Round Up

Cinema
Good – Match Point
Bad – The Squid and the Whale
Fugly – Interview with the Vampire

Previews
Monster House
An American Haunting
Simpsons Movie
Apocalypto
Somersault
Nacho Libre
An Inconvenient Truth
Brick
Lady in the water
Happy Feet
The Zodiac

Cellar
Red – Elliston 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon
White – Chouinard Chenin Blanc 2003 Monterey
Sparkling – Krug Grand Cuvee

Less Stem

When H (and now J&J) use stemless barware, I know they are ahead of the trend curve and I must hop on the D-train before the peasants get on. I do think (after much consideration) that there is some logic in the use of this. We traditionally use thick blown glass tumblers as a standard for casual evening meals. It is easy, convenient and I am able to fit them into the dishwasher. Stemmed glasses are probably best for special occasions and white-linen restaurants. To combine the convenience of a tumbler and the benefits of a wine orb, stemless barware is here to stay and swirl.

Ay Caramba

We're tasting champagnes today. To go with bubbles, I love some nibbly bits -

Horchata
An old world drink, it was brought over by Spaniards and enjoyed by the Aztecs. Spaniards substituted melon seeds with readily available squash seeds. Later almonds and rice were incorporated into its current iteration.

• Pulverize 6 tbs rice to a smooth grind and add 1 1/4C blanched almonds, 1 inch cinnamon stick and 3 2" strips of lime zest. Let this stand overnight (minimally 6 hours)
• Blend for 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Add 2C cold water and reblend
• Line a sieve with 3 layers of damp cheesecloth and pour in the mixture through this into a large mixing bowl, stirring all the time. Twist remaindered fluid out of it and discard
• Add 2 more cups of water and stir in loads of sugar (I use demerara sugar) to taste. Add water if the mixture is too thick.
• Cover and refrigerate (keeps for days in the fridge). Serve in a tall glass over ice

Pupusa

• Mix 2C masa harina and 1C warm water, and knead well in a large bowl
• Knead in more water, one tablespoonful at a time, to make it moist yet firm (Down, boy)
• Roll dough into a log and cut into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a ball
• Press a hole in each ball with your thumb and stuff with desired filling
• Fold over the dough to completely enclose it and press out wiht your palm to make a disc
• Ensure that the filling does not spill out. I use a mixture of gruyere and fontina with cilantro and roasted pignoli nuts (sometimes walnuts) with sultanas
• Line a tortilla press with plastic and press out each ball to 6" wide by /14" thick (I place between clingywrap and roll out with a rolling pin)
• Heat an ungreased skillet over high heat
• Cook each pupusa for 1-2 minutes on each side until brown and blistered
• Remove to a plate and cover until all are done
• They are typically served with a Salvadoran slaw (shredded cabbage, minced scallion and crumbled oregano with red pepper flakes in a white wine vinaigrette). Add a pinch of demerara sugar and lemonseen oil to taste

Tamales:

I first made them at J's house at Christmas time. We tempered an entire Saturday's worth of tamale making assembly line (her entire family and F's too!) with loads of tempranillo and tequila. I learnt quickly to buy the masa harina instead of making it. Also that corn shucks were critical!

• Pick up a shuck, lay it across the palm ofyour hand and smear 1/2C of the masa on the shuck. Point the small (sharp) end away from you
• Cover the left 2/3 and the bottom 2/3 of the shuck with masa. Leave the top and side uncovered so you can fold it up later.
• This is a messy operation so get people to join you and work en masse (en masa? groan) until you have covered a dozen shucks.
• Take 1 tbs filling (I use cheddar and marinated artichoke heads) and lay it 1" from the left edge. Starting on the left (where the masa goes all the way to the edge), roll the tamale all the way to the right. Now fold the top of the shuck like an envelope and lay tamale on the counter with the fold on the underside. Roll an entire batch. Now drink some tequila. Be sure to periodically taste the filling, purely for quality control purposes.
• To cook the tamales, use a large pot that has a device to keep the tamales out of the water while they steam. You can use a steamer, pressure cooker or a pasta pot. Add loads of water and then stack tamales until full. The envelope end will be on the bottom and the open end on the top. Pack in tight so they do not fall over or begin to unfold when steaming
• Bring to a boil and simmer to cook for at least 2 hours. Add water (check periodically) as you do not want to boil dry. To check, take out one (just one) tamale and leave it on the counter for 5 minutes. When you unwrap it, it should be firm with no raw masa.
• When done, remove all of them and let them cool on the counter. Put in freezer bags (if you vacuum seal them, they will stay up to a year) but I typically find they are gone within the week so this is not exactly an issue at the SVilla.

Salsa Verde

• Remove dry paper skins from tomatillos and coarsely puree uncooked tomatillos (1lb), 2 smal ancho chilis, 1/4C chopped green onions and 1C fresh cilantro with 1 peeled garlic, dash of lemon juice, 1 tsp sugar and salt to season.

Tomato Salsa

• Chop 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes (destemmed, finel diced)
• Remove stems, ribs and seeds of 1 jalapeno and 1 serano chili pepper. Finely dice. Do not touch these with your hands. I use industrial gloves. I cry loads. You can use a fork to cut up the chilis over a small plate and then use a paper towel to protect your hands. Set aside some seeds to add later for more "heat"
• Combine tomatoes and chillis with half a red onion (finely diced), juice of one lime, 1/2C chopped cilantro, oregano and cumin to taste. You can also add salt and pepper, I prefer to add paprika and nutmeg.
• Mix gently in a medium bowel. If too hot, add chopped tomato. If not so much, add chili seeds or (I prefer) ground cumin. Let sit for an hour (I prefer overnight) to combine

Fried Ice Cream

• Place six scoops of 1/2C each of ice cream (I use Jamocha) in a small pan and freeze for an hour.
• Combine 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla in a small mixing bowel.
• In a pie plate combine 4/5 C sweetened corn flakes (or crushed rice crisp cereal) – this is SO not Melting Moments, my first cooking experiment in fifth grade!
• Dip each frozen ice cream ball in egg mixture and then in cereal mixture. Return coate dballs to pan and freeze one hour until firm. Reserve remaining cereal mixture. Cover and chill remaining egg mixture.
• Remove coates ice cream ball from freezer and repeat double dipping Cover and freeze for several hours (I prefer overnight: who has the time to do this after work on a Friday?)
• Fry frozen ice cream balls 91 to 2 at a time) in deep hot oil at 350 degrees in deep frying pan for 15 seconds or until golden brown. Drain a few seconds and then return to freezer while frying remainder. Serve immediately with ice cream topping. I use that gooey Hershey's chocolate and keep it simple. I toss a few canned lychees as garnish as I served lychee margarita

Week in Wine

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
2005 Charles Krug Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($17)
2004 Courtney Benham Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($14)
2004 Duckhorn Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($25)
2005 Girard Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
2005 Grgich Hills Napa Valley Fumé Blanc ($25)
2005 Groth Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($18)
2004 Markham Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($14)
2004 Mason Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($16)
2005 Robert Pecota L’Artiste Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
2005 St. Supery Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($19)
2005 Sterling Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
2005 Two Wives Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)

Shanghai Tea
INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces Hennessey XO Cognac
1 ounce brewed green tea
1 ounce Pomegranate juice
1 splash fresh lime juice
1 lime wedge, for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice and add all of the ingredients. Shake for approximately 15 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Add the garnish.

