into a big softie. Although I saw this one coming, I couldn't prevent the same thing from happening to me.

Patton (1970)

George C. Scott is phenomenal as Old Blood & Guts. Even as a little kid, I thought it was unfair that Patton got in trouble for smacking that loser in the hospital. The lesson? No matter how badly some punk deserves it, it's just not worth it to hit him. It will only hurt you and your team. Good one to keep in mind for both sports and work situations.

A Bridge Too Far (1977)

So how does Patton hurt his team by hitting that guy? HQ starts letting Montgomery call more of the shots. Instead of a straightforward run up the middle, Monty decides to get fancy with Operation Market Garden. In this true story, multiple paratroop drops are supposed to take and hold key bridges in the Netherlands long enough for the tanks to make their way up. Much is made in the movie of Panzers on aerial photos being ignored, but the real problem is that Monty's plan depends on everything going perfectly. When unexpected problems arise (e.g., the banks of the roads are too soggy for tanks to get around obstacles, supply drop zones get over-run, and radios don't work) even this star-studded cast can't complete their mission. The lesson? Keep It Simple, Stupid.

The Great Escape (1963)

A true story better than anything you could make up, this movie honors the perseverance and bravery of allied flyers in a Luftwaffe prison camp. The movie is faithful to the real events, except for the use of composite characters played by a stellar cast. Steve McQueen, in particular, has some great moments throwing his baseball against the "cooler" wall and evading the Germans on a motorcycle. By digging 3 tunnels (Tom, Dick and Harry) and finding ingenious ways to hide their efforts, the prisoners manage to get 76 men out before being discovered. A few escape for good, but most are ultimately caught. However, they succeed in their primary goal of diverting German forces in order to track them down. (Unfortunately, they are so successful in distracting the Germans that the Gestapo executes 50 of them.) The lesson? If you're going to get in trouble anyway, you might as well make the most of it.

The Battle Of Britain (1969)

Another all star cast portrays pilots during the battle of Britain in 1940, with exceptional scenes of aerial combat. A great touch is that the Germans actually speak German at all times. Just as the British are about to break under the relentless pressure of the numerically superior Luftwaffe, Hitler gets angry and orders the Luftwaffe to target London instead of the RAF's airfields and radar installations. This gives the RAF the breathing room they need to recover. When the Luftwaffe, in frustration, switches to daylight bombing raids, the RAF shoot down enough planes to make the Germans finally give up and turn their attention to Russia. To quote Winston Churchill, the lesson here is "Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never..."

fold shirts fast

2007-01-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure what is more amazing – that I had never seen this technique before or that there are hundreds of videos on YouTube demonstrating the method. It is extremely fast, easy to master and produces very high quality folds. In experiments tonight conducted after watching 24, we all produced perfect results on our first attempts.

The instructions are the same for t-shirts, polos or long-sleeve. The Japanese clip above is canonical, but if you want more detailed demonstrations and slow-motion replays, try this.

Bonus link: a tool to fold even faster. Of course there are YouTube videos demonstrating ways to make you own

make your own cd case

2007-01-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

Tens of billion of pressed and blank CDs and DVDs have been sold yet the packaging alternatives are still poor. CD jewel cases are bulky and easy to break. Their advantage: good protection and room for a title on the spine. Slim line cases take up less space and are less ugly, but they are harder to label. Digipaks are better still, but expensive.

For burned media I tend to use Tyvek or vinyl sleeves, but today I stumbled upon a new alternative: the make-it-yourself paper sleeve. Well-suited for gift presentation, the materials are affordable (any 8 ½ x 11” sheet of paper) and the skills required are minimal. The one drawback: standard paper can lightly scratch a disc if care is not taken on insertion and extraction.

To create your own, I suggest starting at paper cd case. Type in title and content information in their web form and print out a sheet of paper for your case. Their template has a spine label, title front and back and optional track listing. Better still, it has lines for folding – a great help when perfecting your technique. paper cd case is based on the Tom Hull folding method illustrated on the left.

For more unique designs, Curbly suggests using wrapping or decorative paper. Two of her cases are shown in the photo top right. A caveat: fancy paper eliminates the cost advantage of this approach but it does make for a very attractive case.

introducing iPhone

2007-01-09T23:53:00.000-08:00

As everyone on the planet must now know, Apple introduced the iPhone today. Hundreds of nifty gadgets were launched at CES, but the only news that mattered was the June release date for Apple’s handheld convergence device that is so much more than a phone.

You don’t have to be a Apple worshiper to recognize the possibilities that iPhone creates. Multi-touch input, context sensitive buttons, wide screen for video, the ability to run full versions of OS X applications, a 2 megapixel camera, complete iPod functionality, real web browsing via WiFi and Edge and gorgeous design. Oh yeah, it places phone calls too and has software that integrates all of these functions in a revolutionary fashion.

Apple has a micro-site up with animation, video, pictures and all of the details. However, there are two web articles I wanted to draw your attention to. First, the folks at Gizmodo were able to get hands-on with the iPhone and have posted a quick review. Some excerpts:

Screen: Most gorgeous ever. Flawless.
Gestures: They work! Multitouch is great for zooming photos.
Browser: Perfect rendering of the page

Their bottom line: what the iPod did for music, “the iPhone is going to do this for cellies.”

Second, Time Magazine has posted an in-depth article on the iPhone’s origins. Now that the iPhone has been announced there will be scores of articles on its development, but this is the first and most-detailed currently available.

Bonus link: David Pogue at the New York Times who was able to play with the iPhone for an hour this evening

gadgets galore

2007-01-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

For tech lovers, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Today, tomorrow and Wednesday, 2,700 exhibitors will show their latest products to more than 100,000 attendees at CES 2007, the world’s largest consumer electronic tradeshow.

Although the convention is in Las Vegas, internet coverage is comprehensive and almost real-time with blogs like Engadget and CrunchGear providing hundreds of pictures, descriptions mini-reviews. My favorite source: Gizmodo.

If that wasn’t enough excitement, MacWorld Expo kicks off in San Francisco tomorrow. Tune into your favorite gadget site in the morning for minute by minute updates on Steve Jobs’ highly anticipated keynote address.

Will an iPhone be unveiled? The New York Times thinks the Apple announcement will be even bigger, but you will have to tune in tomorrow and wait for “one more thing” to find out. Gizmodo and Engadget will be live-blogging, and iLounge and the Unoffical Apple Weblog should be good sources for more details.

your very own camarasaurus

2007-01-06T23:21:00.000-08:00

During the Late Jurassic period, the Camarasaurus lived in North America and Europe. Full-sized, this quadruple herbivore grew to 23 feet high, 60 feet long and a weight of 40,000 pounds. The Camarasaurus been extinct for 144 million years, but Emeryville company Ugobe is hoping to change that.

Meet Pleo, a week-old infant Camarasaurus. Created by Caleb Chung, co-inventor of the wildly popular Furby, Pleo is a robot that adapts its personality and skills to its environment. Pleo has touch sensors, a microphone, a camera and 14 internal motors. Pleo also has 6 CPUs to control its very lifelike actions and its development as it progress from infant stage to puppy stage and through adolescence and adulthood.

Pleo received quite a bit of attention last Winter at DEMO 2006, and now that its $250 price is set and the February 3 pre-order date approaches, the folks at Ugobe have been making the PR rounds again. The latest Wired has a great feature on Pleo’s creators and development, and embedded early 2006 video of an infant Pleo waking up. The Sci Fi Channel has recent clips of Pleo walking and doing some tricks.

Read the January 2007 Wired article and check out a Pleo fan blog

cheap, portable memory card readers

2007-01-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

As Warren noted, transferring photos from your camera while on the road can be a huge hassle. For my trips last year, I brought along a bulky reader. Perhaps soon memory and camera manufacturers will solve this problem by integrating wireless technology – or maybe the well-designed SD cards Warren reviewed will become more affordable. Until then, the answer is cheap, portable memory card readers.

Via slickdeals, Supermedia Store is selling 2 SD readers for $5 – shipped! These small USB 2.0 devices turn your memory into a thumb drive and are tiny enough to take with you wherever you travel. The superlicious deal is good for today only.

