Contrary to what you may have heard, today is not the anniversary of Back to the Future Part II. via...

http://tumblr.com/xm7cv2z8o

vol 2 anyone else isn't you.

SIDE A:

1. seabear - i sing i swim

2. the dutchess and the duke - hands

3. ava quigley - don't think twice it's alright (bob dylan cover)

4. karl blau - dark sedan

5. papercuts - future primitive (go team remix)

6. the wind whistles - turtle

7. lissy trullie - self taught learner

SIDE B:

1. right away, great captain - anna no

2. jonna lee - human (killers cover)

3. malajube - montreal -40c

4. john lennon - mother

5. noah and the whale - the first days of spring

6. themselves & WHY? - canada

7. cass mccombs - dreams come true girl

my vol 1 mix tape :)

SIDE A:

1. first aid kit - you're not coming home tonight

2. alela diane - rifle

3. elbow - grounds for divorce

4. led zepplin - tangerine

5. brooke waggoner - wonder dummied

6. james gang - alexis

7. right away, great captain - what a pity

SIDE B:

1. portugal the man - colors

2. jeremy larson - goodnight

3. the sea and cake - parasol

4. the knife - one hit

5. the shivers - beauty

6. t.rex - telegram sam

7. cat power - good woman

i hate FOX, but these were funny..

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Post-Punk: A History and Examination

Punk rock began as a response to the big budget, over produced music of 1970s. It was a reaction to disco and arena rock. So what is post-punk? The etymology of the word points to it being after punk, but that is not the meaning because punk music is stilling being made today. An interesting analogy can be made with literature to shine a light on the subject of post-punk. Modern literature did not cease to be written after the advent of post-modern literature. The two exist simultaneously as movements in literature. Thus punk and post-punk exist as musical movements. Post-punk is all most a catchall category for underground, indie, or lo-fi guitar rock. It is also the music most representative of the slacker traditions of gen-x. So how did post-punk begin? It's a hard question to answer, but I think it began as a reaction to the nihilism of punk rock. Punk music was defined by its aggressive vocals, and often sloppy, simple instrumentation. More over, the punks were marked by their attitude, where as most post-punk musicians can be marked by their lack of attitude. Punk music wanted to create a revolution. Post-punk music wanted to create art. The D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) ethic of punk was perhaps the greatest influence the genre had on post-punk. Post-punk bands initially avoided major record labels in the pursuit of artistic freedom, and out of an 'us against them' stance towards the corporate rock world. The movement probably begins with Sonic Youth an avant-garde noise band from New York. However, there were many bands that influenced the movement like The Velvet Underground, MC5, Joy Division, and The Talking Heads. Sonic Youth came together in the New York punk scene of the Early 80s. They clearly had a lot of punk influence (their first album Confusion is Sex has a cover of the Stooges "I Wanna Be Your Dog"), but their obsession with avant-garde art and pop culture distanced them from the punks. They appealed to the art crowd and to the college crowd. In other words, post-punk appealed to the people who were sophisticated, which was quite different than the elements that the punks appealed too. It also came to appeal to the weird kids, the ones that never quite found their place. Sonic Youth created walls of sound and noise with lyrics resembling beat poetry, or the lyrics of Jim Morrison. It often expressed the nihilism of the punks in an intelligent way. Their world-view may have been skewed towards the negative but out of the darkness their sounds would often find a sense of beauty, like saying the world is bad, but something out there does exist to make it worthwhile, and that is what is important.The music needed time to grow, and it wasn't until the early 1990s that post-punk broke out into mainstream music with Nirvana. In the meantime, the music spread west over college station airwaves, small clubs, fanzines, and independent record stores. Bands like Minor Threat, The Minute Men, fiREHOSE, and Husker Du began delving into the sonic fields to harvest the post-punk flower. Nineteen eight-six saw the arrival of The Pixies, a band which skirted the edge of fame, and would prove to be very influential on the '90s. There are many reoccurring names in post-punk because often after one band collapsed its members would move onto to new projects. A good example of this would be Ian MacKaye from Minor Threat, who formed Fugazi after Minor Threat's break up. In many cases the line-up and name changes often produced better bands. Fugazi started from where Minor Threat left off, and were able to further distance themselves from punk and move towards a more experimental sound. Similarly, the Pixies, later went onto to become: The Breeders, The Amps, and Frank Black and the Catholics. Dinosaur Jr. lost its bass player, Lou Barlow, who eventually started Sebadoh, and The Folk Implosion. Another example of a reoccurring name would be Big Black's, Steve Albini, who went on to be a producer for many of the best post-punk albums (most of the Pixies albums, and Nirvana's In Uetero) after his stint as musician.In 1989 Nirvana's first album Bleach was released virtually unnoticed. Three years later they became major stars after their second album, Nevermind, came out with its hit single and video. Drawing from influences like Sonic Youth and the Pixies they were able to create a sound that was popular both to the mainstream and underground audiences. Rock actually began to replace pop as the preferred format for radio and MTV, but it would not last long though, and post-punk went underground again after its brief sortie into the world of popular culture. One of the factors involved with this was the music industry's ability to copy the post-punk sound and package it in the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins or Weezer. Post-punk in my opinion is better off being in the underground, because it keeps the music pure and uncorrupted by the evils of corporate rock.A chief factor of post-punk's music is its ability to combine diverse elements of music. A great example of this are the bands The Flaming Lips, and Pavement, which have elements of psychedelic music, country, jazz, blues, and rock in their songs. In a way post-punk can be seen as the true heirs of the great bands of the 60s like the Stones, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles. The music seeks to never be pinned down as one thing, and it is this, which has helped it to survive and thrive in the jaded underground music scene. Some bands like Sonic Youth, and The Flaming Lips have been together long enough to garner major label contracts purely on artistic merit and strong credentials. The big deals have not changed their attitude towards the music, but rather has given them enough money to experiment with new sounds and ideas. Recently some major labels have shown interest in some recent post-punk bands like Modest Mouse (Epic) and Built to Spill (Warner Brothers), perhaps pointing to a changing trend in the industry. However, if it's sold on an independent or major label, post-punk music will continue to experiment and innovate into the next century.

