krakatoa

corrections

2011-10-25T15:22:00.001-04:00

The commanders of the Babylon Five were Jeffrey Sinclair and John Sheridan. The series creator was Joseph Michael Straczinsky.
The article I was thinking of was about cyclists, not runners.
I also confused Clipper City with Rogue. I bet the Clipper City guy would be upset with me about that.
The book was Cat's Cradle.

2011-09-04T08:34:00.000-04:00

Turkish delight is commonly served coated in chocolate.
Somehow, 97% of the worlds vanilla beans (not vanillan) comes from Madagascar.
Deconvolute is totally the word for that.
Similarly, I was thinking of hermetic, not hermeneutic (a principle of interpretation, and not even an adjective).
My keyboard only has 56 keys.

Cocktails to Drink

2010-11-14T09:34:00.001-05:00

A Modified Grasshopper

L recently put together an interesting dessert cocktail - a grasshopper slightly modified to overcome the lack of cream in our fridge. While I pretty much exclusively know how to make a margarita, which I make 4:2:1 tequila:orange liquor:lime juice, and a sweet Manhattan, with equal parts vermouth and rye, it should not be too hard to learn more. Mark Bittman has a good bird's eye view of the cocktail world, and there is a good list of some of the currently resurgent classic cocktails on AMC's Mad Men cocktail menu.

While I'm at it, I really should learn more about wine. The only way to do that is to do blind tastings at home. If anyone wants to come over for a wine tasting party, let me know.

Anyway, on my to-drink list right now:

Low country lemonade
Something that involves infused vodka
Maybe something with zucchini

corrections

2010-10-25T22:08:00.000-04:00

The first section of the Metro to open was the Red line between North and Rhode Island Ave, not the Yellow Line.
Although I know it as something that people in AA say, the "definition" of insanity quip was most likely first said by Rita Mae Brown.
While there are still some German speakers in Romania - I'm guessing mostly in Transylvania - it appears Romanian is the most commonly spoken language in Transylvania by far, with German coming behind Magyar and possibly Vlax Romani in terms of number of speakers.

2010-10-03T08:58:00.000-04:00

A cretin is a clod; a Cretan is someone from from Crete. Here is a description of my confusion.

just one correction (I can't find my notebook with the others)

2010-08-08T17:05:00.002-04:00

There is, on average, about twelve hours 25 minutes between tides. This makes more sense with what I said about lunar cycles.

open questions

2010-08-08T17:02:00.002-04:00

These are things I've said that I haven't definitively disproved, but I assume now are incorrect. Some of these I could verify as false with a bit more research; perhaps I'll move these off this list eventually.

The head of the WHO doesn't allow wi-fi in his/her office.
Gasoline will not melt through a mountain dew bottle.
Cats are more likely to survive a fall from a great height than a medium-high fall.
'It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye' was an expression developed during ancient roman wrestling matches.

Also, maybe polar body twins are real? I was pretty sure they were not at one time.

a few corrections

2010-07-06T12:03:00.001-04:00

Gordon Biersch is named after its founders, Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch.
The normal limit of human hearing is 0 dB - I'm guessing by definition. 40 dB is around the level of 'rainfall', and normal conversation is at around 60 dB, according to this random site.
The name of the style of architecture I was thinking of is High-Tech.

Getting paid minimum wage to ride the bus

2010-03-04T16:13:00.000-05:00

So, I commute about half an hour each way to work, and taking the bus takes, more or less, an hour. So, switching from my current drive to the bus would cost me about 240 hours per year, and, at the current rate of $1.25 per ride, about $600 per year. However, driving back and forth would cost around $400 in gas, then some amount for insurance, lets say $800, and some amount for owning/maintenance, probably around $1500. (I'm pretty sure I spent around twice that last year.) So, switching to public transit might save me around $2100 per year, or about $8.75 per hour additional of my commute, a dollar fifty more than minimum wage. Well, it is cheating a bit to only count the difference.

On the other hand, I'd have to get rid of my car, something I can't bring myself to do...

2009-11-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

Epimetheus is Prometheus's brother. Twin? Plato said that he was, so I think that counts for something.
Multiplication is at most quadratic.
Here Come the Warm Jets came out in 1973.
It would probably be easier to read these articles about the difference between true fruit and culinary fruit and true nuts and culinary nuts than to bother listing just the things I need to correct.

crowdsourcing

2009-11-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

For the Holiday Party, my company is giving out calendars featuring employee submitted photos. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I should submit? I'm currently thinking about these 9 or so photos. Any suggestions? Thanks!

cats and other catastrophes

2009-10-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

Wikipedia citationlessly states that the terminal velocity of a cat is 60 mph, not my stated 30. For reference, rain drop can travel as fast as 20 or 30 miles per hour.
The article I remember reading was undoubtedly this article from the Straight Dope. However, slightly more recent research has indicated that the 'cats do better after 7 [(I said 4)] stories' theory is based on a sampling bias: people don't bring dead cats to the vet.

2009-09-26T09:42:00.000-04:00

Bertha's Mussels is in Fell's Point.
I couldn't find a flag that matched that hat. The closest is probably Macedonia, followed by Arizona.
There are five ferries in the Cape May/Lewes ferry fleet.
Yucca and yuca are very much not the same plant.

Google Voice!

2009-07-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

I just got a google voice account, so you can call me without having to go through the bother of knowing my phone number.

more corrections

2009-07-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

Yggdrasil is the world tree from Norse mythology.
UVA was notable at its founding for being not affiliated with a religious movement. However, a chapel was built on the grounds in 1890. The closest reference I could find was to Noble C. Powell, an Episcopal bishop who preached in Charlottesville for several years in the early part of the last century.

corrections

2009-06-23T22:15:00.000-04:00

As far as I can tell, the Great Red Spot has existed for as long as astronomers have been looking, but its color changes slightly from time to time.
It was Hilary Clinton, not Bill, who (apocryphally?) overdosed on fondue.
The restaurant I was thinking of is called Helmand, not the Khyber Pass.
The suicide rate in Alaska (and, for that matter, a variety of states that I would group together as 'lonely') have rates of suicide about the same as northern-European countries. However, suicide if often under-reported, or just generally mis-reported, so I wouldn't draw any conclusions about the 'livability' of these regions; it is not without the realm of possibility that a large part of the change could be due to Scandanavians keep better statistics, or that Alaska just had an unlucky couple of years.

How to decide where to eat.

2009-06-21T00:28:00.002-04:00

Per Steve's advice, I have made a flow chart version of the previous post. The biggest hassle is keeping the three lists.

various

2009-06-16T08:04:00.000-04:00

Cisco owns Linksys, not D-Link.
While the yellow (amber) light wasn't deployed until 1920 for auto traffic, about 50 years after the first traffic light appeared, it was in common usage on the crowded northeast rail lines for at least 20 years before that.
NavyFCU did indeed have a loss last quarter, somewhat due to a 'stabilization' expense by NCUA, the FDIC equivalent for credit unions.
Chickens don't require roosters to lay eggs, just to fertilize them.