Not able to act fast enough, don’t use SD or don’t need two? No problem; the LED Shoppe has you covered. This little SD reader is $3 and this small Compact Flash device is $5. Shipping is free and there are no expiration dates for these prices. View all of the LED Shoppe’s card readers.

new numa

2007-01-03T23:49:00.000-08:00

Remember what I said about an increase in article quality for the New Year? Well, you can forget about that. While researching another topic, I stumbled upon the New Numa and I had to post it. I’m not sure how its September release escaped me.

If you are familiar with the original Numa Numa you will understand. If you are not, you must watch it. It is one of the most important video clips in web history. The BBC has calculated that it has been viewed more than 700 million times since it debuted 2 years ago, and it has spawned thousands of copies.

Fans may be interested in the lyrics - and in the band O-Zone’s actual music video for Dragostea Din Tei. Wikipedia has even more details, including the song’s chart history (hint, the number 1 is involved in almost every European country) and the lawsuit with the group Haiducii over who actually penned this masterpiece of modern music.

happy new year

2007-01-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

I enjoy year-end lists; they're like Cliffs Notes for the past 12 months. You’ve probably seen things like AP’s Top News Stories of 2006, and it has been hard to miss YouTube’s most viewed videos. So, I thought I would link to some lists that you might have missed.

20 Weirdest Gadgets of 2006 (at the Register UK)
want more? try TechDigest.tv’s list of the 50 strangest

The 2006 Darwin Awards (via Slashdot)
related: Wired’s 2006 Foot-in-Mouth Awards

The Best of the Post (400 photographs from 21 WP photographers)
similarly: the most interesting flickr photos of 2006 by month and day

The 25 Most Popular Travel Articles of 2006 (NYT)
also from the NYT, The Top 10 Books of 2006

An indie take on The 25 Best Albums of 2006 (from IGIF)
check out even more lists (at metacritic)

Roger Ebert’s 4 Star Movies of 2006 (Chicago Sun-Times)
more movie lists from reviewers and the meta list (at metacritic)
also The Top 5 Movie Posters of 2006 (at Sam’s Myth)

Bonus link: an amazing 360 degree panorama of Times Square

the year in review

2006-12-31T22:24:00.000-08:00

A year has past since the start of (at least) one cool thing, and 378 posts, 40,000 visitors and 60,000 page hits later I am still enjoying sharing my discoveries with new friends and old. I have been delighted to receive 26 guest contributions and hundreds of comments, and I hope to get many more next year.

Posting daily has occasionally been a bit of a chore, especially after Thursday nights with the guys, but what I have learned has been worth the effort. For the new year, my posting frequency will decrease but perhaps the quality will increase to compensate.

So, as we exit 2006 and ring in 2007 I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and thank you for your readership and support. I also wanted to recap the year that has past with a breakdown by topic of former cool things of the day:

Annual events: Chinese New Year, San Francisco International Film Festival, Sam, Vertical Challenge Helicopter Air Show, Pride Weekend, Independence Day, Pickles, Fantasy of Lights, Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir Christmas Concert (thanks Emmanuel) and Christmas Eve at Yoshi’s

Art and photography: Flickr, Picasa, Amazing Astronomical Images, Neat Image, the week in photos, A Better SD Memory Card (thanks Warren), Monet in Normandy, Photoshop Tutorials, HDR Photography (thanks Don), Photo Tips via Lifehacker, Gorillapod and Fan Ho

Bay Area activities: Año Nuevo, Pescadero, NUMMI, the rosicrucian egyptian museum (thanks Bill), Mobile Movies, Outdoor Movies, San Jose with Orlando, USS Hornet, USS Pampanito, SLAC and the SF Asian Art Museum

Consumer products: Downey ball, slippers, Gillette Fusion, woven dental floss, thorlo socks, Epson scanner, cheaper long distance, FlossAction Brush Heads and a Pineapple Slicer

Design: Ikea, Herman Yu Design, Design Resources on the Web, Bay Area Design Resources, desk chairs, Lemon Twist, The Jerker Desk, Frank Gehry for Tiffany, Heavy Duty Wall Hooks, Affordable Design, Design Within Reach, 2 Second Tent, I/O Brush, IDEO, One Bush Street, Bikinis and the iPod,

Destinations: Santa Barbara, A Sausalito Getaway (thanks Scott), Vegas and Hoover Dam

Food: see yesterday’s long reset

Games and toys: Set (thanks Scott), Adventure Games (thanks Julie), Talbot’s Toyland (thanks Bill), Burnout Revenge (thanks Mike), MAME (thanks Warren), Presidents and A**holes, RC Chevy Silverado and the Hot Wheels Radar Gun

Golf: Nike CPR Hybrid, HMB Golf Links and the Stanford Golf Course

Magazines: The Complete New Yorker, Must-Read New Yorker Articles, Top 10 Lists on Forbes.com, The Week Magazine, The Onion, SF Magazine, August 28 New Yorker and Spore.

Movies: Weeping Camel, Winged Migration, Mostly Martha, Infernal Affairs, Mad Hot Ballroom, Curse of the Were Rabbit, Grain in Ear, All the President’s Men, Thank You For Smoking, Dodgeball, Primer (thanks Scott), Syriana, Fearless, The Prestige, Clean, V for Vendetta, Lucky Number Slevin, Happy Feet (thanks Scott) and Curse of the Golden Flower,

Movie lists: Ang Lee, Wong Kar Wai, Hayao Miyazaki, John Cusack, Top 5 Science Fiction Movies and Bond Girls

Music artists: Lou Rawls, Johnny Hartman, Anton Kuerti, Guggenheim Grotto, Gabriel and Dresden, St. Lawrence String Quarter, David Poe, Iron and Wine, Jeff Klein, Elvis Costello, Silversun Pickups, Charles Brown, Retrobyte, Teitur, Tobias Froberg, Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith (thanks Scott), Xzibit, Natalie Merchant, Brooke Ramel, Lindsey Buckingham, Prince in Las Vegas, Joe Newman and Damien Rice

Music blogs and web sites: Hype Machine, Motel de Moka, Songs Illinois, Free iTunes, Riding East and Concert Bootlegs

Music mixes: Soundtrack for a Story Evening, More Mellow Songs for a Rainy Night, 80’s Covers, 45s From My Youth, A New iMix, Summer Sambas, 12-inch Singes from Grad School, Top 5 Artists from the 70s, A Swinging Christmas and Cool Christmas Blues

Music lyrics: Nerdcore Rap and The Crane Wife

Radio and web radio: Launchcast v Pandora, KCRW, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (thanks Mike) and Pete Tong

Short films and viral video: Lazy Sunday, Microsoft Designs the iPod, A Day in the Life of Natalie Portman, The Evolution of Dance, Guitar, Mentos and Diet Coke, OK Go, My Animated Day, In God We Trust, Superficial Friends, Shawshank in a Minute, Animusic, A Special Christmas Box, d7tv and the JibJab Year in Review

Software: TrueCrypt, Skype, Yahoo! Widgets, Freeware, Cleartype, Firefox PlayTagger, iTunes 7, Cleaning MP3 Tags, Tweaks For Your New Computer, Keyboard Shortcuts and Backing Up a DVD

Stories: Tamba Hali, You’re With Me, Leather, Fat Steve, The Bunny and the Cougar and NoKa Chocolates

Technology: the Roomba (thanks Don), Coinstar (thanks Tom), Google WiFi, The ThinkPad T60 and “Pimpstar” Fans

Television: Jungle, PBS On-Demand Video, TV Funhouse, Secrets of the Sexes, The Wire, Frontline – The Dark Side, No Direction Home, The Dog Whisperer, Aquaman, Top 11 Chappelle Show Sketches, Studio 60, Arrested Development (thanks Scott), Rome, Hacking Democracy and Festivus

Television Commercials: Music Used in TV Ads, Bollywood Fandango, I Pinch, European Car Commercials, I Walk the Line and Lo-Def Productions

Transportation: Pimpstar Rims, Fuel Cell Buses, Cleaner-Burning Vehicles, Stokke Strollers (thanks Warren), Z4 Coupe, Red Victor 1, Bond Cars, Cars from Tokyo Drift, Raytheon Hawker and the Eclipse 500 VLJ

Web sites and the web: flavorpill, Pandafix, Shiny Shiny, KeepVid, Digg, 511 Traffic, The Satorialist, Stumbleupon, Scam-baiting Wikipedia, Sigalert Traffic Information, 2007 iPod Buyer’s Guide, whocalled.us, Top “Undiscovered Web Sites, Ig Nobel Prizes, Sonic.net, Wallpaper and the Whitney Music Box

And, finally, a gift appropriate for all occasions, a donation to Heifer International (thanks Meg).

the year in food

2006-12-30T23:27:00.000-08:00

SF Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer just published his Top 10 new restaurants of 2006, a companion to April’s Top 100 list. Making the grade are former cool things of the day Tres Agaves, Ame, Kaygetsu, Dosa, NOPA and Coi as well as Redd and Ad Hoc in Napa and Poleng Lounge and Terzo in San Francisco. Inspired by Mr. Bauer, I thought I would recap my year in food.

