Friday Five

1. List your five favorite beverages.

Espresso ristretto
Red Wine
Bombay Sapphire Martini
Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch
Acqua Frizzante/Tamarindo (tie)

2. List your five favorite websites.

I don't know. I have some listed on my links section, which needs updataing.

3. List your five favorite snack foods.

Cheese
Chorizo (the dry Spanish kind)
Salami
Panforte
Popcorn with soy sauce or reggiano parmeggiana

4. List your five favorite board and/or card games.

Backgammon
Blackjack
Chess
Uno
Skipbo

5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games.

Hearts
Free Cell
Minesweeper
Tetris
Elf Bowling

Friday Five

I have not done one of these Friday Fives for awhile, and since I have a few moments (Amalia is asleep, and I was just hit by some nasty cold thing, so I am doing my two days of plenty of fluids, rest, blah, blah, boring, which gives me time for this sort of nonsense):

1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays?

Sure. If I am dressed for it. I like the crispness and all of that. We don't get that kind of cold here in the Bay Area, nor did we in Sacramento, rather a cold, bitter, gray dampness (locals call it Tule fog). But that New Englandy crisp cold is fine.

2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect?

Come over on December 25th and find out. Tuna tiramisu, homemade French baguettes, risotto, roast goose, braised fennel, short-braised Tuscan black cabbage, potato and celery root gratin, 13 desserts. Wine. A Christmas martini that gets half forgotten in the rush of getting the first courses to table. Nocino until 3am. All with friends and family (more the merrier).

3. Do you do have any holiday traditions?

Oakland Holiday Parade, a stroll through Union Square at night, going to an octogenarian friend's annual tree lighting, panettone, panforte, the Arhoolie Records Christmas party, then frantic menu planning, goose ordering, etc., then Christmas Eve dinner at my cousin's house, midnight mass, then...See above. Other than that, I move VERY slowly on the 26th. I generally cook something very simple that night (and it was last year that I sliced myself mishandling an avocado, although I don't want to make a tradition of that). Then on New Years Eve we go to The Steps of Rome Trattoria in North Beach, followed by an organ concert and mass at the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, followed by the blessing of the city with the relic of St. Francis at midnight and my annual run, an insane sprint to the top of Telegraph hill to see the fireworks. Then on New Years, we generally are in Sacramento for a Japanese feast chez Ann (of the web design fame). It closes with going to our octogenarian friend's Epiphany/unlighting the tree party.

4. Do you do anything to help the needy?

Yes. As much as we think we can. Probably not enough, though.

5. What one gift would you like for yourself?

I really don't need anything, although a good book is always welcome. Wait, I take that back. Chronicle Books has just put out a book of Richard Diebenkorn's works on paper. Other than that? Well, pork products are always nice, and wine.

Belated Friday Five

1. What food do you like that most people hate?

Organ meats in general, with tripe and sweatbreads topping the list.

2. What food do you hate that most people love?

Hard-cooked eggs (also scrambled eggs, poached eggs, basically my limit to egginess is frittata, souffle, quiche, tortilla. The next step to overcoming my egg aversion (caused by a childhood allergy, so that I never associated that awful smell with food) is... fill in the blank, I am open to suggestions).

3. What famous person, whom many people may find attractive, is most unappealing to you?

I find Julia Roberts one of the ugliest actresses around.

4. What famous person, whom many people may find unappealing, do you find
attractive?

Hmmm. I will have to think about that one.

5. What popular trend baffles you?

Most of them. Tattoos, piercings, "alternative rock", nostalgia for the 1970's, liberalism, disco, meatloaf revivals, Wicca, people who are into Wicca as well as Lord of the Rings, Seinfeld, Friends, come to think of it just about all of the TV shows that are popular.

Friday Five

1. What vehicle do you drive?

Ford Explorer

2. How long have you had it?

Since January

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle?

12 CD changer and 4 wheel drive

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle?

It handles like a truck and gets lower gas mileage than the Krautrocket (my beloved and gravely injured BMW 325)

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now?