make nice

good little craft blog.

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i love yelena!

artist and freelance illustrator yelena bryksenkova. yelena was born in saint petersburg, russia and moved to the great lakes eight years later. in the spring of 2009, she studied at the academy of decorative and applied arts in prague, which she credits for influencing her color palette and “appreciation for precious, friendly, and quietly beautiful things”. this year she graduated from MICA with a degree in illustration and is now selling beautiful prints in her etsy shop. i love the eastern european folk art-feel to her work and the color palette she works with- especially when drawing flowers (her beautiful floral piece above reminds me of a subtler version of my favorite rifle paper co. card). CHECK OUT her website: http://www.yelenabryksenkova.com/

i actually got into this.

If you count yourself among the legion of “Browncoats” devoted to the short-lived series Firefly, prepare to open up old wounds. I’m referring to the upcoming anthology dubbed Firefly: Still Flying from Titan Books. I don’t want to give away too much about these stories, but I will say that Take The Sky is especially interesting. It serves as a closure of sorts for the entire saga.
While the stories may be short, they are both exhilarating and depressing for fans who have been dreaming of something new since the debut of the movie five long years ago.
As for the rest of the book, it’s pure nostalga. It’s kind of like a scrapbook lovingly pieced together by parents from your childhood, only here you will find less naked bathroom photos. No, here you will find quotes and essays from Firefly writers and actors about the creation of the show and their experiences, a huge section focused on props complete with some sweet-looking photos, a storyboard for the battle of Serenity Valley, a section devoted to the architecture of those marvelous ships, an examination of the Browncoat phenomenon and even a bit about a stolen orange monkey.
The thing I took away from all of this was that everyone involved with the show truly loved it. And the book is a reflection of that love. It’s been a while since I saw the original episodes, but I had to go back and watch a few after reading this book (even if you don’t own the DVDs, its on Netflix Watch Instantly). It just draws you back in…for better or worse.

eck.