(at least) one cool thing recommended a number of other new establishments: Range (a 2005 Bauer pick), Bartolotta (in Vegas), Shabuway, Gochi, Old Port Lobster Shack, Mantra, Lure, Hu-Chiang Dumplings, Liou’s House, Blue Agave, The Counter, Nihon Whiskey Lounge, Maverick, Tai Pan and the Mission location of Little Star. Mantra changed chefs and Blue Agave in Fremont folded, but everywhere else seems to be thriving.

Old favorites received their share of attention too: La Bodeguita del Medio, Fiesta del Mar, Sakae Sushi, Ti Couz, Nobu (in Vegas), Uncle Frank’s BBQ, Tamarine, Pizza Antica, Pancho Villa, The Creamery, Patxi’s Pizza, Koi Palace, Incanto and Quince.

I was fortunate to be able to try places others have been raving about: Maravilla (in Ojai), Chris’s Fish and Chips, Santa Ramen, Millbrae Pancake House, Fresca, Everett & Jones BBQ, Texas Smokehouse BBQ, Pizzeria Pico and Thanh Long. And, in two cases, restaurants I thought were good but not great vaulted into a more exalted category thanks to outstanding meals: Ozumo and Sushi Sam’s.

Coverage extended beyond restaurants. To Stuart’s delight, I discussed cheese: Brillat-Savarin, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fromage d’Affinois, Goat Gouda and Cheese from Spain. Oddly for those who know me, I mentioned things purchased in a supermarket: Bonne Maman Peach Preserves, Crab Cakes, White Nectarines, Pink Grapefruit Yogurt and Dr. Bob’s Ice Cream.

Reviews included specialty items like: cannele, Ice Cream at Fenton's, Mitchell's and Rick's, Gelato at La Copa Loca, Cream Puffs at Beard Papa, Chocolates at Cocoa Bella, Fuku Wa Puku Puku and Mac Pie. And, special events like Tapas and Chocolate Tasting.

Of course, what is life without tasty beverages like: Moet & Chandon, pomegranate juice, Italian wine, Turley Zin, sake, Paul Hobbs Cabernet, Smith Woodhouse Port, White Tea Snapple and Sambazon Acai Smoothies.

Finally, there were the recipes: Bread Pudding, The 24 Hour Omelet, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Butternut Squash Soup. And, my favorite category of all, the guest contributions: Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, Honey, MiMe’s Café, Ino Sushi, Banana Joe’s Pineapple Frosty, Fleur de Sel Caramels, Better Butter, and the Pomegranate Martini.

My thanks to all of my lunch and dinner companions, guest contributors, event organizers, recipe testers and inspirers for a very delicious 2006!

1/3 update: the San Jose Mercury News published a list of their favorite meals in 2006. Among the listed are Gochi, Old Port Lobster Shack and (not surprisingly) Manresa

tai pan

2006-12-29T23:22:00.000-08:00

Last night the guys returned to Tai Pan. It was our second visit to the gorgeous, upscale Chinese restaurant that replaced Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Palo Alto late last year, and I suspect we will add it to our regular rotation.

Tai Pan features innovative, modern dishes prepared in a Hong Kong style. Michael Bauer has written extensively about some of his favorites, and almost everything we have tried has been excellent. The one exception was the frog in clay pot that we had in November: it was tasty enough but it has a bad bone to meat ratio.

Dishes that were new to us that we really enjoyed include: the wonderfully rich seafood jewels bisque crusted with perfectly flakey puff pasty; a seafood madras in a light curry reminiscent of the three squash curry at Tamarine; and, the two taste flounder about which Mr. Bauer raved. There are many more on the extensive menu that we are eager to try like the Venison in brown sauce.

The very helpful and attentive staff at Tai Pan has guided us well, but don’t overlook the classic dishes either. As I hope the photos suggest, each is prepared with the freshest ingredients and has a taste that justifies its price.

Tai Pan has a very nice wine list. We’ve had a half case of an excellent Chenin Blanc thus far, and last night we also enjoyed port with our desserts. Tai Pan offers a steamed mochi-like ball with black sesame paste that is delicious, but our favorite was the mango pudding. With wine and dessert, expect to pay $50 per person.

Tai Pan: 560 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA (650) 329-9168

mac pie

2006-12-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

Elaine and Don were just in Hawaii and they were kind enough to bring me back a very special treat: Mac Pie. I had never had Macadamia nut pie before, but consultations with friends confirm that it is a rare and prized dessert on the Islands. Now that I have tasted it, I can understand why. It is quite decadent.

I could try to describe the elements of its deliciousness, but the Mac Pie website does a better job:

Mac Pie is fashioned after Sheila's grandmother's traditional southern chess pie using the favored local macadamia nuts with other premium island ingredients. Maui raw sugar, fresh Hawaiian eggs, fresh creamery butter, along with pure doublefold vanilla and a light dusting of macaroon coconut combine to make a unique, most irresistible pie, unequaled anywhere. Mac Crust, our exclusive handmade butter macadamia nut crust alone will tempt you to experience for yourself and conclude what Sheila's friends confirm--"It's the best pie I've ever tasted!"

They ship throughout the US and offer four main flavors: original, Kona coffee, maple, and butterscotch. Original, coffee and butterscotch are also available with chocolate chips.

investigative journalism

2006-12-27T23:46:00.000-08:00

NoKa chocolate is the most expensive in the world. With prices that can exceed $1000 a pound for simple squares and basic ganache-filled truffles, it is more than 15 times the price of the fanciest offerings from Godiva, Joseph Schmidt, Michael Recchiuti and La Maison du Chocolat.

What is so special about NoKa? According to the site, the secret is NoKa’s single origin 75% cacao with no added flavors, resulting in “the most exquisite chocolates to ever grace the palate.” The UK’s Taste agrees as they named NoKa the world’s #1 chocolate. Luxury retailers like Nieman Marcus have taken note and sell NoKa in their stores and online.

But how is it that 2 former accountants in Plano, Texas are able to compete with the finest from France and Belgium? A blogger in Dallas decided to find out and his results are astonishing. In a 10-part web article for Dallas Food, Scott answer the question, “What is NoKa Worth?”

I highly recommend reading it in its entirety for the NoKa story (hint: this may be the best piece of investigative journalism I seen all year) and for what you will learn about chocolate. Scott explains where chocolate is grown, how it processed, what couverture is, and how chocolatiers like Recchiuti, Jacques Torres and Norman Love and use couverture for their creations. Scott also provides lots of link and recommendations both for chocolate and for online sourcing.

Read the article

Bonus info: US retailers that carry Amedei. There are 2 in San Francisco

koi palace

2006-12-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

Koi Palace isn’t a new discovery but it is my favorite dim sum spot. I’ve been a dozen times, and it is popular with both the critics (the Michelin Guide mentions it favorably and Michael Bauer slots it his Top 100) and the crowds.

Koi Palace seats more than 400 but remains packed from early morning forward. Even on Chowhound, where controversy is a staple, there is consensus that Koi Palace serves the best dim sum.