How to Decide Where to Eat

2009-05-27T15:25:00.001-04:00

First, keep three lists. Where you like to eat, where you've been meaning to eat, and where you've eaten recently. Then, based on your mood, pick either a comfort food from the list of favorites or a new place to suit a spirit of adventure. (Switch back and forth between the two lists, if you like.) Then, look at where you've eaten recently. If you are going for an old favorite, go to the one you haven't been to recently. If you are looking for a new place, go to one that fits in your budget. One exception: if you are in the mood for a specific kind of food, go eat that.
Any other advice?

chile verde

2009-04-19T21:25:00.003-04:00

With some of my coworkers, I'm entering the DC 101 Chili Cook-Off next month. I signed up to do the green chili, and have made a couple of attempts at a recipe so far.

My first attempt was a fairly faithful adaptation of Elise Bauer's recipe. The only major change was the size of the dice - I cubed the pork into 1cm cubes, which slowed me down a lot. My biggest mistake was failing to properly brown the pork. I broke the 4 pounds into 5 batches, but that was too few. I was crowding the pan and didn't get a good fond. The next time, I planned to cook it hotter and with fewer pounds of pork per batch. This left the first batch bland. At the end, I added a lot of green tobasco sauce to make up for it. We tried lime juice and hickory liquid smoke at the table, but both seemed inappropriate.

My central thesis is that what the ICF wants is not what I would consider a modern chili. At least, not out here. What they want is a southwestern variation on a ragu. So, I looked at some ragu recipes, mostly going off of an Italian-style pork shoulder ragu from Chris Albano. I should also research pozole, which may provide some inspiration. Emeril's Pozole Verde seems interesting.

I used pork sausage instead of boneless shoulder, saving me a lot of time in prep. Lauren and I picked up two pounds yesterday at the Silver Spring Farmer's Market. It was a simple sausage with salt and black pepper. Unable to find tomatillos yesterday, I bought a 15 oz jar of Xochitl (sp?) green salsa, which is mostly roast tomatillos.

This time, I made sure to develop a fond, breaking my 2 pounds of meat into 3 batches. Between batches, I deglazed the pan with water and poured the fond in with the waiting, cooked pork. After the last batch, I threw in some minced jalapenos and shallot to cook for a few minutes, then added some water, chicken broth and tequila to deglaze. Taking a note from AB, I added some corn masa when I added back the meat to the pot. It made the chili more gray, but I think it helped with flavor and body.

It should be noted that what I had, right now, was tasty. I cooked it for half an hour as is, and started some polenta on the boil. Then I added some more chopped jalapenos and a diced habanero, as well as the salsa. Overall, the chili ended up too salty. I added too much salsa (15 oz - probably 5 or 10 would have been enough for two pounds of meat), and the chicken broth was clearly unnecessary. For serving, I topped with chopped fresh cilantro and diced jalapenos.

some corrections

2009-03-28T07:31:00.002-04:00

The vocoder and auto-tune are different devices.
In nuclear fusion, atoms smash together to combine, e.g. two hydrogens combining to produce helium and a spare neutron. However, wikipedia thinks hydrogen bombs use a different fusion fuel than liquid hydrogen (a mix of H-2 and H-3), since that is a hassle to work with.
Neutrons can break down into an electron, a proton and an antineutrino via 'beta decay.'
Alpha particles are helium nuclei. Proton emission is much more rare.
People lose considerable mass through perspiration. I assume that is much more true for elephants.

geographic and historical errors

2009-01-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

The Marianas Trench is near the Mariana Islands, not in the Phillipines.
The NGA west gallery was completed in 1941, about 50 years after I said.
The train station where the NGA is was a B&P station, which would be removed when Union station was built (being the union of the B&P and Pennsylvania railroads, among others).
The 99-cent thing may have been caused by newspapermen, but probably not. If it was, it happened in Chicago, not New York, and with Stone, not related to the Pulitzer/Hearst thing.
I haven't been able to find any info about pricing gas to the tenth of a cent, except that it would have made sense a long time ago, when a cent was worth something and you would have needed a lot of gas to get anywhere.

calvert county population

2008-12-11T21:47:00.000-05:00

The population of Calvert County was about 20,000 in 1970, not 5,000.

some notes about Opryland

2008-11-21T16:20:00.001-05:00

Opryland was closed in 1997 and sold for parts, to make room for other ventures. Gaylord's current management reportedly has been unable to discover any documentation of the 1997 management team's decision. I tried to track down a few of the rides.

While the Grizzly River Rampage is gone, and what remains of the track not worth the cost of recovery, its creator, Intamin AG, has long produced and still produces similar rides. Current incarnations are more flume-like, with an emphasis on contraptions, smaller rafts, and more track-like chutes, whereas the River Rampage put more of an emphasis on a natural river experience. Many parks have a similar rides. A contemporaneous example (and likely most similar) would be the Piraña in the Netherlands and the first such ride, the Thunder River at 6 Flags AstroWorld. A more recent version, the Grizzly River Run at Disney California Adventure, has a similar name, perhaps implying similarity, but I can't find a track layout.
The Wabash Canonball was sold, but the buyer never managed to find a place for it, and scrapped the ride in 2003. However, the original version of the ride, the Corkscrew, is still operating in Idaho.
Several of the other roller coasters are still in operation elsewhere, including The Hangman in California and the Rock n Roller in New York.

after assateague, 2008

2008-10-04T21:07:00.000-04:00

While Japanese was traditionally written top-to-bottom, right-to-left, it is more commonly written in rows, left-to-right today. The old word ordering is called tategaki; the new one, yokogaki.
A Jenga turn ends at most 10 seconds after you take your hand off the piece.
Horses can sleep either on their feet or lying down.
Rust does not form a passivation layer on iron, due to its permeability.
I'm pretty sure Kristin is correct, and a Mountain Dew bottle is not a good place to store gasoline, but I haven't found a good source as to why. Anyone know?

drinks I have Favorited in 'Cockails' for iPhone

2008-09-29T09:03:00.002-04:00

My iphone seems to have a bug that is preventing me from upgrading apps, so I decided to write this list down before it possibly gets deleted when I uninstall, and then re-install, my copy of the bar book app, "Cocktails".

B52: I actually haven't made this, but it is a good recipe to have on hand for after dinner/parties.
Caipirinha: The brazillian cocktail is a cachaça highball with lime and sugar. Tasty, and one of the few drinks I know that features cachaça.
Gin Rickey: Lime Rickeys are awesome. Central had a good black pepper rickey on the menu the last time I was there. I recommend it.
Hemingway Daiquiri: Tasty way to drink rum. I make it with cachaça, on occasion.
Manhattan Cocktail: One of my wife's favorites, but she makes it differently - with more vermouth.
Margarita: I don't know why this is favorited, except that it actually is my favorite cocktail.
Tom & Jerry: I added this because it was a drink made with egg white. I mean, come on! I haven't favorited any that contain beef stock, though.
Tom Collins: Classic gin cocktail with lemon.

more corrections

2008-07-27T10:18:00.000-04:00

While I was correct that crudo means raw, cenote doesn't mean well; it is derived from a Mayan word for cenote.
The Empire State Building is struck by lightning about 100 times per year.
Roses were often planted in vineyards to indicate rot, mildew, or other problems on the rose petals before they show on the grape vines.
The underground lunch room is in Carlsbad, not Yellowstone.
It was North Dakota that wanted to (still wants to?) remove the direction from its name.

just trying to keep up with my mouth...

