June 2006 Archives
Fairy doors - "Until Then..." - Google water
boing boing links to a web page about "fairy doors" in Ann Arbor.
A slideshow of American troops, "Until Then..." set to "Homeward Bound". Produced by Todd Clegg of GCS Distributing. "Untill Then" "was originally created for and dedicated to a wonderful young lady who lost her husband in Afghanistan." Mr. Clegg has a series of slide shows. Hat tip Wizbang.
boing boing also has info on an auction of "Google water" to benefit Fisher House.
June 28, 2006 08:27 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
July 2006 Legislative, Media, and Testifying Training from TheCapitol.Net
To see our latest email update, see
http://www.thecapitol.net/PublicPrograms/email2006/email_2006_June27.html
TheCapitol.Net, Inc.
>> Exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences.
>> Non-partisan training and publications that show how Washington works. TM
June 27, 2006 11:25 AM Link Comments (0)
McDonald's: "an ecumenical refuge for travelers" - "Russ & Johns"
[D]espite its vaunted reputation as a juggernaut of American culture, McDonald's has come to function as an ecumenical refuge for travelers of all stripes. This is not because McDonald's creates an American sense of place and culture, but because it creates a smoothly standardized absence of place and culture -- a neutral environment that allows travelers to take a psychic time-out from the din of their real surroundings. This phenomenon is roundly international: I've witnessed Japanese taking this psychic breather in the McDonald's of Santiago de Chile; Chileans seeking refuge in the McDonald's of Venice; and Italians lolling blissfully in the McDonald's of Tokyo.
. . .
(Interestingly, Marlboros are sold worldwide -- and American cigarette brands are just as unhealthy and aggressively marketed as American fast food -- but for some reason there is not a similar activist reaction. Perhaps this is because there are no Marlboro outlet stores to firebomb -- but I suspect it has more to do with subliminal, adolescent-style favoritism. The Marlboro Man is, after all, a handsome tough-guy, whereas Ronald McDonald is a makeup-and-jumpsuit-wearing dork.)
"Slumming the Golden Arches," by Rolf Potts, Traveling Light, June 5, 2006
Citing a longstanding need to "restore honor and dignity to the American food-service industry," Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) announced the public debut of their joint business venture Monday, a chain of integrity-themed restaurants which opened in 12 locations nationwide.
The new Russ & John's chain, which the two senators funded privately via small financial donations of no more than $2,000 per investor, was founded on the idea that "today's customers want quality food without all the lies and exaggerations that all too often accompany it," according to McCain.
"McCain, Feingold Co-Sponsor Chain Of Integrity-Themed Eateries," The Onion, June 27, 2006
June 27, 2006 07:37 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
This Week in DC Reviews - June 23, 2006
This Week in DC Reviews is a roundup of reviews of DC-area restaurants, with quick links to DC-area restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
To see a list of upcoming food events in the DC area, see "Washington, D.C. Wine Tasting, Dinners, Food/Drink Events."
For a Guide to restaurants in the DC area, see Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. For a roundup of New York City restaurant reviews from NYC food bloggers and media, see This Week in NYC Reviews at A Guy In New York.
- metrocurean remembers Tony Nardelli, who owned Tune Inn: 331 1/2 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, 202-543-2725 [MenuPages | Washingtonian | WaPo] ... and notes that 1789 "will begin offering a three-course menu for $35 July 1" ...
- Tarting It Up recommends Pastries by Randolph ... "I could go on and on for hours about the treats and cakes I've tried from here, but really there is no substitute: go visit and dare to say you didn't like what you had. Their carrot cake is the real thing with its soft cream-cheesy frosting (to die for)" ... 4500 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA, 703-243-0070 [WaPo]
- Tom Sietsema finds Alexandria and reviews Restaurant Eve ... Majestic Cafe ... Taverna Cretekou ...
- dcfud has an interesting post ... "Where To Eat In Arlington When You Are Nearly Broke" ... but where is Ravi Kabob ... El Charrito Caminante ... also see the Arlington category in Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide ...
Did we miss your favorite DC restaurant review?
Let us know: hobnobblog -at- gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from DC bloggers ...
Technorati Tags: washington, dc, washington-dc, restaurants, restaurant reviews, this week in reviews, week in reviews
June 23, 2006 09:57 AM Link Dining Comments (1)
Connie Chung can't sing ...
