1. New England clam chowder. And not just any recipe for this dish, but the version served at Market Street Grill and Market Street Broiler in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s the best chowder I’ve ever had, and they have been generous enough, over the years, to let the recipe into the wild. Here it is, from the source.

2. Chili. I’ll argue the chili is a form of soup or stew, so it fits in here. Chili is a year-round staple at The Burrow, and the recipe is almost always improvised: sometimes with beans, sometimes vegetarian, sometimes with corn, etc. The inspiration for my recipe is the 1977 Texas Chili Cookoff Champion, “Buzzard’s Breath” (as found in the Chili Madness cookbook).

3. Borscht. And I’m not talking about the sweet, chilled beet-and-cabbage soup you find in a New York City deli. I’m talking about Russian peasant food: beet based, with either a beef, oxtail or mushroom stock, with onion, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and cabbage, slow cooked to a lovely perfection. It’s simple peasant food, and topped with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream, it’s perfect winter soul food for me.

4. Chicken and dumplings. Simplicity again: basic chicken soup with egg-and-flour dumplings added shortly before plating.

5. Cream of broccoli. Reminds me of ski season, as it was the most reliable soup at the old Inspiration Station at Solitude Ski Area. In a bread bowl, it was perfect lunch fare.

6. Tom kha gai. This Thai soup is a marriage of chicken, coconut, lemongrass, scallions, hot peppers and oyster mushrooms. I dig it.

7. Icelandic lobster soup. I recently discovered this, and it’s awesome: basically a tomato chowder with chunks of lobster in it- yum!

8. Kjotsuppe. This is a basic lamb and vegetable stew, standard European fare. It’s filling and very tasty, and my mom used to make it often.

9. Gazpacho. Cold tomato soup? Bring it on – especially if it’s spicy!

10. Lentil stew. I’m partial to the Moroccan recipes and their spices.

(Honorable mentions: Campbells Bean & Bacon; tomato bisque; beef pho; miso with dried tofu and shredded nori.)

How about you: any soups you must have that I must try?

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

ten on tuesday: soup-tastic!

So, here goes:

1. Read more books. I read a couple books in 2011, but I really would like to be a bit more diligent about diving into the stack of volumes that are whispering to me, urging me to open their covers and get lost in the pages.

2. Plan another big trip. Iceland was a surreal, magical, wonderful experience – and one that sprite and I planned mostly by happenstance. I’m not sure that this next big trip will happen in 2012, but getting the wheels in motion now wouldn’t be a bad idea.

3. Cook and prepare more things that I would otherwise buy. Often I’m in a rush to leave in the morning and don’t pack lunch. That means having to uy lunch, and the cost adds up. So I’d like to have the foresight to pack more lunches. Also, I’m a sucker for gourmet coffee drinks that I can totally make myself (e.g. espresso, Starbucks’ gingerbread lattés). For Christmas, I received an Aerobee Aeropress, and sprite pointed me to this DIY gingerbread latté recipe, so…. there ‘ya go!

4. Clean a little bit every day. The Burrow is a tiny apartment, and it’s often far from the sanctuary it should be. I’d like to rediscover the space inside by cleaning it a little each day and, like sprite, concentrate on sectors. It may mean that we’ll have guests over more often, and that would be great.

5. Let go of things. This goes hand-in-hand with cleaning, in a sense: I tend to hold onto things, sometimes to the point of obsession. This leads to messes, both literal and figurative, which leads to unnecessary stress. I’ve been working on this for a few years, and it’s a continuing process.

6. Really crush the Death Ride. It’s my big event ride for 2012, and I want to be super-strong in it! So it will involve training smartly, eating well, resting, keeping the bikes in shape and always looking forward.

7. Go hiking in both Rock Creek Park and Shenandoah National Park. One is just blocks from my front door. The other is only 60 miles from my front door. And I really haven’t hiked in either park. I love hiking, so…. let’s do it!