2008-07-13T22:03:00.000-04:00

Bactrian camels have two humps.
Polydactyly occurs in about .2% of births, not 5%, which is a little ridiculous, I suppose.
On the other hand, breast cancer is more disturbingly common than I thought.
Dad bought a Rav-4, which, while slightly ridiculous for a commuter car, is less ridiculous than a Pilot. It is smaller and gets better gas milage.
The primary source of sweetness in most fortified wines comes from the grapes in the wine, not from the fortifier; adding the brandy (or whatever) kills off the yeast in the wine, leaving more of the sugars from the grapes.

corrections, stale

2008-06-07T11:29:00.003-04:00

There are over 12,400 wild Cheetahs still around in Africa. The current theory is that their lack of genetic diversity traces back to the last ice age.
Gas taxes are usually priced per gallon, not computed as a sales tax. So, the percent burden of gas tax has decreased with the cost of gas. However, some states apply sales tax to gasoline sales, and 'pay at the pump' fees to credit card companies are usually a percentage of the sale cost.

movies I removed from my queue because netflix thinks I will rate them 3 or lower (ev 3.5 or below)

2008-05-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

westworld
arlington road
in the cut
ecstasy
italian for beginners
adventures of buckaroo banzai
femme fatale
pola x
full frontal
end of the affair
night porter
heaven & earth
a star is born
fat girl
the good girl
unfaithful
ravenous
the loss of sexual innocence
logan's run
the last tycoon
the big easy
grand canyon
bend it like beckham
the work of director staphane sednaoui
demon seed
the rapture
5x2
foyle's war
hellboy
miami blues
war od the worlds (Spielberg)
ride with the devil
last house on the left
club dread
identity
girl, interrupted
ned and stacey: season one
chocolat
sky high
patton
summer of sam
heavy metal
fritz the cat
alien nation
shinbone alley
bad news bears
final fantasy VII: advent children
the shape of things
ren and stimpy: the lost episodes
demonlover
time out
the puffy chair
let's go to prison
trilogy of terror
dark star
edmond
king of the ants
from beyond
wisconsin death trip
unmade beds
screamers
surf's up
high anxiety
In the Cut
Start the Revolution Without Me
Tell Me You Love Me

corrections: method acting and coloring problems

2008-05-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

'On the Waterfront' came out in 1954, three years after 'Streetcar'.
'The Method' was taught by Strasberg and derived from Stanislavski's 'System'.
A region surrounded by a single country is an enclave. East Pakistan would have been an exclave, but not an enclave.
As such, neither would Pt. Robert's be considered an enclave, although wikipedia describes it as a 'pene-exclave'.
Speaking of which, Wikipedia has a great list of four-country border sets, which demonstrate the need for four coloring the globe. It includes at least one exclave, which is sort of cheating.

short corrections; I need to take better notes

2008-04-28T12:02:00.002-04:00

Apple stock is up about 3,000% since I bought it, not 40,000%, which is an overstatement. It is up about 1,000% since I sold it.
DCA is in Virginia. There was some dispute about it at the time, but the territory counts as part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, but is under control of the US congress.

corrections

2008-03-13T10:26:00.003-04:00

The Rosenbergs were from New York.
The integral of sqrt(x)dx is (2 * x ^ (3/2))/3 + C

I do not want to be incorrect

2008-02-11T16:02:00.001-05:00

Do not want comes from a bad translation of a Star Wars movie.
Only two people have died on 'Mission: Space'.
Dude originally meant 'fastidious man or dandy', evolved to mean 'city slicker' or fresh cowboy, thus 'dude ranch'.

burning bubble wrap

2007-12-31T11:38:00.000-05:00

It appears that burning pure polyethylene shouldn't be too dangerous - i.e. it will not produce dioxin. However, I am not certain that bubble wrap is only polyethylene; Kristin might know better.

cutting boards

2007-12-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

Okay, so there does not seem to be consensus on the best cutting board for preventing contamination. Glass is easiest to clean, but for both plastic and wood, you probably should be using a separate cutting board for your raw meats than everything else. Alton Brown puts a red tag on his meat cutting boards to tell the difference. For reference, I looked at the wikipedia page, an FDA pamphlet, and another site which is less formal.

various corrections

2007-12-08T18:17:00.000-05:00

Salads are one of the oldest foods; there is evidence that Egyptians ate raw salads.
A mile is 1609 meters, not 'about 1300'.
The hippocampus controls episodic memory, among other things. I was probably thinking of the amygdala, which regulates fear response - and creates picky eaters. However, as far as pain localization goes, that is, to some degree, subjective.
The RFID thing is a 'security thread', which glows (perhaps color-coded to the note?) when placed under UV light.
Donna Hay is from Australia; Ina Garten is from the US.
According to Capers Jones 48% of million+ lines-of-code projects fail, and 65% of 10-million lines of code projects fail. However, it is safe to assume that many of the 'successful' projects were delivered with highly reduced or altered features.
The IU is defined on a per-substance basis.

Corrections, Questions

2007-11-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

César Pelli designed the new national terminal, not Rem koolhaas.
Kool-Aid Man is his name.
Brenda's parents have Wassily chairs, not Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chairs.
Eight Tokyo restaurants were recently bestowed with three stars, not twelve. And Paris has ten three star restaurants, although France overall has many more (26 in 2005).
Maryland does not seem to have a law guiding how much distance you have to give the car in front of you at a stoplight. I've always been taught 'while you can still see the tires of the car in front of you,' but I don't think this is codified anywhere.
I haven't been able to find evidence of HP running an IT sweatshop in the late 1990's, either. Don't know where that idea came from...

three brief corrections

2007-11-16T17:24:00.000-05:00

A cavity magnetron generates microwaves. A cyclotron can be used to generate ion beams for radiation therapy.
The name of the state fossil is the Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae Wilson.
Somehow, I got Loreena McKennit confued with Kristy MacColl. I could add it to my list of confused people, but I doubt it will happen again.

When!?

2007-11-03T09:32:00.000-04:00

Check out our wedding site!

some corrections

2007-10-11T17:48:00.000-04:00

According to Wikipedia, Yucca Mountain isn't already full - but the current accepted amount for interment will have been generated by 2014, 3 years before its projected start date. However, Wikipedia also says Congress has voted to double its capacity.
Plenty of nuclear waste has been transported across the country - but none of it, from what I can tell, to Yucca Mountain.
I suppose some liars might be good for business. I can't find the article I was thinking of.
Also, I can't find any evidence that 'Benetton is Communist.' However, I stand by my remark that the guy who runs American Apparel is a dick.