Our long weekend provided and good opportunity to return and Koi Palace remains as tasty as ever. If you haven’t been in a while or, more tragically, if you have never been, plan a pilgrimage and follow these tips:

1) order from a waiter. The carts are tasty, but some of the freshest, hottest and best items will never make it to your table without a little help
2) get lots of dumplings. The steamed shrimp and spinach (top center) and the pan fried shrimp and green onion (center center) are especially tasty
3) bring friends so you can try more things and still have room for dessert( bottom)
4) call ahead the morning you are going to get a number - and remember where you learned this valuable inside tip when you speed ahead of the hungry masses who have been waiting for an hour or more

Koi Palace dim sum menu

Koi Palace: 365 Gellert Blvd, Daly City, CA (650) 992-9000

Joyeux Noël

2006-12-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

Joyeux Noël from Marie-Michèle Desrosiers (amazon.ca)

christmas eve at yoshi's

2006-12-24T23:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight Elaine, Don, Lisette and I decided to head over to Yoshi’s to hear the very talented Clairdee (official site). For the past 5 years Clairdee has performed a special Christmas Eve concert, following a tradition Charles Brown helped establish. With Brown’s bassist Ruth Davies on upright and a set list highlighting “Merry Christmas Baby” and closing with a raucous “Ringing in a Brand New Year” it felt like Mr. Brown was with us smiling and signing.

Clairdee has been signing jazz all her life. Influenced by greats like Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams and Nat King Cole, she shares their smooth style and knows how to make a song her own. This was certainly evident is the beautiful Frank Loesser tune “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” and his playful “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” She also studied Betty Carter and Nancy Wilson, and she made it clear that she shares their gifts of phrasing and power.

On stage with her tonight was an all-star local lineup: Ken French and Jon Herbst on piano and keyboards; Ruth Davies on bass; Jim Zimmerman on drums; John Hoy on guitar; and Rich Armstrong (myspace) with additional vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn and 20 different percussion devices. I love her voice, I love her band, and I thank Clairdee for sharing her Christmas with us.

In 2003 she released a holiday music album that will become one of your Christmas favorites. Especially beautiful is John Herbst’s instrumental arrangement of Horace Silver’s Peace. An instrumental is an odd selection for a singer’s CD, but it speaks to her confidence and love of music that she showcased this pretty and moving song.

Peace (iTunes, Amazon)

Bonus link: Don’t overlook 2005’s excellent Music Moves (iTunes, Amazon)
recorded live at Yoshi’s

Bonus event: Clairdee at Michael Mina New Year’s Eve

happy festivus

2006-12-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

As Seinfeld fans know, the characters were shallow, self-obsessed, largely amoral and generally unlikable people. The show’s genius was that they combined to produce some of the funniest moments in television (“sponge-worthy,” “master of your domain,” etc.).

A benefit of its nine season run was that the characters became well-developed; none more so that George. His parents were regulars, and the many events from his childhood that turned him into a stingy, deceitful and neurotic adult were recounted. The most classic is in the above clip as it explains the story of Festivus.

Festivus is a holiday invented by George’s father and celebrated on December 23. Its traditions include the Festivus pole, the airing of grievances and the feats of strength. Through the magic of YouTube, all of the Festivus parts of the episode “The Strike” are in the above clip. Wikipedia has more Festivus details for the curious.

Bonus link: for more twisted holiday humor, don’t overlook South Park’s The Spirit of Christmas (now back on YouTube). This not safe for work or children precursor to the TV show is as humorous as it is irreverent. Thanks to SFist for the reminders.

curse of the golden flower

2006-12-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

Zhang Yimou (imdb) garnered critics’ praise with his nuanced historical dramas (Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and The Story of Qiu Ju) and then secured wider audiences with his martial arts epics (Hero and House of Flying Daggers). With Curse of the Golden Flower (official site, press site) he returns to the style that made him China’s foremost director without forsaking his interest in creating legendary action sequences.

Curse of the Golden Flower is set 10th century during the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Ping (Chow Yun Fat) returns unexpectedly to the Imperial Palace with his second son (Jay Chou) to join the rest of his family for the important Chrysanthemum Festival. The Palace, recreated in stunning color and grandeur, is home to Empress Phoenix (Gong Li), the Crown Prince Wan (Ye Liu) and the Emperor’s third and youngest son (Qin Junjie). However, the beauty of the Palace and the lavish preparations for the Chrysanthemum Festival cannot conceal the trouble within the family

The plot is captivating. Zhang Yimou’s adaptation of a famous Chinese story unfolds with Shakespearean or Sophoclean drama. The costumes and sets are stunning. Their vivid color, detail and scale are almost indescribable. The visual effects are amazing. More than 1000 extras were employed and the wire tricks are unlike anything ever attempted. But, what makes Curse of the Golden Flower a must-watch film are the performances from Gong Li and Chow Yun Fat.

Chow Yun Fat developed his international reputation projecting power with a gun in stylish gangster films like John Woo’s The Killer, Hard-Boiled and A Better Tomorrow. Under Zhang Yimou’s direction, he shows that his immense acting abilities have only increased. Every movement and expression conveys the force of Emperor Ping’s resolve.

Gong Li rose to stardom together with Zhang Yimou (with whom she had been romantically linked) in Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and The Story of Qiu Ju. They have not made a movie together since To Live, and this actress/director reunion was highly anticipated. It does not disappoint, as Gong Li gives the Empress a strength that matches her husbands. Despite her period costumes that accentuates her curves, it is her eyes that the viewer can’t stop watching.

Curse of the Golden Flower opened today in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and I highly recommended it. Distributor Sony Picture has scheduled a full US release for January 12.

oakland interfaith gospel choir

2006-12-21T23:52:00.000-08:00

Emmanuel is my business partner and an important muse for (at least) one cool thing. Tonight, he steps into the role of guest author as he shares one of his favorite American Christmas traditions.

Every year on Christmas Eve, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir has a special performance at Slim’s. Although Slim’s is a nightclub, which might seem like a strange venue for a choir, this is an event for the whole family. We have been 3 or 4 previous years, and this Sunday will be attending their 21st Christmas Concert with our 6 year old and his grandmother.

The full choir, 55 vocalists strong, cannot fit on Slim’s stage, so a smaller subset will do the 2 shows (at 7pm and 9.30pm). Despite the reduction in force, the ensemble packs full energy and their joyous vibe quickly permeates everyone in the audience. It is impossible to resist joining in signing and moving and being filled with Christmas cheer.

Tickets are available at ticket.com and are $15.00

Slims: 333 11th Street (@ Folsom) San Francisco, CA

concert bootlegs

2006-12-20T23:51:00.000-08:00

Music artist have widely varying policies regarding taping live performances. Some prohibit it completely; others assist it by letting tapers patch in to the soundboard. Many are somewhere in between and are to open to fan-created recordings as long as the tapes are for personal use and trading. (View a large list of bands that allow some form of recording.)

Similarly, taping rules can vary by venue and by country. In Europe, for example, laxer copyright laws have allowed companies to sell unauthorized concert records for profit. In the US, lawful bootleg exchange is confined to trading, and there are numerous websites that facilitate this. Examples are band-specific sites like The Counting Crows and more general ones like DAT-Heads. If you are just starting out, though, trading can hard as newbies have little to offer. Fortunately, there are some other alternatives.

As I mentioned when I wrote about Death Cab for Cutie, the Internet Archive hosts lossless files from concerts. They have recordings from 2,200 bands and 35,000 shows. (Search the Internet Archive. Read more about the history and legality of bootlegging.)

For those searching for artists not on archive.org, my friend James writes in with two other suggestions. James is a serious music lover with catholic taste. While shopping in Berkeley, he discovered Riff Raff Recording on Haste at Telegraph in front of the old Cody’s. Riff Raff was formed by music lovers to ease the friction in trading, and they have more than 1,000 live blues, R&B, funk, indie, alternative and rock shows from the 1960s forward available for trade or supplies (or the monetary equivalent of supplies).

James picked up 6 shows by very famous artists whose live bootlegs are quite hard to come by and he reports back that the sound quality is excellent. These guys love live music. Check them out Wednesday – Sunday, 1-6p.

In his “notes from the field,” James also reports on a developing legal dispute over the concerts in Wolfgang’s Vault. William Sagan bought memorabilia and live recordings from “Wolfgang” Bill Graham’s estate. He is selling the memorabilia and giving 320 concerts for free download.