Daniel Kurtzman declares "The competition is over. Connie Chung is officially the worst singer in the world."
Ai yi yi ... don't give up the day job ... whoops ...
More
- "Connie Chung's Serenade Gag A Web Hit," by Amy Sara Clark, CBS News, June 20, 2006
- "Grrr! Connie Chung's Dumb Stunt," by Mike Straka, Fox News, June 20, 2006
June 21, 2006 08:47 AM Link Humor Comments (0)
Pictures from North Korea - wish you were here!
Photos from a trip to North Korea, taken by "Artemii Lebedev, one of the leading web-designers in Russia. He recently went on a trip to DPRK." Translation by a member of MilitaryPhotos.net.
Here are the pictures with the original Russian text.
Some more pictures of North Korea by "Dr. Nick" on SkyscraperCity.
June 20, 2006 06:57 AM Link Caught Our Eye ~ Foreign Affairs ~ Photography ~ Travel Comments (0)
What kind of political system produces the most World Cup winners?
Social democracy delivers more championships than the juntas -- six in all. And even the worst social democratic teams -- Belgium, Finland -- win more consistently than their authoritarian peers. To understand this success, one must understand the essence of the social democratic economy. Social democracies take root in heavily industrialized societies, and this is a great blessing.
No country has won the World Cup without having a substantial industrial base. This base supplies a vast urban proletariat, which in turn supplies players for a team. Industrial economies also produce great wealth, which funds competitive domestic leagues that improve social democratic players by subjecting them to day-to-day competition of the highest quality. And, while the junta mindset nicely transposes itself to the pitch, the social democratic ethos is a far neater match. Social democracy celebrates individualism, while relentlessly patting itself on the back for its sense of solidarity -- a coherent team with room for stars.
"After 17 World Cups, we now can answer this vital question: What kind of governments produce winning soccer teams?" by Franklin Foer, Canada.com, June 9, 2006
June 19, 2006 08:47 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
The end of celebrity?
I believe that we are at the apogee, the zenith, the plateau, the top of the market. After 30 years, this cycle of American celebrity mania has peaked. I think. I hope.
Of course, at the newsstand and on TV, the unprecedented frenzy seems to be proceeding apace. The dozen women appearing on the big women’s magazines in any recent month (Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Madonna, Keira Knightley, Ashlee Simpson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Beckinsale, Natalie Portman, etcetera) will be pretty much the same ones next month, unless Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie deigns to make herself available.
"Celebrity Death Watch: Could the country’s insane fame fixation maybe, finally--fingers crossed--be coming to an end? One hopeful sign: Paris Hilton," by Kurt Andersen, New York Magazine, April 3, 2006
I know that I'm more celebrity-phobic than the rest of the world. I really don't get excited about seeing Bo Derek or Martin Sheen, and I wouldn't get out of bed two minutes early to hear about Paul McCartney's wedding.
I don't care at all what Charlton Heston has to say about guns or Rosie O'Donnell has to say about gay rights. But at least they're speaking from some personal knowledge with their issues, so I'm willing to cut them a break.
My own view is this: Celebrities don't have any particular standing on matters of public policy. If they have a very personal connection to an issue, they can help focus attention on it, but that's about it. I don't think their public-policy views should carry any more weight than those of anyone else who isn't an expert.
"Backstreet Boycott: An Argument For A Celebrity-Free D.C." by Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call, June 13, 2002
Contemporary stars are well-paid but impotent puppets.
Tyler Cowen in his study of celebrity, What Price Fame? (Word document)
June 17, 2006 09:17 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
This Week in DC Reviews - June 16, 2006
This Week in DC Reviews is a roundup of reviews of DC-area restaurants, with quick links to DC-area restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
-- Julia Child
For a Guide to restaurants in the DC area, see Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. For a roundup of New York City restaurant reviews from NYC food bloggers and media, see This Week in NYC Reviews at A Guy In New York.