9 Weirdest-Looking Animals You Didn't Know Existed (PHOTOS)

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the many sounds of Amber Webber

Black Mountain vocalist Amber Webber may be the only woman doing what she does; at least this is what I thank her for over and over again, forcing an awkward interval on her end of the phone. I can almost hear what she’s thinking in the palpable silence echoing from Vancouver, the psychrock band’s native city. It’s not even noon as Webber is just pouring out her “gallon of coffee,” and she’s happily enjoying the late morning, sans sycophantic proclamations. “It is pretty rad,” Webber reluctantly replies. “I have met a couple of girls on tour that are — sorry to say — inspired by the fact that I’m a girl … or I get the occasional e-mail.”
Webber’s soft voice is appropriately Canadian-clipped when she speaks. Its groggy, morning amplitude is far from the windy levels she accesses when matching co-vocalist Stephen McBean on the band’s sophomore release, In the Future (released January 22, 2008, on Jagjaguwar). Think Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick, and you’ve got a fair picture of Webber’s musical impact. That one has to reach so far back in the canon for a similar comparison is a testament to the anomaly of women in bands with a sound described by critics as “massive”, “heavy”, and “sprawling”. It puts Webber on the same level as other anomalies, like Candace Kucsulain from Walls of Jericho and the Boredoms’ Yoshimi P-We.
“I kind of felt like that whole sexism thing was like, I don’t know,” Webber continues, leaving the sentence’s remainder to circumspection. “When we did the last U.S. tour [2007], it became apparent that there’s so much sexism in rocknroll music. I mean, the promoters, the sound guys — everybody just sort of ignores the woman in the band.” Webber describes being mistaken for a backup singer and routinely having questions directed to other band members on issues pertaining to her equipment. The rest of the band was similarly frustrated, according to Webber. “They’re like, ‘Why don’t you ask her? She’s right beside me.’ Funny stuff like that. It’s ridiculous.”
Webber seems surprised by the experience and rightly so. In their private lives, Black Mountain’s members operate on an entirely different and socially aware level. Much has been made, for instance, of the activist element in their day jobs. Four of the five members — bassist Matt Camarind, drummer Josh Wells, McBean, and Webber (keyboardist Jeremy Schmidt excluded) — work for a government-funded, nonprofit, social advocacy group in East Vancouver.
Egalitarianism runs throughout: Even when discussing intimate subjects, Webber spends the majority of the time plugging other band members (Schmidt’s dead-on visual rendition of In the Future’s tone for the cover art) or friends’ projects (the Cave Singers are her new favorite touring band). These refreshingly do-gooder aspects lend themselves to the Canadian stoner-hippie descriptions often applied to the group in past interviews. Further ammunition: They’ve occasionally labeled themselves a collective and an army.
Webber laughs when I suggest that it’s a product of American fancy that all Canadians live on communes. “Actually, I think that comes from the bio that we put out before the first album,” she replies. “We were having fun with just the fact that a lot of our friends were playing music, and we all get together a lot, and we’ll record on each other’s albums. People thought we all lived together in the same huge house on a farm and that we’re all related. We don’t all live together. We just help each other out.”
As for the “stoner music” element, Webber can see why it comes up, but doesn’t necessarily think the band can be so easily pigeonholed. “I guess we have a classic rock thing, but it’s just rock. Even when friends’ parents ask, ‘Oh what’s your band sound like?’ I just say a rock band. Every song is different: There’s the folky song, the creepy-dark song, the classic rock song. We like to be loud, epic. Even the soft, folky parts, they’re pretty loud; epic in that way that everyone is playing.”
Like all things with such intensity, questions arise as to longevity. I tell Webber that there are certain times on In the Future, when I fear for her voice and wonder why she isn’t wearing a cape, because she most assuredly will fly off into the sunset. I can hear her eyes rolling at my corniness, but Webber politely laughs anyway. She says that she’s been singing since she was a kid and honed her skills in punk bands along the way. “The wailing part is pretty natural, I suppose,” Webber explains. And just in case anyone doubts her role in the band, Webber adds, “If I didn’t give it super hard when we play live, I probably wouldn’t be in the band.”
Amber Webber's Random Top Five:
1. One album for trapped-on-an island scenario: I could probably listen to a Fleetwood Mac album over and over again. I listen to Rumour quite a bit.
2. First album purchased: A Corey Hart album at a garage sale. I know that the first couple of albums I bought [after Hart] were Belinda Carlisle [Peals of laughter follow]. I was just thinking back on how obsessed I was with Belinda Carlisle. And then when I realized she was part of the Go-Go's, I was even more obsessed with her.
3. Last album purchased: Actually it was the new Shins. I'm kind of into the Shins' album three years after everyone else bought it.
4. Best album received as a gift: The Great Speckled Bird, Canadian actually. Do they live on a commune? [Laughs] I don't know. They did travel on that bus. Have you ever seen that movie, Festival Express? You should really see it.
5. Unsuspected fan of: The Wu-Tang Clan. We're all really big fans of them.