Ad Aware

The current highly aggressive campaign by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago has come in for some heavy criticism. I imagine the creators are attempting to highlight the jarring disconnect between glossy trendy images (each image targets a behavior; for example, the sample one to your left addresses barebacking, the increasingly dangerous practice of unsafe sex) and the tragedy of emerging virulent medication resistant strains of HIV. AIDS awareness has been eclipsed by more trendy disorders as it is no longer viewed as a cataclysmic plague: you go to a benefit dinner, drop a few hundred, shake hands with a minor celebrity (“I was on Celebrity Survivor”) and politely clap when the drag queen gets his kit off. For those who think the series of print ads glamorizes AIDS, I think they are wrong – stylish people should know that trends don’t last forever. AIDS, herpes and breast cancer, like diamonds, are forever.

Railway Tea

M liked my Railway Tea. Incorrectly known Stateside as Bombay tea, it was advocated by the colonial English as a safe way of sustaining thirst while on the most expansive rail system in the Indian subcontinent. Boiling would kill diarrheogenic bugs, it was hoped.

For a quart of Railway tea, bring to a boil 2 cups still water, 4 whole cloves, 1 stick of cinnamon, 4 cardamom pods (cracked open) and a few sprigs of lemon grass. Let stand as long as possible and then add 1/4C loose black tea (I use orange pekoe or bergamot-flavored Earl Gray). The equivalent is 4 tea bags, and let steep. Then add 2C fat free milk and heat but do not boil. If you boil, it creams on the surface and burns at the edges. Not good. Strain and add 4 tbs of single blossom honey. Stir and simmer. Serve piping hot.

Web Travel

Most Popular Travel Websites (by traffic)

1. Travelocity
2. Fodors
3. Expedia
4. Yahoo! Travel
5. Lonely Planet
6. Discovery Travel
7. About.com Travel
8. Cnn.com Travel
9. Excite Travel
10. NYT Travel
11. Travelpage
12. Internet Travel Network
13. Travel
14. Budget Travel Online
15. Travelweb
16. World Travel Guide
17. HotelsTravel
18. Cheaptickets
19. Rec. Travel Library
20. Travel Source

Earth Shattering

Top Ten Things you can do on Earth Day to preserve the Blue Ball

1. Change your light bulbs! There are now highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light. Look for the government's ENERGY STAR label, which means the bulb has been tested for quality and efficiency. While each ENERGY STAR qualified bulb will cost more initially – anywhere from $3 to $9 a piece – remember that there are two price tags: what you pay at the register and what you pay in energy costs to over the bulb's lifetime. While CFLs were harder to find a few years ago, they're now widely available and much more affordable. You'll find them at major home improvement and hardware stores – even grocery and some convenience stores. Turn off unneeded lights, dim lights when you can and bring natural sunlight into your home when it is feasible
2. Drive your car differently – or drive a different car. My car emits as much CO2 as my entire house. Anything you can do to improve the fuel efficiency of your car will have an enormous impact on climate change. Paying attention to fuel efficiency in your car may be the single biggest thing you can do to prevent global warming. Buying a fuel-efficient car (like a Hybrid) is wonderful. In fact, replacing your gas-guzzling car with a fuel-efficient one is by far the best thing you can do, out of all your choices. But not all of us can do that – at least, not right now. Carmakers haven't sold enough hybrids in the U.S. yet to make them as affordable as they should be. Drive less. Every year, Americans as a whole drive more miles than they did the year before. Telecommuting and public transportation are great options – once a week saves a ton of CO2 a year — but even piling multiple errands into one trip helps. If you can walk instead of drive, even better. Get your car tuned up. Just a simple tune-up often improves fuel efficiency by half. If 100,000 of us went out and got a tune up, we save 124,000 tons of CO2. Slow down, don't race your car's engine, and watch your idling. All of these save on gas (saving you money) and have a big impact on burning gasoline. Horribly inefficient SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks now make up more than half of the cars on American roads. The real tragedy is that automakers could double the current average fuel efficiency of SUVs if they wanted to, which would save 70 tons of CO2 per car. The technology exists.
3. The house – not too hot, not too cold!e Half of your household energy costs go towards just two things – heating and cooling. Small changes make dramatic improvements in household fuel efficiency. Older heating and cooling systems are a third less efficient than the new systems. So replacing the old with the new is a wonderful idea, but not very practical for most of us. Tune up your heating system. This one thing every couple of years can reduce your heating costs by 10 percent a year. Clean vents, close unused vents, and change filters in the vents. Again, just these simple things will save you 10 percent. Buy a programmable thermostat, which can regulate different temperatures at different times of the day. And if you have one, use it! Right now, three-quarters of people who have programmable thermostats don't use them at all. Add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and two degrees in winter. If everyone did this, the cumulative impact is significant. Make sure windows and doors are sealed. Avoid air conditioners at all. Ceiling fans, instead of AC, can reduce your cooling costs by more than half.
4. Tame the refrigerator monster! The single biggest consumer of electricity in the average household, responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity I use each month. Older refrigerators, as a rule, are far less efficient than the newest ones – as much as 50 percent more efficient in many cases. Don't set the thermostat too high. Even 1 degree will make a big difference. If your refrigerator is near a heating vent, or always in the sun, then change the location, cover up the heat vent near it or drape the window. Turn on your "energy saver" switch near the thermostat. Clean the condenser coil. This one, very simple thing can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator by a third. Get rid of your second refrigerator. If you don't need it, don't waste the energy. Make sure the doors seal properly, and keep the cool in.
5. Twist the knobs on your other household appliances. The other big users of energy in your household are your hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher. Each, in its own way, can be inefficient. Either turn the hot water heater down a couple of degrees, or turn on the "energy conservation" setting. Buy insulation for your hot water heater at a local store and insulate the pipes as well. Install a timer on your water heater to turn off at night and just before you wake up in the morning. When possible, wash a few dishes by hand. Over time, that will save a few loads in the dishwasher, conserving energy. Don't pre-rinse dishes. Today's detergents are powerful enough to do the job. Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher. Wash clothes in warm water, not hot. The clothes will be just as clean, and you'll cut energy use by 50 percent. Don't over-dry your clothes. That will save 15 percent.
6. Green plants with less water, more trees to provide shade. While it is true that planting more trees will help in the short term because they essentially soak up carbon, they also release carbon dioxide when they die. So it just postpones the problem. But there are other reasons to plant trees – as wind breaks to save energy, and as shade to lower cooling costs. And even the short-term help while we get our act together is a good thing. As for plants, do everything you can in your yard and garden to create ways in which plants use less water. Choose hardier plants, plant things in groups that need more water and put in mulch to help keep moisture in. When you mow your grass, make sure you do it smartly – with sharp blades, and only when the grass needs cutting. Finally, make sure you water your lawn sparingly.
7. Buy Green Energy, and invest in green energy stocks. Many utilities now give consumers the option to buy "green power." Learn the truth about nuclear power and natural gas as viable "green" options. They aren't. Radioactive waste will be a problem for tens of thousands of years into the future, and natural gas kicks out almost as much CO2 as coal and oil. Natural gas can help us make a transition, but it isn't the solution. If you invest, invest in green stocks and renewable energy companies through socially responsible funds.
8. Go organic. American farmers still spray a billion pounds of pesticides to protect crops each year. When chemical pesticides are used to kill pests, they also kill off microorganisms that keep carbon contained in the soil. When the microorganisms are gone, the carbon is released into the atmosphere as CO2. And when those organisms are gone, the soil is no longer naturally fertile and chemical fertilizers become a necessity, not a luxury. Besides going organic – thereby saving the carbon release from soil – eat locally grown food. If the food doesn't have to travel far, there's less CO2 from the trucks that ship it. Eat fruits and vegetables in season. Plant your own vegetable garden. It's not as hard as you might think.
9. Buy recycled. It takes less energy to manufacture a recycled product than a brand new one. So if you and every other consumer buy recycled, you'll help create a market, and conserve energy along the way. Because many manufacturers don't go out of their way to tout their recycled products, you should know that aluminum and tin cans, glass containers, and pulp cardboard have a fair amount of recycled content. Recycled is often considerably cheaper than non-recycled, so it's cost-effective as well as conservation-minded. For instance, recycled paper can be as much as a third cheaper than non-recycled paper. Finally, before you buy, check to see if the product or its packaging can be recycled. The recyclable logo (three arrows forming a triangle) is fairly common now.
10. Be a minimalist. We know it's difficult, but in today's consumer economy, an easy way to conserve energy is to simply use – and buy — less. Every time you buy something, energy has gone into getting that product to you. So the less you buy, the more you save energy-wise.This may, in fact, be the single biggest way to make a dent in the global warming problem. Buying less things – some of which you just don't need – changes the energy equation across the board, on every single consumer product. If everyone used less, the impact would be large indeed.

