Pivot Number 10

The questionnaire Bernard Pivot used and James Lipton uses ends with the question "If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say to you when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?"

My previous answer was fairly generic, along the lines of, "Welcome."

Now I have my answer. "Would you make me a pie?"

But what kind of pie would God want? I'm curious what you think.

Victory!

That is the answer to the previous post's cliffhanger. The oak branch on the dime symbolizes victory.

I was looking up the word fritter, to reduce or squander little by little, and came across frith. While it can be a woody place, or an alteration of firth, an inlet of water, the definition I gravitated to was peace, security, protection.

I really like the moral ambiguity of greys and pinks.

Last week my grocery store had like 6 varieties of pear on sale. So after trying Forelle, D'Anjou, Red D'Anjou, Comice, and Bosc pears, I have decided that my favorite was Comice.

Running dangerously low on Irish whiskey, for my Irish coffee (what can be better than alcohol, coffee, sugar, and cream?) on Sunday morning, I grabbed a bottle of Jameson. This allowed me to compare it to the other (I know they aren't the only two anymore, but really why bother with any others) Irish whiskey I already had, Bushmills. I first got Bushmills last year sometime, because it was cheaper and had been the first distillery to receive a license from England back in 1608. My main use for it has been Irish coffees. But comparing it on the rocks with the Jameson helped me to realize it is pretty solid all alone, and I prefer it to Jameson (actually Scottish distillers who moved to Ireland).

My favorite commercial right now is for Skittles. I love how the Skittles bag is appropriately reflected, and the tailor is in all three mirrors. I think from concept to execution the whole thing is brilliant.

My favorite Shepard Fairey picture is this.

Going through my "name" dictionary (the one that has lots of entries for first names), I came across Mary, from Miriam--to rebel. I like that Jesus was born of rebellion. Then I was looking up Maroon (name for group of people from escaped slaves in the Caribbean) and came across marid -- a powerful and evil djinni in Arab and Indian lore. It also comes from Aramaic -- to rebel.

Lincoln has been fortunate enough to have temps in the upper 40s and lower 50s the past few days (don't worry our projected high for the next few days is in the 20s), and I had some boxes of shirts at work sitting on the dock in the sun. It has been a while since I've worked with something that was warmed by the sun, and it is nice. Plus it helps me to remember how powerful and hot the sun's energy is.

Some more names that have caught my fancy: Linus, Olyphant (not Oliphant)

"If You've Got the Money, Honey . . .

I've got the dime.

I really like the power of oak in culinary applications. The transformation that takes place when a spirit, be it beer or bourbon or scotch, spends some time in an oak barrel is magical. For proscuitto ham, you feed the pig acorns and whey. I also think that truffles grow at the roots of oak trees (the French black truffle grows only with oak, other varieties of truffle grow with oak and other trees.). And while I'm not in a position to fully appreciate it, the uses of the wood are reason enough to value this tree, not to mention any aesthetic enrichment you get from seeing a sprawling oak in a field.

So you can imagine my delight at discovering an oak branch on the back of a dime resting on my bathroom floor. My next question was what the plant/branch was on the left of the torch. Apparently it is an olive branch. So the torch stands for Liberty, the olive branch for Peace, and the oak branch stands for . . .

I'll take some guesses and post the answer later.

Weapon of Choice

I was watching The Fuse 20 (Fuse is a music video channel) last night with the theme of celebrity cameos. Number one was Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim's video for Weapon of Choice. I'd heard the words before but it hadn't sunk in until last night that there is a reference to Frank Herbert's Dune. The repeated line is something like: "Don't walk in rhythm and you won't attract the worm."

So if you haven't figured it out yet, I spend a lot of time watching tv. I did also make some more chocolate chip/morsel oatmeal cookies last night, but that wasn't my main deal.

(voice of Jerry Seinfeld impersonator) What is the deal with chocolate morsels? Does some global nutritional industrial complex own the rights to the phrase chocolate chip that Nestle calls their chocolate bits morsels?

