Ultranormal

  • Massive Armada Launches Groove Attack

    The other two music-related things I was going to tell you about yesterday before Mike delivered his new album were the two CD’s I got in the mail on Monday. They are:

    • Massive Attack: 100th Window: Before I start this, I have a confession. I am a huge Massive Attack fan. I own all their albums. I have been waiting for this for five years. So, if I break down and start to cry, that’s why. This is a great album. Go out and buy it right now. Why? It has Sinead O’Conner sounding the best she ever has in some haunting Teardrop~~esque (my favorite song EVER) pieces on it. The rest of it is classic Massive Attack, only new. There’s growth and expansion from what they did on Mezzanine. The sound is fuller, and has more layers than anything that’s come before. Everywhen is heavenly, with the slightest bit of distortion on the keyboards adding a pleasant roundness to the sound. The layers come in one by one and wash over my ears, making me nod and close my eyes. It’s hypnotic and then it blows your ass out of the chair~~ like the best of their other work (think “Angel has a baby with Teardrop who sounds a little like Safe From Harm“).

    • Groove Armada: Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub): I somehow have a copy of Edge Hill on my computer that I swear I have no idea how it got there. It’s a great song, and I was already placing my order with Amazon, so I went for it. I’m glad I did. The other songs on the album bear little resemblance to Edge Hill, but they’re still good. I even like the rap in the first song (it shows up in others two, but I’m listening to Massive Attack still, so I’m not going to go find them. The album flows really well between songs, and creates a great laid back mood throughout, even when it’s rockin’. After Edge Hill, Little by Little has me going back to it over an over. Hypnotic, densely layered and beautiful, even the vocals are great. What I love about the song is it gives you a good couple minutes to set the mood of the song before the vocals come in. Even then, the music takes precedence. Good good stuff for your headphoning pleasure.

    My lovely wife got me Fear of Pop for my birthday, which I’ll probably review tomorrow, if I can stop listening to Mike’s new album, and these two gems.

  • Google Things

    Google thinks I’m a “web designer and goofball extraordinaire”. One out of two ain’t bad. I’m no designer. I used to think I was, but I gave up. I’m a code monkey with definite opinions about design, but I’m not a designer.

    The goofball part is right on… on the way back from Indian food the other day, someone said, “It’s great to find someone else who never grew up.” Yeah, that’s me. I’ve got a juvenile sense of humor and a delight in mischief.

    What does Google think of you?

  • He Ain’t Just My Friend, He’s A Moo-Zish-Yan

    Today has been a much better day than I expected. Lots of good news and good new music. I’ll document the other new music later, but I want to tell you about my friend Mike. See, he was my boss for a little while a couple years ago and is an all-around swell guy. I didn’t find out until recently that he’s something of a musician (something of because I didn’t know how good he was). All that changed today when, while I was meeting with someone in my office, Mike ran in, dropped something on my desk without saying a word and ran off. It was a CD, and it had his name on it!

    I popped it open, threw it in the UberMac, ripped it (don’t worry, Mike, I won’t share), and began listening. Holy crap. He doesn’t suck! I’ve had one other good musician friend in my life, and the experience was a lot like this. I got this huge swelling of pride. My friend has created something beautiful, and I know him (not Biblically… I swear… although he did offer to take me hiking). All of the songs on the album are good, but there are some that are honest-to-goodness pieces of art. Waltz for Brooklyn is a gorgeous song that almost made me cry, partly because my friend created this and was kind enough to share it with me, but mostly because the song is just that good.

    So, if you’re in need of some acoustic guitar happy-sweet-goodness, go pre-order Half Pint today. Tell him Kevin sent you… and no, I don’t get anything if you buy it. It’s really just that good.

  • Two Great Tastes

    Yesterday was pretty brutal as far as work and stress levels are concerned. I spent a lot of time in meetings, writing documents and dealing with money stuff (we’re refinancing the house, which means lots of paperwork and finding old documents). My general stress level hasn’t been good lately with a bunch of new responsibilities at work on a new top-secret project and a lot of swirl around other stuff. It’s a whirlwind that follows me home every day.

    Jen suggested I take a bath last night, and I love her for it. It kept me away from the TV, allowed me to finish reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and introduced me to a great new mix of flavors. Before I get to that, I have to confess something. I’m addicted to Bloody Mary Mix. Being Mormon and all, there are never any spirits in the mix, just the spicy goodness of Mr & Mrs T’s Bloody Mary Mix (the normal stuff, not the super spicy version). I usually drink it in a mug full of crushed ice. It’s kind of like super-chilled gazpacho (the cocktail that eats like a meal). I think you know where this is going, or do you? The other thing I have to tell you is my obsession with good gummi bears (yes, I spell it the German way, because they’re German and that’s where I first had them). Jen bought me a big bag of Black Forest Gummi Bears (the original and still the best, no gummi worms or coke bottles for me – give me the little squishy bears and watch me smile like a doofus) for my birthday. Ok, on to the story. So, I take my mug o’ mix, a bowl of multi-colored edible bears, a bottle of water (in case I get lost and dehydrated) and my book up to the giant tub in our bathroom.