Some specific tips:

• Buy in bulk. In short, bulk items use less packaging, which translates into less energy.
• Buy one of something, not 21 of something.
• Go through your closet. Donate or recycle what you really don't need, then make a pledge not to replace everything you just got rid of.
• Buy quality products that will last longer. Over time, you'll obviously buy fewer products that way.
• Be creative in what you use for work, play and leisure. You don't always have to buy new products for activities. Re-use in creative ways.

Happy Earth Day to you

Storing Wine

Wall & Ceiling Framing:

• Build wine cellar walls using standard 2” x 4” or 2” x 6” construction methods and ceiling joist following the guidelines of local and state codes in your area.
• The thicker the walls, the better the insulation factor, the better the cellar remains at a consistent temperature.

Vapor Barrier:

• Vapor barrier is REQUIRED if a climate control cooling unit is installed to keep the cellar at the correct temperature.
• The 6 mm plastic sheeting is applied to the hot side of the cellar walls. The vapor barrier must be either applied to the outside walls and ceiling, or if it is impossible to get to the outside, then the plastic must be applied from within the cellar.
• The most common method is to wrap the entire interior, leaving the plastic loose in the stud cavity so the insulation can be placed between each stud. All walls and ceiling must be wrapped in plastic for a complete vapor barrier.

Insulation:

• Insulation is REQUIRED if a climate control cooling unit is going to be used. The R-value or thickness of insulation is determined by the thickness of the walls and ceiling. For example, fiberglass insulation of R13 is designed to be used in a 2” x 4” wall and R19 is used in a 2” x 6” wall. It is important to use the correct insulation for the wall thickness. A minimum of R13 should be applied to the walls of a cellar. R19 to R30 is recommended in the ceiling.
• Standard “Fiberglass” or “Rigid Foam” insulation is normally used in cellar construction, or in some cases, blown in insulation is used. It is very important that all walls and ceiling be insulated to keep the cellar temperature as consistent as possible during the summer and winter months.

Wall & Ceiling Coverings:

• The interior wall and ceiling covering is determined by the decor theme of the cellar. Often times drywall (green board) is applied, then painted (always use latex paint) to match a color theme of the cellar.
• Most commonly used is cedar or redwood (depending of the racking materials) tongue and groove material applied to the walls and ceiling. This T&G 1” x 4” paneling is the same wood species as the racking material, which makes for a very uniform look throughout the cellar. Stone or granite is also used as a wall covering material.

Cellar Doors:

• If a cooling system is installed, an exterior grade (1¾”) door must be installed as a cellar door. It is very important that weather stripping is attached to all 4 sides of the doorjamb. A bottom “sweep” or threshold is also recommended. The door must have a very good seal to keep the cool cellar air from escaping out of the cellar.
• One of the most common problems with cooling units running continually is due to not sealing the door properly. Solid core doors or doors with a full glass insert are most often used. Glass doors must have at least double pane-tempered glass.

Flooring:

• All types of flooring are used in cellars. Most commonly used is slate, tile, marble, or vinyl.
• NEVER USE CARPET. Carpet will mold and mildew in the cool, damp climate conditions of a cellar. As with the case of wall coverings, flooring is normally chosen to match the overall decor colors of the cellar.
• The flooring should be applied to a level surface. It is best not to apply base trim or moldings to the walls behind the racking.

Lighting:

• Lighting a wine cellar is an important part of the overall cellar decor. “Air Lock” recessed ceiling lights are the most popular. These should be put on dimmer switches to control brightness.
• In most cases, these are used as the main lights within the cellar. Also popular are various display lights to accent different areas of the cellar. Some cellar contractors offer display “rope” lighting that is specially designed and built to fit into the display angle of individual bottle racking.
• Different types of spotlights are used to highlight picture openings, table areas, or large format display bottles. It is recommended that all lighting be on a timer system so they can’t be left on for long periods of time. Lights cause excess heat and will cause the cooling equipment to over work itself.

Climate Controlled Systems:

• If a climate controlled cellar is required, we can provide cooling equipment to properly keep the cellar at constant temperature about 55-58° F and humidity at 50%-70%. For cellars less than 2000 cubic feet in size, there are two main types of units: “Through The Wall” systems and “Split Systems”.
• For larger cellars, some cellar contractors provide commercial refrigeration equipment that must be installed by a certified refrigeration expert.
• Consider purchasing a system with a larger capacity to compensate for the design limitations. Passive cellars are rooms that are built below ground level. The natural ground temperature will be consistent at about 55° F to protect your wine for long-term storage and no cooling equipment is required.

Ventilation:

• The necessity of dissipating heat away from the system is critical to the units performance. As the unit operates and cools, an equal or greater amount of heat is generated on the exhaust side of the unit.
• Adequate ventilation is required in order to dissipate heat away from the unit. If ventilation is inadequate, the exhaust will heat up and adversely affect the unit’s inability to cool. Also make sure there is a 3 foot horizontal clearance in the front and rear of the unit. This will assure the unit can vent air in an efficient manner.

Mounting the System:

• The cooling system should be mounted at least 18 inches from the top of the room in order to achieve sufficient cooling. As the room cools down, the warm air will rise to the ceiling.
• By mounting the unit high in the room, the system will capture the warm air and cool it creating a cool environment. Mounting the unit low in the room will result in a temperature variation in the room due to the unit’s inability to draw warm air from the ceiling of the cellar to the unit itself.

Ducting:

• The system is designed to exhaust into an open area. Any attempt to ducting the exhaust ports in an effort to redirect airflow is not recommended. The fans of the cooling system are not designed to push air through a restricted duct system. The fans will be over worked and may result in premature failure.

Electrical Needs:

• Most systems require a dedicated 110-volt, 20-amp circuit. The system draws a large amount of amps at initial start up. By designing a dedicated circuit breaker, you will guarantee the system has enough power to run efficiently. Contact your electrician for installation of this dedicated electrical circuit. As with any sensitive electrical equipment, purchase a surge protector because the circuitry may be damaged by power surges and spikes.