Leon Battista Alberti

I read once that a Renaissance man was such a man in every way. It was said that he could, with feet together, jump over a standing man (something like that). I was trying to relate this to someone tonight on the sideline of our flag football game. I thought maybe it was Descartes, but wasn't sure. So I came home and Googled it. Eventually, I came up with Leon Battista Alberti. I realize I was way off on Descartes. Do you know what Moliere had to do with commedia dell'arte?* [you would if you saw Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (which happens to be one of two shows NBC is basing on the behind-the-scenes of a sketch comedy show; I guess this is a slow death for SNL, satired by your parent network) tonight] Here's the salient quote from the preceding link:

He is credited with inventing the cypher wheel, and it was said that from a standing position, with his feet together, Leon Battista Alberti could jump over a man's head.

I don't know if this is true. Obviously it could be; these are 15th century men we are talking about (John Smith was big at 5' two hundred years later--granted the Italians probably had better sanitation/nutrition than the English) they could be short. And the quote says over a man's head. I know the Medici's had big noses, but how big can a head be? This might be a fun exercise, get a friend to lay on the ground and stand next to their head. Then, with your feet together from a standing position, jump over their head. Sounds like a full evening of fun if you ask me. What I really like about the great jumping Alberti is that six hundred years after he was born, I'm web logging about this incredible physical feat. What feat would you like to be remembered for?

*nothing.

Daniel Xisto

Arcana of the Day

I was watching a video of Conan O'Brien interviewing Tom Hanks, because the musical guest that show was Wolfmother, and Hanks was talking about filming the DaVinci Code in Paris. He wanted to see the city, so, instead of providing him a driver and car, the studio gave him a scooter. Previously Hanks had not understood the pout he always saw on Frenchmen riding scooters, but, once on the scooter, he had the pout, and the beret, and he always had a baguette sticking out of his back pack, and for good measure he had an accordion player on the back.

The tune Hanks hummed was the theme from the Third Man. I was very pleased that I recognized it, and to think if I had seen the interview when it initially aired in April (before I saw the Third Man), I would have not been able to appreciate it. I'll forgive Tom the mistake of using a song by an Austrian used in a movie filmed in Vienna for his Paris soundtrack.

Thursday morning I was watching the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. One category was Live from New York, questions about Saturday Night Live. The two contestants, each with a chance to answer the question if the first one missed, got only two of the six questions right. I can't remember the sixth question, but of the five questions I remember, I knew the answer to four of them. I thought it odd that these people who entered a contest challenging their knowledge of pop culture, couldn't answer even half of the questions on a subject that prides itself on its immersion in pop culture. Here is your opportunity. I'll give you the questions and put the answers in the comments. I didn't know the answer to the fifth.

1. What popular Eddie Murphy character recorded an album that includes the songs "Wookin' Pa Nub" and "Fee Tines a Mady"? They got this one right.

2. What is the name of the fake NPR show on which Alec Baldwin plays Pete Schweddy, who touts his Schweddy Balls?

3. In a memorable Celebrity Jeopardy skit, Norm MacDonald plays which actor who insists that Alex Trebec call him Turd Ferguson?

4. In the SNL Digital Short "Lazy Sunday" with Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg, which two snacks equal "crazy delicious"? The girl had even recently seen this, but couldn't recall.

5. Which song do Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley dance to in their tryouts for the Chippendales?

[6. The first question which I forgot (thank goodness for re-runs), but both they and I knew was: In 1991 Rev. Jesse Jackson read which Dr. Seuss book on Weekend Update in a tribute to the author.]

Good luck.

Giuseppi Garibaldi

He, I suppose, ties together my latest activities. Thursday night was the Sesostris Shriner's Circus at Pershing. Pershing was a general right? The shriners are also known for their red hats, and Garibaldi's i Mille wore red shirts. The circus was attended with Scott, Sergey, Ellen, and Kayla (whose idea it was in the place of first). The best part of the circus was the dog and pony show. The chimps and their compony were fun too. I was disappointed that none of the human circus performers were crushed, mauled, or fell from Such Great Heights.

Friday I watched Saint Ralph. I really liked it, 4 outta 5 stars. It was a good faith movie and a good running movie, and a good coming of age movie (bildungsroman), all things I think I could use.

