season 2 of Eureka is on 10 July at 9pm ET
season 2 of The Dresden Files is an unknown…
season 6 of Monk begins 13 July at 9pm ET
that is all…
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June 25, 2007
June 24, 2007
Hello, good evening and welcome to nothing much…
A no-holds barred half-nelson and the loving touch. The comfort and the joy of feeling lost with the only living boy in New Cross…
don’t ask… was trying to find something else and this one just kind of struck me and I went with it… could have been worse, could have done “My Second To Last Will And Testament” ^_~
a few things of note here…
1) played on the grill yesterday and things are definitely looking up. Sadly we discovered through the process of actually eating that these things were huge and would fill people up after only one serving, thus negating all of the other food that would be present. Not a good thing, right? So we had to work on another plan of attack in order to offer up the same thing just in a smaller form. We got to where we wanted to go with this… and whomever is present at my place the evening before the gathering is going to be assisting in the assembly of these little buggers.
Think we could give White Castle a run for their money with these things… ^_~
2) a reminder via Milady: for those who have stories… want to roast me… or have pictures please submit them to her at OMGWTFBBQ07 }at{ gmail }dot{ com…
If nothing is forth coming then it’s going to be a VERY short evening of food… and kicking everyone out and watching the AMV’s myself…
3) got some new toys this week… two of which while at Macy’s had me singing “Shopper’s Paradise” in my head… not a good thing to be hearing this song in your head while actually shopping in a department store ^_~
But enough about that song… the toys we got this week…
one KitchenAid Immersion Blender (gotta have the stick blender!!!)
one KitchenAid 12cup Food Processor (note to self, Black & Decker should stick to something else than kitchen appliances)
one KitchenAid 6qt Stand Mixer (bwahahahahaha!!!! I have my machine!!!)
Did you catch the theme there? Shall I rewind it for you and play it again? Didn’t think so…
So yeah, this is a KitchenAid household for sure… lots of other KitchenAid in the place that hasn’t been bought this week… there’s the hand mixer I bought a few years ago after the previous one blew up on me in the middle of making the buckeye balls (remember that yummy goodness? BTW: it was a B&D hand mixer… go figure)… got a couple of kitchen utensils that are also KitchenAid. Only appliance (aside from fridge, oven and microwave) that isn’t KitchenAid is the blender and that one has yet to fail me (not B&D obviously)…
4) maybe a bit later I will discuss the OMGWTFBBQ a bit more and what it means. What it does not mean is safety in foods that are known. We are even taking traditional barbeque items and changing them up a bit to give them something unexpected. If you think we are going for comfort foods then you are going to starve at this event… plain and simple. Nothing will be hitting that grill that is a traditional entree… and this is why the title OMGWTFBBQ…
OMG = damn this is actually good…
WTF = seriously? We’re eating that?
Do you people think I am not going to stick to the title? To not even try one of the dishes prepared is an insult to those who took the time to prep these items… an insult to the chefs and cooks who toiled away in hot kitchens. Do you go into a 4-star restaurant that has some of the most exquisite entrees on their menu and because you’ve never tried it before are not going to eat now? Same thing here… you do not insult a chef on his turf by not eating what he has prepared… period. There are going to be several us spending the days prior to this event working on everything from pastas to soups to sauces… don’t insult our time and dedication spent working on this menu.
that is all for now… soccer match at noon… and WoW fishing tournament at 2pm…
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June 21, 2007
June 18, 2007
shhh… we’re hunting WTF foods…
actually not hunting… we have a good idea of what we are going to be preparing. Just trying to figure out how we are going to prepare some of these things. Woohoo!!! Two guys working with several proteins we know absolutely nothing about… this is what makes it so much fun.
Speaking of people working with unknown proteins… nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the ingredients that they had for the first challenge of this years “Top Chef”… most of the stuff they were dealing with was stuff I’ve dealt with before. And people fucked them up… big time.
How in the hell can you over-do boar ribs? They are just like regular ribs you asshole… just a wee bit leaner. Fuckin’ moron… glad he got booted for that fuck up.