Wine Racking:

• Standard wine racks are made in All Heart Redwood. This soft wood is very resistant to rot in the cool, damp environment of a cellar. Mahogany wood can be used as well, but costs more than the Redwood.
• Choose one over the other due to matching decor colors in the cellar design. Mahogany is a hardwood and more of a brownish tone, whereas redwood is a smooth wood with more of a reddish, darker tone.

Week in Wine

Washington Merlot
2002 Forgeron Columbia Valley Merlot ($27)
2003 Helix Columbia Valley Merlot ($20)
2003 L'Ecole No 41 Columbia Valley Merlot ($30)
2003 L'Ecole No 41 Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Merlot ($37)
2004 Leonetti Columbia Valley Merlot ($60)
2003 Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot ($41)
2003 Pedestal Columbia Valley Merlot ($55)
2003 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Valley Merlot ($45)
2002 Sandhill Red Mountain Merlot ($20)
2002 Seven Hills Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Merlot ($30)
2002 Snoqualmie Reserve Columbia Valley Merlot ($23)
2004 Tamarack Cellars Columbia Valley Merlot ($28)

Merlot in a Box!
2004 Banrock Station South Eastern Australia Merlot ($18; 3 liters)
2003 Black Box Wines California Merlot ($18; 3 liters)
NV Black Box Wines Sonoma County Merlot ($24; 3 liters)
2004 Delicato Family Vineyards California Merlot ($7)
2004 Delicato Family Vineyards California Merlot ($18; 3 liters)
2004 Fusee California Merlot ($6)
2004 La Francesca Delle Venezie Merlot ($7)
2004 McManis Family Vineyards California Merlot ($10)
2004 Monterra Monterey County Merlot ($9)
2003 3 blind moose California Merlot ($10)

Miro Cull

Joan Miró was born in Barcelona. He was a surrealist painter and sculptor who experimented with broken forms of cubism, the two-dimensionality of Catalaan folk art and Romanesque church frescoes of his native Spain. His paintings are organized against flat neutral backgrounds, utilizing a limited range of very bright colors (blue, red, yellow, green and black). Amorphous amebiforms alternate with sharply drawn lines, spots, and curlicues, cluttered without a care. His ceramic murals for the UNESCO building in Paris are fabulous. He died on Christmas Day.

Online Date

I now realize nearly every singleton I know is dating online, using the HurryDate (or clone) system or Table-for-Six (the $3000 deal for finding you a date). So if you finally get to chatting online, what are the next steps you have to take?

1. Early in the online conversation, get them to tell you their name.
2. Make sure you see a recent picture with their face in it. Disembodied pictures are so circa 2001
3. Before you meet up face-to-face, talk on the phone. Increase your comfort level
4. After chatting up on the phone but before the meeting, consider keeping in touch to build rapport, such as via email or txt msg
5. If you’re meeting at their place, get their post-code first and full address and cellular before you set off. Avoid the dodgy neighborhoods.
6. If it is sex you are after and you have met somewhere private, take off your shirt within 150 milliseconds after meeting.
7. Do not compromise on more than one of items (1) through (5)

Speed dating tips

1. Arrive on time and wear something comfortable: celebrate yourself. Vomit. Are you kidding me? Be the best hottest you you have ever been. And wear jeans that show off your butt.
2. People vary in their confidence to make conversation. Mix up your questions so you do not ask everyone the same set: that can only get confusing. Ask more so you can listen more. People love to talk, but love it more if they think you are listening. Pretend. Nod frequently. Uh-huh is even better. A follow-up questions means you’re probably getting lucky.
3. Eye contact and smile never hurts. If you must touch, do the non-sexual non-threatening touching distal to the elbow.
4. Everybody loves compliments. It starts the “you had me at jello” process.
5. If you are not attracted to someone, you can never have too many friends. His/her buddy or ex- could be someone you fall in love with. Or at least get to sleep with. It could happen.
6. If you find a mutual match, keep your email friendly and simple, including your details and especially your email handle and cellular. Once you get a response, it is up to you. Do not observe the 72 hour waiting policy.
7. Be safe and practical about meeting someone after a mutual Hurry Date match. Nobody is screening the psychos for you so you should meet at a known bar or restaurant, and tell your friends or estate manager where you will be.

Emperor March

Finally saw March of the Penguins. Melancholy documentary but learnt some fun facts:

• Aptenodytes forsteri is one of only two species of penguin that inhabit the Antarctic continent: Adelie penguins breed there in summer, while Emperors breed in winter.
• Emperors are the largest of all penguins, easily recognised by their black cap, blue-grey neck, orange ear-patches and bills and yellow breasts.
• It is mainly the layers of feathers that keep the water off the penguins’ skin and help retain heat. The feathers are highly specialised and modified compared to the feathers of flying birds. There are far more feathers on a penguin than on a flying bird of comparative size.
• The Emperor penguin grows to around 115 cm. It weighs 25-40 kilograms, but male weight can vary by up to half that amount depending on the stage of the breeding cycle and how much body reserves he has laid down before the breeding season started.
• Males and females are indistinguishable during most of the year. However, when it becomes time for the male to switch responsibilities with the female, the male can have slimmed down to half his weight. Most of them die waiting for the female to return – hence fewer males with ferocious female competition.
• Over forty colonies are known, ranging in size from less than 200 pairs in the Dion Islands to over 50,000 pairs on Coulman Island. Perhaps 200,000 stable breeding pairs can be found on the Antarctic ice shelves. Some like Dion Island are doing extremely badly. Others like Coulman Island are probably doing alright but we don’t really know. The problem is that the only way to find out how many breeding pairs there are, it’s necessary to count the incubating males in winter (one male = one breeding pair). The trouble is that most colonies are so remote that nobody can get there to do the job.
• The Emperor penguin feeds primarily on shoaling fish, small crustaceans and squid. They can dive more than 300 metres deep, and remain under water for as long as 22 minutes; but these are extremes. Most of the time, emperors are feeding down to around, say, 150-200 metres, particularly in winter. The majority of their dives last only 3-6 minutes.
• Most Emperor penguin colonies are located on the fast ice, i.e. frozen sea-ice. That is not the same as an ice-shelf. Ice-shelves occur at the end of glacier as they are flowing into the ocean. Ice-shelves are freshwater ice. Only two colonies are known on land.
• The female lays only one egg; it is too energetically expensive to rear more than one chick; and they can only fit one egg (and later one chick) onto their feet. Also, if an egg is lost, it cannot be relaid because by the time the female returns it is far too late to try again.
• The egg an Emperor penguin female lays is actually rather small. If a 28-kg female lays, say, a 465 g egg, that is less than 2% of her body mass. Compare this to two 125 g eggs laid by an Adelie penguin. That’s around 6.5% of a 3.8-kg female’s body mass (still small compared to the eggs Brown Kiwis produce!).
• Emperors assemble at the breeding colonies early in winter, shortly after the sea ice has formed. They breed during the perpetual darkness of the Antarctic winter, gathering at rookeries up to 90 kilometers inland during the months of April and May.
• Each Emperor, on returning from the north, first looks faithfully for his mate of the previous year. Unless that male or female has died, each penguin returns to the same partner. They are thus limitedly monogamous for the season – the wolf, I maintain, is the only monogamous animal on the planet: if it should lose its mate, it will never mate again. I feel so lupine in that respect.
• The Emperors go through a stage of courting before mating. A male may try to befriend a female who has not yet found her partner. If and when his true mate does arrive, the intruder leaves to find a different mate.
• Emperor pairs gather together near a solid iceberg to each lay a single egg. There are no special preparations or nest. Laying typically occurs in May or June at the start of the bitter Antarctic winter. The Emperors are believed to have developed this winter breeding pattern to allow the chick to grow to independence at a time when food is most plentiful.
• After the female lays her egg, she passes it over to the male – though not quite immediately. Sometimes females sit on a newly-laid egg for hours before their mates finally get them: eggs are very precious commodities, and the changeover is a very hazardous transition. If the male does not manage to scoop up the egg very quickly, it freezes and the breeding season is over for a pair before it has really begun. So the females are not very keen to risk loosing their valuable egg. The female travels across the ice to feed in the fish-filled waters far away in the north. She spends the winter at sea.
• The male Emperor fasts through the winter during incubation of the egg. Incubation is solely his responsibility. He positions the egg on top of his feet and covers it with a warm fold of feathered abdominal skin. The incubation lasts nearly two months. During the Antarctic winter, the period of darkness can last more than 20 hours. Huddling emperor penguins may spend most of a 24-hour period sleeping while they incubate eggs. Sleeping conserves energy while they fast.
• Between mid-July and the beginning of August, the young are hatched. A freshly hatched emperor penguin chick weighs somewhere between 120 and 160 g and they are approximately 6 inches long. When the chicks finally emerge, they are very hungry. The females return to the colonies seven to eight weeks after laying to relieve their mates and tend the newly-hatched chicks. If the female hasn’t yet arrived, the father regurgitates a white secretion and feeds it to his chick. The chicks huddle together: the climate is extremely harsh. Winter temperatures may fall below -60C. Wind velocities can reach 180km per hour. But inside the huddles, the temperature can be as high as 20°C above ambient conditions. Adults recognize and feed only their own chicks. Parents are able to identify their young by their chick’s distinctive call. The contact call of emperor penguins can be heard up to a kilometer away. It can get noisy!
• Chicks grow slowly at first, more rapidly in late spring. Once the young are about seven weeks old, they join other chicks in a crèche, which is protected by a few adults. By midsummer, the fledglings are independent. They will be ready to breed in 4-8 years. Giant petrels prey upon chicks, whereas at sea their predators are orcas and leopard seals. Emperor penguins can live up to twenty years or more; exceptional cases have been recorded of over forty years, though such extremes of longevity are rare.
• Mortality among the chicks and fledglings is high, especially after after fledging in their first year of life when the young Emperors must figure out how to live at sea. The learning curve is steep, and inevitably many youngsters perish; but the survivors typically enjoy a long life.

