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Archive for June, 2008

psst…

29 Jun

… yeah, so this is what I finished working on this weekend.

 

It’s been a while since I’ve shot and edited video. Part of the reason is my editing machine still needs some attention from me… the other is editing becomes an all consuming focus. Sort of like when I’m on a write… everything else (like everyday life) gets obliterated. And guess what? I’m starting a write… well actually a re-write of Tale End to ready it for the SF Fringe. LOL… so, watch out for Zombie Lecram.

More in the AM… yeah, this is going to be one of those rolling post. Perhaps I’ll elaborate on pantless blogging.

EDIT: 11:00 AM

AND NOW THE REST OF THE DAY

Chores done and (early) lunch served. Now to kick back, read the script then get on with the rewrite. I actually find the re-write process quite invigorating. I suppose because there is the pleasure of “tweak” involved… defining the shape of the piece with a little more precision. This is not to be confused with re-0working the script… which involves more of a “retro-fitting” on a structure that is not as solid as it should be.

Anyway, I suppose I should get on with it. Oh… BTW… this was blogged without pants.

Cheers and have a nice rest of the day.

 
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the question of copyrights

28 Jun

copyrights.jpgThis has been the topic of discussion among many in my circle of friends of late. I think it is safe to assume that the copyright laws as they exist now are going to be redefined over the next few years. Let’s face it… what does exist is cumbersome at best. Especially because of the fast moving dominance of the digital age. HERE is a recent article that makes some interesting and salient points. I have found the subject of “intellectual property” to be somewhat of a curiosity (I know… strange coming from a playwright, huh?) since David Letterman’s move from NBC to CBS and the legal tangles that involved. What do you think?

A PARTY

I was out at one on the back patio of Veni Vidi Vici last night. An engagement party. Fun was had by all. However, with the crappy air quality that wqe have been experiencing of late I woke at 4 AM with a headache.

This could be a rolling post.

EDIT: 1:00 PM

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES

This was at a UN Conference in 1992… has anything changed since then?

 
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Da Count – good chilie sauce

27 Jun

dacountPart of growing up in Malaysia was to develop a palate for chilie sauces. Sauces? Yes, you see there are various specific chili sauces that are used as condiments for different dishes. These chili sauces or “sambals” abound in asian cooking similar to the way that there are various dressings to various salads.

It should be noted that the colloquial term for just about anything with chili is sambal… however there is a difference between a chili sauce and a sambal the same way there is a difference between barbeque sauce and say… ketchup. Sambals can be a stand alone dish… are more exclusive – often homemade and a chili sauce is… more universal and can be bought off a shelf. The chili sauce is so much part of the culture that the KFC franchise in Malaysia even developed their own as far back as the 70′s… and it’s not bad.

Growing up the two most popular were the “sweet chili sauce” and the “garlic chili sauce”. One could add a zing to just about anything with these. I liked both (depending on what I was eating) but had a special place for the garlic variety. (Fried chicken with with a chili garlic… mmm.) There were several different brands to choose from but at the age of twelve I was introduced to one that was made in a small “factory” outside the hamlet of Sitiawan… and it was true love. And being a modest operation supply and distribution was limited which made it’s availability somewhat exclusive. I spent a lot of my holidays there in my teen years so supply was never a problem.

sriracha.jpgWhen I moved to Fresno for college my supply was dramatically cut off. Sure the hot sauces that I tried here were good… but different. So for years I languished… until about 18 years ago when I found a bottle of Sriracha on the shelf of a local asian market. It was akin to finding and rekindling a lost love. It is a different brand and there are subtle differences in taste… but close enough to call it good… OK, damn good. My kitchen has since never been without a bottle. Now the dab and taste can once again bring me back to the beach on a balmy night… sitting next to a fire eating the freshly caught and fire baked crab with my favorite chili sauce as the gentle waves lap to the shore and the moon is reflected off the straits of Malacca.

That is so worth counting.

To find out what Da Count is all about click the flashy sign above.

UPDATE: The post below was quoted in a related post on the Beehive yesterday and seemed to have caused quite a stir.