A List

2007-09-22T10:36:00.000-04:00

Nashville, at St. Bartholomew
South Beach, Scientists' Cliffs
Easton, preferrably the Inn at Easton
NJ Museum, e.g. in Cape May or Princeton
Key West
Textile Museum, or similar
Minnie Pearl Barn (Centerville)
Birmingham, AL
Uncle Jim's Farm
New Hope, PA
Parents' Homes
Santorini
An Arboretum
Hanes Point
That cave in Yellowstone
Napa
Tuscany
Sicily, etc.
Provence
Far enough away only immediate family may attend
Bermuda
some crazy islands
bury a goat somewhere in Mexico, e.g. Puebla or Oaxaca
have Top Chef cater it
Bratislava
Greece (in Togas)
George and Na's Thailand
Barcelona
Amalfi Coast
The Vatican, by the Pope
Spaceship 2
Ice Hotel
Ireland or Scotland

corrections

2007-09-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

Wikipedia only seems to know about one race riot occuring in Baltimore in the 60s, in response to MLK's assassination.
The Castro is located adjacent to Haight-Ashbury.
Gargamel often wanted to cook the Smurfs and eat them.
Homes count as 'investment items', so I don't think they are included in the US CPI. (I'm not 100% on this.)

corrections

2007-07-31T11:36:00.000-04:00

MCA is Adam Yauch (not Yost). Adrock is Adam Horowitz.
Vertigo has scenes set in Big Basin State Park, not Redwood. Also, Redwood is quite far from Napa (about a six hour drive).
A Gill is half of a cup, not 7/8. For some reason, it seems that I've made this correction already, or, at least, made this mistake before.
What is up with Korean geneticists? It turns out, I have no idea.
Fish don't get electrocuted by lightning, unless they are swimming very close to the surface.
While not recorded, it is unlikely that James K. Polk ever said Suck it, Mexico, we're taking Texas.
The British Pound is not linked to the Euro.

For those as yet unaware...

2007-07-23T10:49:00.001-04:00

For those as yet unaware... Originally uploaded by krakatoa.

corrections, again

2007-06-13T10:08:00.000-04:00

Diffraction grating works in a different manner than I said. Pretty much the exact opposite, really.
Simon Baron-Cohen is Sacha Baron-Cohen's cousin, not father.
Several lines of 737s have two rows of exit doors over the wing, like the A320.
Venice (Venezia) is the capitol of Venetia (Veneto).
The living do not outnumber the dead.
They are outpour blues, not Al Gore blues.
Amanda Bynes is not in the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.
Dennis Quaid isn't in The Fabulous Baker Boys, but I was right about Jeff Bridges, so I made the point.

correctiona

2007-05-11T11:53:00.000-04:00

International Delight Creamer is made by White Wave Foods, a subsidiary of US dairy giant Dean Foods. Coffee-Mate is made by Nestle.
While Ray Ozzie did work on VisiCalc, Dan Bricklin invented it.
The languages probably were Spanish (castellano), Valencian (catalan), Galician (galego) and Basque (euskera). I couldn't tell the difference between the first three, but that is likely due to coincidences in written words, not in spoken language or grammar.
Mormons don't seem to be polytheist, I guess. Mormon theology confuses me.

some corrections

2007-05-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

The rules for Roman Numerals have been in flux over the centuries, with users often making mistakes, willfully writing longer versions of numbers, or simply following now outdated rules. Writing to the left to indicate subtraction has been in existence since well before clocks were developed in the late 1300s, as is evidenced by the Roman Colosseum, which has 40 represented as XL.
It was the Georgetown branch of the DC public library that caught fire, not a Georgetown University library.
MLK is a different song, less obviously about MLK than Pride.
While Jamestown wasn't abandoned by 1620, they did move to the 'New Town', (I think this just means the eastern side of the penninsula), abandoning their old fort, at some point in the 20s. At the end of the century, the statehouse moved to Middle Plantation, which was renamed Williamsburg, and Jamestown transitioned from town into plantations.

California, Wedding

2007-04-28T09:33:00.001-04:00

bride, mother and grandmother
Originally uploaded by krakatoa.

It has been almost a month since Alex and Jay's Wedding, but I still haven't commented. I put all my pictures up in a single set on flickr, and Steve has the photos he took of the wedding available, as well. Most of mine are marked family or friends+family only, since they are probably only of interest to those people. I think the same is true for Steve's set. Anyway, enjoy the photos! Also, Ming has a series of blog entries.

corrections, from sunny california

2007-04-04T16:32:00.000-04:00

Rose McGowan played a character named Tatum in Scream; I said she was Tatum O'Neal.
Dirty Dancing was directed by Emile Ardolino. Flashdance was directed by Adriane Lyne and written by Joe Eszterhas. Paul Verhoeven has never directed a movie that was rated less than R.
Scion is a division of Toyota.
The VCR came out in 1976, but it doesn't appear that you could purchase pre-recorded films until late the following year. source
Chrissy Hynde fronted The Pretenders.

National Corn Dog Day

2007-03-16T10:21:00.000-04:00

In celebration of National Corn Dog Day, I will not be eating corn dogs. Well, I might, but they will certainly not be free ones.

using twitter now

2007-03-13T13:14:00.001-04:00

What's my status?

corrections, collected

2007-03-12T12:57:00.000-04:00

The amusement park in Sandusky is Cedar Point, and, correspondingly it is owned by Cedar Fair.
Kennywood is independent. I was probably thinking of Knott's Berry Farm.
Fast, cheap and Out of Control was released in 1997, not 1994.
They are licorice all sorts, not licorice petit-fours.

a few corrections, but a drop

2007-03-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

The movie I described was Fitzcarraldo, not Aguirre.
Doreen's food was tasty.
2001 proceeded Aguirre.
14th Street NW intersects Thomas Circle, not 11th.
I can't even begin to tell you all of the mistakes I made while talking about this.

Jerk

2007-01-29T15:28:00.000-05:00

Excellent. Island Jerk wins the kettle chips flavor contest. I still haven't opened Chili Lime, but of the four I've tried, that is the clear winner. Royal Indian Curry was good, as well, but Chinese Five Spice was overly salty, and the Chocolate chips varied greatly in flavor from chip to chip. Which would be fine, if they were all the sort of spicy Mexican chocolate flavor I like, but many were bland or salty.

For Reference

2007-01-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

20 years of USD v. GBP, as a google spreadsheet.

Restaurant Week, Winter 2007: Soon!

2006-12-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

DC Restaurant Week is running January 8-14 this year. We've made reservations at Corduroy and 1789, Friday and Sunday evenings. Kristin and Robert, you are invited. So, you should totally come. I'll call you and ask for details. Other people who are reading this blog, I'm sorry you are far away and unable to attend. When you are in the area, we should go out to eat. (We've also made reservations for 2 during the week at Farrah Olivia, for which you are not invited.)

corrections for food

2006-11-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Pocky already has the chocolate on it - YanYan is the sticks with dip.
When cleaning out my desk, I found an old Chipotle menu - probably from when they first opened in College Park a few years back. The Vegetarian Burrito is listed as 4.75, not 4.50. The Carnitas is 5.50.

corrections

2006-11-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

Busch Gardens Williamsburg, or, as it is now known, Busch Gardens Europe, is about 250 acres, not 500. I'd like to point out that a square mile is 640 acres, and that Disney World covers slightly more than 47 square miles - but the Magic Kingdom only covers 107 acres.
I got 'I Ran' confused with 'Space Age Love Song'. 'I Ran's' first line is: "I walked along the avenue."
Golden Slumbers is on Abbey Road. I'm not sure I've ever actually owned Abbey Road - just a couple of the collections, Sgt. Pepper and the white album. Also, I'm unable to find my copy of the I Am Sam soundtrack, so I can't get to hear Ben Folds' version, either.
The micromirrors in a standard HP DLP chip change direction approximately 120 times per second.

game night?