currently performing in and on tour with:
Lightning Dust  http://www.lightningdust.com/indexpage.html

Pink Mountaintops http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=pinkmountaintops

Black Mountain http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/

cheesey band name, but not so cheesey sound. hah

trailofdead.com

awesome little album

Cass McCombs
Catacombs
http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/51038/Cass-McCombs---Catacombs

Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal) 1957

                                

I first watched this film about 10 years ago and didn't absorb it as much as when I recently watched it again this year. This film highly influenced my thoughts about religion, life, death and morality. Swedish director Ingmar Bergman needs no introduction at all for a cinema fanatic.It is ignominious that today's young generation is hardly aware of his great works.He will be hailed as perhaps the only genuine cinema artist whose films changed the way films are watched. Most of his films have provoked heated discussions from cinema fans regardless of the fact whether they have liked them or not.If one observes Ingmar Bergman's career closely it would be revealed that almost all of his films were based on themes which were close to his heart.No artist in the history of mankind has efficiently tackled death,faith,religion,male-female relationship,memories,suffering etc as it was done by Ingmar Bergman.Det Sjunde inseglet is one of those eclectic films which give hope,joy and trust in human faith.The Seventh Seal has been called an existentialist classic.This is true to some extent but for Bergman it was simply an affair of reaffirming his faith in the influence of religion on ordinary mortals.His influence was so great that even death had been given a human face.

best site ever for crafts!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/diy-projects

album on repeat! so good.

SWIMMING + SINGLES

Full length 17 track reissue from the acclaimed Belgian group. Between 1979 and 1982 The Names released a trio of peerless singles, including Calcutta, The Astronaut and the classic Nightshift. Their sole album, Swimming, appeared in 1982 on Crepuscule, and like the singles was produced by Martin Hannett. This remastered CD combines the entire album with extra tracks including both sides of the Nightshift and Calcutta singles, plus The Astronaut and two tracks recorded for Crepuscule compilation albums. Full sleevenotes, original Benoit Hennebert artwork. Full tracklist: Music For Someone, Discovery, Floating World, The Fire, Life by the Sea, White Shadow, Calcutta, Postcards, (This Is) Harmony, Shanghai Gesture, Leave Her to Heaven, Light, Nightshift, I Wish I Could Speak Your Language, The Astronaut, Cat, I Wish I Could Speak Your Language

after 8 years of reading his mag.. it still is one of my favs!

http://readymade.com/

so cute!

Bacon brownies!

Bacon Brownies Recipe

2) 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and drained on paper towels
1/2 cup total, butter and bacon drippings
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch salt
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
Chocolate ganache drizzle
Spray an 8" X 8" square baking pan with vegetable spray.
Cook bacon, drain on paper towels and crumble in medium pieces. Save bacon grease.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Measure bacon drippings into a 1 cup measure. Add melted butter to that to make 1/2 cup total.
Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not burn. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in sugar until well mixed.
Add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat well with spoon. Fold in flour and mix just until smooth.
Pour half the batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half the bacon, and carefully pour the rest of the brownie batter on top.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, then sprinkle some more bacon on the brownies, reserving at least a handful of bacon for the topping. Return brownies to the oven and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Sprinkle the rest of the bacon on top, and cool completely before drizzling with Chocolate Ganache.