- You Gonna Eat All That? says Belga Cafe "wasn't that bad but it did leave us feeling like there was still a lot of room for improvement." ... "the Halibut [was] smaller than the palm of my hand. And for the price, it was especially small." ... "the worst creme brulee I've ever had" ... "All in all the meal wasn't a disaster. We had a good time as always with B&L and most of the food was tasty. But the service and creme brulee really hurt the overall experience. And it was somewhat overpriced in my opinion. Would I go there again? Probably not on my own choosing." ... web site, 514 Eighth Street SE, 202-544-0100 [Tyler Cowen | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Gayot]
- Rina Rapuano writes that at Arax Cafe "you can find traditional Armenian sandwiches, salads, snacks and pastries" ... 5852 N Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-532-3320 [Tyler Cowen | Washingtonian]
- Corinna Lothar says the food at the new Tandoori Nights in Arlington "consists of fine, traditional Indian cooking." ... "Shrimps and prawns, which are slightly larger than the shrimps, turn out to be among the best dishes we sampled" ... "lamb in creamy spinach, mildly spiced and served with a bowl of rice, is another fine main course" ... but the "Tandoori chicken, a mainstay of any Indian restaurant with a tandoor oven, disappoints" ... web site, 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703/248-8333 [Yelp]
- Alexandra Greeley recommends the desserts at Le Pigalle ... "what you will find are inspired French goodies that look picture-pretty and taste like they sprang from the ovens of a Parisian patisserie" ... 1527 17th Street NW, 202-332-6767 [WaPo]
- Eve Zibart reports that Starland Cafe has "a new chef, Matthew Anderson [who] is gradually reworking the menu, keeping some old standards (crab-artichoke dip, parmesan-crusted fried mozzarella, burgers and mini-burgers) while incorporating more local fresh produce and two specials, a 'home style special' and a 'chef's daily offering.'" ... "roast half-chicken is very moist, and the pan juices blend into a tasty, light sauce; the skin could have been a little crisper, but it was very nearly there. And the fries, which come with the very tender onglet (hanger steak) as well as with burgers, are at least B-plus -- hot, tender and not greasy, and with an unusually long plate life." ... web site, 5125 MacArthur Blvd. NW, 202-244-9396 [Washingtonian | City Paper | openlist]
- dcfud says the food at Iota Cafe "Surprisingly Doesn't Suck" ... the "prosciutto and gouda sandwich [was] great!" ... "Best were the fries on the side – incredibly crispy, and very well-seasoned: I noticed hints of pepper, garlic and perhaps even rye." ... web site, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-522-8340 [WaPo | City Paper] ... and says the crepes at Snap "are absolutely heavenly: light, firm, and delicately sweet. I highly recommend the lemon curd filling with fresh strawberries" ... web site, 1062 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, 202-965-7627 [The Hoya | WaPo | City Paper]
- Tom Sietsema gave 3 stars to 1789 ... new chef: "Nathan Beauchamp stepped into some big pumps in January when he replaced Ris Lacoste in the kitchen at 1789" ... web site, 1226 36th Street NW, 202-965-1789 [Tyler Cowen]
- Le Cuvee Americain: The American Blend says Georgia Brown's "tries to be more down-home [than Vidalia] -- at least as down-home as one can be with $7 soups and mid-$20 entrees at lunch." ... had the shrimp and grits: "creamy and good and there was quite a nice serving of them (unlike Vidalia, where there were very few grits). Over the grits was ladled a stew with a half a dozen jumbo shrimp with the heads and tails still on" ... thought the sweet corn bread was odd for a southern restaurant: "That's a Yankee thing!" ... web site, 950 15th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-393-4499. On the west side of the park, at the place where there appear to be two 15th Streets. [Tyler Cowen | Economist | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot] ... had the whole lobster at Odeon Cafe: "steamed and split accompanied by some linguine in a non-marina red sauce. They pulled the meat out of the claws back in the kitchen and split the lobster down the middle. The lobster was nice for the price ($16), but I thought the tail was just a touch overcooked and a tad bit tough." ... web site (Flash), 1714 Connecticut Avenue NW, 202-328-6228 [City Paper | food-plan] ... says Panevino in the Embassy Suites Hotel "wasn't bad for a hotel restaurant." ... web site, 1250 22nd Street NW, 202-223-0747 [openlist]
Did we miss your favorite DC restaurant review?
Let us know: hobnobblog -at- gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from DC bloggers ...
Technorati Tags: washington, dc, washington-dc, restaurants, restaurant reviews, this week in reviews, week in reviews
June 16, 2006 09:07 AM Link Dining Comments (0)
Used Book Stores
Those of us with Connolly’s disease, having made the same resolution, know we cannot walk by a used-book store without peeking inside to take a look at the stock. We do so in the hope we will find the book that tells us what life is all about and how we can keep the Devil from placing mean-spirited people in positions of brief authority where they can abuse the defenseless. If we do walk past the bookstore without going in, we know we are ready for assisted living.