And the guy who was last to pick his proteins… yeah, that was a clusterfuck in itself. Alligator tail and monkfish liver… I know that the tail is a pain in the ass to prepare as I’ve tried to prepare croc tail and fucked it up. But the guy actually thought it was good when he was tasting it. Good? You overcooked it… it was tougher to chew than nibbling on some 95 year old’s crusty nipples…
there you go folks… the one gross-out for the day… thank you very much… I’m here all week…
So Clinton and I spent yesterday afternoon/evening going over everything for the OMGWTFBBQ for this year. Actually sitting down and planning courses… I have mainly only focused on the proteins in the past allowing others to deal with the other stuff. Not this year… while we are taking a risk with what others might be bringing, we are also trying to come up with different things that will work well with all the other stuff. And apparently I’m going to be learning some new cooking techniques… and will be making my first hollandaise next weekend (seriously? The recipe is simple… it’s all of the prep and actually making that is the pain and temperamental).
And yesterday was the beginning of playing with recipes. Making sure we have the basic concept down… and making sure that the damn thing holds together after being cooked. Sadly my place ended up being a giant wall of smoke and grease, but I know that this will not be an issue come next month when these are prepared on a grill outdoors. But the end result was a success after a few failures… should prove to be interesting since we will be most likely prepping them the day before or even the day of.
Some stuff we will be able to do up in the days leading up to the event. Other stuff will have to be prepped that day because it won’t hold overnight *cry*
I am looking for some volunteers though… a couple of people that would be able to assist Clinton and I when needed whether it be upstairs in the kitchen or outside by the grill(s). If interested please let me know so that we can figure some stuff out. But let it be known that while you might volunteer we might not need your assistance as we are also working to try and secure a couple of Clinton’s classmates to assist as well… so if they might be able to help out then our work might be a bit easier than expected.
In the days leading up to the event will be the part that we will be requiring assistance if at all possible with any of the prep work that can be done ahead of time. Small kitchen = not much room to work with but we are going to be utilizing every inch of the front room as possible. Using a coffee table as a prep station… bringing in a couple of other tables as prep stations… coolers for storage… etc. Yeah… this thing is going to be insane!!! But should definitely top the previous couple of events that we’ve done. Of course once this event is over with, the planning will almost immediately begin for next year ^_~
For those who are planning on attending, I will state this now…
For the most part the entire menu is Kosher…
While the invite says the gathering starts around 3pm, food won’t be hitting the grill until probably about 5 or 5:30…
If you are bringing stuff that has a final part of preparation that needs to be done at my place, please let us know now so that we can figure spacing. Let us know how much space you will be needing…
If you are brining stuff that needs to be kept cold for a period of time, again, please let us know and about how much room will be required in the fridge or freezer… we are going to be running tight on space I think and I’d rather know now than the day of…
There is one allergy to bananas… and one person who has a dislike for mayonnaise… if something you are bringing contains one of those two items, please make note of it on an index card or something…
The AMV’s won’t start until after sundown… I’m figuring about 8:30 or 9:00. Some have already been chosen… and somehow we are going to work these in between speakers (all how many of you? One or two? Such disappointments…)
And as always… if you have stuff for Milady, please let her know as well. Her email is the name listed to the left at this domain (not the sub-domain)…
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June 11, 2007
what? huh?
What in the fuck happened? After the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals I stopped posting… and I know why… I was freakin’ exhausted after each game and the following day I was at work early in the morning going insane trying to get answers out of people about various issues.
For those that need a recap though, here goes:
Game 3: Chris Pronger suspended for one game for elbow to the head. Everyone is screaming about the blow to the head of Andy McDonald by Chris Neil. NHL head office says “he wasn’t hurt, mind your own business”…
4 June 2007, Game 4: with Pronger out of the line-up due to suspension, Anaheim has to step up in a big way. Must win game to make Ottawa look like the fools they are. And Anaheim comes out flying… going up 2-0 at one point but by the end of the second period the score is 2-2.
Ottawa captain then makes the mistake that showed their frustration about the series… final seconds of the second were winding down and he’s clearing the puck. He is at center ice… skating… he winds up to smack it deep into the Anaheim zone… looks up at the clock… and then changes his angle and slaps the puck directly at our team captain, Scott Niedermeyer. Let’s just say that the Anaheim players nor Scott took kindly to that. Third period opens with several players from both teams in the penalty box.