On Monday, artists from bands including Santana, Led Zeppelin and Grateful Dead filed suit to shut down Wolfgang’s Vault. In the case of the bootlegs, it will be interesting to see this unfold as Sagan owns what BGP had permission to record and Sagan is not distributing them for profit. James didn’t offer a legal opinion on the case. (See the full list of concerts; fans top 100. Free registration required for download.)

Finally, James is a very avid concert attendee. It was his decision to see Wolfmother that allowed me to see Damien Rice, and one day I hope he will submit a regular post listing his top picks for the coming month. Today, we have the James-endorsed concert calendar for the rest of the 2006:

Tomorrow 12/21: Popscene’s Holiday Party with Silversun Pickups. 9:30p ($10)
Fri12/22 and Sat 12/23: Vienna Teng at The Independent. 9p ($20)
Sunday 12/24: Yoshi’s 5th Annual Christmas Show with Clairdeee. 7p ($16) 9p ($10)
Saturday 12/30: The Flaming Lips and Gnarls Barkley at the Civic. 8p ($55)
Saturday 12/30: Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven at The Independent. 9p ($23)

Perhaps James will also share his concert-finding secrets. For now you’ll have to be content with the sites I use: SonicLiving, Flavorpill, and the SF Weekly.

Bonus link: shaky video of The Flaming Lips covering Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy

a special christmas box

2006-12-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

I’ve posted SNL Digital Shorts before: Lazy Sunday, A Day in the Life of Natalie Portman, and TV Funhouse. So, given my recent fixation on all things holiday related, it is natural that I post the latest. A warning: headphones or lower volumes are best when listening if your boss or your kids are around. And, yes, the other vocalist is Justin Timberlake.

A sign of the times: Media companies are getting savvier about the internet. Ten months ago NBC issued takedown notices for Lazy Sunday. However, the above clip was added to YouTube by NBC themselves. Perhaps they are learning from CBS who has used YouTube to boost Late Show ratings 5%.

wallpaper

2006-12-18T23:49:00.000-08:00

Wallpaper. No, not the magazine, although it is cool – the kind you use as a background image decorate your desktop.

Yesterday I was looking for images for my swinging and cool blues Christmas music posts, and I visited mandolux for inspiration. Mando, the photographer, is a very skilled professional in Southern California, and Mandolux, the site, hosts his selections of beautiful, eccentric pictures sized for desktops. The hi-quality images are cropped for 1, 2 and sometimes even 3 or 4 monitor displays of all resolutions, including widescreen. You could spend an hour or more browsing the archive.

Despite my stylish nature, I have a boring blue desktop. However, in a strange coincidence, lifehacker featured mandolux and I decided to spruce up my monitor. There are so many good choices – like this one or this one or this one or this one or this one. I selected this one and adjusted the appearance property to match.

A nice thing about the lifehacker story is that there were great comments suggesting additional sites for desktop backgrounds. Some of the best are:

MacDesktops: 1000s of user-submitted images
Images from the Hubble space telescope
InterfaceLIFT: slow to load but it is worth it

Perhaps you will find something you like.

cool christmas blues

2006-12-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

Some of the finest Christmas albums ever made are blues albums. Here are three of the best:

Charles Brown – Cool Christmas Blues (1994) (iTunes) Recorded at Russian Hill Studios, it doesn’t get any cooler than this. I loved listening to Charles Brown sing, and this album showcases many of his own songs: “Santa’s Blues,” “Christmas Comes But Once a Year,” “Stay With Me,” “To Someone That I Love,” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.”

Santa’s Blues

B.B. King – A Christmas Celebration of Hope (2001) (iTunes) Produced to raise money for The City of Hope, this is B.B. King at his finest, laid back guitar and gritty vocals. The song selection is perfect: the beautiful “Christmas is Heaven;” three songs written by Charles Brown; and, some blues favorites like “Back Door Santa” (he’ll make the women happy while the men are out at play).

Please Come Home for Christmas

Lou Rawls – Merry Christmas Baby (2006) (iTunes) Capitol Records has just re-released this 1967 masterpiece along with 7 cuts from 1993’s Christmas is the Time and 2 songs from his final recording session. All of the classics are here, presented in Mr. Rawls’ smooth, bluesy style.

Little Drummer Boy

Charles and Lou - you are missed

a swinging christmas

2006-12-16T23:54:00.000-08:00

The holidays are prime party season, so I thought I would share some of my jazz favorite CDs sure to match the mood.

Ella Fitzgerald – Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (1960) (iTunes) The best jazz voice ever combines with perfect arrangements to make this a must own album. It is hard to pick favorites, but if pressed: “Good Morning Blues,” “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” “Let It Snow,” “Frosty” and an amazing “Winter Wonderland.”

Winter Wonderland

Joe Williams – That Holiday Feeling’ (1990) (iTunes) Joe Williams sung with Count Basie and has a silky smooth baritone. For That Holiday Feeling’ he adds a serious horn section: Joe Wilder, Clark Terry, Al Grey, Bobby Watson and Frank West. It is getting harder to find but it is worth the effort.

Let It Snow!

Oscar Peterson – An Oscar Peterson Christmas (1995) (iTunes) The master on piano with David Young on Bass, Lorne Lofsky on guitar and Jeffy Fuller on drums. Dave Samuels on vibes and Jack Schantz on flugelhorn join with solos.

Away in a Manger

The Ray Brown Trio – Christmas Songs (1999) (iTunes) Bassist Ray Brown and friends swing the classics. Examples are Diana Krall on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town;” Etta James with “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear;” Dee Dee Bridgewater on “Away in a Manger;” and, Kevin Mahogany with “The Christmas Song.”

The Christmas Song

Ella, Joe and Ray – you are missed.

holiday shopping

2006-12-15T23:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Hanukkah! Continuing with the holiday theme, I wanted to list a few resources for last-minute shopping. Via slickdeals:

Save $10 off $30 on each order with google checkout. Participating e-tailers include Sports Authority, Bluefly, CD Universe and Toys R Us. View the full list of merchants.

Receive $20 off of $50 purchases at Buy.com courtesy of google checkout.

Take 25% off any one item at Sports Authority, in-store with this coupon or online with the code: 25DECFF. Offer expires December 17.

Save 12% in-store at Best Buy with this coupon. The deal is good until December 17.

Get 30% off any one item at your local Borders with this coupon. Coupon expires December 25.

Not only are the deals expiring, but cut-off dates for shipping are fast approaching. Dealnews has an extensive list of sites and order-by times.

Bonus links: additional Mastercard and Visa promotions. Citi cardholders will get a $5 credit the first time they use google checkout.

the jibjab year in review

2006-12-14T23:51:00.000-08:00

I’ve mentioned JibJab before. They created This Land, Second Term and the contest that spawned Shawshank in a Minute. Now those wacky guys are back with Nuckin’ Futs, a riotous, animated year in review set to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” Enjoy!

elf yourself

2006-12-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

The great thing about the cool thing of the day is that it is a competition whose outcome is uncertain until midnight draws near. Take today for example. Two hours ago I thought a story might win. It had a strong title: save a bunny, kill a cougar. It had good protagonists: Theresa and the ever outrageous Thaddeus Orlando. And, it had an insane plot.

Thaddeus and Theresa had a bet as to whether an older, less attractive but aggressive woman (the cougar) was going to take a younger, more attractive man (the bunny) home for some entertainment. It was becoming clear that the cougar had entrapped her prey when she made a fatal mistake: she retired to the restroom. At this point, Thaddeus, who never loses, intervened and engaged the bunny in conversation. With the line, “It is so nice that you can go out drinking with your mother” the hunt was over and the bunny fled to safety. A classic!

An hour later, when we had finished our drinks, devoured our appetizers (crab cakes, pork with quince chutney and oysters), and were ravaging our entrees, I thought the meal would be featured. We were dining at Seven on The Alameda in San Jose. Seven has a fun bar, modern décor and very good food. I loved my rare ahi and the pan roasted chicken was also delicious.

Yet, it wasn’t until I came home and checked my email that the contest was decided. In my inbox was a message from Warren encouraging us to “elf ourselves.” I’m a sucker for holiday cheer, and in a link I will likely regret for as long as I blog, here are my results. Enjoy!

