green curry with chat mingkwan

No words will follow. This is it. I make green curry. You don't.

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the groom's march

A few weddings to attend over the next couple of months...this morning, I find myself mentally sifting through ways in which weddings could be more enjoyable - not just for myself, but for everyone.

Consider, as an example, the groom's procession down the aisle. No one has been able to provide me with a satisfactory reason for why his entrance must be so unceremonious. Half of the time, I don't even notice that he's already proceeded to the front. This just isn't fair, the man isn't getting his propers.

I understand that this is the bride's day, but she gets the opportunity to enter last, casually late to the party if you will...dawning a gaudy white gown...wearing a pound of makeup on her face as if she is a television anchor...holding a bouquet of flowers that she'll at some point heave at throngs of single woman. To take it way over the top, there is a theme song in her honor. Can't the groom enjoy at least one of those things?

I've always embraced the idea of a groom selecting music to accompany him as he walks down the aisle. I liken it to a baseball player hand-selecting musical pieces for his short stroll from the on-deck circle to home plate. It gets him and the crowd amped. Why not here? Being the meticulous planner that I am, I have considered my own theme music whenever my own special day comes. There has been an on-going internal battle between the Star Wars and Indiana Jones themes. Lately, I've contemplated adding The Dark Knight score into the consideration set. However, this is a bit more ominous and brooding, and I wouldn't want to conjure up images of The Joker while aforementioned cake-faced bride saunters down the aisle after I have already swooped down wearing a black suit (and cape...and cowl...and utility belt).

This got me thinking further. Maybe the groom's theme needs to be a little more uplifting, perhaps a track to get the congregation all jacked up and ready for the reception. The following are masterfully crafted ideas of my own, but I welcome anyone to hijack these.

As a latch key child from the eighties, the only sensible musical choice is this (you'll need to skip to 1:40 - please be patient and take the time). Everyone would be so engaged and fired up! I encourage posters and spontaneous applause during the more pivotal moments of the wedding ceremony. The groom would stop at various moments down his walking path to point and pose, acknowledge all of the loved ones that have taken the time to be with him on this most blessed of days. Don't we deserve at least that much?

To build upon this theme, it would then make sense for the bride and groom to walk into the reception while the DJ spins this classic cut. Wait a second - when did Macho Man's entrance music become the graduation theme? How did I miss this as a child?

When I commit to something, I like to take it all the way, or least to a point where others say, "You've taken this way too far." To complete this brilliant wedding theme, it would only make sense for the slide show of the bride and groom to be cut off by the music of a villain, and then ultimately he would emerge on the screen or in-person. This villain would undoubtedly be the bride's ex-boyfriend and the music would be "their song" so that she would momentarily recall all of the special moments that she had forcefully shoved out of her memory.

Ex-BF would challenge the new husband to some sort of duel to finally settle who deserves the bride's affection. The groom would quickly recognize the bride's wanton relapse and attack EX-BF. Friends of both the groom and EX-BF would come out of nowhere and brawl on the dance floor. The DJ would then put on his announcer's hat and call the action as it played out...

...

I vaguely remember reading a Bill Simmons article a couple of years ago about how he thought it was a good idea to have a championship belt in sports a la wrestling, replete with feuds like above. Damn him. I'm still taking credit for this idea. Yes, I am an adult.

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hog island - time lapse

I recently learned a neat little trick involving my DSLR and Quicktime Pro. I snapped over 1,800 photos in Hog Island last week to create this 3+ minute video. Many thanks to those in attendance that endured my persistence.

YouTube isn't the ideal format to showcase this, but the video is too long for upload on Flickr or Vimeo. Either way, I'm satisfied with the results from my first attempt at a time lapse sequence.

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godspeed, michael jackson

Last night, I was out with some friends watching a DJ set up for his late night set. WonQ posed this question, "When will the Michael Jackson tribute be?" I had not even thought about this obvious scenario as I had skimmed a few articles regarding his death during the afternoon and quickly put it out of mind. And then the DJ began his MJ homage with "Beat It", and the news finally struck me.

