Look Around You

In celebration of Beard Season (and guilt), I've decided to make another post!

Look Around You is the most intensely entertaining grade-school-style education program ever to be on the youtubes, so I suggest you give it a stern look, and to mark it down in your copy book. FOR REAL, give it a full episode and you won't regret it. I've seen them before, but I was watching a pretty boring documentary on Maths and couldn't help finding something better to talk about.



The first series is composed of 10-minute episodes on:

• Maths
• Water
• Germs
• Ghosts
• Sulphur
• Music
• Iron
• Brain

While the second series takes the form of six 30-minute popular TV science program, as opposed to an educational narrative. Marginally not as good, but I can be a nitpicker when it comes to quality programs.



I'm also (slowly) working on a couple of other pieces for this blog, including more book reviews and recommended comics. For instance - you should totally read Asterios Polyp!

Venture Bros.! Always Sunny!

Ah, the fall TV season, when I ignore everything the networks put out until they've proven themselves and turn to FX for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. While in recent seasons the show has proven to be a bit more hit and miss than it's early episodes, my confidence in the writing and the cast stands unwavering.

But wait! Extra bonus for us this September as The Venture Bros. has started airing the second half of it's fourth season! This show has proven time and again to be one of the strongest cartoons ever written and with more character depth and development than most of the works of fiction I come into contact with. A show this rich in continuity and with such a feeling of advancement for the characters is so rare that I treasure every time that it's on. Especially since at its most basic level it's just a parody of Jonny Quest. Can't wait for more - in fact, I think I'll just rewatch all of it.

Movies!

So, ever since I started getting my movie rentals for free, I stopped watching movies. I can't really explain it - I mean, I don't avoid movies, and as a child I watched everything that was on HBO - but I probably take in maybe 10-20 new (to me) movies a year. So it probably won't be too often that I review any here, but I actually happened to take in a couple last week.

JCVD (2008)

The title's acronym refers to it's star, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Known for his over the top action film (Bloodsport, Time Cop) as well as his personal problems off the screen, this movie makes an interesting premise: have the actor play himself as he is taken hostage in a bank robbery. JCVD is an out-of-work actor, low on money, and losing custody of his children due to past drug abuse - the whole thing is affecting, self-effacing, and even humorous at times.

Bad Lieutenant (1992)

Harvey Keitel is the titled Lieutenant - a drug-and-power abusing, gambling, brutal man. The movie is a fascinating 90 minutes of watching Keitel takes this character to it's extremes, and as he starts to unravel as he is affected by a crime both brutal beyond his own personal scope and which touches upon his character's last shred of faith and humanity.

I would definitely recommend both. Enjoy

What I've Been Watching:

Life After People

History Channel show depicting the decay of our world if humans were to disappear from the planet. It doesn't try to speculate what happened (mass extinction/mass exodus/etc.), it's more of a showcase of both urban blight and the extent and decay of the constraints that modern man uses to manipulate nature. The show is presented as a timeline extending from the disappearance of humans and highlights times when catastrophic events due to the disappearance occur. Each episode also features an actual modern abandoned area and the extent of it's decay, from an amusement park closed barely a decade ago to Hindu temples, similar to Angkor Wat, that were deserted six-hundred years ago. Utterly fascinating.

True Blood

Alright, yeah, I watch some trash tv too, and True Blood is possibly the trashiest. 9/10ths of the characters/cast are insufferable, particularly the leads, and probably half to 3/4ths of the plots are terrible. I couldn't/wouldn't really recommend this show to anyone, but I've kept up with it despite my own problems with it, so that probably says something. I do enjoy extensive mythologies though, and hidden underneath this there may just be one hidden, and they spend 5-10 minutes of every episode taunting me in that they may just delve into it. For the fans, here's my review of this current 3rd season: the only bits worth watching have been anything concerning Eric and Russell -  any time either are on screen, the show is suddenly worth watching. I don't think you'd miss much if you just fast-forwarded through the rest.

Maybe I'm just waiting for the next, actually good, HBO show to start up again - I think Eastbound & Down is coming back on soon.

Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible

Heck Yeah! Each episode, theoretical Physicist/Futurist Dr. Michio Kaku a takes classic Science Fiction scenario/technology and tries to use modern science (and technology known to be on the horizon) to show the possibilities. Check out some vignettes from the show if you want to get an idea what I'm talking about.

Fall in love with the carbon nanotube! Learn how to blow up the planet! Become invisible! Travel through time! Find out why the flying saucer is a silly design for a spaceship!

Dinner Tonight

Lime-cilantro flounder with teriyaki rice. Pretty solid!

...accompanied by a Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin ale, which was an even better decision

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I just finished this, so I'll get my thoughts down while it's still fresh.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a bit of a phenomenon. For those who haven't heard of it, it's a Swedish mystery novel published in 2005 after the author, Stieg Larsson's, death in 2004,. Two subsequent novels have been published - The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, exhausting the backlog of books left behind after the death. It has slowly caught fire internationally, originally published in America in 2008. By this year it's been making the book discussion group rounds at the libraries, and it has a film being made by David Fincher (of Seven and Fight Club fame). It was even recommended by a few people whose opinions I respect, which is a rare enough thing in and of itself, so I decided to give it a shot.

Ultimately, with all the above, it couldn't really live up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, this was a totally decent novel, and an fine entry into the mystery genre, but there was very little striking about it. Larsson was a journalist for many years before dabbling in fiction, and he dealt often with Sweden's extreme right and racist groups, and particularly with the remnants and current dealings of Swedish Nazis. While touched upon, there ends up being very little of this interesting subject in the novel. The Swedish title of the novel, Men who Hate Women (which I didn't hear until after finishing the novel), gives a much better idea on the content of the book.

In the end: I liked it enough, and I'll probably read the sequels, though I'm in no rush. This is a novel I'd recommend to mystery readers and avid fiction readers - it's got to be better then that next James Patterson novel you're going to read - but this won't be a "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW" moment for me. Next on the reading list - The Raw Shark Texts - though I'll probably post some novels that have been important to me before then.

What I've Been Watching:

So, since I can't be bothered to be restrained by television schedules, I acquire any shows I'd like to watch and view at my leisure via a system of shared data many call "the internet". I only really watch while falling asleep at night, so I don't tend to watch a lot unless I find something to obsess over.

Here's what's been on the docket over the past week or two:

Life (BBC version)
Incredible hi-def series of nature documentaries. Filmed over three years and often shot with high-speed cameras, it contains some of the most unique footage ever to be shown. I tend to prefer BBC documentaries because the narration is unquestionable better.

The reptiles episode has been my favorite of the ones I've seen so far - and here's a picture of a Jesus Lizard running on water!

Hard Knocks (Jets)
HBO's fly-on-the-wall series covering an NFL training camp. This year they're covering my team, the New York Jets and their loudmouth, cursing-a-blue-streak, always entertaining coach, Rex Ryan.

Sherlock
Another BBC series, updating the old Sherlock Holmes stories for the modern era. Starring Martin Freeman (Tim from the UK's version of The Office) as Watson, and a man with the most British name I've ever heard, Benedict Cumberbatch, as Holmes.

Book Review: The Gone-Away World

 Nick Harkaway, son of famed spy novelist John le Carre, steps out of his father's shadow with this unique book. I, for one, can't think of another book that combines the elements of kung-fu, mimes, philosophy, anti-corporatism, and the end of the world so deftly and engagingly. Basically, if you're looking for a science-fiction fantasy/comedy/epic, this is the book for you. I'd say more, but that'd start giving things away, and the description I've given would've sold me on it already.

An Ignored Blog, a New Purpose

So, I've kinda been ignoring this for some time. I've really wanted to keep it up, but the constraints that I put on myself with it's purpose haven't been inspiring me like I hoped it would. It doesn't help that the things I wanted to "create" cost money, and I've been tapped out ever since I moved into my current place. Also, I hated the fact that whenever I posted onto my music blog I'd count it as my activity for the day, so I'd just post a link over there. Everyone who subscribes to this blog is probably already reading that one, so it just felt like a cop-out and needless.

