I tell ya, there's no one does condescension quite like the British. Driving back from the store this afternoon, I was listening to BBC World Service and they were doing a story on the Darfur protest rallies in DC this afternoon. The host intro'd the segment by pointing out that awareness of the situation seemed to be increasing in America. At which point he handed off to the correspondent in DC who began by observing that as he walked around the rally site, many people asked him where Darfur was and seemed to be confusing it with Rwanda, so there was still a lot of ignorance (perhaps not his exact words but pretty damn close). Yes, yes, he followed that point with a "but" and went on to actually do the story the host had set up, about increased awareness of the crisis in Darfur.
Hilarious!

I've written before about my fond memories of Flint's Bar-B-Q. So, even tho it's of no immediate practical use to me, I was thrilled to hear the news that they've re-opened. Bay area readers, of whom I have none, have cause for much rejoicing.

Okay so I just tried to post my results from this quiz but I must have messed something up and the html was eating my entire blog. So anyway, share and enjoy.

It's just been that kinda day. Here's the playlist from this afternoon. Things started okay but about halfway thru I made 2 discoveries that threw me completely off my game: I'd signed into the online playlister under the wrong name; the new Karsh Kale CD had gone missing from the playlist shelves. I was spending too much time trying to deal with that and not enough thinking about the show I was actually doing. So I managed to eject a playing CD. Then the engineer (who was climbing around the MCR trying to hook up some cables for something or other) accidentally knocked the board out of the correct on-air configuration while another CD was playing. And so on and yadda... At least it was partially a good show.

Bunches and bunches of Sesame Street clips up on YouTube. (via Gothamist) Oldschool! I particularly recommend the subway song and the Guy Smiley gameshow. And just so you don't have to dig thru a bazillionty screens to find 'em, here are a couple of clips of Grover the Waiter. Sadly, no one has uploaded the Spanish Waiter sketch, where Grover sings his inspired version of "Granada" but the Big Hamburger is almost as good.

And remember, only you can prevent air vents

Here's last night's playlist. For those keeping score at home, no, there were no 90 min. sets w/o backselling. And I reached a rare, if not new, plateau -- only 1 of the 12 playlist tracks I spun was from a CD I'd reviewed. Mostly that's Ms. Pants' fault (and yet I blame society...) She played pretty much every single playlist thing I'd been thinking of. It's all good, tho. Most of those were wrrld CDs and I'm back on air this Saturday, 1-3pm for Mondo Mundo (audio version).

I mentioned this in a comment to myself the other day, but I think it should be more prominently featured. The night after Ozomatli (aka 7/13), los Amigos Invisibles will be at Cat's Cradle. Aiyah! (like I said, sleep is for the weak)

Last weekend I was watching a bit of Sabado Gigante and I saw an ad for Galaxy Supermarket. My guess was that any store advertising on Univision had to have a pretty good selection of products con sabor latino. Stopped and shopped there last night on my way home from work (it's on University, not much of a detour off my usual route down the Durham Freeway). Well worth it! Spices I've never even heard of -- and I like to think I'm at least vaguely familiar with at least the rough outlines of Mexican cooking (I've got cookbooks by Rick Bayless and Diana Kennedy); four kinds of chorizo, five kinds of crema. Alas, they didn't seem to have any fresh tortillas. Probably that was too much to hope for. But I was able to pick up banana leaves (which I'd expected to find) and naranjas agria (bitter oranges -- which was a definite surprise). The Galaxy chain seems to be a Lowe's offshoot. In addition to Mexican specialities, they have a lot of Caribbean and Brazilian items, like callaloo and dende palm oil (which is exactly as frightening looking as person as on TV)

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 23 apr 06) ::

Living Like A Refugee :: the Refugee All-Stars
Bigger :: Slavic Soul Party
Echu Mingua :: Anga
the Good, the Bad & the Blazing :: Junior Kelly, Bounty Killer, Capleton
Lunatico :: Gotan Project
Okideur Hawai :: Storsveit Nix Noltes
Traveler 06 :: various
Res Inexplicata Volans :: Apollo Nove
Bagels and Bongos :: Irving Fields
Merging with the Brook :: Sui Vesan