    I was a little apprehensive about mixing gummi’s and bloody mary mix, but you know, they’re pretty good. I wasn’t dipping them or anything, but I’d take a sip then eat a bear and I didn’t throw up. It’s not quite chocolate and peanut butter (but what is?), but it’ll do. I spent an hour up there nursing my mug and my bears, reading the final chapter of Mr. Eggers’ book (the last ten pages really are heartbreaking and genius).

    I feel a little better today. I’m still not sleeping well, but I haven’t broken down and run to get a forbidden soda, and work doesn’t seem so helpless today. I’m whittling away at the pile of documentation I have to write, and dealing with the constant flurry of interruptions without killing people. I think this skipping CNN thing is working.

  • Just Say No To War (Talk)

    Rashunda came up with a good idea in her comment to this post. I’m not going to talk about the war on this site anymore, if I can help it. I’m going to avoid it if at all possible. Why? There are a lot of reasons. First, I’m not qualified, and who wants to read about it here, when there are a million other places to get your war on. I’ll leave the commentary to the professionals, and those deluded enough to think they have the big picture. Second, it’s tearing me up. I have so many conflicted emotions about the whole thing that I don’t really want to relive them here. I’ll deal with them myself and leave them off this site. Third, the amount of commentary, good and bad, on the web is overwhelming. The coverage on the TV is bad enough, but it’s also practically impossible to avoid it online either. I will do my part to not contribute to the war commentary clutter.

    What am I going to talk about? Everything seems tainted by the war. Expect lots of stupidity (like you don’t already), lots of geekiness, some talk of sports and movies and Max stories. You’ll probably get some video game reviews and maybe some embarrassing stories from my childhood. I mean it, I really am going to try to avoid any commentary on the war, the President and politics in general, at least until the Primaries roll around.

    I’ll hopefully be back later today with something light and humorous… check back.

  • Just Because It’s There Doesn’t Mean I Have to Watch

    Indian Food makes me sleepy. We went to the lovely and tasty Banjara for lunch to celebrate someone’s anniversary with the company (it doesn’t take much of an excuse for us to go out to lunch). The food is good there, but a well-informed member of our group touts a rival restaurant, which we will try out eventually: Minerva. I don’t know what it is about Indian food, but both times we’ve gone there, I’ve had the hardest time staying awake when I get back to work. I’m droopy and lethargic and ready for a nice long nap.

    We stayed up for the Oscars last night. Since I really didn’t go out of my way to see the nominated films this year (of the Best Picture nominees, I saw The Two Towers, how sad is that?), I wasn’t invested this year. I thought Steve Martin did a fine job keeping things light, although his way-inside-the-industry shtick got a little old. I didn’t have a problem with any of the acceptance speeches, even Michael Moore’s. I thought his “When you’ve got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, watch out” (or something like that) line was really funny even if it was drowned out by booing and the orchestra. Adrian Brody gave the speech of the night, and did a great job walking that line between pro-peace and anti-war.

    I’ve been trying to come up with a reason I haven’t been more vocal about the war. I’ve posted before about the fact that I think it was inevitable, and how nothing I said would change it. I still feel that way to some extant. But, I also feel that with enough voices, things can change. I just can’t align myself with either group, the rapid anti-war folks or the rabid pro-ass-kicking troupe. I’m in the middle. People in the middle don’t protest. We sit quietly waiting for everything to end. I am pro-removing-Saddam. I am pro-Troops, how could I not be, having grown up as the son of one? I am anti-how-we-got-here. President Bush botched this whole thing miserably. His policies led us right here to war without the great international consensus we needed. He lied to us about Iraq’s involvement in September 11th, and used forged documents to make his case (whether or not he knew they were forged is still unknown, but still). Other than Britain and a handful of countries smaller than Mississippi, we’re all alone. We will be when this is all over too, unless Saddam decides to reveal those well-hidden naughty weapons.

    I’m going to try not to talk about this anymore. I’m tired of the coverage on CNN. I don’t need to know what the 3rd Infantry is doing every five minutes. I don’t need to see live feeds of Baghdad twenty-four hours a day anymore. I know people are dying on both sides. I know horrible things are happening to people I never met. Wallowing in it will only make me feel more sick about it than I already am. It didn’t have to turn out this way. Now that it’s here, and there’s nothing I can do about it, there’s no point belaboring the obvious. Woulda, coulda, shoulda – it doesn’t matter. We’re here, no matter how we got here. I just hope it ends, and the folks over there who want to come home get to, and soon. I hope Saddam realizes this is a lost cause and gives himself up, either to eternity (as Eddie Izzard would say, “In a ditch, covered in petrol, on fire”) or to his nearest US Military Representative. I know it won’t happen, but let’s hope anyway.