Saturday, I went to V for Vendetta. I suppose my favorite things about the film were Natalie Portman, the set, and the costumes. I will be rating it on Netflix soon and I don't know whether to give it three stars (liked it) or two stars (didn't like it). I want to give it two anda half stars. I think it is about a 64%. Entertaining enough but never really succeeding in any particular area. It does have some fun British actors, the head guy from Absolute Power and other British TV shows. And those familiar with Extras will recognize both of the gay BBC network guys from the last episode. In a casting director's irony, John Hurt plays the Fascist high chancellor. He was the protagonist in the film 1984. A lot of critics who don't like the film are knocking it for promoting terrorism. It should be so lucky as to actually put forth an argument for anything. Even those critics that liked it agree that it dilutes (and deludes for that matter) itself by trying on too many ideas. The result is that none are fleshed out. V at one point says that you cannot kill him because you cannot kill an idea. He was wrong.

Saturday evening was Office Space, which is an understated if not dry comedy. Today is sleeping in, blogging, maybe running, and definitely bread pudding baking. Thank you Wendy for your submission; you get bonus points for the rhubarb.

Giuseppi ties into V because he was quite the revolutionary (and I believe V had a statue of Garibaldi in his lair), Office Space because Milton has a Garibaldi red Swingline stapler, and bread pudding because of the Garibaldi biscuit, the precursor to our pop tart.

Quiz Show

A: Malt Vinegar. What is the question?

Maunday, Maunday. Can't Trust that Day.

In order to follow FCC laws about educational content, I'll share what I learned this evening.

Yesterday, which I called Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, is also Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day. It is the last two in Great Britain. This is because people needed to use up their milk and eggs, which were also part of the Lenten fast. This is the reason IHOP offers free short stacks on that day. In Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, the traditional pancake is thinner and served with powdered sugar and a fresh squirt of lemon juice. In Sweden they eat a pastry called a semla, paczki in Poland (it is Fat Thursday in Poland), and berliner in Germany.

Maunday Thursday is the Thursday before Good Friday. "Maunday" comes from mandatum from the Latin phrase for "a new commandment I give unto you," which Jesus apparently said the evening that he washed the disciples' feet.

I mentioned foie gras earlier. The pristine pineapple of civilization, Egypt, first fattened geese for consumption with hieroglyphs depicting people holding geese by the neck with a table full of pellets next to them. The first or only surviving Roman cookbook talks about the "fig liver" of the goose (because the goose was fattened with dried figs). This Latin word for fig lives on as the source of the word for liver in French, Spanish and Italian. This is the first mention of the goose liver specifically. Then it fell out of consciousness with the fall of Rome. But thankfully, the Jews continued the tradition and brought it with them north from Israel. This was a convenient grease for the Jews who couldn't use dairy butter with meat, or lard from pigs. Renaissance gormands knew the place to go for the delicacy was the Jewish ghettos. A chef for the German nobles wrote Kuchbuch which mentions two to three pound goose livers.

If it is the first of the month for you: Rabbit Rabbit. If it is the second, which is more likely: Aardvark Aardvark.

South Sigh-eed

There is a region in the world that refers to itself in a very odd way. They want religious convention managers to bring their conventions to their region. They have sent promotional material, namely stress foam lego blocks. They are Northern Kentucky. Of note is the new Creation history museum. Check out how eerily similar to the missing link Ken Ham looks (toward bottom of screen holding construction helmet).

My boss Hans is AdventSource's point man for the NAD From This Day Forward marriage conferences, because this also qualifies as a religious convention, he is a member of the RCMA, religious convention managers association. So he got some promo materials from different people that want the business of conventions. One of those is my new set of stress foam legos with Northern Kentucky promotional slogans.

Last night I watched After Life. It is directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, who also directed Maborosi, the poster is in the lobby of the Ross on occasion if you have any questions about its value. His most recent film is Nobody Knows about some children that raise themselves in Tokyo. Anyway, now that you are familiar with some of his work, I'll tell you about After Life. The film is about a place where people go for a week after they die. They have three days to choose their favorite memory from their life which is then recreated for them in the facility's studio, and then they spend eternity in that memory. It is a fun question. What is your answer?

End note: Stephen Colbert ended last night's show saying "he had a dreamsicle" while eating it fast. He talked about how the dreamsicle is a metaphor of the black people (vanilla) and the white people (orange) shaking hands in a . . . . He was then interrupted by an intensely painful brain freeze and concluded saying nothing is worth that much pain.