I have no personal relationship with the man, but the loss of greatness impacts everyone. And he was truly great.

People seem to act most "humanly" at a time of death. With his passing, the world can now begin to resurrect his genius and properly place him in the pantheon of musical brilliance. He easily stands up there with Lennon/McCartney, Mozart...the list is pretty short. It's a shame we didn't do this while he lived. Some of that was obviously self-imposed from improper/unusual behavior, but the reverberating shock stretching across the world today is tied to the fact that we slammed the door on him and abandoned him for over a decade. Amazingly, we all were able to distinguish between the man and his music. We never stopped lauding the music. Meanwhile, we denigrated the man named Michael Jackson to nothing more than a punchline, a freakish circus sideshow. I think that ceases now.

And to quickly touch upon all the improper behavior - is it innate or learned? Is it possible that it was an unavoidable discharge to counter all of the creativity? Or is it simply an outcome of being pushed too hard early in life because the genius is spotted quickly? It might be a combination of both. Either way, the world victimized him and in turn, he did the same. There are no excuses, just a modicum of understanding that those that are truly unique have difficulty fitting in with the masses. We celebrate them, we ridicule them. We expect them to be different from us and the same as us all at once. That's just how it is.

I would never intend to underestimate the magnitude of losing a father, a son, a friend. But as fans, for those of us Jackson has entertained, we can now remember him fondly. I am looking forward to that.

Enough words. Here's my favorite MJ music video. "Thriller" may be more historically significant, but "Smooth Criminal" is easily his best video creation:



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wonq and the dark knight

Recently, WonQ invited me to share some thoughts and words about The Dark Knight (2008) as part of his relentless march to watch 40 movies in 40 nights. Why 40 in 40? Because he is Catholic, and Jesus spent 40 days in the desert thwarting off Satan's temptations. So, I interpret this to mean that these films serve as a surrogate to his normal life of sexual deviance and hard core drugs.

I was flattered by the invitation until I realized it was a lazy attempt to write about this lengthy film without having to actually dedicate a night to watch it. I call, "Fraud!"

Irregardless, I had a great time bouncing thoughts off of each other. I believe WonQ envisioned an amiable, open exchange about the movie and the comic book film genre in general; I decided it would be more fun as an argument. I don't believe I will be invited for more.

You can find our epic battle here.

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picasa vs. flickr

I've been tinkering with Flickr lately and am convinced that an active account is necessary for any aspiring photographer. From the initial comparisons I've conducted, it appears as though some resolution is forfeited when embedding Picasa images as compared to Flickr images. Ultimately, there is utility for both, but I think I'll be posting images from Flickr going forward. Let's chalk one up for Yahoo!

Because you care.

Picasa:

Flickr:

Picasa:


Flickr:

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the beatles rock band

I don't remember all too much from my childhood, but I have a clear memory of my first introduction to The Beatles. I was in seventh grade, and I inserted a Beatles tape that Colonel Mustard had brought home from school. Years later, I would realize the track I listened to was "A Day in the Life" off of the Sgt. Pepper album. John Lennon's haunting vocal and the cacophony of the orchestra felt like some kind of assault on my ears and my mind. I freaked out and stopped the tape about fifteen seconds after I pressed play. Today, I think it's one of the most brilliant pieces of music ever composed/produced (but what do I know, I get excited by Lady Gaga these days).

A year later, The Beatles Anthology (0:55 to 3:18 or so is a must for any fan, but you should have your own DVD copy, right?) aired on ABC, and I was intrigued.

High school came, and I found the band to be a way for me to distinguish myself as an independent thinker (this is the honest truth). Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with the music. I spent all of my discretionary income purchasing CDs and memorizing lyrics. I educated C-Monster on which member sang vocals on a particular track.I chatted with other fans in Beatles' CHAT ROOMS (on a Netscape browser). I spent hours listening to classic rock stations listening for any Beatles' tunes I had never heard, which ultimately was an introduction into the entire genre - The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, the list goes on. And at the ripe age of 15, I was convinced that the good Lord had inadvertently displaced this sixties' soul in the wrong decade.