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival July 19-22

http://www.photographyvermont.com/Gallery/Musicians/GreyFox2009SlideshowByAdamFrehm/


http://www.greyfoxbluegrass.com/
Grey Fox takes place on the incredibly beautiful and breathtaking Rothvoss Farm that is a working hay farm in the town of Ancramdale, NY. The Rothvoss Farm has long been the site of the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival, stretching from 1983 to 1999, presenting the best of bluegrass and acoustic music, and serving as a Mecca for bluegrass fans the world over. Now known as Grey Fox, the festival is produced by Mary Tyler Doub and Ron Thomason, who are dedicated to continuing the same great tradition.

Rothvoss Farm
Ancramdale, NY

blah hahaha. Bush memoir: 43's 'most critical and historic decisions'

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/04/bush-memoir-43s-most-critical-and-historic-decisions/1

letterpress, you make me feel warm and fuzzy

How To: Build Your Own Letterpress
In the last five years, there's been a surge of renewed interest in letterpress (just check Etsy or any artsy-fartsy card shop). Evidently, a lot of new-old printers are women. According to the folks at Boxcar Press (hint: amazing resource/supplier), nine out of ten (!) of their new customers are female -specifically, these are ladies looking to print DIY wedding invitations. I'm not going to invoke a battle of the sexes, because that's just silly (plus, the one pro letterpresser I know is a dude). Still, consider this: Benjamin Franklin got into printing when he was 12. So if letterpress is downright American. Building your own press could be construed as civic duty.
We found two homemade models -a lever-based rig and a screw press - and probed our pro presser for some advice/critique, after the jump...
Lever Press esembles: C&P Pilot Press Parts: galvanized pipe, pipe fittings, shelf board, parchment paper, rubber bands, foam strips, etching board cost: $$ (~$200)
Difficulty: Easy
Pro presser says:
* "It's very possible to grab a press like this for $200-$400 if you don't mind moving it, possibly putting in some time to clean/fix it up and have somewhere to put it."
* "The flex when pressure is applied seems like this whole thing could break if you got real crazy forceful."
* "This one uses excess backing behind the print in order to achieve a better impression but chances are that backing will eventually wear down and putting in a new piece does not seem that easy -- you would have to re-do all your original registration in order to change the backing."
Screw Press (via Instructables)
Resembles: Copy Press
Parts: six 12"x12" cuts of plywood, nuts, washers, veneer press screw
Cost: $
Difficulty: Moderate
Pro presser says:
* "You tend to see this style of press used more for the gluing of book bindings, but it seems lightweight, solid, and much easier to move and store."
* "Adding a Boxcar base would dramatically help for precision alignment. It's a cast piece of aluminum with grid lines. $150 for the smallest one, but worth it if you plan to print often."
* "You'd probably get less movement and more control than with a gerry-rigged lever. If so, the impressions could wind up being darker and clearer. Sidenote: old-school letterpress guys try to print with the least amount of indentations on the paper, which is called a kiss-off. These days, though, an indentation is desirable since it shows it's handmade."
* "My main problem with both presses is that inking all those prints by hand with a brayer would drive me crazy! It's also really hard to ink polymer plates with a brayer -- it's only easy if your brayer is always bigger than the design on the polymer plate."
TIP: Use Crisco for all your initial clean up with presses, rollers, brayers, etc. Saves you from having to use expensive solvents 2-3 times. Instead, clean first with Crisco and then do a round of cleaning the heavier-duty, toxic solvents.
Getting your images print-ready:
Platen presses like these require plates (duh). Unless your press is magnetic (neither of the above ones are), then you need to pay for a custom photopolymer plate. Boxcar Press can create plates from PDF or even artwork you snailmail up to 12 x 17 inches (though they do charge for the time to scan). A small plate might cost $30; ink would be $14-20; paper varies. Not a huge savings, but on the other hand, you can wall mount your plate after printing as a thoughtful, post-wedding gift to your sweetheart.