2 photo tips via lifehacker

2006-12-12T23:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve mentioned lifehacker before, a great site for software and organization tips. I was catching up on posts, and I found two photo-related ones I wanted to pass along.

First, for the holidays: make your own Christmas ornaments from 4x6 or 5x7 photos. It is a simple projects that the kids should find fun and a nice way to add family and friends to your tree. Step-by-step instructions with photos on photojojo via lifehacker.

Second, great for your travels: erase tourists from scenic photos. The secret is to take multiple shots using a tripod. Then, you can use layers in Photoshop and masking to make the offending people go away. The comments on lifehacker are interesting, and dsphotographic has the details.

Bonus fun: a cool holiday easter egg from flickr. Add Santa's beard or hat to any flickr photo by adding a note.

cars of tokyo drift

2006-12-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

I watched The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift (imdb, trailer) tonight. I knew it was going to be bad but I didn’t fully realize how bad. Fortunately, it features some amazing driving and some even cooler cars. More than 200 were used in Tokyo Drift; I break down the best below:

1967 Ford Mustang with an RB26DETT engine from a 2001 Nissan Skyline. After the power plant swap the Mustang generated 375 hp and turned the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds. V-8 versions were also used. Learn more

1993 Mazda RX-7 with 19” wheels, a single turbo kit and serious sound. The VeilSide wide body kit makes it 80” across. 306 hp as used in the movie. Learn more

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX modified for drifting. Rear-wheel drive only, widened with and APR kit and fitted with 19 x 8.5” wheels. The stock turbocharged 2.0 liter engine produces 286 hp. Learn more

2005 Nissan 350Z with APS twin turbos for the 3.5 liter DOHC 24-valve engine. 450 hp and quarter miles in the 12s. Learn more

Interesting cameo: “Drift King” Keiichi Tsuchiya can be seen fishing during the film

good television

2006-12-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

There were times watching the West Wing I wished that President Bartlett wasn’t a fictional president. Aaron Sorkin wrote a dignity and majesty into the Office that hasn’t always been present in my lifetime. Watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip online tonight (I know, I was behind) I had a similar wish that Danny Tripp and Matt Albie were actual television producers.

It was Studio 60’s Christmas episode. Writer Matt Albie was determined to make the LA studio feel like Christmas and producer Danny Tripp did his best to help by assembling special music guests: musicians from New Orleans.

Featured with a speaking role and a blistering solo was the brilliant trumpeter (and trombonist) Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. For the “show,” he and Kirk Joseph on sousaphone, Roderick Paulin on saxophone, Frederick Shepherd on saxophone, Steve Walker on trombone and Mervin “Kid Merv” Campbell on trumpet played an emotional O Holy Night. Pictures of their home city served as a backdrop.

The scene was everything that good television can be. It was a great way to raise awareness for the Tipitina Foundation, and it was a poignant reminder of what is really important this holiday season. NBC has made the track available as an mp3, and it is a wonderful addition to any holiday playlist.

O Holy Night

Bonus link 1: catch up on old Studio 60 episodes with iTunes.
Bonus link 2: more music from the show. Previous guests Sting and Corinne Bailey Rae were outstanding.

maverick

2006-12-09T23:56:00.000-08:00

Dinner tonight was at Maverick, a small new restaurant on 17th at Mission that Daphne suggested. Maverick is a partnership between chef Scott Youkilis and wine director Michael Pierce.

Billed as an “American Eatery & Wine Bar” Maverick serves comfort food in a hip, fun environment for lunch (brunch on the weekends) and dinner each night. First course items range from $5-11 and second plates vary from $16-25. The wine list is both value-oriented and eclectic with offerings from vineyards throughout the country. Michael loves talking about his selections and he offers more than 20 wines by the half-glass as well as the full. Each Monday, bottles are 40% their already reasonable price.

Our dinner was substantial as we were drawn to the Cincy BBQ pork ribs and toasted (deep fried, duck filled) ravioli as starters. A delicious beet salad with chiogga and white beets, radicchio and Pt. Reyes blue provided a (somewhat) healthy respite.

For entrées we continued to select heavy options. I opted for the fried chicken. The buttermilk soaked free range chicken was incredibly juicy and perfectly southern fried, and the mashed potatoes and collard greens were tasty. The ladies selected the Appalachian pork shoulder. Its molasses glaze with a bit too sweet but the turnip, celery root and potato dumplings were outstanding. Not surprisingly, we had no room for dessert although the options were very tempting. Next time we’ll start lighter and think about splitting main plates.

Maerick has developed a loyal following: they were voted best new restaurant in San Francisco Magazine’s readers poll edging out Range and Mamacita and 2nd best spot for brunch overall. With seating for less than 30, reservations are highly recommended.

From December 12-23, Maverick is planning 12 special meals for the holiday season. Highlights are the Hanukah dinner December 15, the Christmas dinners the 22nd and 23rd and the Italian wine dinner on the 20th. View the complete list

Maverick: 3316 17th Street, San Francisco, CA (415) 863-3061

lucky number slevin

2006-12-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

I remember watching the trailer and being excited about seeing Lucky Number Slevin (official site). Then the reviews came out and they were poor. Roger Ebert: 2 stars, Rolling Stone: 2 stars, NYT: D+. At least the expressions of dislike for the film were amusing:

The only winners are the stars, who have fattened their bank accounts, and Tarantino, who again looks like a genius by comparison. LA Daily News

Another drearily sadistic and pointless crime thriller from the excessively in-demand Scottish technician Paul McGuigan (Gangster No. 1, Wicker Park) [and] from a gabby script by Jason Smilovic, who seems not to know the distinction between a gimmick and an idea LA Weekly

So, I waited for video and then waited some more. I’m happy I picked up the DVD tonight, because I thoroughly enjoyed this stylish, clever neo-noir thriller.

True, it is not the next Usual Suspects, but it is not trying to be. The characters are one-dimensional, and that adds to their charm. Lucy Liu is supposed to be energetic and perky and Josh Hartnett should deliver his lines flat. Everything about the film is highly stylized: the violence, the sets (pay attention to the wallpaper); and, the crime families (the Boss v. the Rabbi) - but in a light rather than dark fashion.

Just after the opening credits, Bruce Willis explains the Kansas City Shuffle, “They look right and you go left.” And, for the next two entertaining hours, that is exactly what happens. There are twist and turns (most foreseeable, some not) and constant amusement.

It may borrow from North by Northwest with its mistaken identity plot, but where Hitchcock was creating spine-tingling suspense, Slevin director Paul McGuigan is having fun. Unlike the critics referenced above, an intelligent viewer with appropriate expectations should not feel left out of the party. Approach this with the same attitude you first watched Ocean’s Eleven and you’ll have quite a bit of fun too.

Joining Hartnett, Liu and Willis in the cast are Stanley Tucci, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Danny Aiello.

Bonus tip: don’t miss the alternate ending on the DVD. The other deleted scenes can be skipped.
Bonus link: the Shmoo

damien rice

2006-12-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, Damien Rice (official site) headlined at the Paramount in Oakland and, thanks to James, Lisette and I were in attendance . The Paramount is a stunning 3,000 seat, art-deco theater constructed in 1931 and lavishly restored in 1973. It was also a perfect host for Mr. Rice and the four talented musicians who accompanied him during his 2 hour, 10 minute performance.

Damien Rice released his first album, O (Amazon), in February 2002. The radio-friendly “Cannonball” the haunting “Blower’s Daughter” gained him droves of adoring fans, and critics proclaimed the debut effort near perfect. His newly released second album, 9 (Amazon) is generating more mixed reviews. Some blame unrealistic expectations for their disappointment. The less charitable blame the more experimental tracks on alcohol, stardom or narcotics. However, these reactions are off-base. The new songs are natural extensions of the themes of the old, and they are emotional both on the CD and in concert.

The show kicked off with Rice alone at the piano signing “Accidental Babies” (9), a perfect showcase for his voice and lyrics. It ended with Rice similarly exposed, signing “Hallelujah” (a Leonard Cohen cover) without amplification and in front of the proscenium. In between, the setlist was varied and powerful.