2006-10-27T11:19:00.000-04:00

Since I've stopped hosting Movie Nights, I haven't seen much of the other grad students. So I'll be hosting a game night soon; we'll be playing Apples to Apples, and I have to decide what sort of food we should eat. L suggested chili - perhaps even several flavors to appeal to both the herbivores and the carnivores.

I did get a New Orleans cookbook recently, but I've also been reading UBQ's Escoffier and my new copy of McGee, and am eager to get my hands on Michel Richard's new cookbook. The current plan is to try out a few things over the weekend. Suggestions for food (and games) are welcome.

Okay, so we sent in a reservation request for El Bulli....

2006-10-17T17:59:00.003-04:00

Chef Katsuya Fukushima peaks out to see how his baby is doing
Originally uploaded by krakatoa.

L sent it off her blackberry after I was unable to figure out how to get 'at' and 'mailx' to work together - we were on our way to dinner at Ray's The Classics. I doubt we'll get in, but it was worth a try. Good food is hard to come by. I expect to know definitively in about a month.

Ray's The Classics

2006-10-16T13:25:00.001-04:00

Michael Hartzer's Devilish Eggs
Originally uploaded by krakatoa.

L took me to dinner in celebration of my 28th this past Saturday. Beforehand, I met up with Rob and the Parents; they had a few excellent presents to drop off, including a shirt, a Cajun cookbook from New Orleans, and a tripod. (Mom already gave me a copy of the Wavelet book). Rob will be getting me a shipment from cellphoneshop.net, I'm sure. Before hitting the restaurant, we made a pit stop at the Silver Spring CVS (pharma open 24/7, unlike the one in College Park), exposing a side of the Spring I haven't seen - including the Greyhound terminal.

When we got to Ray's, after parking in the Fenton garage and walking around, we were seated immediately - in a seat next to the window with a good view of the AFI - and handed menus, with the wine menu going to the appropriate person. Our older French waitress was good-humored, and it made up for the three communication mistakes - no refresh on the bread (which is great), caffeinated instead of decaf with desert, and the loss of our leftovers (which were replaced with new stuff (woot!)). A good priced meal ($60 each, including tax, tip and drinks) prepared by an excellent chef at a place I would trust mixing raw beef and eggs, is always worthwhile.

Not long after we arrived, we were served sourdough with butter and a selection of pickled vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, red onion, and cucumber). We ordered some of the Andouille biscuits (great!), the eggs and some phylo-wrapped baked olives. For salad, we had the dandelion greens (too bitter for me) and the waldorf (excellent). For dessert, we had the cheesecake (like a toasted marshmallow) and the key lime pie (with unsweetened(?) whipped cream)

We also pretty much decided on a menu for next time, including the Crab Royale, a steak, and a continued exploration of the appetizer and dessert menus, e.g. the schmaltz.

some corrections

2006-09-24T21:26:00.000-04:00

Fawns lose their spots at five months, not ten.
Nikola Tesla invented the AC motor.
Humble Pie featured Frampton, not Clapton.
Stillwater is the name of the band in Almost Famous.

Still working: what is the song by Elvis Costello I'm supposed to decide is a cover or not?

Just a Question...

2006-09-13T22:07:00.000-04:00

How often can one slam on the breaks and do a four wheel skid on asphalt from 30 miles per hour before one must consider purchase of new tires?

assorted correctionalia

2006-08-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

While there were definitely Toy Story references made, what with the lead being named 'Woody', the line I specifically remembered is actually a Simpsons reference, "Willy didn't make it."
Dorney Park was purchased by Cedar Fair in 1992, and Wild World was purchased by Premier Parks in 1993, so I just assumed they were purchased by the same company. That is not the case, although they each went through a rapid rebirth in the same period.
The guy who directed 'Factotum' was the guy who did 'Kitchen Stories', Bent Hamer, and 'The Illusionist' was directed by the guy who did 'Interview With The Assassin', Neil Burger, not the other way `round.
Flotation is, in fact, the preferred spelling for 'floatation'.

Restaurant Week, Summer 2006

2006-08-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

So, I didn't take as many pictures during this RW as I have in the past, despite having gone to more restaurants than ever. This week Lauren and I went, with various others, to Equinox, Taberna del Alabardero, Indigo Landing and IndeBleu. Each one was very good, although IndeBleu and Indigo Landing had the best food.

We started on Wednesday with Equinox, a great little place just off Farragut toward LaFayette Park.

On Friday, Kristin and Lauren and I headed down to Taberna del Alabardero, a restaurant renowned for its Spanish cuisine and 'fusty' service. While its interior was excellent (K said it was like being on a cruise), the entrees were unremarkable. I mostly agree with Seitsema on this one - after the excellent gazpacho amuse, (the only real standout) it was all downhill, with the flan good, but not a revelation.

On Sunday, Uncle Paul and Aunt Dorothy met up with the Parents, Jay and Alex, and Kristin at Indigo Landing on Daingerfield Island, just downstream from DCA. It was good overall. The only disappointing thing I found were the foie gras hush puppies; they didn't live up to my minibar-level expectations. L said this was her favorite of the RW selection this year.

And yesterday, we headed to IndeBleu, the first place I picked for RW, and shifted back to the following week after I discovered they were doing a 'second week'. We arrived fifteen minutes early and headed to the bar, where I ordered a Blackberry Mojito. The drinks were excellent, if pricey, and the meal itself was even more impressive. I was surprised at the sedate cream color of our dining room, but there were other rooms with warmer or cooler colors. Also, most notably, they had waterfall-style faucets in the bathrooms.

Ray Charles' Reading Material

2006-07-12T17:50:00.000-04:00

Folklife Festival 2006,
originally uploaded by krakatoa.

Yes, that is a braille Playboy in the Smithsonian American History Museum.

take California

2006-07-12T17:44:00.000-04:00

California - Day 4 - Breakfast at Loulou's,
originally uploaded by krakatoa.

Instead of the total storm that we rained down upon WDW or Chicago, we spent more time on this trip hanging out in odd little places. We did manage to cross quite a few things off the list, though. Here, at Loulou's Gridde in the Middle, we had oatmeal served brulee style. Also, johnnycakes. Steve took some good pictures, so check out his stream. From my set, check out Kayla at the tar pits, and these grapes.

CVPR 2006

2006-07-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

CVPR 2006 Day 3 - Ray's Pizza,
originally uploaded by krakatoa.