8. Draw more. I have a lovely set of Prismacolor pencils and sketchbooks – I should use ‘em more!

9. Post more on this blog. It’s fallen somewhat by the wayside. This will change in 2012.

10. Say “thank you” far more often. I’m often not grateful enough for the friends and family I have, and the things they do to help me through life.

Do any of you have things you want to do in 2012?

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

ten on tuesday: things to do in 2012

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

pics from iceland

He was the “quiet Beatle,” but was also the most underrated. His songwriting was the equal of Lennon and McCartney by 1968, and his first full-on solo album, All Things Must Pass, was possibly the best album by a solo Beatle, ever.

There’s not much more to say, really, other than he died too young.

George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001)

“All Things Must Pass”

“Beware Of Darkness”

“Taxman”

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”

And a link to a live performance of “Something” from 1992.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

(all those) 10 years ago

Our trip has been a lot of fun! Upon arrival, we visited the Blue Lagoon. The water was lovely, even though we dealt with gale force winds that created mild surf conditions in the pools. We then took the bus to Reykjavik, where we checked into our hotel (the Hilton Nordica, a very nice place) and then went for a walk along the waterfront, where we saw birds, sculptures and rainbows.

Day two had us on an all-day excursion to see waterfalls, hike on a glacier, eat lobster soup in a southern fishing village, and hopefully see the Northern Lights. We were able to accomplish the first three, but persistent rain and fog made sky viewing all for naught. Instead, we experienced a thermal spring (really an “exploded” geyser) by torchlight – really cool. Our guides were great.

Yesterday, we explored more of Reykjavik: the LEGO-esque church, the shopping streets, a couple of museums (one an anthropological excavation of the original settlement in Reykjavik, the other a modern art exhibit), tried out the famous hot dog stand, and found some fun places to enjoy coffee and tea.

Today we slept in (after checking throughout the night to see if the skies had cleared to see the Northern Lights – alas…), then explored the Reykjavik Botanical Garden and Zoo (the arctic foxes were a highlight), soaked for a long time in the Laugardalslaug thermal pools, then enjoyed an evening of a lovely vegetarian dinner, storytelling of Icelandic tales read by an excellent local actor, and drinks at a perfect little cafe/bar in the main shopping district that had a great deal on local beer.

Now we’re back at the Nordica, unwinding and prepping for another day of exploration (and more relaxation). You can see my photos here, and I’m uploading them as time permits. sprite has also been posting on her blog, which also has links to her pictures from the trip.

Until later…. BLESS!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

iceland update: gales, glaciers and a great time

Still: we are in ICELAND!

Sitting at a café at Keflavík Airport while we wait for our bus to the Blue Lagoon – best to soak away the sore butt from the aircraft’s seats!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

greetings from iceland!

My first computer was an Apple ][+.

And that was my first exposure to Apple. I learned to program in LOGO and BASIC on my Apple ][+, and played a lot of games of Gorgon and Zork on its black-and-white screen. I think I acquired my first copy of Gorgon from my friend, Matthew, who was in the same programming classes with me.

Good times.

The computers I used in college were all Macintoshes: a LC, a PowerBook 145, and a Performa 630 (of these, the PowerBook was the best). The printer I used with these was a StyleWriter (which was s-l-o-w). Two of these Macs went on to help friends with their computer needs. I still have the PowerBook, though I'm not sure it still runs.

Post-college, I've owned two Power Computing PowerCenters (a Mac clone), an iBook, a G3 iMac (royal blue), a G4 iMac, a PowerBook G4 (titanium case) and a Mac Mini (Intel-powered).

The PowerCenters were decent clones, if a bit ugly and with suspect power supplies, but they were affordable. The iBook was bought shortly before I left for a month-long stint volunteering at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and it lasted a long time. The G3 iMac was a hand-me-down that served us well when we first moved to DC.

The G4 iMac, PowerBook G4 and Mini still chug along in The Burrow - hardy machines, these, given that the newest of the lot is from 2006.

I've owned three iPhones: the original, a 3G and a 4. The first two were lost - I'm trying to keep the latest one within sight for a while longer.

Apple mice from 2000 and 2010.

