I went to the LGBT community center Lion King Extravaganza last night. They opened up the VIP room at provided free drinks and horsd'oeuvres, which meant they made crappy vodka drinks and had cubed cheese and crackers. I was rather disappointed by the pre-show reception in general and quite honestly, if they were going to put so little effort into it, I would have rather them have nothing at all. Most people left the reception early to go find food elsewhere.
I didn't have high hopes for the show in general, so I was plesantly surprised when it didn't suck. Many people told me about the wonderful costumes and I was like, yeah right. But in all seriousness, the costume design is superb. It has a slightly unfinished look to it, which starts off looking chintzy and by the end of the night is quite endearing. The great strength of the musical is the way that the costumes, set and choreography flow together. The hyenas might as well have been the ones in the cartoon; they moved and spoke exactly like them. For me, the weak point of the musical was the music. Maybe it's just that I don't have an ear for tribal music, or pseudo-tribal music as the case may be, but even the songs sung in english weren't memorable. Add to that the rather ordinary singing of some of the leads and basically I was left waiting for songs to stop rather than for them to begin. Even with all that, I recommend seeing it for the theatrical aspect, if not for the musically. The way they adapted the scene with Mufasa's head in the clouds is absolutely jaw-dropping.
Sometimes it's like a Elysian tableau. Familiar faces, years different now, ephemerally present; I know they belong framed in some foreign landscape. A voice like a smiling salutation, still cuts with it's clipped farewells. Four friends in a diner on a Monday night, looking to the autumn and the distance that looms. Two strangers in a hallway sharing shards of similar experience, the threat of opportunity. So much the same, so much different. All residing in moment of stillness with only the ubiquitous sound of ventilation.
The group on Saturday night went to a swanky restaurant in San Leandro called Paradiso. That's right, San Leandro actually has some fine dining. At least that's what we all thought when we first saw the place. I made reservations for 15 at 6:00 and as usually almost everyone was late. Nevertheless, the hostess was very understanding and accomodating when our party grew to 16. The menu looked very promising and the wine list had some heavy hitters on it. There aren't too many places that offer two different bottles of Dom P. and Crystal. By the time we were all seated and ready to order, there was quite a line at the door. I definitely seemed like I wouldn't have to drive all the way out to SF just to eat anymore.
When the food started arriving, I noticed the somewhat bucolic tableware. Colorful and summery, I found it a little out of place with the rest of the decor. Perhaps it would have been more at home had it been lunchtime, who knows. The food itself was simplely presented. Although the duck confit was downright unappetizing to look at, being covered in a sauce that looked like poi. My duck risotto was also fairly simple, something I might expect at Pasta Pomodoro, and the portion was a little on the small side, though not terribly so, at least by SF standards. The food itself fit the tableware more than the overall atmosphere of the place, simple and good, but nothing more. One two of us had wine with dinner. My Cabernet Franc was a good addition to my meal. Easy to drink, it lack complexity, which was somehow appropriate to the evening. The Pinot Noir that Joe had however casued him to cringe, which is never a good sign. Overall, I'd say that Paradiso had average food and service and above average decor and at the prices that they were charging, not really worth it.
Game night yesterday was a success. Brian managed to get both Karen and Eric to show up. I'm not sure which was more difficult, arranging a get together to coincide with Karen and Derek's brief one week vacation from Switzerland or tracking down the elusive Eric Mao.
Carol's been in New York all weekend. I pretty much bummed around the house in my pajamas all day long. Hopefully, this isn't a cause and effect thing.
Another week begins.
Vienna Teng was featured on Pacific Time which aired at 6:30pm and 11:00pm last night on NPR. If you don't know Vienna Teng's music, you really should check it out. Sport Illustrated touts it as "the best new Guarantee-to-Get-Her-in-the-Mood-Because-She-Can-Tell-You're-a-Sensitive-Guy music" It doesn't get much better than that. I'm really happy to hear that her version of the Green Island Serenade will be a hidden track on the album.
True Faith: I once told a good friend that real strength, real belief came from seeing both sides of an argument, leaning ever so slightly toward one side and then putting all one's effort to advancing that cause. At the time of was thinking of such dicey issues as Abortion, Capital punishment, Euthanasia. Their reply was, "What about Gay Rights?" I was taken aback. Well, that was one issue that I couldn't really see the other side on....