Finally, a week plus after having the link printed in the N&O, the NCMA gets their summer concert schedule up online. I'm not too thrilled that they've gone to a tiered pricing structure but I guess it was inevitable that they'd figure out they could charge more money to the chardonnay-sipping, NPR-listening segment of their audience. And my lack-of-happiness on that front is somewhat offset by their at least bringing in some world music this year, after last year's almost total shutout. Only two shows but they should both be good ones: Salif Keita (8/4) and Ozomatli (7/12). I'm esp. excited about Ozomatli. They kick way more ass than the usual NCMA summer concert show.

One of the things I like most about this article from today's NYTimes is the way it declines to turn into the classic lifestyle trend piece. Y'know the kind I mean (Newsweek is -- or used to be -- notorious for them): reporter finds three people doing something and cooks up a whole bunch of inferences and circular logic to turn it into this huge socially important trend. The story on dumpster diving for clothes, tho, deconstructs all its larger implications as it goes, making it clear that there are not legions of hipsters roaming the streets scavenging garments from the trash. Cut away all the pretentious sociological posturing and what you're left with is an interesting story about one person. Which is what I sat down hoping to read in the first place.

(Sarah read Mongo when it came out -- it's on my list of books to get around to Real Soon Now)

Big booming thunderstorms on & off all day. So good thing I got that gutter cleaned out the other night I guess. During one of the "off" phases I managed to get the first 20 feet of this plastic edging pounded in on the garden beds along the driveway. Hopefully that'll keep the soil erosion problem under a bit more control. This evening Sarah and I took turns cooking dinner and trying to keep the dogs from freaking out too much. Then watched some TV poker. Ahhh... how do we handle all the excitement...

And now, let's wrap up the week with these photos of the 2006 Mummer's Parade. Some nice behind-the-scenes shots and I even recognized one of two bands from the TV coverage we saw.

This article on self publishing is a pretty accurate, and pretty snark free, look at the topic. (found via bookslut -- their link is down and to the left and i'm feeling too lazy to html it again in this entry). Altho there will always be some people lining up to drink the haterade, I think that as the internets, POD, and other alternative methods have become easier to access, some of the "stigma" of self publishing has started to fade. But I also think that there are some people who wanna write and there are some people who wanna be authors. And those are not the same things at all.

Meanwhile, out on the fringes of participatory fan democracy, Eventful seems to be a social networking site that, among other things, serves to link up performers w/ audiences (you can also demand the impeachment of GW Bush). Not too much is in demand locally yet, but you can join me and add to the demand for Wil Wheaton.

So I had the peeps but I just didn't have the inspiration. Maybe if I should've been drinking the beer before trying to come up with the photo idea. Ah well...

(As a side note, I can't really recommend coming home and cleaning out the gutters on your house as a relaxing way to start off the evening.)

Here's a list of winners from the 2006 World Beer Cup. Damn, that's a lot of different beers, and styles of beer. 85?!? I better stop writing this and go drink some if I ever hope to catch up. I was a little suprised at how many of the winners I've never even heard of. Also that some of my favorite breweries weren't represented at all. On the other hand, I know nothing of the possible political machinations that might be involved in the beer-award world.

Just for a change of pace, here's an interesting article from Slate about sauvignon blanc. I remain in a generally happy state of wine ignorance -- I know that I prefer reds to whites, generally, and I usually have a favorite or two, which tends to change every few months, for no particular reason. I sat in on a brief (hour or so) intro to wine class once and one of the things that stuck with me, for better or worse, was the opinion of the teacher that most American whites taste like grass. I'm sure that's an overstatement and probably unfair but it's a taste-image I still can't really shake. I won't go into detail on what he said about Australian whites (hey, you might like them for all I know) but it was months before I'd even consider tasting, let alone buying one.