Champagne Process

The cold climate of northern France is eminently suited to the richness of champagne, which comes from grapes that ripen rather slowly. When harvested, the grapes are rarely ripe enough to make table wine without adding excessive sugar. To get around this, winemakers make a wine low in alcohol and then secondarily ferment it to raise the alcohol content and add bubbles.

Three grape varieties are used in Champagne: Pinot Meunier (40% of the acreage), Pinot Noir (35%) and Chardonnay (25%). Pinot Meunier makes the base wine for all the finest champagnes and grows only in Frace. Pinot Noir contributes to longevity of the wine and depth of fruit flavor. Chardonnay adds lightness and elegance. The lack of color is from gentle pressing to extract the juice without the color of the black grape skins.

The chief diference between the various champagne brands (houses) is in the making of the blend (cuvee). A great champagne blends together the best qualities from each of the best grapes grown in the region. This blending of still wines before the second fermentation is known as the assemblage. The win and sugar added after the second fermentation and aging is called the dosage. 80% of contents of vintage champagne must contain grapes from the declared year. Not all of the grapes from a declared year will go into champagne as 20% will be held back for blending purposes.

Sugar contents of the dosage added after secondary fermentation determines the wine’s style and relative sweetness, and thus the labels -
Extra Brut, Brut Sauvage, Ultra Brut, Brut Integral or Brut Zero: bone dry with less than 0.6% residual sugar. Rarely made, the dosage is of the same wine and not the usual solution of cane sugar and still wine
Brut: most popular blend with less than 1.5% residual sugar and very dry
Extra Dry, Extra Sec: sweetened with 1.2 to 2% residual sugar per liter, it is dry and goes well wtih desserts and wedding cakes
Sec (dry in French): moderately dry or slightly sweet champagne with 1.7 to 3.5% residual sugar per liter
Demi-Sec – sweet or medium sweet and rarely seen in the U.S., containing 3.3 to 5% residual sugar per liter
Doux – very sweet dessert style wine with minimum of 5% residual sugar per liter

Occasionally, you find Blanc de Noirs, a white wine made entirely from black grapes; but more typically I find Blanc de Blanc made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes for the most delicate of champagnes. As only 25% of Champagne is planted with Chardonnay, this is an expensive option.

Champagne is bottled in ten (10) different sizes:

• quarter bottle: 187 mL
• half bottle: 375 mL
• bottle: 750 mL
• magnum (2 bottles): 1.5 L
• jeroboam (4 bottles): 3L
• rehoboam (6 bottles): 4.5 L
• methuselah (8 bottles): 6L
• salmanazar (12 bottles): 9L
• balthazar (16 bottles): 12L
• nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles): 15L

Only the half bottle, bottle and magnum are always released in the bottle within which they underwent fermentation. The magnum is thus preferred. The largest three are rarely made today.

Sonoma Day

Not the most stellar day in Sonoma but a change nonetheless. We went to Ravenswood Cellars and tasted a fine Muscato. Onto Gloria Ferrer for some champagne tasting and a satisfactory tour by Skip. I realized that champagnes don’t get sweeter just untasty over time. Rounded off with picnic lunch at Viansa’s Cal-Italian wines.

Sun Up

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it’s all right
Little darlin’ it’s been a long cold lonely winter
Little darlin’ it feels like years since it’s been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it’s all right
Little darlin’ the smiles returning to their faces
Little darlin’ it seems like years since it’s been here

Week in Wine

Random California Wines
2005 Ballentine Vineyards Pocai Vineyard Old Vines Napa Valley Chenin Blanc ($14)
2005 Bargetto Monterey County Gewurztraminer ($14)
2004 Bokisch Lodi Albarino ($16)
2005 Bonny Doon Ca’ del Solo Central Coast Malvasia Bianca ($13)
2004 Byron Santa Maria Valley Pinot Blanc ($20)
2004 Chateau St. Jean Robert Young Vineyard Alexander Valley Pinot Blanc ($18)
2004 Chimney Rock Napa Valley Elevage Blanc ($35)
2005 Hagafen Napa Valley White Riesling ($21)
2005 Navarro Vineyards Mendocino Old Vine Cuvee Chenin Blanc ($11)
2004 Navarro Vineyards Anderson Valley Muscat Blanc ($17)
2003 Navarro Vineyards Anderson Valley White Riesling ($16)
2004 Novella Rayons de Soleil Paso Robles Muscat Canelli ($12)
2004 St. Supery Virtu Napa Valley White Wine ($28)
NV Three Alarm Cellars California White Wine ($6)

Accessible Airwaves

Bee Ancestry

1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89

This is the fractal repeating spiral pattern found in nature.

• branching patterns of leaves in grasses and flowers
• branching in bushes and trees
• the arrangement of pines on a pinecone
• seeds on a raspberry
• spiral patterns in horns and shells
• scales on the surface of a pineapple

Yard Bird

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I’ve been for a walk
On a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm
If I was (sic) in LA (not so much; there is the smog thing but I’m going next month)
Stopped into a church (actually Safeway as I needed grapes)
I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees (don’t even…) and I pretend to pray
You know the preacher liked the cold
He knows I’m gonna stay
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day

Note that today is April 10 and I am seriously wet and cold.
But I did see my first blue bird!