State of the Nation: On the drive home yesterday, I listened to a segment on the issue of gay marriages, in particular, the recent events in San Francisco. One of the participants drew the parallel hypothetical, what if a city in California decided to abolish gun laws? I find the analogy flawed, but useful for illustrating one point. The balance between individual rights and law is a fine one and almost always two-edged. Personally, I applaud Gavin Newsom's actions to promote gay marriage in the city of San Francisco. I see it as an act of civil disobedience. I wonder however, if an elected official should have more of an obligation to uphold the laws of the State than your average Joe. What if some progressive liberal governor decided not to collect state and federal taxes in protest of the war in Iraq? Or some libertarian conservative, in protest of the rampant overspending in Washington? Extreme to be sure, but where do we draw the line between civil disobedience and anarchy?
Bizarre Love Triangle: The same conservative on last night's show argued that there was a better argument for legalizing polygamy than there was for legalizing gay marriages. Marriage, to a certain extent, isn't an inalienable right. It is a legally recognized social structure with certain benefit confered upon the individuals by the State. As a result, the State has a responsibility to legislate what those benefits are and who gets them. The question becomes, what is the State's responsibility when it comes to social engineering? If one is to believe the conservative camp's view that legalizing gay marriage is the road to the eventual deterioration of the American family, then it is perhaps the State's responsibility to legislate in a way that prevents that. More to the point, if it were somehow proven that certain institutions were bad for society as a whole, wouldn't it be the responsibility of the government to do something about it? Say for example, smoking. But that's not a great analogy either and I know of no proof that gay marriages or even polygamy is bad for society as a whole.
Regret: At the end of the day, we can all talk about these issues on the scale of a nation, but most of us can only affect social change in our circle of our friends. I have a few gay friends. I've known one gay couple for a long time now and I'd like to go to their wedding one day. And after all that's said and done, regardless of what is right or what is best, that's all that matters.
Bah, no time to update. Quickly: My boss is being rotated out, so in a couple of weeks I'll have a new boss. Planning for the AEA annual new year's dinner is going well, but it's costing me time at work. Turns out on of the things I told my consultant to work on yesterday got nixed about thirty seconds ago. I'm tired of typing ... i just finished re-typing 12 pages of specification because there wasn't any time for anything else ... somehow I think that was a dumb move on my part, oh well. No time for small regrets.
In lieu of a more creative way to write about my weekend, here's a review of all the places that we went:
The Calistoga Village Inn and Spa lies a quarter mile, maybe less, past the main part of downtown Calistoga. Rooms were nice and not too expensive, they weren't four star hotel quality, but that's not what you expect when you reserve a room at a bungalow style inn. The whirlpool tub was novel and ended up making the room slightly pricey, but was good for a one-time experience. We opted for the mineral bath/massage/facial. At $150 a person for just over 2 hours, it was a pretty good deal, but in retrospect, I might have opted out of the mineral bath, though I'm left wondering how the mud bath would have felt. Overall, very good value.
Brannan's Grill is at the corner of the main intersection in Calistoga. The atmosphere is lively and we were lucky enough to get a table on a Friday night without reservation. We started the evening with a bottle of Bennett Lane Syrah which was excellent. An appetizer of seared scallops atop a creamed potato was the best I had had in quite awhile. While I found Carol's Prosciutto wrapped trout a bit disparate, she claimed it was best dish of the weekeend. My pork chop was cooked to perfection and generous in portion. All for less than I could find in San Francisco. We ended the evening with a chocolate lava cake and hazelnut ice cream. Again, absolutely delicious. My only quibble was with their espresso which I found to be a little sour. Overall, highly recommended.
The Martini House in downtown St. Helena, is about a block off the beaten path. Nested in a garden settling, the house is charming and hides the relatively large interior well. Created by Pat Kuleto, also known for his SF restaurants, Boulevard, Farallon, and Jardinière; it has a boisterous yet refined atmosphere. Carol's chicken pot pie was very good, though a bit pricey for the portion and quality. My scallop, avacado, grapefruit and arugula salad was superb, but having just equal portions of the aforementioned ingredients, was very small for the price. Overall, a place you can get a good meal, but at a high price.