Songs like “Me, My Yoke” and “Rootless Tree” from 9 and “Volcano” and “Cold Water” from O reminded the crowd that Rice is more than a melancholy balladeer. Vyvianne’s “Yoshimi” (a Flaming Lips cover) Lisa’s “Be My Husband” (a Nina Simone cover) and a spirited drum solo let his band mates shine. And, crowd requests “Women Like a Man” (The B-sides) and “Cheers Darlin’” (O) and stories from the charismatic singer kept the old fans happy.

Also performed: I Remember (O), 9 Crimes (9), Elephant (9), Canonball (O), Sleep Don’t Weep (9) and the unreleased Toffee Pop. The casual fans seemed dismayed at the absence of Amie and surprised at vocal distortion added to some of the angrier songs, but I found the effort to be well balanced. All in all, an amazing show and inspiration to see more live music.

Accidental Babies (listen to more from KCRW)

sushi sacrilege

2006-12-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Many sushi lovers rave about Sushi Sam’s. I had lunched at Sam’s many times and considered it a good but not exceptional sushi option. Having just gone for dinner I now understand the praise.

Elaine and Don suggested that we head over on a Tuesday, the night when Sam often has the greatest variety of special fish. Yesterday he offered white salmon, kanpachi, black cod, snow crab, king crab, butterfish, needlefish, anago and kobe beef, and we tried them all as nigiri.

The quality of fish we sampled was excellent, likely comparable to Sakae. Some of the preparations were very simple. The king crab is a great example and it was among the best crab I’ve had. Similarly, the fatty kanpachi was lightly coated with just the right amount of soy. Other preparations were more fanciful. The unusual white salmon was topped with a heaping of scallions. To the sumptuous butterfish was added a thin slice of fried garlic. And, the uncommon black cod nigiri was sauced with a citrus yuzu. The tastes were complimentary but I felt the garnish came to close to overwhelming the wonderfully subtle nigiri.

More often than not Sam struck the right balance. The needlefish with shiso leaf and fresh wasabe was just as it should be. And, the inventive special toro roll is reason alone to head to San Mateo. Sam’s toro is beautifully marbled and I thought it would be sacrilegious to chop it for maki. Don ignored my concerns and placed the order, and after eating two of the six pieces I was delighted he did. Toro, pickles, teeny toasted rice crackers and seaweed combine to form a roll you have to order.

On my next visit to Sam’s I might inquire about sashimi options or “naked” nigiri, but I’ll likely just ask for the omakase dinner and leave to decisions to Sam. Sakae is still the champion of bay area sushi, but Sushi Sam’s is a more reasonably priced contender that may get a title shot soon.

Sushi Sam’s: 218 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA (650) 344-0888

v for vendetta

2006-12-05T23:40:00.000-08:00

Remember, remember the fifth of November / The gunpowder, treason and plot,
I see of no reason why gunpowder treason / Should ever be forgot.

On November 5th, 1605, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators attempted to save England from the perceived tyranny of its government by blowing up Parliament. In the film V for Vendetta (official site), a modern-day Fawkes tries to free the England of 2038 from the actually tyranny of its Norsefire-party government by attempting a similar act.

V for Vendetta was released this spring and it is based on graphic novels of the same name from the early 1980s. It is a story of the freedoms people willingly surrender in exchange for security, and it is comparable in impact to 1984 or A Clockwork Orange. The screenplay was created by the Wachowski brothers, and Matrix veteran James McTeigue directs.

The movie benefits from a strong cast. Natalie Portman delivers some of her best work since The Professional, and she is joined on screen by some great character actors. John Hurt terrifies as High Chancellor Adam Sutler, Roger Allam generates loathing as Lewis Prothero, Stephen Rea provides hope for the future as Inspector Finch and Hugo Weaving both puzzles and inspires as V.

The sets and cinematography are stunning in V for Vendetta, and a tight plot and well-choreographed action sequences command attention from the opening sequence to the dramatic conclusion.

updates

2006-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

I’ve had to update a few posts recently; some with good news, some with bad. For the regular readers I thought it would be helpful to collect the new information in one place. First the bad:

The two second tent, that genius invention that made even me interested in camping, is no longer for sale. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled all 22,000 two and three second tents sold in the US for failing to meet flammability standards. I hope that an improved version of this innovative design returns to the market soon.

More tragically, Blue Agave Club in Fremont has closed after being open less that one year. The food was amazing, but they were unable to overcome a sleepy location. Their last day of regular operations was November 22. The silver lining: we will be seeing our friend Jorge more often now that he is back at Fiesta del Mar.

Now the good:

Arrested Development DVDs are on sale at Amazon just in time for your Holiday shopping. Buy the set of all three seasons of this extremely witty show for $33.79 with free shipping.

Beard Papa has opened in downtown Redwood City next to the new movie theater. The cream puffs are even better than I remember and there are no lines! Try the éclair. The dark chocolate over vanilla-filled choux pastry is a perfect treat.

Seasons 2 (Amazon) and 3 (Amazon) of The Wire lived up to my high expectations. There is no doubt that this is the finest television show ever created.

And, finally, as the selection gets thinner the discounts get steeper at Tower. All DVDs are 40% off and all books and CDs are at least 50% off. Rap, hip-hop and CD singles are 70% off and there are additional bargains priced $1 - $3.

quince

2006-12-03T23:56:00.000-08:00

Joy, Mike, Lisette and I dined at Quince this evening as we have done once every fall for the past 3 years. Previously, we decided that Quince has some of the most delicate filled pastas and best prepared fowl in the City. Tonight’s meal only reinforced that conclusion.

We started with roasted quail with persimmon carpaccio. The quail was cooked perfectly and loaded with flavor. We then sampled four of the pastas: taragin with butter and sage, tagliolini with Dungeness crab, caramelle of celery root with balsamico, and tortelli of buttertnut squash. Each was delicious, but the caramelle and tortelli were among the finest second course selections I have ever tasted. They were indescribably soft and the fillings were beyond tasty.

Deciding on entrees was tough and, in retrospect, our eyes may have been bigger than our stomachs as we were unable to consider dessert. We ordered two of the heritage red waddle suckling pigs. The pig was served 5 ways: crispy pig’s foot, single chop, loin, tenderloin and belly. Potato galette, turnips and chicory were provided as accompaniment. We also selected Devil’s Gulch rabbit, which was boned and presented fours ways, and the liberty duck breast and leg which was served with a black currant vinegar sauce. Excellent!

Quince: 1701 Octavia St, San Francisco, CA (415) 775-8500

Insider tip: for parties of 6 of more consider trying to book the kitchen table

fantasy of lights

2006-12-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

Lisette and I attended another fun holiday party this evening at the Testarossa Winery in the hills Los Gatos. While driving along Hwy 17 we noticed a large number of Christmas lights just to the north, and after the party we decided to investigate. We discovered something many of you with children have likely known about for years: the Fantasy of Lights at Vasona Park.

Since 1999, the Santa Clara County Parks department, together with corporate sponsors, has created a wonderful Holiday-themed display of lights. Starting at 6p, Vasona Park is transformed into nighttime fantasy playground filled with glowing reindeers, Santas, elves penguins, snowmen and even giant dinosaurs.

The designs are whimsical, large, and in some cases, animated. A fisherman fishes from his boat, Santa plays some basketball, a Tyranausaurus shakes his tail and a toy solider fires his cannon. It all starts with a drive through the Tunnel of Lights and ends 1.5 miles (~15 minutes) later when you vehicle exits the Poinsettia Arch.

During the trip you stay in your (headlights-off) car, but there are plenty of opportunities to take pictures. You should have a very steady hand, or one of these. We improvised using the side view mirror of my car, and the resulting photos are on Flickr.

Between 6p and 9p you can also tour the light show via miniature passenger train. The Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad runs every 30 minutes Dec 7 to Dec 30. Details

The Fantasy of Lights is open nightly 6-10p through December 31. Admission is $12 per vehicle; attendees M-Th get a discount until December 14. Directions

sf asian art museum

2006-12-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

A trip to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is always a special treat, even more so when it is part of a private event. Tonight I had the pleasure of just such a visit. Thanks Rob for the great food, wine and wonderful surroundings.

top 5 science fiction movies

2006-11-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

Usually the conversation at Guys’ Night Out is serious. Philosophy, politics and business are common subjects. Tonight we decided to change things up a bit, and after some spirited debate, lobbying and several rounds of voting we determined the top 5 science fiction movies of all time.