Anaheim wins… one game away from clenching the ultimate prize…
6 June 2007, Game 5: welcome home to the Ducks team… and welcome home to Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Game starts off a bit slow for Anaheim but soon they awaken and get things going. Going up 1-0… then 2-0… then 2-1… then 3-1 (Ottawa scores an own-goal)… then 3-2… and then the waterworks burst open and all hell breaks loose on the ice. Final score, Anaheim Ducks over the Ottawa Senators 6-2. The Stanley Cup is ours… my place is erupting in pandemonium… the bubbly is being uncorked… we are yelling and screaming… pure chaos in my place, at the Honda Center, and elsewhere in Southern California (and one household in Texas too)…
Fourteen years in the making… first California team to win it… only the second West Coast team to win it (1925 Victoria Cougars).
9 June 2007: Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup Rally held at the Honda Center… over 15,000 people in attendance. And we (myself, Milady, Cache, and Un-named Chef) were there…
Photos are here… please note the heavy police presence in the area. I was rather shocked to see the one SWAT vehicle… thing looked like a beast!
and now we are back to the present day… the hockey season is almost completely over. There are no more games… the Stanley Cup is back in Canada getting the next batch of names engraved on it… but there are still the player awards on 14 June and the NHL Draft on 16 June. After that, the jerseys will be hung up for the most part until next season…
And the following questions are bouncing around about the Ducks future…
1) Will Jean-Sebastian Giguere resign with Anaheim for a price that Anaheim can afford? Or will Anaheim be forced to have to face Giguere next season at some point?
2) Will Teemu Selanne return for another year or was this it for the fan favorite? I like Selanne… I really do… and I do want to see him go out on top. Though if Anaheim is able to re-sign Giguere it makes you wonder if Selanne would be willing to go another year to see if they could repeat themselves again.
3) Will Scott Niedermayer retire this year or allow his contract to run out? Four Stanley Cup rings… the Conn Smythe… the Norris… a few World Cups… a gold medal. Again, does he want to see if Giguere is going to re-sign with Anaheim for another run or is he just finished with the game and wanting to finish on top of his game?
And for your amusement… me… one with a beard and one without… taken on the same day…
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June 4, 2007
Stanley Cup Finals Game 3: Senators 5-3
for the record I was going to type this up yesterday but was wanting to hear about a couple of disciplinary hearings… which it seems only one took place and the other will be ignored by the league and Senators fans…
What can I say? Anaheim got owned on the ice on Saturday…
Chris Kunitz in the line-up should have been a good thing for Anaheim… too bad he was out by the early part of the second period with a “lower body injury” which is funny because Milady could have sworn she saw him holding his hand/arm around that time that he disappeared into the locker room. Could have had Miller on the bench instead of a scratch and it would have had the same effect but also not have an empty slot in the line-up for most of the game.
Chris Pronger’s hit on Dean McAmmond gets Pronger suspended for one game… Game 4…
Should the league have suspended Pronger for the hit? Only if they were to also suspend Chris Neil for his run and hit on Andy McDonald in the second period. But as the league has blatantly stated, “A variety of factors were considered in reaching this decision,” NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell said. “Mr. Pronger used his forearm to deliver a forceful hit to the head of his opponent. Also, his actions caused injury to his opponent.”
And what about the Neil hit on McDonald when it was asked by Ducks GM Brian Burke? “He said the player wasn’t injured, so mind my own business. Obviously, I didn’t share that view,” Burke said.
If the NHL wants to get rid of the hits to the head then they need to review ALL the hits to the head whether or not there is an injury or not. Neil intentionally took several strides at McDonald and raised his arms to deliver a blow to the head. Pronger slid over and raised his arm. See the difference there? But apparently Anaheim is a dirty team since Pronger has been suspended twice in the playoffs… blah blah blah.