"Tapering Off," by Jacob A. Stein, Legal Spectator, Washington Lawyer, June 2006 (author of Legal Spectator & More)
June 14, 2006 08:37 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
Why is the World Cup better than the Olympics?
Mick Hartley asks, "Why is the World Cup so much better than its global rival, the Olympics?" and gives 12 reasons .... our favorites ...
- You can't harness football to political ends as you can with athletics.
- The Olympics is not only about racing against other competitors, it's also a race against the drug-testing rules. The whole event is fatally compromised by drugs. With football it's not even clear what drugs would be appropriate: given the history of the sport, probably booze and fags.
- Football's always got an element of chance.
- Footballers are normal guys who just happen to be very good at football. Olympic events are full of tree-trunk-thighed weirdos.
"The Footie," Mick Hartley, June 11, 2006
June 13, 2006 08:37 AM Link Humor Comments (0)
Wikipedia - "online collectivism"
Reading a Wikipedia entry is like reading the bible closely. There are faint traces of the voices of various anonymous authors and editors, though it is impossible to be sure. In my particular case, it appears that the goblins are probably members or descendants of the rather sweet old Mondo 2000 culture linking psychedelic experimentation with computers. They seem to place great importance on relating my ideas to those of the psychedelic luminaries of old (and in ways that I happen to find sloppy and incorrect.) Edits deviating from this set of odd ideas that are important to this one particular small subculture are immediately removed. This makes sense. Who else would volunteer to pay that much attention and do all that work?
The problem I am concerned with here is not the Wikipedia in itself. It's been criticized quite a lot, especially in the last year, but the Wikipedia is just one experiment that still has room to change and grow. At the very least it's a success at revealing what the online people with the most determination and time on their hands are thinking, and that's actually interesting information.
No, the problem is in the way the Wikipedia has come to be regarded and used; how it's been elevated to such importance so quickly. And that is part of the larger pattern of the appeal of a new online collectivism that is nothing less than a resurgence of the idea that the collective is all-wise, that it is desirable to have influence concentrated in a bottleneck that can channel the collective with the most verity and force. This is different from representative democracy, or meritocracy. This idea has had dreadful consequences when thrust upon us from the extreme Right or the extreme Left in various historical periods. The fact that it's now being re-introduced today by prominent technologists and futurists, people who in many cases I know and like, doesn't make it any less dangerous.
There was a well-publicized study in Nature last year comparing the accuracy of the Wikipedia to Encyclopedia Britannica. The results were a toss up, while there is a lingering debate about the validity of the study. The items selected for the comparison were just the sort that Wikipedia would do well on: Science topics that the collective at large doesn't care much about. "Kinetic isotope effect" or "Vesalius, Andreas" are examples of topics that make the Britannica hard to maintain, because it takes work to find the right authors to research and review a multitude of diverse topics. But they are perfect for the Wikipedia. There is little controversy around these items, plus the Net provides ready access to a reasonably small number of competent specialist graduate student types possessing the manic motivation of youth.
"Digital Maoism: The Hazards of the New Online Collectivism," by Jaron Lanier, Edge, May 30, 2006
hat tip: ALD
June 12, 2006 07:57 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
World Cup 2006 - schedule and highlights
Schedule with results and video highlights - Yahoo
Schedule with highlights and stats - BBC Sport
June 11, 2006 10:17 AM Link Entertainment Comments (0)
John Witherspoon: Forgotten Founder
[John] Witherspoon was particularly important as a political activist, an advocate for and architect of American independence. As early as 1774, in an essay called “Thoughts on American Liberty,” [3-page pdf] he wrote that “We are firmly determined never to submit to, and do deliberately prefer war with all its horrors and even extermination itself, to slavery riveted upon us and our posterity.” He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the only clergyman among that group of fifty-six. In May 1776, when the colonies teetered on the edge of war with England, he preached a sermon titled “Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men.” [html] The church historian William Warren Sweet called it “one of the most influential pulpit utterances during the whole course of the war.” Arguing that “There is not a single instance in history, in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire,” Witherspoon articulated a link between spiritual and temporal liberty in a way that that spoke vividly to the passions of the moment. In July 1776, when the question of succession was hotly debated and one delegate argued that the country was not yet “ripe” for independence, Witherspoon shot back: “In my judgement the country is not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of becoming rotten for the want of it.”