Dragons of the sea

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sea-dragon/

How to Make Beef Jerky

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Beef-Jerky

mhmm!- First Camera, Then Fork

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html?no_interstitial

this years PEEP SHOW!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/03/29/GA2010032903934.html

can't get this song out of my head today

    the chameleons "dont fall"

love this blog! hahaha

                                                                                     http://www.fuckedinparkslope.com/


undercover Target video. hahah
http://www.fuckedinparkslope.com/home/tag/target

Sea Monster or Giant Crustacean?

A newly recovered giant isopod -- or Bathynomus giganteus

                    http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2010/03/30/sea-monster-giant-crustacean/

thank you Coachella for sending your leftovers my way while im in CA :)

Yo La Tengo with Camera Obscura.
 and....
Yeasayer
 and...
Echo & the Bunnymen
and...
Murs
and...
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

basic simple syrups you can make @ home

In a mixed drink, sugar can be the bridge between the booze and other flavors, minding the gap between bland and delicious. Sugar balances out the assertive taste of citrus and blends a drink’s ingredients into a more pleasant whole. But you have to be sure not to overdo it—there’s nothing worse than a cloyingly sweet drink.
Sugar is often used in its raw form, but for speed and efficiency, cooks and bartenders developed a simplified and easily measured alternative: the syrup. The most common syrup, a simple syrup, is one part water to one part sugar, stirred until the sugar grains are fully dissolved.
Sweetener can add a complexity all its own. For gin and whiskey, a syrup made with honey is pleasant. Tequila together with agave nectar makes sense. And for applejack, high quality maple syrup adds deep, rich notes. But these are not strict rules. The most important point is not to let the sugar dominate.
The real creativity comes when you manipulate your syrup. By boiling chopped ginger root or cinnamon with water, for example, you can extract intense flavor; add the sugar and you have something totally new. Fiddle endlessly. Once you start playing with spices and different sweeteners—try demerara sugar (unprocessed raw cane sugar) or any grade of maple syrup—you’ll be set to create your own signature concoction.
Simple Syrup
Combine one part table sugar and one part hot water. (I like superfine, because the very small granules dissolve easily.) Stir until dissolved.

Honey Syrup
Combine two parts honey (I like acacia) and one part hot water. Stir until dissolved.

Acacia Lavender Syrup
Combine two parts acacia honey and one part hot water. Stir until dissolved. Add 1 ounce lavender leaves Stir. Let sit for at least 12 hours or to taste.

Ginger Syrup
Combine 1½ cups water and one firmly packed cup of finely chopped and peeled ginger, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, still covered, and let stand for 4 to 6 hours. Strain to remove the ginger, saving the spiced water and pressing the ginger to extract any moisture. Add one cup of superfine sugar and stir until dissolved.

Cinnamon Syrup
Combine 1/3 ounce cinnamon sticks, broken up, with one cup sugar and one cup water. Place in saucepan and heat, stirring sugar until dissolved. Just before boiling, remove the mixture from the heat and let sit for at least 6 hours. Strain to remove cinnamon.
cocktail recipes.
The Boukman
1½ oz white rum
½ oz cognac
¾ oz cinnamon syrup
¾ oz lime juice
Ten Stand
1½ oz bourbon
¾ oz honeyed ginger syrup
½ oz fresh lemon juice
Bee’s Knees
2 oz gin
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz lavender syrup

Glogg (started in the 1920's)

home brew:
In a 2-qt. saucepan combine water, fruits, nuts, orange peel, and spices. Bring to boiling, then turn off heat and cover pan (keep the pan on the burner). Let sit for 1 hour.
In a 4- to 6-qt. stockpot combine port, brandy, and bourbon. Heat over medium-low heat to warm the mixture, about 15 minutes. Do not allow to simmer or boil.
Strain spiced liquid into port mixture, reserving almonds and raisins. When mixture is warmed through, ladle into thermoses or mugs. Add a few raisins and almonds to each mug (which soak up the liquid and add a punchy surprise to each cup).