Colin Campbell, Gary Bettman, and the NHL as a whole… grow some fuckin’ balls. You talk about wanting to rid the league of these hits and yet when you are quoted in the press about whether a player is injured or not as being your decision-maker there is something seriously wrong with your want to rid the game of this blows to the head. Can you tell me that a vicious blow to the head that does not have an immediate injury is not as important as one that has an immediate injury? What would have happened if McDonald collapsed later, would Neil then be facing a disciplinary hearing about the hit he delivered to McDonald? Probably not… because it’s not being splashed all across television screens around the world… must show that the NHL isn’t an overly violent sport and that we will discipline those who break the rules…
Baka…
Penalties… good penalties… bad penalties… and phantom penalties. Seriously, I think that the on-ice refs were just gunning for blowing those whistles against Anaheim any time that they could. Even if there was no infraction… blow the whistle and make something up. Three such phantom calls were made against Anaheim… one on Ryan Getzlaf… one on Scott Neidermayer… and who got the third one? Was it McDonald?
And while the parade to the penalty box wasn’t in the second period… it was in the third period. Nice to know that Anaheim can change it up a bit and it doesn’t have to be strictly the second period…
Then again, it was nice to see that Anaheim is sticking with tradition by giving up yet another 5-on-3 power play to Ottawa… thankfully this one was only five seconds. But a 5-on-3 is a 5-on-3 no matter the length of the penalty.
Oh yeah… and before I forget. How could I forget this one? Even strength… 5-on-5… faceoff is to the left of J.S. Giguere… and there are only four Ducks on the ice. I see Rob Neidermayer… I see Sammy Pahlsson… who’s missing? Hmmm…
Oh that’s right… this is the shutdown line that is supposed to have Travis Moen with them. But where is Moen? Sitting on the bench… clueless… Getzlaf realizes what the fuck is going on and hops over the boards, but it was too late. Ottawa wins the draw… gets it back to the point… and zings it by Giguere into the net.
Game 4 is tonight at 5pm on NBC.
If NBC plays it right, we will get to hear Alanis Morissette singing both national anthems tonight. *glee*
No Pronger… Kunitz is doubtful…
Francois Beauchemin will need to step up as he did in Game 4 in the Red Wings series. Everyone will need to step up to fill the gap of no Pronger and no Kunitz.
Discipline… puck control… and working it into Ottawa’s zone will need to be the key parts of Anaheim’s game if they want to win. Get Brad May all over Neil… and early. If Neil is going to take runs at anyone and everyone then he needs to be held accountable for it. The announcers were talking about The Code on Saturday… it’s about time that The Code kicked in and someone shut down Neil. Niel was trying to get a fight out of Scott… and Scott said nope. May would love to fight you though Neil… how about it?
The keg is primed… and no food for any of you folks out there. I made lots of food on Saturday and it was only three of us eating it (and me not eating much since I can’t eat most things that require me to actually bite down)… so now it’s munchies for me and Milady :P
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June 1, 2007
a bit of a Game 3 preview…
so I’m now spending my afternoon screwing around ever since I found out that one of my two lines for one client will be going down on Monday… another line that should have been starting up on Monday is down indefinitely as the hard drive for the computer operating the machine decided to give the dreaded “Cannot find operating system” message (client is freaking out about that one since he’s almost out of inventory)… and I have another line that no one is sure where they are going to run it since the space is currently being occupied by someone else’s product run.
I won’t even get into the whole thing about my other clients who are in a holding pattern waiting for crews to get freed up for runs…
So how am I spending my afternoon now? Surfing the hockey blogs… and thought I’d point out a few to folks before tomorrow’s game (remember… 5pm PT on NBC… I’ll have food and Guinness available… bring tip money)…
Earl Sleek’s posting over on The Battle of California shows Anaheim’s playoff road record over the past two playoff seasons… Senator fans might want to take note of these records.
for those aware of playoff traditions… you are also aware of the playoff beard. Every year players go unshaven in their quest for hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup… and there is one site out there that will actually be awarding the playoff beard to the player with the best playoff beard at the end of the finals. Hilarious site… and well done. My pick is for Scott Neidermayer… I’d vote for my playoff beard but I’m not on the Ducks roster thus I am not eligible.
and what more can I say than this? Let’s see if this will actually work over on LJ when the feed kicks over there… apparently not… fuckin’ LJ… LJ SUCKS!!!! Okay, for those who are curious… it’s a YouTube thing… click the link over to the site…
BTW: please note that this was compiled by TSN… a Canadian network. This isn’t something from an American network…
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