So, I got some Ray's Pizza; this one was in the village somewhere west of 6th Avenue. It was like boardwalk pizza - huge, simple and cheap and sold by the slice, but made with great ingredients. The tomato sauce was good. Also, I ate at Gray's Papaya three or four times, getting the special with Papaya drink. Anyway, check out the whole NYC photo set at flickr. Some highlight: Ani on the boat, a Calder tapestry, and the Shake Shack at night.

Art 210: Working on the Collage

2006-07-12T16:42:00.000-04:00

Art 210: Working on the Collage - 8,
originally uploaded by krakatoa.

I just want to point out that this did not, in fact, make it into my final collage, despite being the best thing I think about it. My crazy big two-layer abstract thing was probably what my prof liked most, but this, right here, was a bright spot in the painful collage process. Anyway, see everything I did at my ARTT210 Flickr Set.

In New York

2006-06-14T18:06:00.000-04:00

I'll be in the NYC from Friday until next Thursday for a conference. Courtesy of Gray's Papaya, a $35 round-trip Chinatown bus ticket and rooms without Air Conditioning, I hope to squeeze buy without spending much more than I would on a normal week back in DC. As I said before, any advice would be appreciated.

Spamalot

2006-06-13T11:40:00.000-04:00

Lauren bought tix for Spamalot a while back, as a birthday present for herself. The show was reasonably well recieved in New York, and had finally made its way South, without, of course, the name actors (Tim Curry, Hank Azaria, the guy from Frazier, etc.). I'd been looking forward to it as well, more so than Wicked, which I really didn't know much about. So, it was with some anticipation that I headed down to

After we left 701, we walked back up 7th to see what the problem was with Jaleo - when we walked by on our way down from Gallery Place before dinner, I noticed that it was closed. When we walked by now, we noticed a pump siphoning water from the restaurant, with a sign saying the restaurant was temporarily closed due to plumbing difficulties. Fortunately, the water didn't look murky. We then headed west to Freedom Plaza, walking around on the old city plan for a while before heading inside for a plastic cup of white wine.

Our seats were three flights up and a row or two from the very back. We could see over the back of the some sets to the people hidden beyond them. The playbill was hilarious - especially when read with an appropriate Eric Idle VO, a great appetizer for the show. Despite the eye-squinting distance between us and the actors, the show was remarkably funny, if (self-consciously) much more slapdash than Wicked, my only recent point of comparison. Quite a few notable bits from the film were left out: the questioner on the bridge, the Castle Anthrax, to name two I noticed. However, there was plenty of new stuff to make up for it; perhaps for the best, as I'm sure many in the audience had seen the film dozens of times. My unfamiliarity with Broadway musicals, not to mention my inability to understand a few key lines, may have lead to me missing more jokes than I should have.

Pre-Theatre Tastiness

2006-06-12T16:03:00.000-04:00

Before Spamalot, the gf and I headed down to 701, a classy joint with a good pre-theatre option ($26 for three courses) located just off the Naval Memorial. The food was quite good – the scallop appetizer was a particular standout, and my salmon with cremed parsnip, asparagus and lobster emulsion was also quite tasty.

The restaurant itself was almost empty when we entered – 6:00 on a pleasant June Saturday evening – but seemed to be doing good business when we left an hour later. (Hopefully, they are doing better business during the week.) That meant we got to sit at a four-six person booth, which was pleasant. When we were getting ready to go, the pianist was just getting ready to start. 701 is a bit upscale for me to add to my rotation (and it is only a block away from Atlantico, and two from Chinatown and its restaurants), but it was certainly worth a visit. Also, I like square plates.

See more progress on: 701 Pennsylvania Avenue Restaurant And Bar

Why I recommend "Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Spread"

2006-05-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Spread

by Whole Foods

For breakfast this morning, I poached a couple of eggs (from TJ’s) and toasted a whole wheat english muffin, put some of the spread on the muffin, and added some Niman ranch ham to make a tasty breakfast sandwich. I had tried the spread plain on a muffin a few days earlier, and it was just too much. However, it was pretty good on the mcmuffin.

See more about Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Spread

Things to Do in New York? (Suggestions would be helpful...)

2006-05-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

Eat a good burger or three
Grey's Papaya, finally
The new MoMA
Actually leave Manhattan for once
Cooper Hewitt

Mexican near the Circle

2006-05-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

I finally made to Lauriol Plaza on Saturday. The GF and I split a double order of combo fajitas – after drinking some reasonably tasty margaritas in the packed crowd, waiting for about 30-45 minutes for a table outside. The fajitas were good; the steak came with garlic butter, and the chicken was grilled with the skin on. Despite that, the chicken was somewhat dry, although quite tasty. The garlic butter and excellent guac made up for it, though. All in all, it was a good to spend a night out in the nice Spring air, before it gets too muggy.

See more progress on: Lauriol Plaza

corrections

2006-05-09T15:09:00.000-04:00

The recent domestic slavery case involved people from Nigeria.
Almost 40,000 Americans die a year in car crashes. By comparison, 600,000 Americans died of heart disease in 2002.
Also, the CDC says suicide is a little less than twice as likely as homicide, not four times as I previously stated. Still, I think suicide is underreported. Also, kids really skew this statistic... Aparently, it doesn't occur to you that suicide is an option until you are 14. No one kills people between the ages of 5 and 14, so it sort of balances out.
Also, the time I stated at lunch was my best time from McLean to College Park, not Dulles to College Park. I think that adds another ten minutes or so.

goodness

2006-05-08T10:40:00.000-04:00

I went to the Red Dog Cafe on a Saturday evening after seeing the exec chef prepare some asparagus frittatas at the Silver Spring farmer’s market that morning (they were okay – I was more impressed with the menu than the frittatas, really). When the GF came down with a hankering for some ribs, I suggested we go there instead of our usual rib destination, Urban Bar-B-Que.

Located at the corner of Grubb and Washington in the Rock Creek Shopping Center, it is a quick drive from downtown Silver Spring. It has some outdoor seating (under a tent) and a nice garage-door front to let in the night air. The menu is basically Italian-fused barbecue, with a big hearth oven for making cedar-plank fish, ribs and pizza. As for the Cafe, they had a good selection of juices and coffee beverages. The ribs were tasty, but didn’t knock out the current favorite. The winner of the meal was definitely the Mac and Cheese. The desserts all looked good, and our brownie sundae was served with a nice, hot melty brownie. I doubt I’ll return anytime soon, but it was nice to go someplace a little more residential than the rest of the places I go in Silver Spring.

See more progress on: Red Dog Cafe

Things to Do Around College Park, MD

2006-04-29T17:48:00.000-04:00

In response to an e-mail requesting a list of things to do for campus visitors (for grad student visit day earlier this month), I sent out the following list of things to do or places to go:

College Perk
The Union (The Hoff, the Arcade, the coffee/gelato bar)
the afi silver theatre and cultural center
lake artemesia - outdoors, jogging, skating, biking, and accessible through the trail system
Franklin's in Hyattsville - brew pub
downtown silver spring - awesome astroturf
the smithsonian - cheap as in free!
gallery place/chinatown/penn quarter (E Street Cinema, Zengo, Matchbox, Clyde's, lots of good food)
Ikea - student priced food and furniture
Plato's - classic
Six Flag's - not open in the winter :-(
ice skating (either in CP or downtown)
cheap group classes at the gym ($1 for students per class)
religion and food at hilel, catholic student center, etc on mowatt lane
the restaurants of Jose Andres (Jaleo, Oyamel, etc.)
Baltimore for a day trip (The Aquarium, Harborplace, Visionary, BMA, good food, etc.)