Basic Instinct

V has mocked me relentlessly for watching Basic Instinct as mandatory preparation for the screening of Risk Addiction. When the original film premiered in 1992, I did not know I was watching the making of a modern classic. For starters, the script by Mr. Eszterhas was snapped up for $3 million by a now defunct Carolco. It was a vicious thrill to get to watch pirated copies of the earlies before its release. On one level, the movie is pure trash as an SFPD detective tries to pin a series of murders upon a killer who wields an ice-pick. As a cinematic production, it is amazing. Observations -

• The Catherin Tremell character wears the exact costumes of Kim Novak’s character in “Vertigo“. Without the underwear. The movie uses no stand-ins except the puppet whose eyeball is enculeated and the Moscone center construction site car chase. I doubt the movie could be remade in today’s politically correct era.
• Most of the film is shot in the San Francisco Bay area, though the house on Stinson Beach is actually in Carmel (you do get to Mill Valley in time, which is not at all anachronistic). There is extensive use of polarizing shots and reflected exposures (both interior and exterior), which are quite remarkably challenging to achieve, given you can spot the camera reflection only once in the over-the-bed-mirror scene. Nearly all of the male confidence interiors (police headquarters) are done with continuous tracking shots.
• The Nick Curran character talks about having bought an ice pick at K-Mart for $1.69. K-Mart does not sell ice picks, and there are no K-marts in the City. I think the demand for ice picks might have shot up that year but I did not know where to buy block ice so I passed. Plus I have nothing against ice cubes.
• Several lesbians protested the release of the film because of the unfavorable portrayal of lesbians as ice pick wielding murderesses as well as the date rape of a lesbian character. I was more distressed by the violence: within five minutes, the right eyeball of an adult film star is pounded into blood. I think lesbians should universally rejoice: all of the straight professional characters are shown to be unethical, corruptible and loathesome. The lead lesbian is (i) rich, (ii) smart, and (iii) a writer. Besides, she has a fabulous wardrobe. What is there to protest about?
• Littered with obvious homages to the Hitchcock oeuvre, the movie is layered when watched with company. It is almost Trivial Pursuit for us mystery movie lovers. And Tremell is one of the great (peroxide) femme fatales. Blondes got their noir reputation with Jean Harlow, got rehabbed by Debbie Reynolds (and Sandra Dee), and then smashed again by Madge. Hair color plays an important role. There are entire scenes where the viewer identifies the blonde but not her specific persona.
• Color plays a huge role. Tremell’s character favors the white Lotus, natural fibers and white outfits. Roxy’s character favors the black Lotus, leather and processed clothes, and black outfits. Tremell is so “diabolical” and cold it is laudably written as a powerful woman, making the film far from as misogynistic as perceived initially.
• The nightclub of Johnny Boz is clearly based on New York City’s former Limelight – meant to invoke the cathedral atmosphere with bartenders dressed as priests.
• There are several mirror scenes (interrogation room dialog, use of several mirrors, cutting the ice block, the infamous sex scenes with Hermes scarves, the car chases. offering each other cigarettes) which are cleverly written with a playful wink to the audience.
• The director, Paul Verhoeven, possesses a degree in Maths. This is pretty obvious as the original print in 1.85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio is perfectly composed frame for frame. There are several distortion frames (points of view) that alter reality in the same way as the plot does with us. A funny featurette on the DVD compares the American release with the English one, the former with absolutely horrid overdubbing.
• Nearly all of the automobile dialog scenes are filmed from the inside out (Hitchcockian again) rather than using the windshield approach, which makes filtered back projection easier. This also exploits the magnetic sun-drenched Californian outdoors (almost a memory this weekend) with innumerable light sources used to maximal effect. Almost all of the interior scenes are framed in Mondrian and chiaruscuro (blinds, grilles, ceiling fans) while the outdoor scenes are unified by organic elements (craggy rocks, winding coastal highways, crashing waves)
• Jerry Goldsmith’s score is haunting and creepy with highstrung violins that makes you cringe suitably. It is well in keeping with the angular opening credits that owe more to the films of the 40s than today’s glitzy credits that maul the sensibilities.
• Many have criticized the film’s ending as thoroughly arbitrary with the added 00:07 second long endscene telegraphing that Catherine is indeed the diabolical killer. The film’s plotline does not use deceipt – the clues are there (the opened door presages the erased answerphone message and the text on the printer presages the manner of a lead character’s death)

Big Japan

Reuters and Bloomberg are principal real-time data providers in the financial markets. By some error, I get sent the monthly Bloomberg Markets Magazine. With so much to read at work and play, I tend to regard such piffle as, well, junk mail and it does not even enter the threshold and goes into the rubbish bin in the garage within its nascent wrapper. By chance, I read the April 2006 Bloomberg issue and the Asia briefing article talked about a summary of a recent survey conducted by Durex into the world’s proclivities, the title referring to frequency. While the global average is 103 times per year, the bottom of the list are Japan (45) and Singapore (73). It is full of fascinating statistics (I love numbers!). On an average, globally we have had 9 sexual partners (but only 3 in India) and the global average age for one’s first sexual experience is 17.3 years (but only 15.6 in Iceland). It is assumed the survey was conducted among straight respondents only.

Three Sum

Is “3″ a number of meaning to you? Mine is 8. 3 is in itself is not an unusual choice because:

• after 2, it is the second smallest prime (most people choose 5, 8 and 3 as favorites)
• it is the first Fermat prime, the first unique prime (properties of its reciprocal) and the first odd prime
• it is the first lucky prime, the first odd prime and the first Genocchi prime
• it is the second triangular number and the only prime which is one less than a perfect square
• 3 noncollinear points determine a plane and a circle
• it is the fourth Fibonacci number (natch) and the third unique one
• it is also the second Lucas prime and the second Stern prime, and the fourth open meandric number
• vulgar fractions with 3 in the denominator have a single digit repeating sequence in their decimal expressions (0.000…, 0.333….)
• a natural number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits in base 10 is divisible by 3
• a triangle is the most durable possible shape and the only perfect figure which if all endpoints have hinges will never change shape unless the sides themselves are bent
• and, of course, 3 is the only integer between e (2.71828183) and pi (3.145926)

Week in Wine

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Beaulieu Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($18)
2003 Bennett Lane Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($45)
2003 Buehler Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)
2003 Ehlers Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($33)
2003 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)
2003 Parallel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($44)
2003 Pine Ridge Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
2003 Screw Kappa Napa Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($14)
2003 Titus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($39)
2003 Turnbull Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($40)
2003 ZD Wines Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($45)

SCREW TOPS!
Whites
2004 Arrogant Frog Ribet White Languedoc Chardonnay-Viognier ($9)
2004 Bloom Nahe Pinot Gris ($8)
2004 Bloom Petals Mosel Saar Ruwer Muller-Thurgau ($8)
2004 Jindalee South Eastern Australia Chardonnay ($8)
2005 Three Thieves Unoaked California Chardonnay ($10; 1 liter)

Pink and Reds
2004 Arrogant Frog Ribet Red Languedoc Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot ($9)
2004 Jindalee South Eastern Australia Merlot ($8)
2002 Pepi California Cabernet Sauvignon ($10)
2003 Pepi California Sangiovese ($10.99)
2004 Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Rosé ($10)