College came and my musical tastes diverged. But I kept my first love close to the chest (or ears). And then iPods broke onto the musical scene and completely revolutionized all of our musical catalogs. Any solid iTunes requires an eclectic mix of classic rock, eighties pop, indy rock, hip-hop, soulful R&B...all meant to add up to a musical persona with depth, heart, intelligence, and frivolity. It sounds silly, but we've all spent years fine-tuning our playlists. But I digress. The Beatles got lost in the fold. 

And then a few months ago, my appetite for the Fab Four was rejuvenated when I learned that a Beatles version of Rock Band would be hitting store shelves in September. I am subscribed to email updates, and until today, I've been teased with really meaningless information.

Today, the game's collaborators released a trailer, and it looks fantastic! The hair styles, the beards, the duds all perfectly match the time periods, venues, and records. The confirmed track list is fairly short at the moment, but the entire Abbey Road LP will be available for download not too long after the initial release. That leads me to believe that their entire catalog will be available at some point. I have a feeling I'll be buying the same Beatles music over and over again, in various formats, for the rest of my life.

I am way too excited for this.

There is a higher definition version of the video on the official Beatles Rock Band website.

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memorial day weekend, whale's vagina

Emmelle and I ushered in summer 2009 with a drive to Whale's Vagina* over the long weekend. We opted to trek down 101 rather than 5 to make some stops along the central coast which I personally have never taken the time to explore. Once we reached our final destination, I was pleased with my body's ability to endure the lengthy drive like road trips past (e.g., I once drove to Iowa with some buddies in about 30 hours). And then I slept for twelve hours on one of the nights to recuperate, and I still don't feel fully rested. 

My body is getting older (so is yours)...

Laetitia winery in Arroyo Grande about an hour north of Santa Barbara. The vineyard is located right off of 101, making it ideal for a quick stop to stretch the legs and sample some of the local grapes. There are some really nice wineries down here; it's amazing how Napa's marketing machine was able to brand itself as the pre-eminent region for California wine. Anyway, just throwing in this pic to gross you out. 

Cafe Firenze in Moorpark owned by Top Cheftestant Fabio from season 5. We were sadly underwhelmed by this establishment, a huge restaurant in a suburban strip mall. Absolutely no charm or intimacy, the decor was reminiscent of a Cheesecake Factory or some gaudy Las Vegas eatery. As for the food, it was decent. Again, nothing overwhelming. I did enjoy the beef carpaccio, a dish universally praised by the judges on the show.  

The zoo. I have been telling some folks that we vacation like an old, retired couple. Early to rise and early to bed with a touristy activity or two mixed in between. I can't handle anything else. My body is getting older.

The pictures aren't really meant to entertain or solicit a response. I'm just putting it out there more as a reminder that it's summer now. Fill up your weekend calendars and snap some memories.

Thanks for stopping by.

* Ron Burgundy: Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina. 
Veronica Corningstone: No, there's no way that's correct. 
Ron Burgundy: I'm sorry, I was trying to impress you. I don't know what it means. I'll be honest, I don't think anyone knows what it means anymore. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago. 
Veronica Corningstone: Doesn't it mean Saint Diego? 
Ron Burgundy: No. No. 
Veronica Corningstone: No, that's - that's what it means. Really. 
Ron Burgundy: Agree to disagree. 

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greensandbrowns on twitter

Exciting happenings in the GreensandBrowns universe! 

The team has set up a Twitter account, and recent updates can now be found on the left-hand navigation bar. If you have an account, let's be Twitter mates. Wouldn't you rather have a barrage of G&B updates sent directly to your cell phone rather than the manual weekly check-in to the site that you are currently conducting (and by "weekly", we both really mean "daily" or "hourly")? Let's get my following count quickly up from a "0" to "1", and then quite possibly to "2" thereafter. You follow me, I follow you. The possibilities are endless.