1 1⁄2 c water
3⁄4 c golden raisins
6 prunes
3⁄4 c whole almonds, preferably without skins
Peel from 1 orange (See tip)
*6 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
*6 cardamom pods
*6 2⁄3 c Port (1.5 l)
1 2⁄3 c brandy (1⁄2 of a 750 ml bottle)
1 2⁄3 c bourbon (1⁄2 of a 750 ml bottle)

DIY Goat cheese ** one of my favorites!

Making Goat Cheese @ home

1⁄2 g fresh goat’s milk
1⁄8 t MM Mesophilic Culture
5 T distilled water
Liquid rennet
1 t kosher salt
To make goat cheese at home,
Heat the goat’s milk to 75-80ˇF in a stainless steel pot. (Look for local goat’s milk because the closer the milk is to its source, the fresher it will be—which results in more nuanced flavors in your cheese.) Stir in the culture. Add the distilled water into a small cup and stir in one drop of liquid rennet (culture and rennet available at dairy connection.com). Mix well and add one tablespoon of the mixture to the milk. Stir well, cover, and place in a warm room-temperature spot for about 18 hours.
Place two layers of fine cheesecloth over a strainer and set in a deep pan or bowl. When the milk has coagulated, ladle the curds into the strainer. Let drain for an hour, stir in salt, scrape into a covered container, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Makes roughly 8 ounces of spreadable cheese. (You could also shape the cheese into disks or logs and let them age—from two days up to two weeks uncovered in the refrigerator—into a firmer consisten

How to Make Gravlax

Scandinavian dish consisting of raw salmon, cured in salt, sugar, and dill. Gravlax is usually served as an appetizer, sliced thinly and accompanied by hovmästarsås (also known as gravlaxsås), a dill and mustard sauce, either on bread of some kind, or with boiled potatoes

http://readymade.com/blogs/food-and-entertaining/2010/03/11/how-to-make-gravlax/

German Ravioli -Maultaschen

Noodle Dough:
2 2/3 c. all purpose flour (300 grams)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 T. oil
3 T. water
Meat Filling:
2-3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 oz. (25 grams) day-old bread or rolls, cut into cubes and sprinkled with 2 T. water
5 oz. frozen spinach (1/2 package), thawed, squeezed dry and chopped
2 T. fresh or 1 tsp. dried parsley
1 T. spicy mustard
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
8 oz. ground round
1 egg.
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper
For Cooking:
1-2 quarts broth (beef or other)
Preparation:
Dough:
Mix flour with salt, eggs, oil and just enough water to make a smooth dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes, until satin-y. Form dough into a ball, oil surface, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least an hour.
Filling:
Cook bacon and remove from pan. Sauté onions and garlic in bacon drippings until translucent.
Mix all filling ingredients well. If you want a finer texture, put ingredients through a meat grinder, too.
Make the Maultaschen:
Roll out 1/2 dough to 1/8 inch thickness or thinner. You should have a sheet about 12 inches by 18 inches. (You may also use a noodle roller to make flat sheets with 1/5 of dough at at time.)
Score dough with a knife, one time through lengthwise and five perpendicular cuts to make 1 dozen rectangles.Place one tablespoon dough on each rectangle.Fold rectangle over and pinch sides to close.
Repeat with the other half of dough.Bring broth to a simmer and place 1/3 of the Maultaschen in the broth. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove and drain. Keep warm if not serving immediately. Repeat with the rest of the Maultaschen.

me likey

http://www.thegreencards.com

awesomeness part dos

the entrance band

http://larecord.com/interviews/2009/09/02/the-entrance-band-interview-life-changed-forever/

awesomeness

Surfer Blood

http://www.prefixmag.com/features/surfer-blood/interview/37740/

craving tapenade

Ingredients:
1 cup kalamata or mixed green and black olives
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Grated peel (no white attached) of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pitted olives, onion, capers, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon peel. Process to a spreading consistency. Season to taste with the pepper and store in a small jar in the refrigerator.