Is this worth making into a LoB list? What should I add?

Tasty sandwiches (+ more)

2006-04-27T15:43:00.000-04:00

I finally made it yesterday, when the gf had a half day and we could hit the NGA and get some lunch downtown. We got off the Metro at Farragut North and walked down to the restaurant. It was fairly crowded when we arrived (around one or 1:30), and we ordered our sandwiches – a spicy African chicken and a German saurkraut and sausage with fries, and picked up a lemonade and a big, tasty brownie. Good food, reasonably priced (I think we ended up a little over $10 a person), it kept us going for the walk down Penn to the NGA.

See more progress on: Bread Line

Tasty Steaks

2006-04-24T15:26:00.000-04:00

I followed up on the Ray’s Bistro Dinner, the $20 steak and soup deal. We arrived at five after six – and already had to wait for another 45 minutes, so we walked to Olsson’s. When we got back (with a newly purchased umbrella), we were seated in the back near the kitchen. I got a good view of the grill, with impressive hunks of beef sitting on top. Our meal was good stuff – the crab bisque was as good as I’ve ever had, and the hanger steak was quite tasty, if considerably smaller than the ‘Cowboy.’ For dessert, we ordered Key Lime Pie, and were given complementary espresso-cups of very good hot cocoa – appropriate for the storm outside. Also, although they don’t take reservations on the phone, you can show up in person to request them a few days in advance.

See more progress on: Ray's The Steaks

A story about "The Conversation"

2006-04-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

The Conversation

by Francis Ford Coppola

I showed FF Coppola’s ‘The Conversation’ for movie night last Thursday. The discussion afterward was pretty good. I always like how a flick can take you inside a person’s head. The Conversation offered a good counterpoint to ‘Rear Window.’ I suppose I’ll have to see ‘Repulsion’ and ‘Blow Up,’ and a bunch of other related movies, too. So, it goes. (Afterward, we decided to show ‘Fanny and Alexander’ next Thursday.)

See more about The Conversation

Reasonable 3rd Party Adapter

2006-04-18T11:55:00.000-04:00

60W Power Adapter for all PowerBook G4 (all models) / iBook Dual USB & iBook G4 Systems

by Micro Accessories

When I left my powerbook on the edge of my desk and returned to find the adapter prong bent beyond repair, my first destination was the apple online store, which carries replacement power adapters for $80. However, I checked OWC, who carries a replacement adapter for only $35. The adapter is old school – a white variant of a similar adapter that came with my 2001 Dell. The led is on the converter, not the ring, and it doesn’t have the classy apple styling, but it does the job, and at less than half the price, so I can’t complain.

See more about 60W Power Adapter for all PowerBook G4 (all models) / iBook Dual USB & iBook G4 Systems

game night at the house

2006-03-23T14:44:00.000-05:00

With Spring Break almost over, and no parties attended or beaches rested upon, I've decided to sound a call for some board games. Does anyone know what games we have at the house? Tomorrow, Friday, we'll be playing Settlers or whatever you bring. Send me an e-mail or comment if you'd like in on the evite.

Bob's Noodle 66

2006-03-16T19:57:00.000-05:00

I have in fact eaten at Bob’s Noodle in Rockville before, not Joe’s noodle. That time, Charles, Justin and I each ordered the dessert – a dessert that serves three people – to get three times the requisite amount of shaved ice. I think I had some kind of congee for my entree. This time, I did a bit more research, with L’s assistance.

Our favorite item was the Taiwanese Hamburger, a little steamed pork bun that was quite tasty. Next time, we will order two. The other appetizer, the fried squid balls, were good, but not amazing. (They came with a peanut powder that tasted remarkably like Old Bay.) The loofah with dried shrimp was unremarkable, but the ginger chicken casserole was fairly good, if a little messy with the chopsticks.

See more progress on: Bob's Noodle

A story about "Creative CB2455 Bluetooth Headset"

2006-03-10T17:07:00.000-05:00

Creative CB2455 Bluetooth Headset

by Creative Technology Ltd.

Okay, so I bought the woot Two-for-Tuesday Creative bluetooth headset twopack. I still haven’t determined if it was a good idea or not. My Nokia 3650 paired fine with the thing, and I’ve already made a successful call with it – now I can drive and talk at the same time.

It was great timing, too, as Rob has just delivered some pimpage to the old 3650, which is really showing its age. A refacing – with a nice black keypad and red face – has really jazzed the thing up. It has really improved the relationship between me and the phone; I’ve even started initiating bluetooth data transfers with it again.

As a side effect of this, I have a spare, fairly unfashionable bluetooth headset to sell – this one’s twin. Perhaps I’ll see what they’re going for on the eBay…

See more about Creative CB2455 Bluetooth Headset

7 Seas in Rockville (the good one)

2006-02-28T12:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, so there is a restaurant called Seven Seas in College Park, within walking distance from where I am currently sitting. However, there is also a restaurant with the same name in Rockville, with a similar menu. The Rockville location is regarded higher, placing in the Washingtonian’s Best Bargains.

Last night I found out why, with some quite tasty crispy beef with mango. The Kung Pao chicken was a bit of a disappointment – College Park offers a spicier version. But the Rockville restaurant’s menu is deeper, and they have fresh fish, crab and lobster waiting in a tank. I will have to go back for at least two more trips – once for seafood, and once for Peking duck.

See more progress on: Seven Seas Restaurant

lists of bests

2006-02-27T18:08:00.000-05:00

Lists of Bests was purchased by the Robot Co-op and is currently being integrated into their 43x suite. They purchased allConsuming a while back. They are coolly making them into a single application, combined with 43things and 43places. It is upside-down from what I was hoping - instead of it reading my blog, I use their apps to post to my blog. Still, it is what I was hoping for, an improved interface that allows for more freedom (and tagging!).

Anyway, if you are looking for apps to help you organize your media consumption, the robot co-op now offers a good set of tools. These tools emphasize usability over power, so you may need to find a more fully featured app if you plan on doing other kinds of life management (e.g. 37signal's backpack), but I recommend the listsofbests for helping decide what movie to watch next or, now, what restaurant to visit.

So far, I've made three lists, the aforementioned 'Washingtonian' list and two lists of movies: a comprehensive Movie Night history and a list of my favorite flicks. So, if you want to pick out a movie for movie night, check out the list of previously shown movies first.

dogfishhead

2006-02-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, so L and I hit the Dogfish Head (Dog Fish Head?) brewpub in Gaithersburg last night. We ordered the fries/rings/chips appetizer, and were underwhelmed, especially when compared to Gordanbiersch's Garlic Fries, Franklin's chunky rings seasoned with Old Bay, or Mamma on the Half-Shell's fresh chips. Lauren's Cajun Alfredo pizza was pretty tasty, and I reheated the remaining two slices today for lunch. My burger was good, but not the stand out that I had at UBQ or Chef Geoff's.