Because of our age, several important films are absent. They include (the original) War of the Worlds and the Day the Day the Earth Stood Still. Because we limited the list to 5, some more obscure but still deserving titles did not make the cut. It is in this category I would place the 12 Monkeys, Gattaca and Strange Days. But now, onto the list:

#5 Terminator 2
The original was a contender, but the stunning visual effects and non-stop action of the sequel earn it Top 5 honors.

#4 Alien
In this case the first nudged out its offspring. Alien proved that seriously scary and sci-fi are a winning combination.

#3 Star Wars IV
We all waited in line to see this over and over again. Sure the dialog is campy, but the special effects were revolutionary.

#2 The Matrix
Only a script that good could overcome Keanu Reeve’s weakness as an actor. Twists, turns and kick-ass choreography rocket this blockbuster to the top.

#1 Blade Runner
A perfect film! Watch for a 2007 re-release.

To balance the top 5, the guys also ranked the bottom 5. We excluded films no one had seen (like the sequels for our first and second choices) and focused on the big budget ones we wished we had never seen. Without commentary, other than our warning that these should be avoided at all cost, we present:

#5 Independence Day
#4 The Matrix Revolutions
#3 Star Wars Episode I
#2 Stargate
#1 Battlefield Earth

coi

2006-11-29T23:58:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Lisette’s birthday we dined at Coi.

I was expecting to enjoy our meal for several reasons. First, Lisette selected the destination, and she is pretty good at picking restaurants. Second, Coi’s chef, Daniel Patterson, is well-known from a controversial NYT article and innovative stints at Elisabeth Daniel and Frisson.

Third, Coi was one of the most anticipated openings of 2006, and the follow-up press suggested that it was not a disappointment. Gayot, for example, just named Coi of the country’s 10 best new restaurants.

Coi (pronounced “kwah”) is archaic French for calm, and that is a perfect adjective for the simple, elegant and modern décor (photos). Coi is small – less than thirty seats in the main dining room and fewer than 20 in the outer lounge – and it is ideal for groups of 2 and 4.

Diners are presented a choice of a 4 course menu (of which there are 3 options for each course) or the 11 course tasting menu. As the pictures suggest, we opted for the latter.

Each item we sampled offered wonderful surprises. In some there were unusual tastes, others offered a variety of temperatures, others still used texture to delight, and all used ingredients in unique ways. Each was delicate, balanced, perfectly prepared and utterly delicious.

After starting with an amuse-bouche, we had a pink grapefruit foam with citrus underneath. A drop of fragrant oil with hints of ginger, tarragon, black pepper and grapefruit, designed to be placed on the wrist and sniffed before sampling the foam, enhanced the flavors and the fun.

The second course was rich and decadent: farm raised Osetra caviar on top of sautéed bone marrow. A warm buckwheat bellini and a beet gelee complete the dish. This was followed with sea bream sashimi. White soy and citrus yuzu were well-matched with the subtle fish.

The meal continued on its adventurous path with a soft-cooked egg yolk with bacon, onion relish and parmesan foam. And, it continued to combine the unexpected with the fifth: a smooth squash soup poured over walnut brittle, cipollini onions and cold cocoa mascarpone.

More intriguing still was the “pappardelle” in curry and coconut milk. Instead of flour and egg, the “noodles” were fashioned from yuba (tofu skin). None of the listed ingredients are favorites of mine but the combination was delectable.

You would think that we would be full at this point, but the portion size and the novelty made us anticipate each course to come. Next were two perfectly cooked scallops with jicama, green apple and a refreshing “Buddha’s hand” emulsion of hibiscus and mint.

Course eight extended the culinary delights with foie gras poached squab with endive, hibiscus and vanilla. The medium-rare squab was extremely tender and reason-alone to order the tasting menu. However, my vegetarian friends should note:

there are always non-meat, non-fish options on the four course menu and, with notice, a vegetarian tasting menu can be assembled as well.

My favorite item was the ninth: an onion tart with gruyere and arugula to provide balance. The pastry was sweet and flaky, and this dish provided a wonderful transition to our deserts. As a bonus, it was especially nice with the Vacheron Sancerre we were drinking with our meal.

Ah, the deserts. First were huckleberries, tapioca and maldon salt. I love maldon salt! Second was a chocolate brioche bread pudding with coconut ice cream and a mango sauce. And, finally, warm malted milk with the best peanut butter cookie I have ever had.

Our thanks to Daniel Patterson for a very entertaining menu and to his staff for their extreme professionalism. I am looking forward to a return visit and, if you haven’t been, I can’t recommend it highly enough. There is still a month left but I suspect that tonight’s dinner will be the best of 2006.

Coi: 373 Broadway, San Francisco, CA (415) 393-9000

clean

2006-11-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

Clean (imdb, official US site, trailer) was released to critical acclaim in 2004, and it tackles the tough subject of drug addiction and the impact it has on others. It is not as depressing or gritty as a Leaving Las Vegas or a Sid and Nancy, but it is not a film everyone will find entertaining.

Clean is a character study and a vehicle for Maggie Cheung (2046, Hero, In theMood for Love, Chinese Box). It was written and directed by Oliver Assayas (imdb), her ex-husband, and he coaxes an amazing performance from the talented actress. Cheung plays Emily Wang, the wife of indie musician Lee Hauser in a role that garnered Best Actress honors at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Cheung is surrounded by talented actors in the very well cast film. Nick Nolte (Hotel Rwanda, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, 48 Hrs.) is outstanding as Lee’s gruff yet tender father, and veterans of French cinema Béatrice Dalle, Jeanne Balibar and Rémi Martin are strong as well.

As Clean is more mood than plot a soundtrack from Brian Eno and Mazzy Star guitarist David Roback add to the atmospherics as do the cities of Vancouver, Paris and London. Tricky and Metric make cameo appearances, and Maggie Cheung sings a number of Roback songs.

Clean DVD, Clean Soundtrack

soup for fall

2006-11-27T23:43:00.000-08:00

I’ve mentioned Epicurious before, and it is a site responsible for some of my favorite recipes. Lisette used Epicurious to make butternut squash soup, and after trying it tonight I must say that it was excellent.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1 cup nonfat milkNonfat sour cream (optional)
Chopped fresh chives or green onions (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Place squash cut side down in prepared dish. Pierce each squash half several times with toothpick or skewer. Bake until squash is tender, about 45 minutes.

Using large spoon, scrape squash into processor; discard peel. Add 1 1/2 cups broth and nutmeg and puree until smooth. Transfer puree to heavy large saucepan. Mix in milk and enough broth to thin to desired consistency. Stir soup over medium heat until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream and chives, if desired.

Bonus link: a variant I might be tempted to try, butternut squash and apple soup with melted blue cheese

joe newman at count basie's

2006-11-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

Trumpeter Joe Newman was more famous for his dozen years with the Count Basie’s Orchestra and his work for jazz preservation than for his solo career, but he and his quintet were marvelous musicians. In 1961 they played a series of shows in New York at his old boss’s club, and Quincy Jones and Mercury records were on hand with tape.

The result is the stunning Joe Newman Quintet at Count Basie’s, a perfect bite of small group jazz in a small club setting. Yes there is crowd noise, but it adds to smoky, late-night feeling of the record. The listener can almost imagine being in Harlem enjoying a scotch and this seductive performance.

For the recording, remastered and reissued by Verve last year, the Joe Newman Quintet plays the standards Caravan, Our Love is Here to Stay and On Green Dolphin Street as well as Joe Newman’s own compositions The Midgets and the jumping Wednesday’s Blues; music that is ideal for relaxing after work or a sophisticated dinner party. To give you a taste I have linked to Someone to Love.

Joe Newman Quintet - Someone to Love

Joining Joe are Oliver Nelson on tenor, Lloyd Mayers on piano, Art Davis on bass and Ed Shaughnessy on drums.