chinotto of my dreams

!!! thing in today's Bee and Amber got a mention!! Can't wait to see Beyonce on stage again

 I went to Zia's yesterday in Davis.  Can I tell you how amazing this soda is?  Like the most delicious carbonated orange bitters, made with the myrtle-leaved orange.  Fuckkk. I don't know if they have it at the one in Sac but I hope so.

When I reviewed the meatball sub I wasn't sure how I felt because it was my first one at Zia's.  The acidic, thin sauce threw me off.  Now I am a huge fan.  I would have probably given Zia's another half star based on my love of this sandwich alone.  The meatballs are very fine-grained and soft. 

I got our tickets to Tokyo in the fall!  It's a direct flight from SFO, which I am very excited about.  Not sure yet which city we will fly back from.  Planning on flying back to Sac.  The reason we are flying out of SFO is because I used my British Airways frequent flyer miles to get the tickets, for 653 (the taxes and fees).  Jamattack first clued me in to this card a few years ago, and I used it for round trip to Copenhagen for 1100 at peak travel time, and then these two one-way tickets.  This has saved me an ton of money and none of it had to do with using the card, just with the intial miles I got from signing up.  As soon as we fly I'm cancelling it, since it has a 95 buck annual fee, which I think I've paid three times.  But still, saved money.

swag

Ugh, I gotta get off fb!! That's it, I'm not checking it for the rest of the day! Unfortunately, my phone buzzes when something happens on there. I'm gonna have to turn my phone off.

Did you know that a band called Sam I Jam is opening for !!! tomorrow? Did you know that there are many, many excellent Sacramento bands who are not in this entire, huge series, not even as opening bands? Remember who is booking, according to SNR when the Jerry Perry scandal went down:

former 106.5 FM deejay Andy Hawk, former Local Licks host Mark Gilmore, Sac Shows promoter Justin Nordan, and musicians Jake Desrochers, Danny Secretion and Laith Kaos.

yeah. finger on the pulse.

 I got this duck salad at magpie last night and it was a mixed bag.  At first I was disappointed that the salad seemed undressed and the frisee was a little wilted (I used "my frisee is wilted" as a way to get out of sex all the time), but then I mixed it all up with the sweet, sweet duck juices at the bottom and it was, as the kids say, all good.  The duck itself was swag, as the kids also say. 

Pretty Fly

I don't like to overuse "obsessed" but I'm pretty obsessed with this video and her

sowing my wild hops

 I am psychic guys because Sunday morning right when I was waking up I dreamed that EC said, "I'm going to eat a cheeseburger today" then as I was finishing my coffee WB texted me "where should we get a hamburger? Cookie's is closed".  Before that he wanted to eat a banana split at Gunther's, natch.  Nationwide was closed too (how dumb what better way to honor America's fallen than with delicious burgers?) so I put forth the idea of Mexi-burger.

 524! Always open.  The elusive chile relleno burger in its natural habitat.  I made a guac burger.  This reminds me that recently a coworker sighed, "I'm sick of eating hamburgers" as if someone was forcing him to do it.

Chocolate soda foreground. Delicious although I must admit I expected something lighter, more like an egg cream.  Hot fudge sundae in the background. Classic!

On Saturday I spent a few minutes at the farmer's market and then 6 hours at LowBrau.  In that time I made plans with OC and NM to go to Burning Man, which seemed perfectly plausible at the time.  I also alienated a Bee reporter I had just met with some extreme boasting.  I was feeling my oats.  No actually I was feeling my hops.

Spoiler alert!

This is why I write!! Read the comment.  The money is peanuts so never for the money.  Speaking of that, do you know I've been writing for 6 or 7 years or whatever and the money for stuff has never gone up at all.  Sorry SNR, but I happen to know that I am making the same amount for reviews that someone made like 8-9-10 years ago.  The recession is not over, exactly, but I can see you got your weed ads back. Editors, I am not blaming you.

 Speaking of reviews and the reason why I write, I heard that Zia's has my review laminated and taped to the counter. Brings a tear to the eye. Perhaps I'll eat at the one in Davis today.