I can thank Steve Jobs’ products for my job: I work with a Mac every day, and I support Macs (and Windows PCs) every day.

I can thank his focus on regular people as the ultimate users of his product for my preferences in user interface: one that works simply, is consistent, and lets me get work done. It’s programming for people, not programmers (and having worked in a Windows development company in the past, I’m keenly aware of what programming for programmers can bring: ugly UI and inconsistent operation, with nothing intuitive – a far cry from the Apple ethos).

I can thank his willingness to keep a focus on the long haul: following things to their conclusion, having a vision, ignoring the naysayers and throwing his all into his mission. It’s something I need to remind myself of fairly often these days.

I can thank him for making technology sexy. I had the good fortune to attend one of his keynote addresses (known to Mac geeks as “Stevenotes”) at Macworld NY in 2000 (the mouse on the left in the picture was the “party favor” from that speech). I queued up early with my friend, Sam, got a seat in the Javitz Center, and heard Steve talk about all of the new Apple wares. It’s said that he created a bit of a reality distortion field in these speeches, and a lot of times you’d leave feeling like the future is now, and wonder why, many months later, things wouldn’t be just as he said.

Little did I know, Steve was looking further down the road than any of us. It’s easy to see now – 20/20 hindsight is amazing.

Having Steve silenced at a young age is tough to fathom. He leaves behind a wife and kids. The halls of One Infinite Loop in Cupertino are likely far more somber these days. And fans like me, for whom Steve was a visionary and hero, are left with heavy hearts.

There are a number of appropriate quotes from Steve that ring true with me, and I’ll share them here:

“A computer is the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with. It’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.”

Given my affinity for the two-wheeled machine and the computer, this is fitting for me.

“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

Simple is good – something to remember, especially in chaotic times.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

I need to keep these two in the forefront of my mind, I think, just to keep me moving in the right direction.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

So true, Steve – so true.

Cancer took you from us far too soon. Fuck cancer. But you’ve left one hell of a legacy.

And I’m very grateful for that. Thank you, Steve.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

thanks, steve

I’m dismayed that the DC Council’s monthly breakfasts tend to be lavish affairs, especially when the Council is dealing with high levels of unemployment, corruption, and whatnot. Yesterday’s breakfast had a rather flashy spread, complete with individual glass bottles of Voss sparkling mineral water. This water isn’t cheap, and it’s very sad to see such wasteful spending, especially when DC Water is promoting reusable bottles filled with DC’s perfectly drinkable tap water.

So I ask: as the monthly breakfast duty rotates amongst Council members, who went to these wasteful lengths? Hey, DC press (I’m looking at you, DeBonis, Sherwood and Suderman): let’s not allow this to simply pass us by.

(As an aside, this kind of over-the-top, lavish catering reminds me of my time on the DC Democratic State Committee, when the committee was planning its trip to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. One of the DCDSC’s national committee liaisons spoke of “wonderful, catered breakfasts with crispy bacon, eggs, all the trimmings,” and the need for an exorbitant budget to pay for all of this opulence – for a group that didn’t really have a purpose for being at the convention, other than to cast a ceremonial nominating vote. Otherwise, the Democratic National Convention is all about networking and trying to land a political appointment – whatever. And these funds were raised through less-than-legal means, in the end – DeBonis’ write-up is a good place to start on said research. Needless to say, I was very happy not to run for reelection to such a corrupt – and, in the end, pointless – organization.)

———

Word is the Lincoln Theatre on U Street is running out of funds, and needs a quick injection of $500,000 (give or take) to continue operation. This historic building is owned and operated by the District, and I’ve seldom seen it actually host events. From what I can tell, this so-called “hybrid community-commercial venue” is mis-managed, in part by its non-communicative board of directors (who apparently haven’t directly asked the Mayor for assistance, or even a meeting to talk), and in part by its insistance on hosting “multi-cultural experiences and programming.”