"The forgotten founder: John Witherspoon," by Roger Kimball, The New Criterion, June, 2006
More
- "John Witherspoon: 1722-1794" - biography from ColonialHall.com
- John Witherspoon - from Wikipedia
- "John Witherspoon and the Founding of the American Republic," by Jeffry H. Morrison, hardcover, 2005
June 11, 2006 12:07 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
This Week in DC Reviews - June 9, 2006
This Week in DC Reviews is a roundup of reviews of DC-area restaurants, with quick links to DC-area restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
-- Julia Child
To see a list of upcoming food events in the DC area, see "Washington, D.C. Wine Tasting, Dinners, Food/Drink Events."
For a Guide to restaurants in the DC area, see Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. For a roundup of New York City restaurant reviews from NYC food bloggers and media, see This Week in NYC Reviews at A Guy In New York.
- Slashfood agrees with our assessment of the pizza, hot dogs, and chicken bakes at Costco ... "The best place to get a cheap meal is no longer your local McDonald's, Burger King or other fast food establishment - it's Costco." ... all-beef foot-long hot dog, with drink, for $1.50 ... "the foods taste great and are an incredibly good deal" ... 18-inch pizzas for $10 ... berry smoothies for $1.55 ... no whiny emails please ...
- Tim Carman says the ma-po tofu at Great Wall-Szechuan House is hot ... "the chili-pepper heat is both scented by floral Szechwan peppercorns and tempered by the cool tofu, the starchy black beans, and the meaty pork. Its complexity makes American-style Szechwan plates seem hollow, if not downright insulting to stateside eaters who insist they’re open to new adventures." ... 1527 14th Street NW, 202-797-8888 [openlist] ... in NYC, the best best ma pao tofu we've had is at Wu Liang Ye ...
- Tarting It Up sums up Caribbean Breeze: "Food good. Service mediocre." ... (previous review: dcfud (TWIR, June 2, 2006)) ... web site, 4100 N. Fairfax Drive, at Randolph Street, Arlington, VA, 703-812-7997 [WaPo | City Paper | Gayot]
- Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana reviewed Acadiana ... "charbroiled oysters ($10) were a standout, cooked to a snappy brown on top and tender and white underneath" ... "It was easy to see why the New Orleans-style barbecued shrimp ($28) is one of the most popular dishes. The shrimp were exceptionally meaty, with the larger ones yielding a few big bites. The garlic butter sauce with black pepper and Worcestershire was flavored at the right potency to be buttery, pungent and zesty without overpowering the delicacy of the shrimp." ... web site, 901 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-393-1510 [Tyler Cowen | WaPo | The Hill | City Paper | Don Rockwell | Gayot]
- Alex MacLennan says you can find fresh fish and great deals at the Southwest Fish Market (aka Maine Avenue Fish Wharf, aka Maine Avenue Seafood), 1100 Maine Avenue SW ... "savored a plate of fresh-shucked oysters and clams from Jimmy’s Grill" ... "At Captain White’s 'to-go shop,' I exploited the Make-Your-Own-Platter special consisting of a 'customer’s choice' of two ‘mains’ (three jumbo shrimp, three scallops, three oysters, a crab cake sandwich or two fish-filets), and two sides: fries, cole slaw, hush puppies, or corn. All for the low, low price - a steal! - of $9.95." ...
- Fine Dining Solutions says "If you aren't familiar with the RAMMY's, it is the annual place to see and be seen in the restaurant industry. It is 'technically' the RAMW's (Restaurant Assoc. of Metro Washington) Annual dinner celebrating their 'voted' picks of the best of the best restaurants, chefs, etc. in the DC Metro area." ... Saturday, June 25, 2006 ... for tickets, call 202-331-5990 ...
