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Archives for April 2002
April 27, 2002
Just a note to let you all know that I'll be gone
next week, and blog updates are very unlikely.
I'll be in Oregon. You understand what that means,
of course. Not much access to the Internet ...
In the meantime, don't forget to dose up on
Morford ...
April 25, 2002
"Stories aren't tee-shirts or GameBoys. Stories are
relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world.
The writer's job is to use the tools in his or her
toolbox to get as much of each out of the ground
intact as possible. Sometimes the fossil you uncover
is small; a seashell. Sometimes it's enormous, a
Tyrannosaurus Rex with all those gigantic
ribs and grinning teeth."
- from Stephen King's
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Well, I've just found my fossil. And it sure ain't no
damn seashell. More like a snarling prehistoric beast
of mammoth proportions. Right now it's flashing its
razorsharp sabers at me, trying to frighten me into
giving up before I've even begun. It's stomping its
gigantic clawed limbs, shaking the ground underneath my
feet, and its angry roar is deafening. It doesn't
want to be unearthed.
But it really has no choice. My toolset may not be
complete yet, and some of the screwdrivers may
even be a bit rusty, but I think I have enough tools
to start prying the bones from their clammy,
earthen grave.
Besides - I have her voice on my side. That quiet,
sedate voice of my Aunt Martha, prone to break out
into cackling laughter at any moment - she has
already started to tell her story to me. Not by
actual words, but through her legacy of the twenty-five
books she wrote about her travels, and an equal
amount of photo albums, filled with splendid
depictions of the world as it was at the beginning
of the last century.
I hope I will prove myself worthy to retell her
story to you all.
April 24, 2002
Puppeteers are an elusive bunch. Mostly hiding
behind a curtain and their dwarfish creations,
they practice their ancient art on street corners,
in schools, and in small local theaters. While as
children we've all played with a variation of
puppet at one
point or another, we almost always abandon this
kind of entertainment as we grow older.
Luckily though, some stay infected with the desire to amuse,
captivate, charm, and delight their fellow humans
with the craft of puppeteering, and some even take it
a step further and raise it to a completely new
artform.
Jim Henson certainly did. Who could forget the
loudmouthed frog
Kermit, his feisty girlfriend
Miss Piggy, the knife-throwing
Swedish Chef - or
my personal favorite - the ferocious drummer
Animal.
Being John Malkovich exposed a different and darker aspect
of the craft, namely the ability to control,
manipulate, and exploit another being by merely
tucking a few strings, may they be connected
to a limb, the heart - or the mind.
You ask: How did I get off on a rant about the unusual
subject (at least for a blog) of puppeteering in
the first place?
Well, I've been fortunate enough to have been
given a glimpse at the mastery of a most talented
representative of the puppeteering community:
Ranka Gatu.
Last night, a friend brought over two video tapes
of Ranka's performances, and although they were
only about 10 minutes long each, I found myself
simply enthralled.
Ranka's life-sized musical marionnettes
revealed a world of character
and seemed possessed by their own spirit, rather
than being played by their strings. Mostly though
I was struck by how much fun the performer herself
seemed to have - and the reaction of the audience
mirrored that perfectly.
In this day and age, where we are constantly bombarded with
the artificial, mind-numbing, and special-effects-drenched world
of movies and television, I was surprised to find that a
10 minute glimpse at the real-life realm
of puppeteering was a rewarding and memorable breath of
fresh air, compared to the stale concoction of "entertainment"
otherwise being forced down our throats.
So, folks - step away from the wall-sized TV for
an evening and go see your local puppet show.
I know I will.
April 23, 2002
There are days when you just don't have anything
to say to the world.
Today is one of those days.
Then again - I just ran across these (granted, all food-related) quotes,
I thought worthwhile for a moment of unrestrained amusement:
"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not
sick, not wounded, dead."
- Woody Allen
"Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in
the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the
two but can't remember what they are."
- Matt Lauer (on NBC's Today Show)
"Ice-cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn't
illegal."
- Voltaire
"All I ask of food is that it doesn't harm me."
- Michael Palin (Monty Python’s Flying Circus)
April 22nd, 2002
Chocoholics Unite!
Giving in to a sudden overwhelming urge to create an unforgettable
dessert experience, I recently embarked on a quest for the one
treat, that no one - not even the most rigid of the "no-thanks,-
not-for-me-I'm-watching-my-diet"-dessert-phobics - could resist.
And I'm happy to report that I think I've found the ultimate temptation
(no island necessary).
The recipe is from the February 2002 issue of Martha Stewart, and
as she greedily won't share it on her
web site, I decided to post it here - with a few personal modifications.
(Can she sue me for that? Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll only pin me
against a wall with her car ...)
Molten Chocolate Cake
Makes 6
Since the batter needs to be frozen before baking, these cakes are
perfect for those unexpected moments when you need a quick dessert.
Using semi-sweet chocolate in the truffles is essential; if bittersweet
is used, the centers of the cakes will not ooze.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for ring molds
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
5 large eggs, separated
10 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 Chocolate truffles
1. Butter six ring molds, measuring 2 1/2 inches high and 2 3/4 inches in
diameter. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan
of simmering water, and heat until melted. Stir mixture to combine.
(Note: Let the chocolate mixture sit to cool for a few minutes, otherwise
it will cook the eggs when adding to the egg-sugar mix, and the batter
will be lumpy.)
3. Combine the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl, and whisk
until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the chocolate mixture to egg-yolk mixture, and stir to combine.
4. Place the egg whites in a bowl, and beat with electric mixer until frothy.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture.
5. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each ring, and place the truffle in the
center of each. Spoon the remaining batter over the truffles, and place in
the freezer to set, at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the baking sheet with the filled
ring molds to the oven, and bake cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sides
are set but center is still soft. Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the
cakes (still in the ring molds) to a serving plate. Lift the ring molds, and
remove them. Serve the cakes warm with ice cream, or drizzle raspberry
sauce over them.
Chocolate Truffles
(this is my own recipe ...)
Should make about 6
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of sweet butter
3 oz of chopped semi-sweet chocolate (or chips)
Kaluha, Raspberry liquor, etc. (optional)
1. Put chips and butter in a food processor.
2. Heat cream to just before the boiling point, then pour over the
chocolate-butter mix. Blend in processor until smooth.
3. Add flavoring if desired.
4. Pour into a shallow pan, and freeze for a couple of hours.
5. With a spoon, scoop out frozen chocolate mixture and with
your hands, roll them into truffle balls.
April 21, 2002
Thanks to Kerry Liles, who persistently inspired me to put out my
photographs for the world to enjoy, I've posted two small galleries
of my latest photographic ventures.
On a recent trip to Oregon, I was fortunate to encounter a few
magnificent deer at such short range, that every hunter would have
probably drooled all over his rifle. My
trophies are only digital
though ...
And sometimes it only takes a bit of tramping around your own
back yard to discover some fabulous morsels of nature - wild
Morel mushrooms.
Given that they are a prized edible mushrooms, it was quite rewarding
to find these.
April 19, 2002
Looks like I've been shamed into updating my blog
again.
And not in small part due to Backup Brain's
little survey on Sonoma County blogs. Oh, ok, I admit it. I'm one of them.
Or at least I can admit that I live here - dunno if
I can really call my feeble attempt at blogging just that.
Surprising all the stuff that kinda accumulates in the
brain though, just waiting to be spilled onto my little keyboard.
First of all I need to take a minute to do a digital bow in front of
a couple of people: First and foremost - Luke.
I'm in deep gratitude for your free hosting, selfless tech support at all
hours of the day and night, plus the occasional swift kick in the arse to
get me motivated in keeping the blog alive. :-)
Another bow goes to my friend Cam - thanks for
the awesome Camworld T-shirt, and although belated - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Remember, "29"
can have a pretty long shelf-life ...
And to give this blog at least the appearance of being somewhat more
than just a place for me to bitch, here are a couple of beautiful Haikus from the talented
Suzanne Axtell:
Such a chilly night
Dog and cat stretch between us
Purring trough of fur
Winter's pulled over
Spring blooms in a roadside rut
Summer waves nearby
[Hold that thought for just a minute ...]
Ok, now to spilling the brain: Ever heard of The Young Dubliners?
No? Well, they're an Irish Rock Band. Or at least they were - before they "changed their style".
A year ago, a friend and I saw them at the Mystic Theater
in Petaluma, CA. They rocked our world. I don't think I've ever had so much unbridled fun dancing a silly
Irish jig ... So I was psyched to find out the Young Dubs would return to the Mystic on March 29th.
This time though we could hardly tap a toe to their tunes. All that was Irish had apparently "left" the
Dubliners. They were just Rock now - and boring one at that. The packed theater visibly emptied after half
an hour or so, and people just stood around on the dance floor, awkwardly wiggling their bodies. We hit the
road not too long after that.
So two weeks later, my friend decides to
write an email to the band to air her disappointment. I honestly didn't think those guys would put down the
whiskey bottle long enough to actually read their email, but they did, and here's their reply:
"Dear X,
the only reason I am replying to your email is that it is only
the 3rd such email we have received in ten years. It saddens me to find out
that a so called fan have pidgeon holed us in a box of their design that we
are not allowed to grow from. Every band grows. Sometimes that style does not
suit all its current fans, sometimes they love it and lots more arrive. If a
band stands still in time then they usually decay and cease to exist. We make
no apologies for trying new sounds and new styles. We have recorded five
albums and if you had indeed purchased any of them you would know that we
have always been a rock band with an Irish influence and not the other way
around.
I am from Dublin and I write the songs therefore they are Irish
songs. The name of a band does not restrict the type of music they play. If
U2 play a country song should they give up their name? Young Dubliners music
is whatever we play.
If you had stayed until the end of the show you would have heard
"Leaving of Liverpool", "Foggy Dew", "Follow me up to Carlow"," Rocky Road to
Dublin", "Ashley Falls", "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" and "Bodhran". All
Irish songs.
I don't mean to insult you but I was quite insulted by your email. All
bands showcase new material at the top of a show and then return to familiar
songs from past albums as the set progresses.. This is called "progress". We
don't expect you to like every song but don't put us in a box and tell us we
can't try other things without "deceiving" people. That is simply
preposterous.
I hope you can listen to our entire catalog of albums and thus get
the point of all this. If not then have a nice life. We will continue to play
new and exciting songs for those thousands who have come to expect no less
from us."
Sincerely,
Keith Roberts
Young Dubliners
The Moral Of The Story: When is it ok to let a band, whose music you love and
whose concerts and CDs you pay for, know when their "new direction" sucks? When
they play in front of an empty house?
On The Bright Side: Morford is back!
Thank gawd. I thought I was gonna have to go down to the Chronicle myself and stand in line with
the rest of the mental patients, begging for the return of SF's best columnist. Turns out though,
he's just recovering from a bowling incident that rendered his typing fingers useless.
I'm relieved. Death to all bowling alleys though.
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