Score!

Diane and I are going to see Radiohead in August.

Blogroll additions

Added links to NifNaks and Threadless.

Threadless always comes up with interesting t-shirt designs, and of course NifNaks is an obvious choice.

Radiohead Webcasts

Here’s a some interesting webcast videos for the songs from Radiohead’s last album. There are two versions, “Thumbs Down” and “Scotch Mist”.

(Youtube Links)

15 Steps - TD - SM
Bodysnatchers - TD - SM
Nude - TD - SM
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - SM
All I Need - SM
Faust Arp - TD - SM (NSFW)
Reckoner - TD - SM
House of Cards - SM
Jigsaw Falling Into Place - TD - SM
Video Tape - TD - SM

Jinx averted?

Frank Gramarossa, project executive for the new Yankee stadium, removes a Boston Red Sox jersey with the name of player David Ortiz from the ground at the new Yankee stadium.

The Yankees have ended a construction worker’s attempt to jinx their new stadium with a buried Red Sox jersey.

The jersey was buried under 2 feet of concrete in a service corridor of the stadium.

This is great… As a Mets fan I can only say: “Looks like they missed a bit…”

Travel

I’ve got a lot of travel coming up in May and June. In the span of a month I’m going to visit Ireland, Malaysia, and Mexico.

Can you say “frequent flyer miles?”

In preparation, I received diphtheria/tetanus and Hepatitis A vaccinations yesterday at our company clinic. They also gave me a cool “travel pack” which contained incidentals like antibiotic cream, anti-diahhreals, Tylenol, and a dust mask (presumeably for the Mexico City portion of the journey.)

Of particular concern is DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis.) Sitting for hours on an airplane can evidently cause blood clots to form and subsequently many other nasty things. A couple of employees from our company developed DVT on business trips, so we’ve been put on alert. I’ve got a sheet full of exercises to do in my seat to help keep the blood flowing.

The State Department’s “International Travel Site” is a good read, although it’s a bit scary for Mexico and Malaysia.

“Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of non-Mexicans, continues at alarming rates. So-called express kidnappings, an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for the release of an individual, have occurred in almost all the large cities in Mexico and appear to target not only the wealthy, but also the middle class.”

Nice.

Hillary Sculpture

“…she survived Monica and Bosnia and now is perfectly preserved in a rubber squeaky toy.”

Via John Kricfalusi

The “Chinsification” of DVD cases.

This is the first DVD I’ve seen that has a paper case like this. I think it’s the way that the industry is going.

At first I was kind of disappointed, but after thinking on it a bit I think they’ll store much better. I’ve got around 500 dvds, and storage in the original plastic cases is a problem.

It’s also eco-friendly, for those of you who care about such things.

So what did I think of the movie “There Will Be Blood?” I think that someone needs to teach these Hollywood writer types how to design a plot. It was the most superbly acted, fantastically filmed, riveting film about NOTHING that I’ve ever seen.

Really, it was a pointless exercise. Daniel Day Lewis is great though.

Testing Flickr Video

Flickr does video now!

Salmon with Tomato Basil Salsa

Salmon was straight forward…start with a 500F oven, put the fish in and then immediately drop it to 275F. Cook it until the salmon flakes easily and/or has an internal temp of about 125F. Important not to overcook!

The Salsa was also easy… about

3/4lb seeded and diced tomato
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs minced shallot
1 clove garlic - minced
2 tbs basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Fantastic!

Pork Chops in the Style of Beneventana

A Mario Batali Recipe. I saw him making this on “Molto Mario” the other night, so I decided to try. I was glad I did!

4 center cut pork chops, 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper
Flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons wild fennel seeds, or use regular fennel seeds, and grind 1 teaspoon in a spice grinder to simulate pollen, plus some to garnish
1 cup high-quality white wine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 fennel fronds, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour.

In a 10 to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the pork chops and cook 1 minute on each side, until evenly browned. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon fennel seed on 1 side of the chops. Turn and sprinkle the remaining teaspoon on the other side. Add wine and garlic, and place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until just cooked through.

Remove the chops to a plate and keep warm. Over medium heat, cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add the fennel fronds to the hot liquid and cook 1 minute more, allowing fronds to wilt. Remove the garlic and pour the wine sauce over the chops, garnishing with the fennel fronds and wild fennel pollen.

Delicious and surprisingly easy.