Also, it is worth noting that our favorites of the beer sampler were the 90 Minute IPA and the Chicory Stout. Notably absent from the sampler were Raison d'Etre and any seasonal beer.

artt

2006-02-17T02:27:00.000-05:00

I really shouldn't be taking another art class - the teacher doesn't really know why I'm there, and now that I'm out of the 100 level, my mere passing interest in the field - and concordant lack of development or skill - is more pronounced. So, for the first assignment we worked with graphite on Bristol, doing three pieces. I only completed one of them (yet?). The second assignment, well under way, is three panels of pastels on tinted paper. So far we've only done still life.

I really should sketch in my free time - develop a balance of life and work, hobby and necessity. I don't think I've posted any of the stuff I've done between art classes. Nothing compared to the output while I'm taking a class, though.

Urban Bar-B-Que, Outback and Superbowl Chili

2006-02-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

L and I headed out to a newer entry on the Washingtonian's Cheap Eats: The Urban BBQ in Rockville. Convenient to her apt, it presents a good variety of BBQ options, covering all the standard bases for the bbq - yellow, NC, red and dry. We ordered a burger, some ribs, a crab cake, some chips and nacho cheese and a slice of their key lime pie. While the pie didn't surpass the one from Cheeseburger in Paradise, the burger and ribs were both excellent; the burger is a good challenger for best in the region. I'll have to go back to Chef Geoff's to compare. And make a few more trips to 5G.

On Saturday, the in-region family got together with Ann and Lauren to celebrate Dad's birthday. We ate at the Annapolis Outback. I had the Outback Special with a side of Shrimp. It was pretty tasty. Lauren had the tenderloin with blue cheese; they didn't shirk on the blue cheese: it was pungent stuff. Next time, I'll probably get a burger or my fallback of the Alice Springs chicken.

On Superbowl Sunday, Chadd prepared four kinds of chili. He made the experimental in my new enamelled cast iron pot from Target. I get the feeling that thing will see plenty of use, especially on Geek Dinner Sundays.

Bethesda Restaurant Week

2006-01-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

Perhaps?

Galileo Galilei

2006-01-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've eaten at Galileo twice in the past month. At this rate, I won't be able to walk into an Applebees without vomiting. I don't even want to think about Denny's... (I will go to IHOP Saturday. I'll sneak in my own syrup, though. And possibly my own coffee. But I will eat their pancakes, though. Probably.)

So, the reason for these trips to the Triangle have been Roberto Donna's generous half-off coupon (annoyingly, the taxes apply before the coupon, so you end up paying the district 20%). With taxes, and a good 20% tip on the original bill, it seems to average about $65 a person. Not bad, considering that is less than what I've spent the last time I went to either The Melting Pot or Fogo de Chao.

The first trip was on Jan 2, with just three of us (K, L and I). Yesterday, however, I managed to get a few more people to come - my parents, and Rob and Carrie. We had a 5:30 seating, and we didn't leave until nine. And we only ordered three courses (+ dessert). We could have gone up to six (which would have pushed the bill closer $90/person, I think). Some of my favorite dishes included Dad's shrimp with head on over spinach, the bay scallops, the ricotta basil gnocchi, the mushroom tortellini with black truffle sauce, and the beef with wine sauce. My meat course was orange duck, which was served with mustard candied fruit - a maraschino cherry and candied slice of pear that both tasted infused with wasabi powder somehow. The desserts were excellent - including the chocolate soup from the first time, and Rob's blueberry and green apple sorbets. I had some really excellent gelato - two scoops of gianduia and a scoop of pistachio.

So, where are the pictures of food? Galileo is too dark to take pictures without a flash. So, instead, look at these pictures I took the last time I went to Chez Francois.

Food!

2006-01-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

I've been eating a lot. At least a couple times a day, it seems. Going backwards in time: yesterday, L and I ate dinner with Carrol - who had some Hawaiian chicken with Pinot Grigio and Pillsbury cresent rolls; some pasta and meat sauce kicked up a notch with fresh basil and frozen garlic; a hemi-birthday dinner at Jaleo, complete with complementary gift of Spanish olive oil (and a really tasty tapas selection, including confit of duck and lamb, green beans with garlic and mint, and those tasty fig and bacon fritters)...

The Plate: Random Scoops

2006-01-11T16:11:00.000-05:00

The Plate
Originally uploaded by krakatoa.

Other ideas for a motto included: "Don't panic," and "You're doing it wrong."

pigs-in-blankets

2006-01-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

pigs-in-blankets
Originally uploaded by krakatoa.

I made these for Kristin for lunch on Christmas Eve. She picked me up after a Christmas party the night before, and I grabbed my massive loads of stuff to bring home (suitcase, backpack, DVD case, and both my and Lauren's gifts), as well as a selection of edibles. She had some good butter and bread for lunch, but I don't think she minded the additional munchems.

DC Restaurant Week

2006-01-03T17:20:00.000-05:00

Next week is DC Restaurant Week. Kristin/Rob/Geeks/EvoComp people, let me know if you are free for lunch and what day. I've already eaten at Galilleo this year, so I'm not really in a big rush to do Restaurant Week planning. So far, the only reservations I have are for L and I to go to Circle Bistro for dinner on Thursday.

Happy 2006

2006-01-02T14:30:00.000-05:00

L and I made some egg nog for NYE. It turned out good, but I can't vouch for its safety, as we didn't have a thermometer handy. I'll give some to my siblings when they stop by for the ritual head shaving. I've put up my holiday pix on flickr, which got me to 16% of my upload cap, which is as close as I've made it so far. I should arrange sentences into paragraphs that convey related ideas.

To celebrate 2006, we went out to see King Kong. I really loved it; set in a world close to Kurt Busiek's retelling of Conan and Genndy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack, and that's good enough for me. The fact that the film manages to discuss the rise and fall of civilizations, the futility of communication and the meaning of fear is just gravy.

We'll be heading out to Galileo soon. I just got a confirmation call. Perhaps I should have asked if I could add a fourth, since Rob will be nearby...

corrections forever

2005-12-08T18:38:00.000-05:00

Girl just features deep breath, not 'bong noises'. I think it probably is meant to symbolize drugs, but I don't have like Paul McCartney's word on that, or something.
While the chocolate factory does look a little like the Sagrada Familia when viewed in sillhouette from the Buckets', it doesn't really look much like it at all. I think the central tower sort of looks like the Tower of Babel, though.
Okay, so I was right about the outline for the creation of Caesar Salad - a chef in Mexico made it in the first part of the last century, but otherwise, I was pretty wrong. Caesar Cardini may have been working in Mexico, but he was Italian-American, and his restaurant was in Tijuana only to avoid prohibition, because he invented it in 1924, not 1947.

pigs in blankets

2005-12-02T15:37:00.000-05:00

For lunch, I made pigs in blankets with some Pillsbury canister cressent rolls and a few halved Hebrew National franks in the CfAR kitchen. Thirteen minutes at 375! On Reynolds Quick-release tinfoil! Doughy inside, golden brown on the outside!