Evil Facial Hair
My stubble is taking over...
My stubble is taking over...
Feel the Fuzz
Hey! There are the seeds of a beard...
Whiskerino 2009
So this year is the final year of Whiskerino! Valerie is finally letting me participate, and today is Day 1. This oughtta be a good excuse for me to practice my self-portraits as I should have at least one every week.
Ramona Falls
Thanks to Michael Eades I now know about a tasty new band, Ramona Falls, fronted by the lead singer from Menomena. Ramona Fall's music is simultaneously airy and driving rock, and you can get the full effect from this amazing music video for "I Say Fever":
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga0ohgZFVqc&hl=en&fs=1&&w=480&h=292]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga0ohgZFVqc&hl=en&fs=1&&w=480&h=292]
i
My buddy Phil is writing a fairly regular new web comic strip! Read it! It's hilarious!
The Listener, as visually interpreted by Dust
Patrick tipped me off to this super-hot video created by Dustbrand Films:
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7271962&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=0&fullscreen=1
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7271962&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=0&fullscreen=1
Ozark Empire, or a snake oil salesman comes to your town. from DAN SMITH on Vimeo.
demonstration
I was just taking a test shot to show Val how sometimes instinct works better than the camera's meter and auto settings, and I ended up rather liking the test shot. So there you go.
Failure to Land
Unknown to the passengers until they finally touched down in Minneapolis, a Northwest Airlines flight initially overshot the city by 150 miles...apparently because the crew members were "having a heated "discussion" which the FAA seems to have translated as "sleeping." Only the cockpit voice recorder will tell...'
Garnett's Cafe
Sure, I'll add to the growing pile of reviews for Garnett's Cafe ([www.garnettscafe.com](http://www.garnettscafe.com/) - the site doesn't work just yet, so hit up RVANews for the deets).
I decided it was finally time to try out a restaurant located on the corner of Park and Meadow (it's like, the fifth since I've been in Richmond), and it was absolutely worth our time. We showed up around 12:44 and sat down at the counter in what was so far a half-full restaurant. The barstools are comfortable, but there's presently no rail under the counter to rest your feet, so your shoes dangle as if you were a little kid. I was assured they're planning to install a standard chrome wrap-around rail in the very near future.
The general decor was just right - everything felt carefully but not obsessively selected, with wall-hangings that included various decorative plates, posters, and what I believe was an illustration of jazz singer Nina Simone. Bead board covered eight feet of the height of the walls and the lighting was just enough to supplement the ample natural light coming in through the windows. I got a similar impression here as I did when Cafe Gutenberg was new years ago, and when I first walked in to Can Can - there's a serious attention to detail here that can often bode well for the food itself.
And the food did not disappoint. Valerie ate the chicken salad sandwich with potato salad on the side and I had a croque madame. Valerie's potato salad included (what I believe was) a homemade pickle slice. My croque madame had Black Forest ham and gruyere on tasty and crusty Italian bread with - get this - Mornay sauce instead of the simpler béchamel. This meant the addition of cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan. We both ordered their "lemonade" which consisted of the juice of lemons squeezed right before our eyes, mint-infused simply syrup, and club soda. Wow! Refreshing and delicious.
By the time we finished our sandwiches, Garnett's had filled up to capacity and some folks were standing by the door waiting to be seated - at 1:40 in the afternoon! We weren't finished with our meal yet, so we ordered dessert. Valerie tried a slice of the Hummingbird Cake - a banana and pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting. It tasted like a well crafted banana bread with extra goodness from the pineapple. I ordered a slice of apple pie and they were kind enough to indulge this New Jersey boy's request for a slice of cheddar cheese on top. The pie had clearly been cooked in a straight-sided pan, but this made for some fantastically thick, tender, and delicious crust at the corner. And it was a good sharp cheddar on top, too. I washed down the rest of my meal with a Boylan's root beer.
Now for the interesting side details: I actually ordered a croque monsieur (no fried egg on top), and Valerie had actually ordered the smoked salmon sandwich, and we both received the wrong orders. Neither of us were the slightest upset about this because I didn't mind a bonus fried egg, and Valerie loves chicken salad anyway. But when we were ready to pay and leave, the gentleman who was serving us insisted that we would not be charged for our meal. The whole thing. Even the stuff that had no mistakes. I felt bad about this - this was only their third day open, and I understand it can be difficult for new restaurants to become financially stable. And I really like this place! I want them to do well, so I wanted to pay for our meal (especially since we both really liked everything we ate). But he insisted with this condition: "Just come back."
We will. And we'll rave about it to everybody we know.
I decided it was finally time to try out a restaurant located on the corner of Park and Meadow (it's like, the fifth since I've been in Richmond), and it was absolutely worth our time. We showed up around 12:44 and sat down at the counter in what was so far a half-full restaurant. The barstools are comfortable, but there's presently no rail under the counter to rest your feet, so your shoes dangle as if you were a little kid. I was assured they're planning to install a standard chrome wrap-around rail in the very near future.
The general decor was just right - everything felt carefully but not obsessively selected, with wall-hangings that included various decorative plates, posters, and what I believe was an illustration of jazz singer Nina Simone. Bead board covered eight feet of the height of the walls and the lighting was just enough to supplement the ample natural light coming in through the windows. I got a similar impression here as I did when Cafe Gutenberg was new years ago, and when I first walked in to Can Can - there's a serious attention to detail here that can often bode well for the food itself.