So, what have I been doing with my time? Well, a lot of reading, watching BBC documentaries, catching up on other television I find interesting, some videogames, being frustrated that my roommates never clean, looking for new jobs but rarely sending out resumes, feeling superior, and generally just trying to find purpose in it all.

I like writing, though. I want to do more of it, and I think this is the place to start it up.

From now on, I'm going to run this like a regular blog of my various activities. I'll focus on reviewing the various bits of culture I'm consuming at a rapid rate, and to make sure I keep track of anything I bother creating. Depending how bored I get at work, I'll probably get a couple book reviews up in the next few days. I've got two more brewing adventures to discuss and a third coming up as soon as I'm in the same room as my roommate Paul for more than an hour. Trying new things with food is one of the things I'm most fascinated with, but I've never really learned to shop for say, a week instead of for a single recipe, so it gets a little too expensive to do anything interesting - but I have had a few deep frying adventures lately, so I'll try to document them.

Well, here we go.

Day 24:

Hey guys, if anyone still wants to submit a Robomonk label design, can we get that finished up? I'm looking to apply the rest of the labels on before next weekend (probably Thursday), so if you guys miss the deadline it was all for naught.

Day 23

Moving to Ship Bottom for the summer! Possibly longer if I can sort out a better job for myself

Also, dinner tonight was pretty:


Grilled veal chop with port wine reduction and mashed potatoes.

Day 22:

Boo-yah

Day 21:

Bleeaarrggghhh

Day 20:

Printed out 1 of each label and put them on the bottles! I'll put up pics when I get around to it, but it was pretty simple.

Everything I've read from other homebrewers has told me that actual sticker labels don't serve our purpose well and are hard to get off, so I just used straight-up paper. Of course, when dealing with paper you still need an adhesive. Milk, surprisingly enough, is actually really good for this. It's due to the water-soluble proteins already in it. Think about an unwashed glass of milk - after you drink the contents, a sort of milk-haze still rings the glass, clinging on. This is the drying protein from the milk, and it will stay on there as long as you let it. What makes this perfect for labeling my bottles is the water-soluble properties - they'll wash right off, leaving our nice thick glass bottles ready for reuse.

Day 19:

Woo! I don't think I'm going to touch this further until I get a better image for the center, but I do think I'll put this on at least one bottle.

Edit: The Schrader version -

Day 18:

Mr. Christopher Errico has provided a stab at the robomonk label design, and I like it - makes it look less matte. Of course, the real test will be when a bottle is out of the fridge for a couple hours
and covered in condensation.

Also, I have my mock-up drawing of my latest center portrait - I'm aware it's poor, but it's something, and I haven't seen you come up with better



Just, uh, imagine that what he's wearing is like a monk's tunic or something

Day 17:

Drew up a picture of a robot monk destroying a city, mecha-godzilla style - it's no good, but I really want something complete for the first opened bottle. I have no idea what I'm doing, especially with figure drawing and perspective, so the Monk is very 2D, think heiroglyphicish. I'll post it when I get to a scanner. In other beer news, I checked up on the bottles today and they are carbonated! I'm very tempted to put one in the fridge to try it out, but I'm managing to hold off for now.

Today I also started cleaning my room! This'll be an ongoing process - I have a godawful amount of stuff (clothes, mainly) that need to be gotten rid of - but I'm going to try to use the extra space for some projects. These projects may even involve carpentry. Which, based on the table I made in 7th grade woodshop, may be a terrible idea! More on them if I ever get around to them.

Addendum:

Here's my potential template for Girliebrängue labels - I went through a few trials before I found a layout I like, but I think this one's alright. Admittedly, I'm clearly not a graphic designer, and I bet -hint hint- that anyone with any experience at all would be able to come up with something more desirable.

What I like - Strong lines, the primary color scheme, stylized portrait hole.
What I'd like - A more interesting way to blend it all, colors that aren't just applied with a fill tool, fancier but not effete, an actual design in the center

Days 12-16:

Ugh, I've been doing stuff, don't worry.