- VittlesVamp had a "marvelous meal" at Rasika ... "From the Sweet Potato Tuk with tamarind date chutney to the rich Lamb Biriyani, it was plate-licking good." ... and describes the flambéd coffee as "freakin' amazing" ... (previous reviews: Tom Sietsema and metrocurean (TWIR, February 17, 2006), Alex MacLennan (TWIR, February 3, 2006), D.C. Foodies (TWIR, December 23, 2005), metrocurean (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) ... web site, 633 D Street NW, 202-637-1222 [Washingtonian | food-plan | The Hill | Don Rockwell | Yelp]
- Tom Sietsema gave 2 stars to Bazin's on Church ... "excellent fried oysters, dotted with aioli and served atop creamed spinach and bits of ham" ... web site, 111 Church Street NW, Vienna, VA, 703-255-7212 [Washingtonian]
- Le Cuvee Americain: The American Blend thought the "food was pretty good" at Marshall's Bar and Grille ... and the "kitchen stays open until midnight every night" ... web site, 2524 L Street NW, at Pennsylvania Avenue, 202-333-1155 [WaPo]
- dcfud says Andale "is just okay" and "overrated" ... "The one saving grace that guarantees I will be back? The margaritas are sublime." ... web site, 401 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-783-3133 [Tyler Cowen | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
- D.C. Foodies reminds us that DC Restaurant Week is August 14-20, 2006 ...
- DC Chefs features Robert Wiedmair of Marcel's ...
Did we miss your favorite DC restaurant review?
Let us know: hobnobblog -at- gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from DC bloggers ...
Technorati Tags: washington, dc, washington-dc, restaurants, restaurant reviews, this week in reviews, week in reviews
June 9, 2006 08:57 AM Link Dining Comments (0)
Julia Child and Bill Buford
Heat will be of particular interest to readers concerned with the problem of perverse fetishization, while many others will enjoy for its own sake Buford's well-told account of his midlife apprenticeship to a famous restaurant in New York, the current world capital of extravagant cuisine. What makes his book unusual within its genre, apart from the quality of its prose, is that he takes more pleasure in watching cooks work than in savoring their dishes.
. . .
In January 2002, the middle of the journey of his life, Buford, a distinguished magazine editor, abandoned his job and his common sense with such passion as normally afflicts the reproductive appetite of men his age. Quitting The New Yorker, he bound himself as a "kitchen slave," an unpaid trainee, to his idolized friend Mario Batali, a Dionysian chef-proprietor whose appearances as Molto Mario on the Food Network have made him a national celebrity and his restaurant, Babbo, a shrine. But Babbo is more than an obligatory tourist destination with its ovate proprietor on display at the bar, a life-size Humpty Dumpty in orange pigtail, knee-length pantaloons, and kitchen clogs.
. . .
Not only did [Julia Child] learn French cooking, she rationalized it, introduced it to the United States, and gave birth to a revolution in American taste which soon spread to all the prosperous parts of the world. Buford will find no better Virgil to lead him through French cooking, as Batali led him through Tuscany, than Julia Child, whose splendid posthumous memoir of her own culinary awakening in France, written in the last years of her long life, has just appeared.
"Eating Out," by Jason Epstein, The New York Review of Books, June 8, 2006, reviewing "Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany," by Bill Buford, and "My Life in France," by Julia Child, with Alex Prud'homme.
June 8, 2006 06:37 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
Tired of eating fancy food?
then try Monkey Chow ... The Monkey Chow Diaries is a diary by Angry (Canadian) Man
Imagine going to the grocery store only once every 6 months. Imagine paying less than a dollar per meal. Imagine never washing dishes, chopping vegetables or setting the table ever again. It sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
But can a human subsist on a constant diet of pelletized, nutritionally complete food like puppies and monkeys do? For the good of human kind, I'm about to find out. On June 3, 2006, I began my week of eating nothing but monkey chow: "a complete and balanced diet for the nutrition of primates, including the great apes."
We love this Day 3 entry:
Monkey-like Attributes: Do monkeys have superhuman olfactory senses? Because I can smell every hamburger barbequed within 5 miles of my house.
Twenty bucks a day, he's got you beat ... at least on the money factor ... 20 pounds of ZuPreem Primate Dry Diet Animal Food is only $30 .. plus shipping ... should last a few weeks ...
June 6, 2006 08:31 AM Link Humor Comments (0)
Special Ed Expenses in DC, Russsian Population Trends, Government Contracting
Special Ed Expenses in DC
Records show that D.C. school officials have regularly approved budgets that drastically understate [private school special education] tuition payments, a pattern that has obscured the program's true cost. In the past five fiscal years, the tuition program has overspent its budget by a total of $173 million. To make up the shortfall, school officials have routinely frozen other spending in the middle of the year and taken money that was supposed to go to public schools for textbooks, teacher hiring, technology upgrades, building maintenance and other basic needs.
