Ploafmaster General

If you live in the R-I-C and haven't been to the Canal Walk recently, you ought to go. Besides the unexpectedly temperate weather of late, there is a new feature worth checking out: A large, working, interactive model of a canal's lock system. Said model is constructed of large slabs of cut stone and bronze. There are two locks - each with their own pair of doors. A subterranean pump keeps the water flowing, and simple, out-of-sight mechanical systems adjust the water levels depending on which way the switches are thrown.

Sadly, the upper lock is already broken, but the model seems otherwise rugged. I hope somebody fixes it soon!

I just picked up three books recently at B&N, and I felt like sharing with the world what I got so as to give a bit of insight into how I think and what I think about. So here goes:

1. Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance by Noam Chomsky
2. Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-semitism and the Abuse of History by Norman Finkelstein
3. And the book I'm actually reading at the moment: Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions :-)

Have you been to the gas station lately? What do you drive?

I drive an '04 Jetta, and it has the basic 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder engine. I have a stick-shift. I once drove 406 miles with the AC blasting on one 12.5 gallon tank of gas before the gas light came on (and that would've let me drive another 60 miles, according to the owner's manual).

But do you know how much it would cost me to fill my gas tank now?

Try about 40 bucks, roughly - that depends on where I fill up.

Gas prices went up TWENTY CENTS this afternoon alone here in the R-I-C, and even us folks with efficient engines are feelin' it. I genuinely feel bad for peeps I know sportin' 8 cylinders...My parents, my lil' bro, my older bro...sheesh. This is going to put a little financial hurting on everyone who drives.

I know this is all because of the Gulf situation, and I know people have it worse than I do. I know that it would cost me twice as much to fill up in the UK. I'm just venting. The US seriously needs to get off of this petroleum fix.

Me bro' Mugs has been writing a bit of delightful short pieces of late o'er at The Writing on the Bathroom Wall. Go check it out, especially the clever haiku...

I'm particularly glad that he seems to have resurrected the Perpetrator concept - a series of absurd fictitious crime abstracts.

I'm a pretty freakin' picky eater. Seeweeuswy you guys. Example? I grew up in a household that ate predominantly Italian food. I grew up in a household that also made me eat whatever was put in front of me. And here I am, with utter distaste for peppers, onions, and tomatoes (okay in sauce, as long as they're not chunky).

For some reason, however, I find it pretty easy to try out new seafood. Ever since I was a youngin' in Bayville, New Jersey, I've tried out dish after dish of sea food at my old friend Matthew Stevens' house, be it blowfish, lobster, or mako shark steak. Last year on my honeymoon, I went a step further and tasted amazing ahi tuna that was barely seared, leaving the inside cool and uncooked. This, too, was delicious.

None of this could prepare me for the obvious next step...sushi. Specifically make-zushi often containing raw fish.

So I planned an occasion with my wing-man, Dave, whereupon I'd settle this food score once and for all. This past Saturday, we headed for Hana Zushi in Shockhoe Slip for dinner. Dave, being a bit experienced with sushi already, helped me choose my gastric weapons and provided moral support. We each ordered a la carte, selecting from a decent listing of rolls and nagiri. Our plan was to divide and conquer, sharing our selected rolls that we each may experience a broad range of flavors.

My verdict? I really enjoyed the experience - both the exhiliration of walking out on a culinary limb and the food itself. The most amazing point of the evening was realizing a distinct difference between the sushi and most Western food that I've yet eaten:

Whereas with Western food (or perhaps cooked food in general) you tend to experience the full taste of the food when you bite into your morsel, the sushi did not provide its full spectrum of flavors until I had chewed the piece for a moment or so. Once I had given a few rounds of molar-attack to my spicy tuna roll, for example, the full effect of the combination of ingredients spread accross my tongue like a taste epiphany.

Wholly different from anything I've yet ingested, yet intriguing and delicious, I have a feeling I'll be seeking out new sushi bars in the future.

So I know I already mentioned Sufjan Stevens' Come on feel the Illinoise album a while ago, but I just have to mention it again, because I've been listening to little other than this album for the past week.

There are so many layers to so many of these songs, and when you have a chance to sit down and really listen to the musical depth of this CD, I think you begin to appreciate it more. A reviewer on Amazon mentioned that to listen simply to part of this disc would be taking it out of context; you really need to soak in the complete album to fully understand it. I would agree - and I think that's why I've been vibin' off of it so much recently.

Songs like, "The Predatory Wasp of the Pallisades is Out to Get Us," and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" do a fantastic job of wrapping up the second half of the album, completing the sense of musical balance that Sufjan constructs in the first half.

Look at me, I'm gushing...I just couldn't keep quiet about this, sitting here as I am, anticipating the arrival of Greetings from Michigan, the Great Lakes State in the mail this week (his first states-oriented album).

UPDATE: My album arrived today, and I'm antsy to start digging in! Rock!

On a more pleasant note...do check out The Beacon Hill Project to see me hangin' out with the rest of the squad and Mars Ill at a recent concert here in the R-I-C. I'm the bloke in the very middle, with Manchild to the far left, and Dust to the far right.

Yo.

If you have a decent media player on your computer and aren't restricted by a corporate firewall (try iTunes, if you are), then go over to Radio Paradise right now and give a listen. And make sure you listen for at least an hour or so, in order to get the full effect.

The more you listen to this, the less you'll want to listen to FM - unless of course you like top 40 garbage...

So last night I was seriously thinking about writing an exalting post about what I consider to be Richmond, VA's best sandwich: 821 Cafe's Smoked Turkey and Chedder Sub w/ Bacon. Typically, this sandwhich comes with succulent smoked turkey, sliced thin, yellow chedder melted over it, and the optional bacon, on really delicious bread. Served nice and hot with a pile of incendiary fries on the side, this sandwhich works on soooooooooooooo many levels.

Well last night, it didn't. I'm not entirely certain (because I didn't ask), but I think they ran out of smoked turkey and filled in the gap with their roast turkey...it was just enough difference in taste to be a bit dry and boring. Still mostly delicious, and the bacon really helped, but in general, disappointing.

Dang.

I received my newest addition to my CD collection last week, and have since been hooked on the incredible sounds of Sufjan Stevens. This guy is freakin' incredible: He plays, like, 20 instruments, has a very pleasant tenor, and writes both amazing lyrics and music. His talent for arranging is outstanding as well.

The song titles range from straightforward (Jacksonville, Chicago, or the hauntingly beautiful John Wayne Gayce, Jr.) to the absurd (e.g., The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!), but the lyrics on all the songs are poignent and well constructed.

No, I'm not trying to rehash any reviews that I've already read, I'm simply trying to post how excited I am to have this album. I've been trying to push it on everyone that I know that is a music afficianado, such as my mom, my brother, Mugs, my buddy Dave, and soon the rest of my family.

I have to thank Patrick for the awesome recommendation on this one. It's probably one of the best CDs I've heard in the past year.

Oi, spectacular!

Hey everybody! So I finally have my own domain! This page will be fairly bare-bones for a while, but as I expand my horizons with some serious PHP and MySQL goodness, this site should become a fertile ground for my creativity - be it visual, verbal, or otherwise.

Keep an eye out, as this page may change as frequently as a few times a week!
- Daniel