    I’m going to go bowling tonight and pretend that CNN doesn’t exist.

  • Double OT Is Killing My Wife

    Arizona, you guys better win it in double OT, or my wife is going to kill you or me.

    Watching sports with my wife is a contact sport, especially Arizona Basketball. She yells at the TV, slaps the couch, and my legs, or whatever other body parts are in reach. She’s what they call an avid fan. I love it. The things that come out of her mouth during a game make me laugh like nothing else. Now, Arizona and Gonzaga are going into Double OT, and I’m not sure she can handle the pressure. Please, Wildcats, go on a 15-0 run or something. She and my legs would appreciate it.

    UPDATE: Arizona wins!! Arizona wins!! It was by one point. After that last second shot by Gonzaga missed, Jen exulted with my double-armed pumping, “Arizona won!!!! Arizona won!! Arizona won!!!! Holy crap, Arizona won!!!” I thought for sure, I could get clocked by “friendly fire”, but Jen assured me her arms where going straight up and down, not side to side. It was a relief, to be sure.

  • Pork It With Ham

    I had a great birthday. We had gourmet pizza from Emilio’s, a fantastic cake made by mom and lots of fun. Work has been really busy, which hopefully explains my lack of content here the past few days. Not that you need an explanation, right?

    Today, I decided to make Jen a nice dinner for our “date” (mom’s got Max; we’ve got the house). We got a pork roast on sale, and I decided to try out another Molto Mario idea and braise it. Thankfully, Jen got me Mario’s book for my birthday, so I didn’t have to make it all up. Here’s the menu:

    • Bruschetta: fresh roma tomatoes, fresh mozarella cut into small cubes, shredded fresh basil and grated parmesan on toasted baguette slices.

    • Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus: I got the prosciutto thick-sliced at the deli (too thick, but I asked for it that way). I wrapped the asparagus up in the slices and sauteed them in a little olive oil. The ham got a little hard. If I do this again, I’m using thinner meat.

    • Fresh linquine covered in the braising liquid with vegetables. I used the carrots, mushrooms, onions (Spanish and Red), and celery in the tomato-based braising liquid. I reduced it a little in a sauce pan and then threw in the cooked noodles.

    • Braised Pork Roast: We don’t drink, so I used pureed and diced tomatoes and olive oil as the braising liquid. I used too much; the roasting pan overflowed; the house filled with smoke; I opened windows. Other than that, the pork came out really tender, and the sauce that came out of the pan is heavenly (because pork is gooooo-oood).

    Other than the too-thick prosciutto and the smoke, it was really yummy. I have a couple other recipes I want to post, I just haven’t found the time. I made a really yummy salmon filet with red onions and fresh orange juice that I came up with off the top of my head. It was great (if I do say so myself). I also made homemade meatballs that blew me away. They were unbelievable, and I’ll share the recipe when I can get around to getting it down on paper. I’ve still got some in the freezer for subs later… mmmmm, meatball sub.

  • It’s My Birthday, Get Your War On

    Yeah, it’s my birthday and I’m sitting here on the couch surfing and watching Rummy on CNN. It’s a great day to be 28, I tell you. Mom came and picked Max up at eight for their regular Thursday playdate. I swear I was going to sleep in, but our trip to Matsutake for lunch yesterday has given me a little case of Yokohama’s Revenge and I woke up with some wicked stomach cramps. I’ll spare you the details past the fact that there’s no way I could get back to sleep.

    In completely non-war-or-birthday-related news, can I tell you how great NetNewsWire is? Since switching to OS X, I’ve been curiously watching my computer slow down as the afternoons drag on. This morning, I decided to play with top (it’s a unix command that shows you what’s running, and how much of the processor, memory and virtual memory it’s using). Everything grows in memory usage. AOL, Camino, Mozilla, etc. Camino uses a lot more memory than I thought it would. AOL and Mozilla are pretty memory hungry, but I knew that already. The one that really shocks me is NetNewsWire. Even after loading a bunch of posts, its memory doesn’t grow much. It holds nice and steady even after all those connections and posts. It’s so worth paying for it if you haven’t already.

  • Gone Birthday-ing

    I’m apparently important at work again, which explains the lack of posting the past couple days. I’ve been buried in requirements docs, urgent requests and educational material. My birthday is tomorrow, and we’re trekking to IKEA to shop for fun Scandanavian furniture and knick-knacks sans the monkey. I plan on sleeping in, taking a leisurely drive to IKEA, walking slowly and taking in all the shiny pine. I will then eat a leisurely lunch while I stare at my lovely wife. We may go see a leisurely movie. Then, we’ll take a somnambulent drive back home, where I’ll pick up gourmet pizza and tasty blue collar wings. We’ll have a party, eat cake and laugh.

    Then, on Friday, I’ll come go to the doctor and then come back to work ready to wade through more of this… stuff.