Okay, I know I promised an end to peeps madness once we got to the other side of Easter. But this (from boing² again) is just too good: Cheney hunting accident in peep stylee.

Y'know what I think is sad? The local newspaper (aka, example of 19th century technology) prints an article, includes info from your organization, and points readers to your website. Which, when they get there, turns out not to have been updated, actually containing less information than was in the paper. Weak weak weak... (in other words, perhaps sometime soon the NCMA will get their summer concert schedule online)

Finally, I was looking thru some old entries over on Sarah's site and was reminded of one of the first webcomics I ever read, When I Am King. Was very pleased to discover that, even though the comic is about 5 years old (that's about seven bazillionty years in internets time, right?) the site's still up. Maybe it's just nostalgia but I still think it's pretty good stuff. (note: some of the content is not work-safe)

Here's a cool thing. The Museum of Natural History in New York has a book out on their habitat dioramas. The website has several examples, with videos, sound samples, and virtual tours. The dioramas were always my favorite thing at the museum. I can't remember now when I first went there. Probably a field trip when I was in school. Do other museums have things like that? I'm thinking maybe Smithsonian might but in my mind they've always been quintessentially NYC.
Actually, tho, my favorite AMNH memory is not diorama-related. Sometime in high school (9th grade, I think) we got assigned this project in science class, one we had to complete over Xmas break. It was called "Evolution Trail" and it was a packet of info and questions that directed you on a tour through the museum, focusing on exhibits that dealt with evolution. I remember there were a lot of questions about finches. I wonder if schools could still assign a project like that. Probably they'd have to include a 10-page disclaimer about how evolution is "just a theory." Anyway, it was great fun. In fact, a bunch of friends and I went back two years later and did it again when our younger brothers got the assignment. (yeah we were collosal nerds...)

(link via gothamist)

So yeah it's been six months since the arrival of the garment but I'm finally getting around to dealing with the needed alterations. (hey, it's still two months until I'll actually need them)) Any local-to-the-Triangle readers who have recommendations for tailors, please let me know.

in other news, it's too frikkin frakkin hot out therre...

Creme egg + peeps + chocolate bunny? Crazy delicious! (and I do mean crazy...) (via boing²)

(what the hell am i gonna blog once we get past sunday and all these bright candy-coated links go away for another year?)

Sick of peeps yet? Hope not cos the madness NEVER STOPS (both via boing²). And I actually have some in the house, mere rooms from where I sit. And an idea for a foto, which I'll hopefully find time to get up on flickr before the weekend.

Just catching up on this from last week, as the Holy Blood, Holy Grail authors went down in flames. I particularly enjoyed the judge's reasoning that they'd failed to prove that Dan Brown had stolen the central theme of HBHG "because they could not accurately state what that theme was." And do stick around the article long enough to see the judge slap around Brown and basically call much of his testimory misleading or fraudulent. Good times.
And instead of wasting yr time reading either HBHG or (not that you'd even consider it) Da Vinci Code, may I recommend instead Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail. Written by former NME music journo Christopher Dawes, it's the ripping tale of his adventures stomping through the esoteric wilds of southern France with legendary punk drummer Rat Scabies. And until some yet-to-be written Da Vinci Sequel starring Capt. Sensible shows up, the Dawes book is pretty much the gold standard in kickass heresy and esoteric foofarah. Interestingly, the 3rd author of HBHG, Henry Lincoln (who was not part of the lawsuit) shows up several times in RS&HG.
Here's an interview with Dawes and Scabies, from Fortean Times (w/ a few pics, even).

Too much work today. Brain full. But in case you want to make your head a-splode, here's an excellent article on FCC indecency policy.
Or for a different sorta head asplosion (in an old school stylee), check out this punk text adventure game. I'll give you a moment to let the multi-level geekiness of that settle in. (found this while linksurfing from aCBoP)

Will the madness never end? Well, maybe next weekend. In the meantime: 24 hour non-stop party peeps!!