And the food did not disappoint. Valerie ate the chicken salad sandwich with potato salad on the side and I had a croque madame. Valerie's potato salad included (what I believe was) a homemade pickle slice. My croque madame had Black Forest ham and gruyere on tasty and crusty Italian bread with - get this - Mornay sauce instead of the simpler béchamel. This meant the addition of cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan. We both ordered their "lemonade" which consisted of the juice of lemons squeezed right before our eyes, mint-infused simply syrup, and club soda. Wow! Refreshing and delicious.
By the time we finished our sandwiches, Garnett's had filled up to capacity and some folks were standing by the door waiting to be seated - at 1:40 in the afternoon! We weren't finished with our meal yet, so we ordered dessert. Valerie tried a slice of the Hummingbird Cake - a banana and pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting. It tasted like a well crafted banana bread with extra goodness from the pineapple. I ordered a slice of apple pie and they were kind enough to indulge this New Jersey boy's request for a slice of cheddar cheese on top. The pie had clearly been cooked in a straight-sided pan, but this made for some fantastically thick, tender, and delicious crust at the corner. And it was a good sharp cheddar on top, too. I washed down the rest of my meal with a Boylan's root beer.
Now for the interesting side details: I actually ordered a croque monsieur (no fried egg on top), and Valerie had actually ordered the smoked salmon sandwich, and we both received the wrong orders. Neither of us were the slightest upset about this because I didn't mind a bonus fried egg, and Valerie loves chicken salad anyway. But when we were ready to pay and leave, the gentleman who was serving us insisted that we would not be charged for our meal. The whole thing. Even the stuff that had no mistakes. I felt bad about this - this was only their third day open, and I understand it can be difficult for new restaurants to become financially stable. And I really like this place! I want them to do well, so I wanted to pay for our meal (especially since we both really liked everything we ate). But he insisted with this condition: "Just come back."
We will. And we'll rave about it to everybody we know.
the weight of years
I got to hang out with my step-dad, Paul, this past Sunday, and we smoked cigars on my front porch before he went home. After I finished my stogie I couldn't help grabbing my camera to take his portrait. I think he was expecting me to tell him when I was ready, but I just clicked off the last three frames on the roll as I saw fit. This was my favorite because I think it really displays the strong but weary figure of a man who's worked a physical job for over thirty years.
forward, with caution
Polaroid: IT'S ALIVE!!!
The Impossible Project is impossible no more.
and there was beer
FIVE YEARS
I don't write on here as frequently as I used to (just...so...dang...busy), but it's worth pausing to say that today is my fifth wedding anniversary!
Valerie, you continue to be a more amazing wife than I could ever have hoped, and I will love you for years to come :-)
Valerie, you continue to be a more amazing wife than I could ever have hoped, and I will love you for years to come :-)
we will become silhouettes
The Unrestricted Flow of the Internet
It appears that the FCC is on the cusp of implementing Net Neutrality regulations that would prevent Internet service providers, or ISPs, (like Comcast or AT&T's mobile broadband) from charging more money to serve bandwidth-intensive content like video and other media. The ISPs don't like this, and these choice quotes underscore a fundamental problem of letting some industries run unchecked (all quotes from the BBC's coverage):
This reminds me of a fantastic article I read on Rands In Repose back in March about the Brooklyn Bridge. I think this describes the ISPs fairly well:
AT&T and other wireless carriers will only increase their data capacity as much as they have to. Perhaps the FCC's new rules will light a fire under their collective butt.
"...a new set of regulations that will limit customer choices and affect content providers, application developers, device manufacturers and network builders..." - Verizon
"...so it's still fair to ask whether increased regulation of the internet is a solution in search of a problem." - Comcast
"We are concerned the FCC appears ready to extend the entire array of net neutrality requirements to what is perhaps the most competitive consumer market in America - wireless services." - AT&T
This reminds me of a fantastic article I read on Rands In Repose back in March about the Brooklyn Bridge. I think this describes the ISPs fairly well:
When Brooklyn and New York’s population was booming at the end of the 19th century, the best way to get to and from Brooklyn was via ferries. As solutions were considered, I’m sure there were those who simply thought, “More boats!” These ardent defenders of the status quo were not engineers — they were the business. Their goal was not to build something great, but to make a profit.
AT&T and other wireless carriers will only increase their data capacity as much as they have to. Perhaps the FCC's new rules will light a fire under their collective butt.
brighter when I'm gone
Flickr Galleries
Today Flickr announced a new Galleries feature. Now there's a way for users to create their own curated collections of photos from the site and add commentary to the group. I suppose it's essentially a specialized Set for other people's photos (up to 18). I think this is going to prove distracting while I attempt to get some homework done this evening...
no longer receiving
let the wild rumpus start
Ze Frank on Health Care
Can anybody be simultaneously insightful and entertaining the way Ze Frank can, especially about serious topics like health care? Fantastic:
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/29650554001?isVid=1&publisherID=293884104
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/29650554001?isVid=1&publisherID=293884104
span
A N T S
On a Molecular Level
Incredible! The BBC reports on IBM's research that has led to the imaging of a single molecule and its bonds! Just as fascinating (to nerds like me) is the imaging methodology:
Their version of the device acts like a tiny tuning fork, with one of the prongs of the fork passing incredibly close to the sample and the other farther away.
When the fork is set vibrating, the prong nearest the sample will experience a minuscule shift in the frequency of its vibration, simply because it is getting close to the molecule.
Comparing the frequencies of the two prongs gives a measure of just how close the nearer prong is, effectively mapping out the molecule's structure.
Nothing Left to Destroy