Common Cocktail Errors

The Lemon Drop

• shot or in a martini glass rimmed with sugar and sticky to make
• vodka (commonly citron-flavored), fresh-squeezed lemon juice and sugar
• have a kamikaze instead (no sugar)

The Manhattan

• whiskey, sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters, served straight up or on the rocks with a cherry
• some request bourbon, Canadian whiskey or rye; others want cherry juice or Cointreau
• specify the whiskey

Cosmopolitan

• vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice and triple sec (an orange liqueur)
• fresh lime juice preferred but some ask for Rose's lime juice or sweet and sour (to sweeten and pinken)
• sometimes Cointreau substituted

Mojito

• fresh mint must be muddled — mashed with a special tool to release its flavors – takes time
• sugar and fresh lime juice — two sticky ingredients — added with rum and soda water. Shaken

10 ways to stay on a bartender's good side

1. Patience. Do not snap, crackle, whistle and pop, wave money, tap your glass on the bar or scream.
2. Always tip at least $1 per drink. If you tip well, we will give you free drinks. Re-tip.
3. Hands off the garnish tray – if you want a cherry, ask but don't contaminate.
4. Two magic phrases: "Please" and "Thanks".
5. If there are two of us, don't order from each to see who's quicker. We won't let you return your drink.
6. Don't act drunk and over-animated: we can't serve you by law if we think you're inebriated.
7. Do not walk in before last call and order complex drinks. We hate when you do that.
8. Know your drink it is obscure: I'll make it but tell me how. Exactly.
9. Do not ask to "stiffen" your drink. We won't underpour the hooch. If you want more, ask for a "double"
10. If you can't be with the drink you love, love the one you drink. Or go somewhere else.

Gaze Hound

Gaze hounds are dogs that hunt by sight (not smell). The Italian Greyhound (above by V) is the smallest of this family. This old breed originated more than 2000 years ago in Greece and Turkey. By the Middle Ages, they were distributed throughout Southern Europe and were a favorite of Italians of the sixteenth century who loved their handbag dogs, hence the name. They arrived in the UK in the seventeenth century.

A true greyhound, the Italian is small in size from selective breeding (hunting small game, house pet and companion roles). She adapts well to city and country living but is a true hound (enjoys exercise and outdoor activity) and weighs between 7 and 15 pounds. He is odorless, sheds little and is not yappy, seldom ill, hardy and thrives indoors in the cold Scandinavian countries.

He is very affectionate (needy even) and thrives best when the affection is returned, thus seeming a trifle aloof with strangers but otherwise sensitive, alert and intelligent, remaining playful long past puppyhood. He is eager to please and learns quickly, performing well in obedience trials. Those of us with little time to devote or little unruly children, who expect instant and unerring obedience, who expect their dog to stay in the yard or who are embarrased to share love with an animal should not own this breed. They require and demand a lot of love and attention. They have no traffic sense but are athletic climbers and jumpers.

Paintings show historical figures such as Princess Anne of Denmark, Queen Victoria and Catherine the Great of Russia with their beloved Italians. Frederick the Great was a great fan of the breed and was always seen with one or more.

Sweet Santoor

The Santoor is a graceful instrument probably of Persian origin but vaulted to acclaim by Indian practitioners of music as the oldest known string instrument in that country. In Farsi, it means “one hundred strains”. In Sanskrit, it is known as the shata tantri veena or a hudred stringed lute, the word “veena” being historically used to describe all string instruments. Musically, it is technically described as a hammered dulcimer. It is popularly known as the santour (Iran, Iraq, Turkey; 72 strings), Yang-Qin (China; 45 strings), Hackbrett (Germany; 135 strings), or Cimbalon (Finland, Greece, Hungary). It looks like a piano but instead of keys, large strikers are used on the strings. Traditional santoors are played with a pair of curved mallets (“kalam”) from walnut wood and resultant melodies sound akin to tones generated from the harp, harpsichord or piano. The sound chamber is walnut wood also and the bridges are local wood painted dark to mimic ebony. Strings are steel from Germany and England.

For an instrument to be accepted as classical, it needs must emulate the human voice, the ultimate classical instrument which requires the effect of glissando (the ability to pass, unbroken, from one note to another) as opposed to staccato (as in speech). Two techniques might be employed to enjoin this effect (pulling the string, as in sitar, or gliding the fingers, as in sarangi or sarod). On the right side of the box are stainless steel tuning pegs (pins) tuning each individual string to a desired musical note, frequency or pitch. Strings are never plucked or bowed. The santoor is placed on top of the lotus lap and played. It is a trapezoid box that is broader in size for base or low pitch notes and tapered progressively away from the waist of the player. Both hands are used to strike the strings or glide upon them. The strings are delicately sensitive to light strokes and glides.

American Life

Silly me – thinking the SFChron was the worst newspaper Stateside. Turns out the Houston Chronicle has a dedicated junk food reviewer. Apocalypse now?

Burger King: home of the ‘humongous’ (HOUSTON CHRONICLE)

This week I reached out for a new Tendercrisp Cheesy Bacon Chicken Sandwich, available for the dreaded limited time only, at Burger King. Normally, I’m leery of ordering something that’s not in the name of the restaurant. For example, Kentucky Fried Chicken has a new fish sandwich. That sounds like trouble. Church’s Chicken is playing Go Fish, too. Dairy Queen has a new Double Flamethrower Burger. Pizza Hut is clucking over chicken wings. Why can’t fast-food joints stick with what they do best? They should dance with what brung ‘em.

So here’s Burger King, home of the Whopper burger, the high-kickin’ Whopperette Dancers and the weirdo, shuck ‘n’ jivin’, touchdown-scoring King — serving up a humongous chicken sandwich that is freaky delicious. Almost as freaky as a King with a plastic head peeping in your window. Here’s the blueprint of the Tendercrisp Cheesy Bacon Chicken Sandwich: a whole white-meat breast fillet, two slices of American cheese, one slice of pepper jack cheese, creamy cheese sauce, four half slices of bacon, lettuce and tomato on a corn-dusted, split-top bun. Why can’t they just say two whole slices of bacon? I don’t like halves, because my half is usually smaller than your half. Total calories: 800; fat: 47 grams; dietary fiber: 4 grams; carbs: 75 grams. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $3.89 (your mileage may vary). That’s 800 calories, 47 fat grams and 75 carbs before you dig into your extra-large order of fries and 55-gallon drum of Coke. Memo to self: Start diet tomorrow, after appointment with cardiologist. Burger King also has an Angus Cheesy Bacon Steak Burger that is surprisingly lighter on calories (740) and carbs (51), and gentler on the wallet at $3.69. The Tendercrisp piles on calories and carbs because the chicken is breaded and deep fried. The chicken sandwich also comes with lettuce and tomato; the steak burger offers veggies only on demand. Just ask nice. The Tendercrisp Cheesy Bacon Chicken Sandwich is a messy, two-fisted handful. It’s glistening hot from the fryer and drippy and oozy with three slices of cheese and cheesy sauce. Burger King likes to say “there’s cheese in every bite.” There’s also cheese on your chin and fingers, and your shirt and pants. Burger King is all about big food, from Triple Whopper tie-ins to King Kong to Enormous Omelet Sandwiches that look like the breakfast buffet at Shoney’s. You know my motto in the drive-though: Less is not more … more is more. You get more bang for your buck at Burger King. The Tendercrisp Cheesy Bacon Chicken Sandwich is a mouthful to say, and more than a Joan Rivers mouthful to eat. It’s got a big hunk of lightly seasoned and breaded chicken. The breast filet is fried golden brown and slathered with two kinds of cheese and then more cheese. There’s so much glop that the bread becomes warm and soppy. This ain’t date food, and it’s not a driving sandwich. I recommend this for dine-in, and only eat it in front of friends who’ve seen you wear your food before. And even though the sign says Burger King, this is an excellent foray into chickendom. Insider tip: A little barbecue sauce puts this sandwich so far over the top that Wendy’s and McDonald’s will take a new good, hard look at their poultry line. I’ve got a feeling that both the Tendercrisp and Angus Cheesy Bacon Steak Burger will lose their limited-time-only tags in short order. These are keepers.

