Archives: June 01, 2007

New music Tuesday

Tuesday, 26 June 2007 09:39 AM

An update on the Beastie Boys' new album, The Mix-Up: so far, so very groovalicious. This video isn't much to watch, except to glimpse the hair of Adam Horovitz (on the drums), which has blossomed into a wondrous Jew-fro. A thing to admire.

Bonus recommendation: I'm also enjoying the new White Stripes album. Gritty, funky, delightfully unbalanced.

My various geeky obsessions will do battle in the coming weeks

Tuesday, 26 June 2007 12:15 AM

Upcoming dates of importance to me:

June 26 (today!): New Beastie Boys album released. Supposed to be as good as Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head! Must download before heading out of office.

July 10: New They Might Be Giants album released. Sounds dark, discordant. Excellent.

July 11: New Harry Potter movie opens. More Gary Oldman and Alan Rickman? Yes please!

July 21: New Harry Potter book released. There goes the weekend.

July 24: New Tuesday Next novel released. Another two days lost. Maybe one if I read quickly.

McSweeney's update

Friday, 22 June 2007 01:57 PM

Happy news from McSweeney's: Previously I'd noted that they were having a sale of very good things. I didn't mention it, but the occasion of the sale was that they had had a distributor declare bankruptcy, which suddenly took from McSweeney's about $130,000 dollars in revenue and put the independent publisher at risk.

UPDATE: If you're interested in the details of the distributor's backruptcy, which other publishers were affected, and who will survive, Salon has this article, The Struggle for Independents.

After a groundswell of support from everywhere, things are much brighter now. This is from a mass email they sent to subscribers and customers:

All the support has been inspiring, and also humbling; working as we do on this remote western coast, running the internet equivalent of a highway produce stand, it's a big deal to see so many people swooping in. And we don't want to let you down -- we're very aware that we survive because of your trust in us and pretty much nothing else. Even beyond distributor bankruptcies, independent publishing is always a dicey business; just this week the great magazine Punk Planet announced that their latest issue would be their last. (That it lived for eighty issues is a testament to the dedication of Dan Sinker and everyone else involved.) No one's getting rich in this business, but your support can allow these labors of love to labor onwards.

The sale continues -- get in on the fun at the McSweeney's store.

Prices so low, they're practically giving them away!

Sunday, 17 June 2007 02:31 PM

There's a big sale at McSweeney's, including some items I highly recommend:

Baby, Be of Use Bundle: Four small picture-style books, Baby Mix Me A Drink, Baby Make Me Breakfast, Baby Do My Banking, and Baby Fix My Car. I have given these as gifts at baby showers, and they are always a big hit. So much more interesting than yet another fuzzy blanket or packet of onesies, now on sale for $16.80.

How to Dress for Every Occasion by the Pope: A guide to snappy dressing. Probably not by the Pope, but it's hard to know for sure. This also makes a great gift, and it's on sale for $6.

The Future Dictionary of America: I have read excerpts of this in various places. It includes definitions by various famous and not-famous writers; most likely your favorite writer is among the contributors. Also included is a CD of music by "R.E.M., Tom Waits, David Byrne, Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith, and many others." A steal at $9.

Happy shopping!

Xtreme Critique Weekend

Saturday, 16 June 2007 12:25 PM

Coming in two weeks, it's Fat Plum's Xtreme Critique Weekend in Greensburg, PA.

It's the perfect writing get-away: a full weekend to focus on your writing and to connect with other writers.

You'll participate in five 3-hour critiquing sessions (each group will have six or fewer writers), receiving feedback from your session leaders as well as other attendees. You may decide to read and receive feedback on successive chapters or a novel or nonfiction manuscript, or share several essays or short stories.

Plus, you'll have a full weekend to interact with writing peers and professionals in a warm, non-competitive and nurturing environment!

When: June 29 to July 1, 2007 — Friday evening to Sunday noon

Where: Bishop Connare Center in Greensburg, PA (approximately 30 miles east of Pittsburgh)

Get the details, including costs, at the Fat Plum website. I hope you'll join us!

Spirited Cuisine: Creme de menthe

Thursday, 14 June 2007 12:15 AM

This is the eighth installment in the Spirited Cuisine series from Sri Bala (Shaman) and me. Each round, I select a liquor or spirit, and Sri creates a dessert recipe incorporating it. Find Sri's posts at his blog and mine here within the Lush Life category.