Terra is a bit hard to find if you don't know your way around St. Helena, being on a parallel street to Highway 29. Set in a large building with a limestone facade, it is surprisingly small and intimate. Boasting perhaps 10 tables in all, we were very lucky to get seated early. The evening's special sashimi appetizer was exquisite. Consisting of maguro, hirame served in a lemon cup and topped with caviar, and monkfish liver with salmon roe; it was simply excellent. The main course was not as enjoyable however. My quail, while well prepared, simply didn't not justify the price. Carol's lobster on risotto was equally well perpared, but she found the risotto much to rich, while i found it merely palatable. Dessert saved the dinner. The apple tart with carmel ice cream was just about the best thing I have ever eaten. Coupled with a wonderful Moscato from Robert Pecota, the evening ended on a high note. Once again, pricey, but this time with definite hits and misses.
Domaine Chandon sits atop a hill apart from the main part of Yountville. Renouned for their champange it weighs in a perhaps the most expensive place we visited over the weekend. We stopped in for lunch and ended up spending just as much as we did for dinner the past two nights. The portions were exceptionally small. My bass and Carol's sole could have taken at most a half a dozen bites to eat. Both were merely fair for the price. Dessert was equally disappointing. While the huckleberry souffle was decent it did not justify the price. The saving grace of the meal was the intermediate courses that were served. We couldn't figure out what the complementary appetizer was, but it was delicious. The pink lemonade sorbet and meyer lemonade refresher was equally delightful. Not recommended unless you have a lot of money to spare and you really like champange.
Oh yes, and of course, Carol was absolutely fantastic all weekend.
It's Lincoln's Birthday! You know what that means ... that's right, I got the day off. *snicker* Yeah, but being the idiot that I am, I put in about three and a half hours anyway. :P
This morning, driving into work, I listened to an NPR blurb about yesterday's sick-out at the Port of Oakland. I was infurated by the liberally biased reporting. NPR was supposed to be my haven from the republican spin that is so prevelant in the news these days and it is. I guess I just wish that the news could be unbiased ... but then when you ask for someone's point-of-view that's exactly what you get. Anyway, to clear up some inaccuracies; 1) the managers didn't have to do any "extra" work, non-union secretaries, union engineers, et al. picked up the slack; 2) management hasn't been stalling for 18-months landing the union without a contract (though I know from personal experience they aren't the most expedient and thus not entirely without blame), the union has rejected offer after offer, demanding raises, etc. 3) Though it's true that management is asking the union to pay a percentage for their retirement for the first time in years, that's because the pension plan has been vastly improved and although the additional amount management has to pay is something like 15% more, they are only asking the union members to fork out something like 7%. Anyway, I really wish our publicity people would stop saying that shipping and air travel is at an all time high, though it's true, it's not the whole truth.
Anyway, if you skipped that middle part, don't bother going back to re-read it, it wasn't very interesting. I hope everyone has a very lucky Friday the thirteenth and a great (anti)Valentines-Day.
This was the worst morning in a while. The moment I stepped in, I was running. Local 790 is on a sick-out so I had to retrive a file from the secretary's computer because she wasn't here. At the same time I had to craft (I love when they use words that make my job sound important) some language for an agenda sheet. Of course all the reference information was mis-catalogued. And even then, it didn't have what I needed. Only later, my boss told me that the document I actually needed was something else than what he told me before. Meanwhile, I had to fill out a couple of time cards and to a quick workload estimate for another project. Around 11:00 my brain crashed. So weak.
Snow Orchid posted a Salon.com article in her journal. Go ahead and sign up for the 1-day pass, the advertisements are relatively easier to click through. Basically the gist of it is that the government is infiltrating anti-war groups and keeping tabs on them. I'm sure the government isn't targetting anti-war groups specifically. Most likely any group whose activities run contrary to the anti-terrorist agenda is a target. It's strange how it just slips in there. I've been more aware of politics this year than ever and I'm astonished at the slight-of-hand that equates anti-war with terrorist. Does that not look right to you? Let me help. Anti-terrorist = War. If nothing seems wrong with that, you might want to start paying closer attention ... it's an election year after all. So did you read the article? No? Well, it is long. And if you're not outraged by the thought of the government spying on protesters, here's the juicy part.
