House of Dioxin

okay, so go past the monkey and we'll be right here

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:43:54 -0500

Last night's movie: Election. That's the 2005 Johnnie To movie, not the Matthew Broderick/Reese Witherspoon flick. Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka Fai are gangsters both seeking to be elected the next boss of an HK triad. Stylish, tense, funny in spots, with bursts of violence (hey, it's a triad movie). I should clarify that a bit. The movie (like Fulltime Killer) is very stylish but the violence is not stylized the way it would be in, say, a Kitano or Tarantino movie but actually pretty direct and visceral. I've got the sequel, Triad Election in my queue. Unfortunately, I missed a chance to see Exiled, To's most recent. It played at Duke as part of their Cine-East series but I didn't find out about it until after it had screened.

acknowledge no frontier

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:27:51 -0500

To wrap up Leaky-Boat-a-thon, here's a nice live version by Tim Finn.

let's not bicker and argue about who killed who

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:47:22 -0500

I think it was John Cole who recently pointed out that when you here a politician decrying the "blame game" what they're really saying is "please don't point out that this is all my fault." I'm always reminded of the line that titles this post, spoken by Michael Palin as the King of Swamp Castle in the Lancelot segment of ...Holy Grail.

Here's that hilarious Biden debate prep slideshow, if you haven't already seen it a hundred times. And even if you have, it's still hilarious. Oh and get out of my secret Christmas place.

Also, General George B. McClellan shares his thoughts on Thursday's debate and our current situation.

a wrrld in white gets underway

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:52:46 -0500

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 28 spt 08)

Calypsoul 70: Caribbean Soul and Calypso Crossover :: various
Bionico :: Bio Ritmo
Friends and Countrymen :: Earl Rodney
Yo Baba :: Funkadesi
De Donde Eres :: Cordero
Guitars from Agadez :: Group Inerane
Ana Hina :: Natacha Atlas
New York City :: Brazilian Girls
Repentance :: Lee "Scratch" Perry
Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump :: various

this week's video feature: Natacha Atlas (not from the new CD -- I couldn't find any vids from Ana Hina on youtube, or more to the point I didn't feel like slogging thru the 300+ Natacha Atlas videos to look for them -- but one of my faves)

you just offended a man carrying an organic tote bag

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:17:09 -0500

Couple of local dining updates I wanted to get to.
We had dinner last week at the recently renovated Broad Street Cafe. The atmosphere is still somewhere between coffee house and restaurant (esp. on open mic folk music night) but the food we had was really good. Sarah had a burger and I had a lamb burger. Which was excellent. I'd say it was not as good as the lamb burger at the Burger Bar in Vegas. Except that they took their lamb burger off the menu so unless you've got a time machine and can travel back to 2006, Broad Street's wins this round just by actually existing. And it's also damn good.
We've gotten pizza several times now from Pop's Back Door and it's been wonderful every time. The mushroom pizza is a fave. We usually get two 10-inch pies -- a mushroom lover's and one other. Also recommended: #4 (salty egg, prosciutto, roasted garlic, kalamata olives); #11 (smoked chicken, fontina, grilled onions, pesto); #9 (bresaola, wilted arugula, caramelized onions, pecorino romano); #13 (short ribs, herb roasted mushrooms, taleggio, white truffle oil)

the tyranny of distance

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:21:42 -0500

A version by Bella A Cappella. Okay, I dig the rain slickers and the choreography. I'm sorry, though... maybe the rules of these college choral competitions have evolved over the years but I'm not feeling it. They're an a cappella group with a guitar accompanist? That is made of FAIL.

still a wonderful, magical animal

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:52:53 -0500

Here's today's news from the wonderful world o' bacon:
On a recent episode of Dinner Impossible Michael Symon was making a creamed corn dish which he jazzed up by adding bacon, which he described as his favorite vegetable. (no, that wasn't the episode where he had to cook kosher -- I haven't seen that one yet).

All hail the Holy Church of Bacon. I approve of their message. And, yes, broccoli IS the anti-bacon.

Finally, there's a recipe for bacon cinnamon rolls. I was very excited when I saw a post about this (on Slashfood) but, and this will serve to confirm all my horrible food geek tendencies, much less enthused when I found it called for pop-from-a-can cinnamon rolls. I've been pondering it, though, and I think it'd work from scratch. I'd be inclined to partially cook the bacon first. That'd make sure it got cooked all the way thru while the rolls were baking. Plus you could use some of the bacon fat in with the cinnamon shmear. Yeah, I think it could work. Updates to follow if/when I get around to testing this out.

i forgot to quit my job today

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:31:05 -0500

More jolly news for Triangle beer fans: bottles of 13 Rebels ESB are now on sale in the area. I picked up one (22 oz. size) at the Durm WFM. 13 Rebels, which is brewed by French Broad Brewery in Asheviile, has been available on tap around here for a while but this is the first time I've seen it in bottles.

good times...

i have to stay and make pirate hats

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:32:12 -0500

So, did you know that the Evil League of Evil had a website? Not only that, but they're accepting applications.

(i love the internets)

"a heinous crime, a show of force, a murder would be nice, of course"

lucky just to keep afloat

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:01:55 -0500

Here's a homebrewed ukulele version by the Jack Lords. On the upside: ukuleles. On the downside: over-emoting singer who appears not to have noticed they're in someone's living room. Still, good fun.

i'm not going to describe to you in great detail what a bug looks like

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:02:36 -0500

Man, what a crazy coupla days out there in the world. I could go on and on but instead, I'll just link to one of the best summations I've seen: Scalzi, en fuego.

the classic blunders:
never get involved in a land war in Asia
don't piss off Dave

you see the wrrld by candlelight

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:04:23 -0500

XDU wrrld music top 10 (week ending 21 spt 08)

Repentance :: Lee "Scratch" Perry
In the Seventh Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of his Enemy by Magic :: Kasai All Stars
De Donde Eres :: Cordero
Friends and Countrymen :: Earl Rodney
Living is Hard: West African Music in Britain, 1927-29 :: various
New York City :: Brazilian Girls
Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump :: various
Yerba Buena :: Conjunto Jardin
Silent City :: Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider
Give Me Love: Songs of the Brokenhearted, Baghdad 1925-1929 :: various

this week's video feature: Kasai All Stars

did you order the poster of the banana?

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:48:11 -0500

ZOMG! (as the kids say). Anthony Bourdain speaking in Durham. He'll be at the new DPAC next February. Tix go on sale next week, on 10/1. As I've said before here, Kitchen Confidential is one of the few books I actually re-read, And No Reservations is a must watch when it's on. So I'm way looking forward to this.
w00t!

thunderclap in the sky

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:44:24 -0500

Taking a break from 80s Fest for Covers of "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" Fest. First up, it's Ted Leo & the Pharmacists.

if you feel a burning just have a piece of cake

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:43:07 -0500

More proof that you can find all sorts o' wonderful and amazing things on the intertubes (and, yes, I know that you can also find lots of not-wonderful and ghastly things on the intertubes but that's not what we're talking about at this juncture...) -- Mexican music in 1950s Yugoslavia. Words near to fail me. Such an odd little side-street of history. Big Colbertian tip o' the hat to the research desk at !!Swanhunter Industries for the intel.