City and school officials said they could not fully account for the growth in the tuition spending, in part because their record-keeping is deficient.
"That's the thing that's so frustrating with special education: We've accepted dysfunctionality as a way of being," said school board Vice President Carolyn N. Graham, who recently chaired a board committee that studied special education. "We don't know how much we've paid. We don't know what we paid for."
"Special-Ed Tuition a Growing Drain on D.C.: Basic Needs Take a Hit to Cover Costs of Sending Kids to Private Schools," by Dan Keating and V. Dion Haynes, The Washington Post, June 5, 2006
Russsian Demographics
A World Bank report projects that with unchanged birth and death rates, Russia's population would fall from its present level of about 140 million persons to under 100 million by the year 2050. If this happens, such a huge nation would then be largely empty of people.
"Grappling with Russia's Demographic Time Bomb," by Gary Becker, The Beckner-Posner Blog, June 5, 2006
Government Contracting
The contracting careerists who entered government in the late 1970s have seen the field go from large to small and requirements go from simple to complex.
Demands have increased exponentially. At the same time, congressional involvement has gone from occasional to constant, and laws affecting federal employees and ethics have gone from few to many. All this while the average age of the workforce continues to rise, bringing the added challenge of planning for impending retirements.
"A Lot to Learn," by Sandra O. Sieber and Ronald L. Smith, GovExec.com, June 5, 2006
They are a vital but underappreciated cadre in the government -- contracting officer representatives.
They are federal employees who perform contracting duties as an additional, often ad hoc, part of their jobs. There's no good tally of how many CORs, as they are known, work in government, and little data on the training they receive, even though the government spends $350 billion annually on increasingly complex products and services.
"Contracting Supervisors Receive a Closer Look," by Stephen Barr, The Washington Post, June 5, 2006
June 5, 2006 07:17 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
"Darth Vader Calls the Emperor"
"What do you mean they blew up the Death Star?! ... What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?! ... Oh, oh, oh. I'm sorry! I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect a small thermal exhaust port that's only two meters wide! That thing wasn't even fully paid off yet!! Do you have - do you have any idea what this is gonna do to my credit!?"
"Darth Vader Calls the Emporer." Video starts when you click link.
June 3, 2006 04:07 PM Link Humor Comments (0)
This Week in DC Reviews - June 2, 2006
Periodically, we will publish This Week in DC Reviews, a roundup of reviews of DC-area restaurants, with quick links to DC-area restaurant reviews and mentions from the previous seven days in blogs, magazines, and newspapers.
-- Julia Child
To see a list of upcoming food events in the DC area, see "Washington, D.C. Wine Tasting, Dinners, Food/Drink Events."
For a Guide to restaurants in the DC area, see Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. For a roundup of New York City restaurant reviews from NYC food bloggers and media, see This Week in NYC Reviews at A Guy In New York.
- a capitol life says Taqueria Distrito Federal is "the real deal. Each taco consists of two corn tortillas topped with meat, a fresh mash of onion and cilantro, wedges of avocado, a squeeze of lime, some hot sauce and cooling slices of cucumber and radish." ... 3463 14th Street NW, 202-276-7331 [Columbia Heights News | WaPo | Don Rockwell]
- Polytropos hadn't been to the Brickskeller for 5 years and writes: "the food disappointed. Neither the cheese plate, nor the pizza, nor the Brickburger measured up to our cherished memories of past visits." ... (previous review: dcfud (TWIR, March 10, 2006)) ... web site, 1523 22nd Street NW, 202-293-1885 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist]
- Hobnob Blog likes the chicken burritos from Burrito Express, the green taco tuck at Gunston ...