The G&B Twitter account will be monitored by none other than Darth Sexual. 

Here are some samples of what you might expect (in 140 characters or less):

• i brewed beer at home. it tastes like my foot. i am willing to share
• there is a man that works on the fourth floor of my building. he takes poopies on the sixth (my) floor
• can somebody pick me up?
• xmen 3 on fx. gayest movie ever? fight in sf, marginalized for genetic mutation, mega-gay Archangel, bromance - Xavier & Magneto
• Emelle's pet fish died: http://alamonica.blogspot.com/2009/05/pet-fish.html Less competition, on my way to the top!

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canadia - part 2 (montreal)

"Paris without the jet lag." Bonjour! Emmelle (French spelling of ML) and I traveled by train from Toronto to Montreal for the second half of our Canadian vacation a couple of weeks ago. You can read Emmelle's detailed take here. My own mishmash of observations:

Montreal is the place to be in eastern Canadia, scratch that, probably all of Canadia. It's a charming city rooted in Canadian history and soaked in French culture.  "Rugged elegance" is how I would describe the mental still frames of its landscape, buildings, and people. The city has masterfully married the traditions and architecture of the past (cobblestone streets, beautiful basilicas) and the bright lights of modern big city life. All of these factors add up to a city and region that is neither Canadian nor French; it's something entirely unique - Quebec. Great food, fun atmosphere, pleasant people. We really loved this place.

Mont Royal.

Quebec like Texas. Leading up to the trip, we had read about the separatist movement that has existed in Quebec for years. After four days of passive ethnographic observation, GreensandBrowns officially endorses the secession movement. French is the primary language and the young people receive a consistent dosage of pop culture, music, and fashion from France. Even generations later, the people appear more "European" than elsewhere in North America, a likely result of homogeneous mixing within this region. Northern cities like Quebec City, we were told, are even more "French". Can this really be considered Canadian?

(On top of that, I would like to declare my full support of Texas leaving the US. Let's also give the Bible Belt an autonomous state (even if they don't want it). I also propose American colonization of British Columbia (Vancouver) in exchange for Montana and the Dakotas. Let's get rid of Arizona altogether.)

Notre Dame Basilica.

Gregory Jones. I'll conclude this entry by going back to the beginning. 

On our five hour train ride to Montreal, we sat next to a friendly Canadian called Greg. We first met him prior to boarding, and Greg mentioned that this was his first trip to Montreal. He was obviously not a novice traveler however as he carried a heavy duty backpack and wore worn hiking boots. On the train, he revealed that he recently completed a six month backpacking trip through Central America and parts of South America. He would be spending a few more weeks traveling through Canada until reaching Vancouver to spend the rest of the summer at an archaeological dig. He told us his name was Greg, but I think it might have been Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. (sans fedora and whip).

We are probably around the same age. But Young Indy most likely has visited more countries and experienced more cultures than I will in my life's entirety. I envy this, in a healthy way. I have the utmost admiration for life-long travelers. They have seen more colors, experienced more behaviors, immersed themselves in more histories. In my non-humble opinion, guys like Young Indy have a more holistic image of humanity, a better understanding of man's relationship with the earth.

My social constructs mandate life objectives that conflict with Young Indy's capricious lifestyle - stable job and income, stable living situation, a keen eye on making sure present decisions don't compromise future plans (basically the never-ending paper chase). While I suffer through intermittent bouts of wanderlust, they are always deflated by a laundry list of responsibilities. Why can't Emelle and I just take off to some exotic beach, sustained by blue collar work and replenished by an island sun? We can't...because we can't.

But we can weave these temporary excursions tighter into our lives. 

Traveling should be a responsibility in itself. I am calling upon myself to experience something more than the comfortable confines of home. The days may be long, but the years are short. And they grow shorter. With Emelle's fingers firmly intertwined in mine, we move forward towards our next adventure.

Merci.

Chocolate soup.

Cuisine: bone marrow, poutine (french fries, cheese curd, and gravy), mash potatoes with caviar

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