Oh, and I watched the victory rally last night on TV… was touched by their pride of accomplishment and was very happy for the team.

Also… they issued a stagnant air advisory for today. Will that system lingering offshore please just move in to blow and/or wash this crap away?

 
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so, the big news…

26 Jun

diamonddogs.jpg… around these parts is that the Diamond Dogs won! What? Oh the College World Series. See? Congratulations to the team. They deserve all the kudos for it.

Though with all the carrying on around these parts of late one would think they were the darlings of sports fans in this city forever. Truth be told they were grossly under appreciated with lackluster attendance at their games until this win. Yeah, I risk alienating some of my sport fan friends by saying that… but it happens to be true. So… a big congratulations to the boys for their hard work and “come from behind underdog” win. The victory belongs to you and you alone.

As this was unfolding there was a lot of talk about gaining “national attention” and “respect” and “city pride”. Nothing wrong with any of that except that the last two seem to be all dependent on the first. That is and has been the tragic flaw in attitude in a city that has a lot to be proud about. Admittedly some of that “wait-and-see” attitude is changing… but gosh darn a lot more pride and support can be shown to so much more that is happening here. Sure, it is not as sexy as national recognition but are we so dependent on that for our esteem?

One can only hope that this “boost in self esteem” will contribute to a shift in attitude. Only time and action will tell. In the meantime…at the celebrations this evening when the boys return… pat them on the back and help THEM CELEBRATE THEIR WIN. Then look around at some of the other cool things that are happening in your own backyard and go out and celebrate those as well. Because true pride and respect is cultivated from within.

Have a great Thursday.

 
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with all the fires in the hills…

25 Jun

… the air quality is up in the red unhealthy index today… any outdoor activity is strongly discouraged.  I’ve got a mountain of chores and work to do as well… thank God it is all indoors. There may be a more substantial post later in the day.

For now… try to have a good and safe day y’all!

 
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bang, bang, bang…

24 Jun

busy.jpg… looks like that’s how my day is going to play out. Part 1 of the chores are done… I will get to part 2 as soon as I’ve posted this. The afternoon is going to be taken up with computer work and the evening with shooting for a client.

CALLING CARLIN… CARLIN?

By now the news of George Carlin’s passing should have filtered to you.I spent a bit of yesterday watching some of his routines. There was the famous Seven Words… though one of his last routines On Death was… well… OK… funny. But it was the interview on Inside The Actor’s Studio that I quite enjoyed. (BTW… this is the first of 5.) There was a section talking about his drug use (that he made no bones about) which I actually found quite touching. He stated that it came to a point in his life where the pain quotient supassed the fun quotient and logic just sort of kicked in. Thanks George for making us laugh and think… and not necessarily in that order.

On a related topic I watched “The Summer Of Love” that was rebroadcast last night on PBS.  I had watched it before… and if you are interested in killing an hour or so… GO HERE.

Anyway… more updates on this rolling post as the day wears on.

EDIT: 2:00 PM

YEAH, IT POURS!

This may be the one and only edit for the day. (Yeah, boring…I know.) Since completing my chores and cooking (and eating) lunch there has been a deluge of emails and calls. I think you can carry on without me for a bit.

Cheers!

 
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you’re gonna get it whether you want it or not – GAZPACHO ALA LECRAM

23 Jun

gazpacho.jpgSo, this is an adjusted recipe for “chunky” style Gazpacho I came across a few years ago that I rather enjoy. I like the blended stuff OK… but much prefer the chunky because of the crunch factor.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED for GAZPACHO ALA LECRAM: (serves 6)

2 cucumbers

4 tomatoes (medium & firm)

2 Bell peppers (green, red or yellow)

1/2 onion (I prefer red)

1 jalapeno (seeded and chopped fine)

1 clove garlic (smashed)

3 tablespoons flavored vinegar (I trend toward the red wine variety)

1 lime (squeeze it, baby)

1 bottle (I stray away from the can for this one) tomato juice (I’ve found that Campbell’s the zestiest)

Salt & Pepper to taste

DA WAY:

  1.  Split and de-seed cucumbers and tomatoes. Just use a spoon and scoop out the seeded center and save seed pulp in a bowl.
  2. Dice up cucumber and tomatoes and put into a serving container.
  3. De-seed (but don’t save) and dice bell peppers and add to serving container.
  4. Dice onion and add to container.
  5. Add finely chopped jalapeno and smashed glove of garlic.
  6. Add vinegar, squeeze of lime, salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Put container into fridge to marinade for half an hour.
  8. Blend seeded plup (tomato and cucumber) with tomato juice.
  9. Pour into serving container and mix in with everything else.