Thanks to the neighbor for organizing the drive inn trip! We tried to eat at the Korean place Sulzip Ann becuase cheese corn (cheese and corn on a sizzling platter) went from a novely to me to something I was craving.  Closed down.  So we ate at Mo Du Rang nearby and the banchan was really good but not the rest.  Gummy seafood pancake, as usual, and tough spare ribs.  AND Greg Lucas had reviewed it (curse you GL), which I was later glad about cuz I would have shelled out for the whole dinner and then decided why review a mediocre Korean restaurant

As for the movie: It was awesome when Spock yelled (spoiler alert!! hence I will put a page break here)

billionerd Vivek Ranadive

The Bee published a non-story today about biking drunk. Some of the statistics: 24 people in downtown/midtown were cited for it in the last 6 years.  Another one: in 2011, 210 cyclists were killed NATIONWIDE that had a BAC over .08. In a country of over 300 million that is like 7 or 8 zeros before 6 percent, I am a little rusty on multiplying percentages.  I'll take my chances! Plus, of those, how many of those people were wuh-asted? Probably a lot.

I do try not to bike wasted. I try not to get wasted in general.  It generally happens twice a year: Four Eyes Xmas and Halloween show.  I didn't bike home from the halloween show, so there ya go.

The Bee also published a hilarious story a few days ago about this Vivek Ranadive character.  It's about how he's not a nerd, according to him.  Dude, read this, I can't stop laughing!

Ranadive may not be as flamboyant, but like the Maloofs he has his glossy celebrity side. On Friday, he jokingly scolded Bee reporters for labeling him a "nerd" in earlier coverage.

"I am not a nerd," he said.

A photograph that ran alongside a profile of Ranadive in Esquire shows him dressed in a Rat Pack-style suit and sunglasses, lying on a raft in a swimming pool. In photos he posts on Twitter, Ranadive often flashes the "shaka" hand gesture (pinky and thumb extended, middle three fingers curled to the palm), a symbol of friendship in surfer cultures.

OMG the Bee has hit a new low in Kings coverage.  It also quotes someone as saying that he is so competitive that he would beat your grandma at tennis. Nice.

I also like how KJ has said that Cake would play at the Kings rally at Caesar Chavez today and instead they got ONE member of Tesla and that hack David Garibaldi.  Embarrassing.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/19/5431406/new-kings-boss-ranadive-is-all.html#storylink=cpy

videoz

I went to see Danny Brown in Oakland last night.  Typically off the chain, although the ladies were MUCH more subdued. No twerking in sight.  I can't help it I think this song is super funny. This video is weird and Danny Brown is not in it.  He did it last night. He had the funniest style last night of just black jeans and then a black tee that was as long as a dress.  There was so much weed smoking it was insane and kind of sucked cuz I was designated driver and I didn't wanna stink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9tQ1tDxO_U

OK, this song is like a cancer on our nation and fuck Rick Ross anyways.  Last night the DJs played it TWICE at the show and then I went to Grimey for a sec just to see what the fuck it was when we got back to Sac and he played it again. It also got played at Tyler the Creator.  So stupid.  You're a badass cuz you got drunk and woke up in a new million dollar car? Yeah right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djE-BLrdDDc

Chief Keef is also everywhere, which I like.  Probably three of his songs played at DB last night and a couple at Grimey in the 20 minutes I was there.  He's 17 and just got off probation and got arrested again yesterday.  He better hope it goes on his juvenile record or he's gonna be like Lil Wayne and spend time in prison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcRXJ4piHg

DB has been touring with Kitty Pryde, who Scott told me about and said she was the worst thing.  I kinda agree but kinda is fun to hate listen.  And the next step after that is liking it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SDYus7iKC8

the opener was Overdoz and they were really good live but seem kinda mixed as far as recorded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y2vJqlWcSY

rap crap

It would be really weird to be friends with Drake because he'd constantly be rapping about how much he loves you and would die for you and shit.  What if you didn't like him as much as he liked you? And he was like "I'd die for you" and you were like, "yeah....me too" all unenthusiastically.  Awkward!  And he was saying all the time "no new friends" and then you made a crew of new friends and didn't want him to know.

Jay-z has an awesome rap in one of the songs on Thank Me Later:
I don't do much bloggin'
Run the city
Don't do much joggin

Cody said he's been enjoying the dirty south tracks I've posted, here's a recent one I like from Killer Mike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iMC6t_mEm4

And another track with him and Bun B, who's a southern legend. woah this is a mini-movie with boobs in it that references point break! T.I. in it and he is fine as usual

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8-RmM5py1c

Meeting report

We had a Round Table at Round Table to recap and heatedly argue about next years theme.  I ate 5 pieces of pizza plus a piece of Natalie's flat bread.  I have one tender roni, two veggie, one jalapeno and pineapple (pineapple picked off) and a piece of Natalie's flat bread. Charles ate an entire pile of jalapenos so Jay would buy a Bananas/Matt Shrugg flexi. I'm sure he is suffering the aftereffects today.