99 cent invention**New Bedometer iPhone App Counts the Calories You Shed Having Sex

A London woman desperate to get her lazy boyfriend to exercise has invented an iPhone application that measures how many calories you burn off having sex, The Sun reported Wednesday.
The download, called the Bedometer, analyzes the time and intensity of each sexual encounter—and you can post your results on Facebook."The results have been amazing. My boyfriend can't get enough of it," Livvy Thompson, 25, said.The gizmo is put on the bed and measures raunchy activity using the iPhone or iPod Touch's motion sensor before adding up the calories.Administration worker Thompson, of Islington, North London, wanted to encourage lover Dan Dinapoli, 25, to tone up."Our initial tests show that a vigorous workout for 15 minutes burns almost 200 calories each," she said.The 99 cent invention follows the Passion application which analyzes a user's bed moves and gives advice on how to improve."The Bedometer is the ultimate app as it's fun and functional," app guru Omidad Hiwaizi, of ad agency Chemistry said.Meanwhile, the life-saving iResus has become one of the fastest-selling apps ever. It tells users how to save heart attack victims.

Their back! X on tour 2010

http://www.xtheband.com/

brings back memories. Nada Surf and the Descendents.

Nada Surf "firecracker" click

Descendents "hope" live click

today is Pi day

Infusing liquor. starting this weekend.. tasting party to follow when done

Mix your favorite spirits with seasonal herbs, fruits, and even vegetables for tasty, and beautiful, beverages. Use our combinations or create your own. Wash and dry the add-ins; trim, slice, pit, or cut them into chunks before placing them in two cups of alcohol. Let the spirits infuse in the refrigerator until the desired flavor is achieved, at least overnight and up to a month (remove the additions before they break down).

1. Chamomile rosemary Gin Combine gin, 8 chamomile sprigs with flowers
2. Fennel Vodka Combine vodka, 1/2 small fennel bulb, plus fennel fronds
3. Plum-Lemon Balm Brandy Combine eau-de-vie de vin (unoaked brandy), 3 yellow plums, 2 lemon balm sprigs
4. Lemon peach sake Combine sake, 1 trimmed lemongrass stalk, 1 peach
5. Red-Plum Grappa Combine grappa, 3 red plums
6. Lemon Verbena Vodka Combine vodka, 2 long lemon verbena stems with leaves
7. Lemon Basil-Raspberry Brandy Combine eau-de-vie de vin (unoaked brandy), 1 lemon basil sprig, 1/3 cup raspberries
8. Beet-Cucumber Vodka Combine vodka, 1 small peeled beet, 3-inch piece cucumber
9.Bacon-Infused Bourbon Whiskey-Cook three to four slices of bacon, enough to render at least 1 – 3 ounces of fat. Once the bacon has cooled a bit, pour off the fat from the pan. Pour 750 ml of bourbon into a non-porous container. Strain the 1 – 3 ounces of bacon fat into the container and infuse for four to six hours at room temperature. Place mixture in freezer until all the fat is solidified. With a slotted spoon, remove fat and strain mixture back into bottle. Pass bourbon through a coffee filter to remove sediment if desired.
10.blackberry whisky- 2 kilos of blackberries, gabottle of whisky – Gilbert says don’t go too cheap here but no need to buy the best
250g of good white cane sugar  combine the blackberries, sugar and whisky. Shake each day until the sugar is dissolved. Then place the jar in a dark place for 3 months. Strain off the liqueur and store in a cool place for at least a year.thered on a sunny day 1×75ml

small measures: starting seeds indoors

Spring is here

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/03/small-measures-with-ashley-starting-seeds-indoors.html

YIKES

too many drama storms a brew'n in brooklyn lately.  heh