Also, here's a fine fun link (via boing²) for Castlemaine XXXX, an Aussie beer I have fond memories of from my trip to London and Edinburgh back a bazillionty years ago. I particularly love that the mascot, Mr. Fourex, appears to be completely faced.

A few links from the always-delightful slashfood:
First, hats off to them for keeping the peepsanity coming.
Next up, super-deluxe Passover (and Easter) goodies
Finally, organic martini anyone?

...or you might lie down for a short nap at 7 and not wake up until 11 with nothing packed and the house still a mess. And yet, unrestrained panic notwithstanding, you might find that things will get taken care of after all.

Is there no end to this peeps madness?

I was planning to write something about the new Tom Ze album but as you can see from that page, there's a lot to say about it, even if you don't plan on disappearing up your own pretentiousness. And I'm not feeling up to the task. Or I don't want to expend the energy to get my thoughts together. Or whatever. Maybe tomorrow... Instead I've spent the last hour or so listening to old Killing Joke stuff.
So let's talk food. Did you know there was a Trader Vic's in Atlanta? I didn't but I think it's pretty cool that there's one that close, since the brand mostly seems to be active outside the US at this point. I'm sure it's only a shadow of its former glory but still, hey, it's Trader Vic's.
Hey, new 'cue just up the road from where I work. (warning: their website has way too much flash). The brisket is not up to Q Shack standards. But this is not, in case you hadn't noticed, Texas and beef brisket isn't the best way to judge barbecue joints. And the pork, at least the times I've tried it, is outstanding.

And, yes, the peeps just keep on coming.

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 02 apr 06) ::

Res Inexplicata Volans :: Apollo Nove
Traveler 06 :: various
Bagels and Bongos :: Irving Fields
The Good, the Bad and the Blazing :: Junior Kelly/Bounty Killer/Capleton
Merging with the Brook :: Sui Vesan
Congotronics 2 :: various
Rough Guide to Bhangra Dance :: various
Haven :: Flook
Rough Guide to the Music of Madagascar :: various
Friendship :: Rahim Al Haj

Well okay so for a Monday it wasn't so bad, really. Yet the happy and peppy and upbeat type post I was planning to make... well, that's mostly not happening.

Here's a good and concise wrapup of the Moussaoui case by Dalia Lithwick.

And then there's the Duke lacrosse gang-rape case. Really, pretty much everything I might have to say has already been said better over at A Complete Bunch of Pants (lots of good linkage too). I'll just go with this, for anyone leaning towards "presumed innocent" type arguments: what's the upside here? A bunch of drunken rowdy rich white children of privilege throw a party complete with underage drinking and strippers. Yeah, that's about it for the upside potential (remember to put it on your resume for that Bear Stearns interview). But, hey, maybe none of the team members strangled and raped anyone. That's something to be proud of. And O.J. is still looking for the real killers...

(deep cleansing breath)

What we need here is the House of Dioxin equivalent of one of boing boing's unicorn chasers::
Peeps frenzy, part 2!!

Yesterday was the busy kinda day. Up early, take car in for service, take load of trash to dump, bring load of topsoil home, finish oil staining lumber, build raised bed, fill raised bed w/ topsoil, pick up car, go to Locopops, overeat at Q Shack, collapse. So I knew I was gonna be pretty useless today. Which was fine cos today was the going-into-work kinda day. Not exactly my idea of how to spend a Sunday but what can ya do...

The Locopops experience was not quite all it could have been. I tried the black pepper cream. Flavor-wise it was excellent. But, for me, the grind on the pepper was way too coarse. I felt like I was spitting out pieces of gravel after a while. I'm wondering if they have to keep the grind coarse to keep too much pepper from extracting into the cream base. I'll have to ask next time I'm there.

And, hey, it's the first day of daylight savings. Which can only mean one thing... full-on peeps frenzy!! Actually, it also means that green pollen season is right around the corner. I've already started to see telltale traces on my car.