Alpha Romeo Milano

A Decent Friday Five

1. Who is your favorite singer/musician? Why?

I will address only the living ones: Singer: Thomas Hampson or Ute Lemper. I have always liked Hampson, but hearing him sing Mahler last year completely won me over. Ute Lemper has a great approach to the music of Weimar Germany and the French music halls. Musician: Hmmmm. Probably Jordi Savall these days. He is the best viola da gamba player out there.

2. What one singer/musician can you not stand? Why?

Brbra Streisand, because she has a crappy voice, bad taste, lame phrasing, and she is ugly, stupid, arrogant and obnoxiously leftist. Without the political stuff, she would simply be in the running with Michael Bolton and Celine Dion.

3. If your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person?

I have no idea.

4. Have you been to any concerts? If yes, who put on the best show?

The best show was probably Chuck Mangione. I was totally blown away by what a great jazz player he is.

5. What are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? Do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from dowloading free music?

Ripping off record labels and musicians is bad. Period. I don't care how rich you think they are. First, you would be surprised if you learned something about the matter. Record labels do not make tons of money on each disc. That is a stupid myth. The RIAA is right, but misguided. I think there are better ways of going about it.

Friday Five

Friday Fives have been dumb recently, but this week's takes the cake. The first four questions are dull but OK, but then question five is just silly. I am passing on it. Sorry.

Friday Five

1. What housekeeping chore(s) do you hate doing the most?

Mopping. It always seems that as soon as I mop I have to urgently go through the mopped area, usually after I have to get something out of the yard. Then I have to do it again.

2. Are there any that you like or don't mind doing?

Once I get into it, washing dishes is fun. I like playing in the water. Otherwise I like filing books and records. I get into the taxonomy of it and it can be a very enjoyable task, especially when I decide to re-classify something, for instance, to group our CD library by nationality as opposed to by chronology. Sometimes I will re-classify in order to take subtle and not-so-subtle digs at an artist or writer: take that Ambrose Bierce, I am moving you from California literature to American Literature! That will teach you to not leave the Golden State! Ha HA HA! Look at Emerson, hanging out with the hippies!!! Emerson is a hippy! Emerson is a hippy! Hanging out next to Leary! Hippy, hippy, hippy!

Melanie gets particularly annoyed at my various schemes at taxonomy because she will often just get used to one system, and I'll get the bug in my ear to change it around and invent a new one. She also gets annoyed when I file the Indigent Girls in some section that is clearly intended as an insult, for instance the Entartete Kultur section.

3. Do you have a routine throughout the week or just clean as it's needed?

Theoretically as needed.

4. Do you have any odd cleaning/housekeeping quirks or rules?

I like to wash a dish completely, rinse it, dry it and put it away before starting the next piece. Drives everyone crazy, but it is the proper way to do it, as it avoids unsightly water marks and reduces the risk of breakage, since there is no longer an area full of wet glasses just waiting to be knocked over.

5. What was the last thing you cleaned?

Espresso machine. It needed it.

Friday Five (Yawn)

Fairly pedestrian this week, but here goes:

1. When was the last time you laughed?

This morning. My graphic designer said something very funny.

2. Who was the last person you had an argument with?

In person? I don't remember (I am sure that Ann finds that heard to believe). On the Internet? In the comments box of some other blog the other day I encountered a "catholic" free marketeer who for some reason was also against Mexican immigration. I tried to be polite. I really did.

3. Who was the last person you emailed?

One of the sales reps at our distributor.

4. When was the last time you bathed?

Let's see, that would have been the fall of '01. It just seems so wrong to bathe since Sept 11. No, really, this morning, as I do every morning.

5. What was the last thing you ate?

Some muessli concoction with a little too much dried fruit (I never thought I would say that, as I love raisins, dried dates, etc., but this one just had too much). It was OK, but not the best muessli.

So, that is that. I just wanted to post something before I leave for SUSHI (yum). Melanie and I like to go to a Chinese-owned and run sushi bar in Oakland. If you did not hear the employees all speaking to each other in Cantonese, you would think it is completely Japanese: the decor, the uniforms, the fact that the staff greets you in Japanese, and it is great sushi.

