Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
This is a pretty funny series from Joss Whedon. It’s a comedy, it’s a musical, and so much more. The musical numbers are extremely well done and the entire film is hilarious. Check it out.
The Big Picture is always excellent, but these pictures of the 2008 Olympics’ Opening Ceremony are especially incredible.
Dear Portland,
This is the northwest, it doesn’t need to get this hot. Please knock it off.
Love,
Brian
Holy crap it’s hot today. To be fair it is August and Portland does have anywhere from 1-3 days of this kind of weather during the summer. Still though, DAMN. As a result I’m typing this while sitting in my boxers and trying to listen to my music over the roar of a fan.
Vegan California Burrito Test #1
So here’s my first attempt. TVP sautéed in olive oil and red chilis w/ onions and island teriyaki sauce. Served in a burrito with guacamole, salsa fresca, tofutti sour cream, cilantro, and oven fries.
Thoughts: Need a better meat substitute, the TVP turned out too grainy and fluffy. It didn’t taste bad at all, but it didn’t have the same size or density as carne asada. Also, the island teriyaki made it a bit too sweet, I should switch to regular teryaki or season it differently altogether. Speaking of seasoning, one of the secrets of my favorite CA burrito joint was that they seasoned their fries. I think a simple salt seasoning you buy at the store would do the trick. Delicious for a first attempt, but I know I can get closer.
Does anyone find it ironic how hard I’m trying to approximate a dish that primarily consists of meat?
Soreness & Burritos
As I mentioned the other day, this is my first week of starting the one hundred push up challenge. Yesterday (Monday) was my first day and today I am feeling it. My abs, lats, and thighs are sore. If anything, this first-day soreness is but a testament to how out of shape I’ve gotten. Sticking with a workout regimen can be pretty difficult sometimes, and keeping with it even after you’ve gotten results can be even harder. They say it takes 6 months for something to become a habit and I don’t think I’ve even made it to 3 months of continuous workouts. My goal this year is to make working out and a healthy lifestyle a habit. I should really start be spending less time on the computer.
On Burritos-
The other night I was stumbling home from a night downtown and started giving thought to a conversation I had with my friend John the weekend before at his wedding concerning our past love for San Diego’s carne asada delights. These include but are not limited to - carne asada burritos, California burritos, carne asada fries, carne asada nachos; basically anything with tons of meat topped with a large helping of guacamole. Anything else, be it chips, fries, or a tortilla becomes a condiment accessory to this massive pile of meat and guacamole and on occassion you’ll have some sour cream or cheese to go with that. Missing those days gone past I decided to whip something up and made a quick detour to Freddy’s. I wish it was as simple as walking to a mexican food cart or restaurant around here but Portland is definately not the land of plenty when it comes to good mexican eats, especially if you’ve been spoiled by San Diego life.
Anyways, I picked up a selection of frozen fries and some avocados, onions, and salsa and preceded home to make… fries with guacamole. It was a delicious mess but not one I should have eaten, at least not all of it, in a single night. It did however act as inspiration for things to come. My mission tonight is to make a vegan california burrito. I’ll use some TVP (textured vegetable protein) for the meat, handmade guacamole, salsa fresca, and more frozen oven fries in the hopes of simulating the taste and feel of the california burrito I know and love. I hope it turns out well.
War is a Poor Chisel to Carve out Tomorrow
— Martin Luther King Jr.
Here, Now
Multi-tasking seems to be a skill critical to leading a successful modern life. People brag about the different hats they wear and the number of fingers they have in any variety of pies. In fact, multi-tasking has become not only a point of pride, but a necessity. This is especially true for those who pursue careers at the same time they are raising a family.
While competent multi-tasking enables us to complete one job while contemplating the next and resolving the one preceding it, this constant state of fragmented attention robs us of the opportunity to focus, purely and intensely, on the task at hand.
We do our best, trying to keep all those balls in the air, but like any good juggler, once that skill is acquired, we never have to look at the ball again. It becomes reflexive. The organic, mindful connection between ourselves and what we do is severed, because we are constantly moving between anticipation and reaction on our way to getting things accomplished.
My theory is that in the not-so distant future, some person will experience a deathbed flashback, except there will be no walk back through that first kiss, or the birth of a child. Instead, there will be only an indiscernible blur, because sadly, that is how the majority of us live our lives: in passing.
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