Anytime the Halloween show is involved, something magical happens and this meeting was no different.  There was a huge banquets of little kids (7 years old?) and the soccer mom told Scott that they love to sing Happy Birthday and we asked around the table and it turns out Gballs birthday is today!! Gabe started to sing and these kids instantly whipped around and started to sing it SO LOUD. Then the manager came over and gave us a free pitcher of beer and G got a coupon for a free pizza. Thank you Halloween Show vibes! I bask in your glory.

wow

Holy fucking shit!! Pitchfork treatment for the Singles

helmet law suck, apparently

Got some NSFW (not that bad) pics from some vinatage Easyriders that the Audacity dudes left at the house along with the smell of stale beer. What thoughtful gifts! After the j ump

It had to be Jew

Pretty exciting night last night...planted tomatoes, tomatillos, and basil in the garden, took a walk around my beautiful neighborhood, cooked a crapload of chard from the garden and the last of the lettuce, which all bolted. Watched intervention and hoarders on my computer.

I don't mind saying that I've been kinda depressed the last couple months because my new job is such a scary change and I guess I don't deal with change that well.  My life hasn't changed much in the last 7 or so years, and they were the happiest years of my life, so it's hard to leave that chapter behind, especially with 40 looming.  All in all, I'm absurdly lucky, especially when it comes to the best husband (and cat) in the world. 

So anyways, doing that stuff last night kinda represents an upturn after a couple of months of not enjoying the things I usually enjoy, which I'm stoked about.

I was looking up Woody Allen's description of "anhedonia" from Annie Hall to describe what I'm talking about, but when I found it I saw it's  pretty harsh and and doesn't really apply. But I found this golden bit of trivia:

Allen's working title for the film was "Anhedonia", a term for the inability to experience pleasure.^[17][18] However, United Artists considered this unmarketable, as were Brickman's suggested alternatives: "It Had to Be Jew", "Rollercoaster Named Desire" and "Me and My Goy".^[19] An advertising agency, hired by UA, embraced Allen's choice of an obscure word by suggesting advertising in tabloid newspapers using vague slogans such as "Anhedonia Strikes Cleveland".^[19] However, Allen tried several titles over five test screenings, including "Anxiety" and "Alvy and Me", before settling on "Annie Hall

torta chilango

This is a clue to my next review. I am very excited about this place.

Wow is the whole earth festival bullshit! A bunch of ugly crap and hideous tie dye, and super expensive food.  I am PISSED that I got tricked into buying a chocolate covered banana for 6 dollars. Not a frozen banana, mind you, those I love and they are my state fair jam.  No just regular banana on a stick and half didn't even have chocolate on it so it was just...a banana.  Yippee

Then there were all these hippy food booths with like tempeh and veggie burgers and stuff.  I hit up three and they were not ready.  At 1230 on Friday! Thereby missing all their lunch business.  That is soooo hippy, that's why they will never get anywhere in life, unless you count really long dreads as an accomplishment.  So I paid like 650 for a pupusa and there was raw dough involved and just cheesecheesecheese, some of it not melted. My friend paid that same for a quesadilla with unmelted cheese. So pissed.

Saw Great Gatsby, which I hadn't planned on at all but was in the mood for a movie and a friend wanted to go.  Terrible.  I don't really like Baz Luhrman.  I was kind of snickered at the novel with smiller before I went, but since there's narration right from the book of some of the most famous parts, my cynicism melted away and I remembered how much I loved it in high school: essay topic, the use of the theme of eyes and seeing (something like that) cuz of the billboard of eyes that watches over everything.  Daisy sucks so bad.  What a bitch.

Farmersmarket on Saturday was so fun again! I passed out tons of Edibles and it was very gratifying, especially since many people were like "I love this mag". And every week I use it as my excuse to day drink at Low Brau on the patio.  I think I've personally bought 4 of those Logsdon saisong.  Which is over 10% of the total that Clay ordered.

beetle bailey?

 for those of you not on fb, this is my new profile picture courtesy of dp. love.

 can someone explain this beetle bailey to me?

 you can tell because his face is shooting off in droplets? is that his brain? is it sweat marks that were mistakenly colored in because that still doesn't make any sense

 destop setup

just random. This tshirt really scandalized me when I watched Teen Wolf ONE MILLION TIMES.  I had a huuuuge poster of  just a closeup of Michael J. Fox's face.