Last night we went to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus. It was great. I will report tonight, unless I go to bed early (sleep deprivation must end soon).

Friday Five

1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?

Big trip: Italy last year. Otherwise a weekend in Mexicali.

2. What's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?

Too many unusual things have happened to really answer. Probably the most unusual was finding an unbelievably rare LP of Charlie Parker in France and lugging it around with me, then coming home with it and finding a copy of it for $1 at a yard sale.

3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?

Italy. Lago di Garda or Verona in the summer, Rome or Tuscany in the autumn, winter or spring. Oh, you mean just for vacation? Probably California. If I were in a situtation where money and time were no object I would be living in a villa near Orvietto, and would be up for a vacation to California.

I am fairly uncurious about most of the world these days. I would like to go to Indonesia for the music and food, I would like to spend time in Argentina and Chile, and I always like Brasil, but when it comes down to it, give me a Mediterranean climate, relative proximity to bullfights (Italy is about as far as I care to get from an active bullring), and Catholic culture. As far as the sights? Sure, if I had unlimited time, I would love to see Angkor Wat, Petra, Balbek, Niagra Falls, etc., but since I don't have unlimited time, I would rather get to know Rome better, or Mexico City or Madrid or Lisbon.

I do like tropical islands, so I could enjoy a vacation to St. John's or Bora Bora or Hawai'i or the Azores. And I am about due for a trip to Northern Minnesota. I am also eager to go to London to look at the museums (speaking of museums I am overdue for trips to DC and NYC as well). I would also love to spend more time in Texas, particularly South Texas.

4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car?

Train and plane. I loathe traveling by car. I feel that every minute behind the wheel (unless it is behind the wheel of my poor disabled Krautrocket on Highway 1), is stolen from me.

5. What's the next place on your list to visit?

Probably Point Reyes or Big Sur or someplace close for a camping trip. San Diego and Tijuana for filming this documentary, then Minnesota next year.

Friday Five!

1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings?

Between 6 and 7, depending on a number of factors.

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late?

Between 7 and 10 depending on a number of factors (Amália being the most important)

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?

Make espresso, or, if Melanie beat me to the machine, I take my shower.

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day?

If I have to 12 minutes including shower and making espresso. Normally I stretch it out to an hour. If it involves me having to get Amália moving, it adds time.

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?

Arizmendi in Oakland or La Farine in Oakland. I do not eat eggs, and can take or leave bacon/sausage, so a Continental breakfast is perfect: good pastry, strong coffee (or espresso), maybe a glass of juice. I used to include the morning paper with that, but I figure since I write for the paper I know what is in it, and no longer read a newspaper (that and the fact that the paper on the other side of the Bay that I have always read has declined dramatically since it was bought by Hearst, and seeing as how it started as a lousy paper that was only good for entertainment, it has really sunk).

As for the ideal breakfast, anywhere, it would have to be at Caffé Florian in Venice.

Friday Five (sort of)

Last post on old blog, first real one here: a belated Friday Five, kind of. I tried to write something funny. A sort of Me as Dictator biopic. Ha ha. OK, amusing.
Then I tried to take it seriously. Worse.
When it comes down to it, I cannot see watching, let along making a film of my life.
So, instead I will offer five films that I really like:
1. 8 1/2
2. Wings of Desire
3. The Night of the Shooting Stars
4. La Strada
5. Singing in the Rain
And here are five films that I find grossly overrated:
1. Schindler's List
2. Forrest Gump
3. Star Wars (all of them, but we'll count them as one)
4. Gone With the Wind
5. OK, let's face it, everything Spielberg did, with the exception of the first Indiana Jones film is sentimental gorp. I cannot narrow it down any more than that. The man collects Norman Rockwell, you know, the Rembrandt of Punkin Crick. His films are creepy. His philosophy is creepy. The music he uses is abominable. Oh yeah, don't bother to ask me "what about..." and then name something recent, as I have given up. I will not give that man any more money, nor my time. He has such a track record that I have no problem trashing any further films of his without seeing them. He needs to publicly repudiate all of his prior films before I will give him the benefit of the doubt.