- Scott Haring had to review Pachanga Grill because "an uncanny number of people have referred to the good food and casual atmosphere" ... "The big standouts at Pachanga are the house specialty entrees ... Frutas del mar ... Chicken mole ... Carne asada" ... 8395 Piney Orchard Pkwy, Odenton, MD, in the Academy Junction mall, 410-551-9318 [openlist | Citysearch | Yelp]
- Tom Sietsema gave 2 1/2 stars to Ardeo ... "The chef's restraint means a diner can really taste the roast chicken, moistened with a winy stock flavored with lemon thyme." ... "There are moments, fortunately few, when Ardeo's dishes resemble those of a lot of other restaurants: just okay. Such as the time I order a hamburger and get french fries that taste as if they came straight off a Sysco food truck." ... web site (Flash), 3311 Connecticut Avenue NW, 202-244-6750 [Washingtonian | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
- Suburban Tasteland says the chorizo taco at San Vicente "was everything we hoped it would be" ... "this chorizo was finely chopped and had just the right amount of grease to let you know you're still dealing with chorizo - but not so much grease that you know you'll be lamenting your decision later" ... 2599 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-920-1130
- metrocurean declares that the best boiled peanuts "are best purchased from the back of an old man's pick-up truck" ...
- Le Cuvee Americain: The American Blend reviews a few ... Thai Place: the "roasted duck salad [was] particularly good, having lots of shredded roasted duck, sliced strips of red onion, and shredded cabbage all in a spicy dressing" ... 2134 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 202-298-8204 [WaPo | City Paper] ... and American City Diner: "a 24-hour a day place" ... "the chicken-fried steak [was] surprisingly good" ... web site, 5532 Connecticut Avenue NW, 202-244-1949 [City Paper | openlist | Gayot]
- Alex MacLennan says "There are no curlicues or fripperies" at Fogo de Chao ... loved the "cheese rolls -- a criminally savory mixture of two yucca flours and parmesan" ... "Fraldinha, or bottom filet [has] an almost fajita-like texture and flavor" ... "The hank of boneless Costela (beef ribs), was heavenly. Impossibly tender, richly flavorful beef with a crisp outer layer and deep rewardingly solid beef taste." ... but "the sheer abundance can be a bit stressful" ... (previous reviews: D.C. Foodies (TWIR, March 24, 2006), Tom Sietsema (TWIR, March 3, 2006), metrocurean (TWIR, January 20, 2006), Tom Sietsema (TWIR, December 16, 2005)) ... web site, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 202-347-4668 [City Paper | Wash Times | The Hill | Yelp | Don Rockwell]
- dcfud warns you to be careful of the steps at The Boulevard Woodgrill ... web site, 2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-875-9663 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Citysearch | Gayot] ... also likes the brunch at Caribbean Breeze ... web site, 4100 N. Fairfax Drive, at Randolph Street, Arlington, VA, 703-812-7997 [WaPo | City Paper | Gayot]
- D.C. Foodies recommends the jerk chicken sandwich at Negrils ... "The sandwich is fairly large, so it's enough by itself for lunch." ... web site, 18509 N. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD, 301-926-7220 [Tyler Cowen | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Did we miss your favorite DC restaurant review?
Let us know: hobnobblog -at- gmail.com ... we're especially interested in hearing from DC bloggers ...
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June 2, 2006 09:03 AM Link Dining Comments (0) TrackBacks (1)
American Standard of Living, Advice for Mayors, Recess at School
American Standard of Living, 2006
Americans who honestly compare their home environments to those of the previous Depression/WWII generation will instantly acknowledge that the overall trends have much improved the average family's welfare. Most Baby Boomers grew up in small houses on concrete slabs, with children stacked up in bunks in a couple of bedrooms, and an entire family typically sharing one bathroom. Nobody had much private interior space. City kids had no yards, lots of noise, pollution, and other urban hazards. Elderly urbanites often ended up in deteriorating row houses or fortress apartment towers. Only a small slice of the population dreamed of airy kitchens, high-ceilinged family rooms, libraries and media centers, basement rec centers, backyard pools, and quiet shady streets.
"In Praise of Ordinary Choices," by Karl Zinsmeister, The American Enterprise Online, June 2006
Advice for mayors
Note to mayors: Try to avoid scandals that involve the phrase "summer home." It doesn't look good for you.
"For Whom the Swell Tolls," by Zach Patton, 13th Floor, June 1, 2006
Recess at School, Now a Class
[F]or many kids today, the recess bell comes too late, for too little time, or even not at all. Pressure to raise test scores and adhere to state-mandated academic requirements is squeezing recess out of the school day. In many schools, it's just 10 or 15 minutes, if at all. In some cases, recess has become structured with organized games -- yes, recess is being taught.
"Schools, Pressed to Achieve, Put the Squeeze on Recess," by Margaret Webb Pressler, The Washington Post, June 1, 2006
June 1, 2006 06:27 AM Link Caught Our Eye Comments (0)