Jah help me I have 3 hours of safety classes today. Laser safety and chem/lab safety. I am so fucking safe!!!

comedians of comedy

omg, this is the funniest thing I've read in the Onion in years. And the whole article is funny!

Last night's comedy open mic at Bows was funny but too long! Ray Molina is the host and I told him that and he said he knows but that he cut four people and it was still too long and he gets shit from the comics for cutting anyone.  Nice story bro.  No Steven Ferris and that was a bummer. The main bit for at least three of the comics was getting dumped by their girlfriend recently. I like Ferris because he's just completely creative and isn't just narrating whatever happened to him that week and dick jokes.  Plus, people I don't care how fucking nervous you are you cannot read from notes!! This is not a powerpoint at work.  It saps the funny out of everything.

Tonight is Missy's night at old I.  I hope to go

pic post

 

 This is graffiti from Sulzip Ann, a Korean restaurant in Korea town.  It's another one of those teen hangout type of places and it has even more graffiti than Sarang Bang

 Calling someone immaculate is high praise

 cute picture from the sour bar opening at Panaea. These guys are the best

 Having a beer at Capital Tap Room

 This is a fridge juxtaposition with a picture of Nate taken by Doug Biggert. I know it's not a surprise to anyone but Doug is a fabulous photographer.  That's me as a teen punk on the right. Note the suit.

 Revisited Pho King II for the first time in a while.  They advertise their tendon as "soft tendon" and I really think it might be the best tendon in town (The SNR should give out that award for best of).  Not to mention the off-the-menu cold tendon salad we had once (which they tried to claim was the cow dick salad I wanted until I busted them on it)

The lady remembered we like this raw beef salad.  I know I'm gettin pretty gnarly here but recently I ran over a huge snake on the freeway (probably a rattler as I hear there is a bumper crop this year) and watching it writhe in pain in my rearview made me vow to be more conscious about the meat I eat.  It made me really sad.  I have gotten too used to ordering meat dishes when I could have vegetarian.  So no more meat at lunch on weekdays at the very least. I only eat breakfast meat like once every two weeks, and I rarely cook meat.  Too bad Red Rabbit took their veggie burger off the menu!

Beer gossip: the rumor is that a Bevmo might go in The Beat space.  Which means the single bottle law will be a problem.  I don't know how the ABC works, but if they get a single exemption I am going to be SUPER PISSED, considering on how many small business bottle shops we have missed out on on the grid.  Davis Beer Shoppe guy considered opening here but was thwarted by that law.

inspiring

 I was completely inspired by Sacramento and the ladies I know there this weekend.  Sacramento is really getting pretty amazing.  New Edible issue out and it looks beautiful.  OK, so Ryan D. is not a lady, but he's still inspiring. Ran into him at the Good Market and got to introduce him to Steve Hansen and give him the new issue. Hansen's a fan. More after the jump

cute

here's a picture of a baby giraffe that was just born at the l.a.zoo to make your friday even better! six feet tall!

justifiying

Am I an impossible dork because I love this. Answer: yes.  I don't care. I will admit I like Robin Thicke too, at least some songs.  That new one with Pharrell is too embarrassing even for me, and the collabo with Nicki Minaj died a quick, merciful death. Has anyone noticed how Pharrell does not age at all?  I feel need to justify my love of Robin Thicke by pointing out he has collaboed with: Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz (just a minute ago), T.I., uh Leighton Meester? multiple times with Lil Wayne, Kenny G, 50 cent, Rick Ross, Ashanti, and more!

Blackbird redux

Tried Blackbird again for the first time since I gave it the poor review and the results were...pretty good. I'll go back. Delicious Ramos Fizz! Good wine list.  Scattered yet nice waiter. He did not write our order down (which I will never understand) and he forgot one dish, but we didn't remind him because we were full anyways. Water not filled enough, drink orders not taken quickly enough. Acoustics horrible and laughable "jazz" band downstairs. It sounded like smooth jazz, really weird! The server moved us to a quieter spot but then paid even less attention to us.  Also it's really expensive.  However, nice evening and like I said, I will go back. I'm getting pretty sick of my few other spots in Midtown and Downtown, most of which are just as uneven in service.

I am sooo bummed because in the last few months there is now traffic every damn day both ways between Davis and Sac.  I don't know if there has been enough population growth that this is going to be forever or what.  Today there was literally a spill of nuts and bolts on the freeway. The other day there were two accidents and a broken down car on the causeway.  Plus, I park on campus rather than in east Davis so that adds about 10 minutes every day.  All in all, I'm spending at least an hour in the car commuting every day. It fucking sucks.