12: More work on the Girliebrangue label design - I'll post some prelims when I get home

13: Tuna Salad Croquette sandwiches- My normal Tuna Salad (canned tuna, olive oil, red onions (in this case it was shallots), celery, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, mayo, mustard) combined with egg and panko bread crumbs - shaped into discs and pan-fried until golden. I used Martin's Hamburger Rolls for the bread, but I think these would be better served by a hearty kaiser roll. Pretty good! I shaped them too big and fried them too quickly so they weren't heated all the way through, but if I made them smaller I'd make more meals and they'd be pretty delicious.

14-16: Blooooooog

Day 11:

Work Work Work

Created an entire new syllabus for one of the computer classes that I inherited from another instructor. I hate teaching from powerpoints, and I prefer a much more open-ended approach to addressing the material.

Day 10:

Verdict: Iced coffee was delicious! Gotta try the condensed milk, or at least make a simple syrup to put that little bit of sugar I like in

Later: BBQ!

Day 9:

I'm brewing some homemade iced coffee.

1/3 c fresh grounds
1 1/2 c cold water

Let steep for 12 hours or overnight at room temperature. Mix 1-to-1 with water in a cup full of ice, milk/cream as desired. I really wish there was an actual coffee roaster around here, but for the time being I'm pretty happy with the beans from Surf City Coffee Shop/How You Brewin/Genuardis. If this turns out well, I'll probably increase the batch and just have it there in the fridge for as long as I like.

Also if it turns out well, I'll buy some condensed milk and try out something like thai iced tea.

Day 8:

Ditto

Day 7:

Took the Easter weekend off, if you don't mind. Nothing much today, just another music blog post.

Day 6:

Apfelwein! Basically the German version of our hard cider, except not so cloyingly sweet. $20 in ingredients for 2 cases of 8.5% abv beverage!

Should be ready in 4 weeks

~Pat

Day 5:

More beer stuff. Been teaching myself photoshop and gimp to try and guss up some fancy labels. I mainly want to finish up the brewery seal and write up some flavor text describing the beer. Whenever I finish up a product I'm happy with I'll post it here, but I couldn't tell you when that'll be.

Also: Breaking Bad is the best show that ever existed, you should watch all of it.

For example:

Day 4:

Last night I threw together a spreadsheet for the nascent brewing company started by me, Don, and Johnson. The Girliebrängue Brewing Co.'s first product, RoboMonk, was bottled on March 25th, and is a Belgian-style dubbel with about 6.8% abv. We're still looking for label designs, so if anyone's willing to give it a shot, there's a 22 oz. bottle of our brew in it for you!

Day 3:

Started taking photos again! Sticking with the camera in my phone at the moment, but I might pick up a cheapish digital somewhere along the way - lacking a flash, a constant soft blur, and no real options really limits what I can do with it. This was yesterday, I'll catch up and finish something later for today.

Day 2:

Today I made a checklist of daily health and wellness goals, keeping track of what I'm eating, how much I'm running, even what and how much I'm reading. Maybe I'll get myself actually organized one of these days... probably not.


Also, another music blog post!

Day 1:

Music Blog!

I've been thinking about doing this forever, with my main concern being that I wouldn't update consistently enough to really keep the idea going. Now I'll bet I'll update it just to get an easy out for my daily creation. Man, I wish I was a better writer - maybe I'll get better with practice, or maybe I just need an album that I'm more authoritative of.

~Pat

And thus...

It begins. Driven by my own disgust at my growing malaise, a future that seems as grim as The Wrens' Meadowlands but with less girls, and inspiration from Chris Errico's blogs, I have created this pet project.

Create 1 thing a day.

That's it, that's all I have to do. And I'm not restricting what that can mean: physical creations, recording, writings, food - just put something forth every day.

Anyone who knows me knows I've got a pretty big ego when it comes to my intellect. Well, it's time that I started showing something for it. My pie-in-the-sky style hopes for this project is that I keep it up for one year. Realistically, I want to keep this up and going for at least one month, I think that's a goal I can achieve.

Well, I'm not going to count this as the first thing, so I'd better get started!

~Pat