"It was in the evening when we were trying to figure out our general plan," she says. "We didn't know whether the police would be blocking the entrance to Allard's office." They were discussing whether the six people planning the sit-in should go in as a group, or one by one, in order to evade attention. "[Christensen (the local police officer who had infiltrated the group)] said, 'Look, why don't we just walk right through their line?' We were like, whoa, nobody wants to get their heads blown off," says Peters. "We are peaceful, nonviolent group. We're not trying to storm a building."
That's entrapment folks ... and it's illegal. Or maybe it isn't ... let me check the Patriot Act.
This morning I woke up to a dialogue about gay marriage. I have a few gay friends (no lesbians though) and, whether it is because of that or for some other reason, I am happy to see the recent court decisions on the legality of gay marriages. However, one of the "facts" flashed on the screen impressed me. Polls show that 60% of Americans are opposed to gay marriages. I placed no credibility in the actual statistic, rather I was a little shocked because in my own little world, I didn't think that the majority people might be opposed. Then I thought about what that might mean. If by some odd chance all the courts in America agreed that gay marriage was just and an overwhelming majority of the populace opposed it, then wouldn't that be a strange form of social injustice? It doesn't change my point-of-view, but hopefully it's changed a little the way I think.
It was a rough weekend. I blame the altitude, but maybe that's just me making excuses. In any case, I drank too fast ... or too quickly. In retrospect, I should have known that I was drinking too quickly when I started yelling at people, saying that they were lying to me and that it was actually later than it was. And of course, spilling one's drinking is always a sure sign you should slow down or stop. In any case, to all those who had to endure me, most of all to my steadfast girlfriend, I'm sorry.
As I was flipping through my Men's Health, I did a double take in the style section. Could it be? It is. One of my former roommates in college was featured as "what's hot now." Kudos to him. Turns out that he's teaching at Harvard now. Maybe when I turn thirty I can be in a magazine.
The Palm situation still isn't resolved, though I'm getting pretty good service from the Ebay vendor so I'm pretty happy about that. I feel like I'm going to pop soon. Luckily it's Friday and I'll be up in Tahoe sometime around Midnight ... hopefully. I have three projects swirling around in my head right now and they are all linked in a way. Unfortunately, it seems like I'm the only one here at work who really sees it. I'm really concerned that we're getting set up....
My computer at home is getting a little fickle so if I drop off the face of the world for a little while it's because my hard drive crashed. I desperately need a few hours to get my stuff together and burn it to a CD so that I don't lose everything. Of course, sometimes it's better to take action rather than to organize ... with that, work beckons.
Tried to work my brand-new Palm Tungsten E for the first time this morning. Broken. Damn. That made my morning kinda crappy. Got into work. Meeting. After that meeting, had to prepare for bigger meeting. And then it was lunch time. Now the real pain begins.
Waredrobe Malfunction. That's what they called it. When I first saw it I thought that she was copying Lil' Kim. But they say it was accidental. Uh huh. Whatever, I don't think it was anymore crass than that ridiculous effigy of a moon landing. Can you say Republican propoganda? Personally I found that particularly offensive since they were supposed to be honoring the crew of the Columbus and particularly sad since I thought it was well done (if still propoganda) up until that point. Whatever. Quid pro quo. If you want to see some ads that should have aired during the Superbowl click here. Damn, more propoganda. Oh well, you try to find a balance somehow.
Quick update: Only a half an hour into work and I've covered most of the building on foot since my e-mail is down. Unfortunately, my address book is part of my e-mail system here at work so I can't use the phone either. Luckily the stairs aren't subject to such frailties. This weekend I did some catching up with an old friend, Gillian. I drove down to SJ and had brunch with her at the Fairmont hotel. Brunch was a little on the expensive side, but nothing to extreme. Service was excellent and the portions were large. My seafood omelet was a little more experimental than I expected, but seeing a real crab claw (deshelled) in your omelet will definitely make you think that the money your paying is going into your food. Afterwards, we hung out at the SJ Tech museum. It's a great place to kill some time. I'm not sure if I perfer it over the Exploritorium, I guess it's time to make a trip back there. Managed to catch the Diane Arbus exhibit at the SFMOMA (and renew my membership at the same time) It's a lot to take in, but I highly recommened it if you're in the area. Anyway, work beckons, I need to go climb four flights of stairs ... who am I kidding? Otis was a genius.