It’s one of those that allows you to get creative according to taste. Add some other veges like zucchini or olives… substitute flavored vinegar with Lee & Perrin’s sauce… you catch my drift.

Anyway, scoop and serve chilled in soup bowls with Hot French bread and butter. Turn on the music, suck on the sangria (we got to ask Cynnie about this) and depending on the company you keep…. slip in (or out) of a sarong and…well, that’s up to you now, isn’t it?

Tah Dah!

Only supposed to be 100 tomorrow… woohoo!

 
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pickin’s for eatin’s… and pantless blogging

22 Jun

crop08.jpg

Plucked yesterday from the vege beds. 2 burpless cucumbers, 1 asian cucumber, 4 banana peppers, 4 chillie peppers (mild). They didn’t last long as they were part of the gazpacho I whipped up yesterday. That is my gardening pith in the pic… I have one for just about every occasion, doncha know. Yes. yes… the recipe for Gazpacho ala Lecram will be posted soon.

I shared some of it with thereminman who came to visit yesterday.BTW… he contributed fresh Frenchbread, wine and butter to complete the meal. We then hung and chatted all afternoon about various topics. I do believe we may have solved the problems of the world… but the consumption of wine may have also erased that from our memories. Ah well… back to the drawing board, I guess.

Then at about 6:30 or so APJ swung by and we headed off to the Theatre Ventoux party.  A fun time was had by all. More eats and wine consumed in the kitchen and by the pool.

Sometime today I will reply to comments in the previous posts (at least the last 4 or 5) so, come back and check those out… if you so desire.

Oh and… it actually hit 110 F (43 C) yesterday and it’s supposed to drop to 102 F (38.8 C) today. Sweater weather, huh? Yeah, I’m writing this post without my pants on… too bloody hot!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday… Cheers!

 
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I begged to be proven wrong…

21 Jun

dapig.jpg… but alas the heat hit and seems to be staying. It was a chrispy 106 (41 C) yesterday and more of the same to look forward to today. With all the air conditioners cranking it was a wonder that “rolling blackouts” did not occur… though at times one could feel it almost happening. Last night, at about 10 PM I went out to water the lawn, etc and purposely walked into the spray of the sprinklers. Damn, it felt good.

Thereminman is coming over this afternoon to hang for a bit. That’s something to look forward to. I think a big bowl of gazpacho is definitely called for… and a fresh loaf of bread. Hmmm… perhaps I should hop onto the Flying Pigeon slap on my pith and get some supplies before it becomes intolerable to. But first allow me to savor this mug of coffee.

Yeah, this could just be one of them “rolling posts” I’ve been doing more of late.

 
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Da Count – the smidglet of time before zonking

19 Jun

dacountOne of the absolute favorite times of my day is just before I slide into dreamland. Often the day I lived flashes by like a fast forward movie. There are times I will hit the pause button in my mind to savor a section… be it a moment, an accomplishment, a particularly delicious meal shared with a friend or group of friends… moments that may not count as much to anyone but me.

dusk.jpg
In the dusk of the waking day I like to hone in on at least one smiling moment… to remind me that even if the day was a challenging one… that there was still a moment that I managed a smile. It just makes welcoming the next dawn so much easier. Sometimes that sliver before sleep is when I will plot and scheme to fulfill some insane idea… then float off into the land of nod.

It is that smidglet of time… and the fact that I have it everyday that I’m counting this week.

To find out what Da Count is all about… click the flashing sign.

EDIT: 10:00 AM

Mark your calendars for this!

ryr08a.jpg

 
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