Interestingly, black-oriented telly has more fast food commercials. A nugget for sure. (CHICAGO TRIBUNE) – Commercials on Black Entertainment Television, the nation’s first black-targeted cable channel, were compared with ads during afternoon and evening shows on the WB network and Disney Channel. Of the nearly 1,100 ads, more than half were for fast food and drinks, such as sodas. About 66 percent of the fast-food ads were on BET, compared with 34 percent on WB and none on Disney. For drinks, 82 percent were on BET, 11 percent on WB and 6 percent on Disney; and for snacks, 60 percent were on BET, none on WB and 40 percent on Disney. The study in a pediatric medical journal accompanies separate research: a study indicating kids consume an extra 167 calories, often from advertised foods, for every hour of TV they watch; and a report suggesting even preschoolers get fat from watching more than two hours of daily TV. The articles appear in April’s Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a theme issue on media and children’s health released Monday. The studies clearly illustrate “that the media have disturbing potential to negatively affect many aspects of children’s healthy development,” Amy Jordan of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at University of Pennsylvania wrote in a journal editorial. “Such evidence offers increasing support for the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that children older than 2 years spend no more than two hours per day with screen media, preferably educational screen media,” Jordan said. Still, Jordan said the ads study doesn’t prove that a disproportionate number of commercials for unhealthy foods causes black kids to become overweight, and said more research is needed “to more convincingly directly tie exposure to effects.” Obesity affects about 18 percent of black children, compared with about 14 percent of white youngsters, according to 2001-02 data. The rate was almost 20 percent for Hispanics. New estimates coming later this week are expected to show the numbers have increased for both blacks and whites. BET spokesman Michael Lewellen said BET’s target audience is blacks aged 18 to 34 and said its programming “does not target children.” He also questioned the study’s methods since the researchers included ads shown during prime time, “when virtually all networks target adults.” The researchers examined ads shown from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. for one week last July. Programming generally was music videos on BET; cartoons and talk shows on WB; and cartoons and kid-oriented shows, including “That’s So Raven” and “Kim Possible” on Disney. The same programming is offered during the school year, said Corliss Wilson Outley, a University of Minnesota researcher and the lead author. While Disney is not an advertiser-supported channel, the researchers counted company-announced sponsors of Disney programs as commercials. McDonald’s Corp. was the leading fast-food advertiser. Outley said black children are an attractive target for fast-food companies because many live in neighborhoods with easier access to fast food than healthier food. The goal is to “get kids hooked at a very early age” so they become lifelong customers, she said. McDonald’s spokesman Bill Whitman called the study “a bit misguided” and said McDonald’s doesn’t single out black children. “Our marketing strategy encompasses young people as well as adults and we do that through various media and marketing strategies that cross all demographics,” Whitman said.

Meanwhile our car seats are shrinking to restrain our fatty kids. Over 250,000 American children under the age of 6 are too heavy for car-safety seats designed for their age-group. Makers of car-safety seats are having to make sturdier models to ensure levels of safety for these seriously obese and overweight children are maintained. As the American obesity epidemic gains pace and spreads through all age groups, the number of children under 6 who are obese is growing at an alarming rate. Standard safety-seats are designed for children who weigh less than 40 pounds. Most of the children who were found to be over the limit were three years old. For a three-year-old to weigh over that amount he/she is either incredibly tall or seriously overweight. Researchers at a Safety Center, John Hopkins Hospital, said if a child weighs more than the seat’s weight limit the risks of injury during a car accident are much greater. Lead researcher Lara Trifiletti said she and her colleagues began to notice that more and more children were very obese and their car-seat technicians were finding it hard to provide car seats to fit them. Trifiletti worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the time of the research but now works at The Children’s Research Institute, Ohio University. Of the children found to be too heavy for their car seats, 190,000 were 3 years old. You can read about this study in the journal Pediatrics (April). 3-year-olds are not mature enough (or tall enough) for booster seats, which can be used for slightly older children (booster seats use the car’s seat belts). Five years ago 23% of American children between the ages of two and five were overweight, 10% were obese. The figures today are expected to be higher. In the nineties, new diet movements blamed the introduction of high carb diets during the seventies for the growth in obesity and overweight in the USA. Several options for weight control have been present in the USA for the last ten years. Different diets, such as Atkins, The Zone, The South Beach have been around for over a decade now. The increase in obesity over the last ten years has still been accelerating despite new diets being introduced and having had a while to prove themselves nationally. Many write in to Medical News Today stressing that the focus in the USA has been too much on what people should eat, rather than how much exercise people do. What’s the good of telling people to eat steaks and salads (low carb), or keep their total calories down, or eat less fat, or cut down on sugars, if they can’t keep it up for more than a year or so.

This can mean only one thing – we need super-sized ambulances for these fatties. Las Vegas’s local authority has become the latest in the US to put into service a new super-size ambulance, specially equipped to handle massively overweight and morbidly obese patients. The $250,000 vehicle, developed by the American Medical Response group, looks like a standard ambulance. But it is wider, with a specially large wheeled stretcher trolley. The vehicle, called a Bariatric Unit, also has a special ramp and a winch that can handle loads of 1,600lb (114 stone), and be operated by just one crew member. The Bariatric Unit was produced in 2003, and with obesity rising across America, it is suddenly gaining popularity. In the past six months, AMR has dealt with 75 calls involving patients who weighed at least 600lb, a spokesman said. Medical experts say ordinary ambulances cannot safely cope with such emergencies. Moving people of this size poses dangers not only for patients, but for ambulance staff and paramedics. Last month the new ambulance entered service in Louisville, Kentucky – sixth among US states in the national obesity league. More than 25 per cent of Kentucky’s adult population is considered obese. At the time officials said it would be used for doctor’s appointments and scheduled visits. But it is also now on standby for emergency calls. The new trolley can carry patients of up to 71 stone. But even it would have been pressed to cope with Jon Brower Minnoch of Bainbridge, Washington State, the heaviest human ever, according to the Guinness World of Records. Mr Minnoch’s weight is estimated to have reached 100 stone at one point. He died in September 1983 weighing57 stone.

What are you going to eat today?

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Oak Street

I’m having a lovely time sitting in the lounge above the tenth floor, overlooking Oak Street Beach. It is quite hazy out there but I have had more sun here than I have seen back home since December 22 (I know as that is the night I took the family to Christmas dinner pre-Christmas). C is deligthfully chortling around, sharting her life stories. V is bobbling up some margaritas. They’re not really all that good but he is a nice bugger. R potters around the aguacate and tortilla chips. The salsa is spicy but not as good as E’s (which reminds me to check the fridge at work first thing Monday). I am eating little strawberries with an exact dollop on creme fraiche ladled with a candied pecan. I am drinking Veuve. I am shelling green baby pistachios. I am looking at dogs hitting the sand-water interface. I am loving my time away. Are you?

But I miss her today most of all.