Gay Dog and Budweiser Commercial

What are things voiced by George Clooney, Tre-BEK?

Honorable mention celebrity voice over artist, Gary Sinise for Cadillac.

Eureka!

You know that screenwriting phlebo from MDS Harris I've mentioned a couple times the last few weeks? Well he looks like the lead singer from Staind, Aaron Lewis. For the life of me, I couldn't think of the name of the band. Then I heard one of their songs on the radio today and ta-freakin-da.

Come on Sharona

Toni Basil bio: Easy Rider (actress), Hey Mickey (singer/video choreographer), Choreographer (Gap commercial, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde)

Is there a twelve-step program for atheists? Not to get them to not be atheists but a twelve-step program for someone who doesn't believe in a higher power.

Damon, Olivia, and Selma. Who are they? Just people that helped sell me stuff the last fortnight or so. Damon works at Green Gateau, Olivia and Selma at Super Saver. I think everyone, if they save their receipts, should look at the names of their salespersons. Names are important. Selma is in her late teens/early twenties. I think that is a fun extra-generational name. That and it reminded me of Marge Simpson's sisters Patty and Selma.

If you can't tell from my first couple lines, I watched the tail-end of VH1's 100 greatest one hit wonders.

Milk, We Owe It All to Udders

I had a fine trip, stopping in Le Mars on the way up and back. Surprisingly enough, it only added about 15 miles to my trip. I had a wonderfull turkey day with a second cousin on my maternal grandmother's side. My Uncle Dennis and his family were also there, so I got to visit with them. The food was wonderful; highlighted by a pumpkin cheesecake. My rhubarb crunch went over well, with all takers enjoying.

Saturday morning my family went to a little cafe for breakfast. And crazy enough that was the first time that we all actually got to eat together with my sister or mom working and my step-father Denny hunting all the other mealtimes.

Fun fact of the day: Harry C. Wells, brother and partner of Fred H. Wells, founder of Wells Blue Bunny, lived and worked in Doland, SD, hometown of Hubert H. Humphrey, me, and Dennis and Duane Koslowski, before moving to Le Mars to work with his brother.

The First Nogg-el the Angels Did Say?

Super Saver started selling egg-nog a couple weeks ago. I've now consumed my first half gallon of it, and to top it off, I had egg nog ice cream tonight at Ivanna Cone with my sister and her friends. Actually all four of us had egg nog with my sister gettting the lemon cheesecake, me getting caramel cashew, and her two friends each also getting the sweet cream vanilla.

I've always enjoyed egg-nog. I've even tried making it at home; it didn't turn out very well but that is how it goes when you don't have all the necessary ingredients. Nog(g) is a strong ale from 17th century East Anglia. Originally they would make egg-nog or egg-flip by stirring eggs into hot beer/ale, then add some sugar, milk and spices. I'm not so bold as to think that would taste very good though.

One more question and answer from the academy bowl that I found amusing:

This mountain, considered by many to be the most beautiful in Europe, is in the Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Those who have been to Disney World would be sure to remember it as well.

The two responses were "Space Mountain" and "Magic Mountain" respectively. For the answer see comments.

Curse the Blimey Stone

Tonight I went to the Academy Bowl that Union put on for the visiting academy seniors, one of which being my sister. One of the teams answered Blimey Stone, when the correct answer was Blarney Stone, even worse they were give credit for the answer.

Some new names of AdventSource customers: Sairy Salgado, Demerol Laupati, Ulna Keet, and Beverly Supersaad. I hope that the reasons for my choices are obvious enough.

TriBeCa

I like www.wikipedia.com for their immediate, relevant answers to my queries. After seeing the American Express commercial with Robert DeNiro (my life, my card), and then the new car SUV thing Tribeca. I wanted to know where Tribeca came from. It is a neighborhood in Manhattan that stands for Triangle Below Canal. So that is that.
Tonight watching The Amazing Race--Family Edition, a mother of one of the families said, "About an hour ago, we were as down as a pregnant bear to the ground." The family that was eliminated was the Black family, and yes they were also African-American.