Imagine a sweltering summer evening, when you're stuck to your chair, your clothes are stuck to you, and your brain is stuck in neutral. You need a tremendous thunderstorm, but one can't just call up a thunderstorm.

When I want a thunderstorm and don't have one, I go for the next most cooling thing: Mint.

These days, when people want mint in a cocktail, they call for mint juleps and mojitos, both of which are made with fresh mint leaves. That's lovely, but for real minty freshness your better choice is a drink that employs crème de menthe. It makes drinks crisp -- a little like mouthwash but in a good way.

Crème de menthe is made by flavoring grain alcohol with mint and adding sugar. This means it's not expensive, and it's not a liquor you drink by itself. Rather, it works best in a mixed drink, balanced with other ingredients.

There are two varieties: white crème de menthe, which is clear, and green crème de menthe. They are flavored the same, so you choose one or the other depending on whether you want the result to be green.

Note that crème de menthe is not the same as peppermint schnapps. They are made in much the same way -- peppermint schnapps is an American-style schnapps, not German-style, and thus is not distilled from the fruit that flavors it. But the mint flavor is different between them, and peppermint schnapps has a higher alcohol content. Be careful in swapping one for the other.

Fun fact: Stewie Griffin enjoys an occasional crème de menthe. (Source: Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story)

Classic crème de menthe cocktails include:

• the Grasshopper, a frothy green concoction that's kind of a mini, boozy milkshake
• the Stinger, which I've written about before, and which is a particularly nice cocktail for the end of a meal
• the Junior Mint, another dessert alternative and one that tastes just like the candy for which it's named

For this post, let me suggest something more modern: a Bitch on Wheels. (I apologize for the name.) This is not a classic cocktail, but I've seen variations listed in enough places that I believe it has general appeal and staying power. As it happens, when I first read the recipe I was sure I would not like it, but I was pleasantly surprised. My version below balances the mint against the anise of the Pernod, and plays down the vermouth but keeps it in play. Try it despite the name -- or for the name -- and see if it surprises you too.

Bitch on Wheels

1 1/2 oz gin (Tanqueray is nice in this)
1/2 oz Pernod
1/2 oz crème de menthe
splash of vermouth

Shake or stir well with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a tiny mint leaf if you like.

Despite some research, I have no idea where the name comes from. Made with green crème de menthe and milky-yellow-green Pernod, the drink's color is reminiscent of the skin of the Wicked Witch of the West -- that's my best guess. Add your theories to the comments. Please also suggest a different name.

If you're inclined to an even cooler beverage on a hot summer day, I refer you to my Spirited Cuisine partner, Sri. He brings us an extremely special guest chef this time: his mother. She has created a truly delicious dessert, the Choco de Menthe. Remarkably, it cools the body as it warms the soul. And her writing reveals her to be every bit as charming as her son. Please enjoy.

Use your words

Tuesday, 12 June 2007 02:50 PM

Here's a time waster that's educational: How many of these 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know do you *not* know?

I can give a pretty good definition for maybe a dozen of them, and could probably get within swinging distance of the rest. Except for these two: "gamete" and "moiety."

Of course, now I've looked them up. I believe that I could have defined "gamete" when I was in high school and taking a course in which such a thing was discussed (hint!), so I'll agree that high school graduates should know it. I'm not convinced that every high school graduate needs to know the word "moiety."

Definitely everyone should know "hubris." Does everyone need to know "ziggurat"? I think it's there just to represent the letter 'z.' I'd rather they chose "zazen" instead

Which words on the list do/don't you know?

(Link via Coudal Partners.)

Beer me ... just not so much

Wednesday, 06 June 2007 02:51 PM

Pennsylvania inches its way out of the dark ages. Starting this fall, maybe, we might be allowed to buy fewer than 24 beers at a time at beer distributors:

The state Senate's Law and Justice Committee approved a bill that would allow beer distributors to sell less than a full case of beer. If it gets final approval -- probably not until this fall -- distributors could sell one six pack, a 12-pack, a 15-pack or an 18-pack of beer, in addition to 24-can and 30-can cases that are sold now.

An 18-pack is a new form of packaging that has become popular in other states, officials said.

The bill also would permit bars and taverns to sell three six-packs of beer to a customer for take-out, as well as an 18-pack. Currently, bars and taverns with special beer-selling licenses are permitted to sell only one or two six-packs.

(Thanks to The Burgh Blog for highlighting this important issue.)

Copyright © 2004 – 2007 Cynthia Closkey