Here’s the problem with the latter portion: this charter is essentially code for preserving a culture that has long since left the U Street corridor. Yes, it was the “Black Broadway of DC” in its heyday, a magnet for performers like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. And the majority of programs booked in the Lincoln try to preserve the historic African-American heritage of the U Street corridor, or play to international arts events.

But over the past 15 years, U Street has changed. It is no longer a neighborhood dominated by one culture, but a melting pot of urban renewal. The old guard establishments, like Ben’s Chili Bowl and Bohemian Caverns, has been joined by thriving new ventures, like Marvin, Nellie’s, Busboys and Poets, and numerous other restaurants, bars and shops. International music and theatre is embraced by performance venues like GWU’s Lisner Auditorum, Warner Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s two indoor performance space, as well as other venues in the greater DC area. As people are priced out of the U Street housing market, they often take the culture with them to their new neighborhoods.

A quick study of how many nights the Lincoln is booked for events shows it booked an average of 30-36 days per year – less than ten percent of the time. For any performance venue, this is not an admirable record. And the few times the Lincoln hosted events that were a bit outside of their typical bookings – a LGBT film festval and fringe theatre events, to name but two – there were many obstacles that stood in the way of any perception of success. These obstacles included veiled prejudice with regard to the LGBT festival and mainstream music bookings, as well as negative neighborhood perception on the part of fringe theatre. And those who have worked at the Lincoln have few positive things to say about the management and staff at the facility, ranging from cries of indifference to non-timeliness of essential technical staff.

To put it bluntly: the place is mismanaged on many levels, to its detriment. And DC is now in the midst of renovating the old Howard Theatre, likely embarking on the same path to disrepair.

The solution? The DC government should convert the Lincoln into a stand-alone, non-profit entity. It needs to be weaned from the teat of the DC taxpayers and find its own feet. Such a quality venue, with lovely architecture and a size that’s bigger than many clubs and fringe theatres, yet smaller than places like National Theatre, would be best managed by a firm like IMP (which already does occasional bookings for the facility) or a local guild of theatre companies. This facility needs to be booked more than 65 percent of the year to be relevant or solvent, and it needs management that actually is in tune with the people who now frequent the U Street corridor.

I’m not advocating complete abandonment of the mission of preserving the history of U Street. I’m simply encouraging the Lincoln to embrace the changes, as well: to offer all of Heinz’ 57 varieties of wares, not just things that no longer resonate with the locals.

As far is the Howard is concerned: partner with Howard University and a firm like IMP now, get a game plan in place that is forward thinking in terms of the needs of the city and neighborhood, and don’t step on the toes of your U Street neighbor to the west.

———

The DC government also announced that, unless a little over $300,000 can be found in the budget, it will shutter MLK Library on Sundays, thus closing the only DCPL location that operates on said day. While I grew up in a city where the public library was never, ever open on a Sunday, MLK is a vital “third space” for the DC community.

So where can $300,000 be found? Well, Councilman Harry “Tommy” Thomas, Jr., wrongly spent approximately $300,000 of city funds on his own, non-constituent expenses. He has promised to pay them back, so why not have him pay them directly to DCPL to keep MLK open? Seems like common sense, and makes lemonade out of lemons.

(And naturally, since this makes sense, the DC Council won’t do it.)

———

And finally: I’d really like to see Tommy Wells get more aggressive within the Council. Sure, the rest of the Council let you down, and in a perfect world it would be wise to sit back and let wounds heal.

But if the culture of corruption and ineptitude that has been the hallmark of the current Mayor and Council is any indication, now is not the time to be quiet, Tommy. Get angry! Get aggressive! Carry that big stick and use it. Your constituents didn’t vote you in to be a soft voice, but to call out the bullshit when you saw it. So….

Just do it!

Hold your colleagues accountable! Point out when things don’t make any sense! Be a champion for sanity in government! Take on the mantel of moving the city into the future, while many of your colleagues want to drag it back into the past!

Seriously, Tommy, you’re one of the few – if not the only – Council member with whom I don’t really have a beef (the same definitely can’t be said of my Ward’s Councilman, Jack Evans). You’ve had plenty of time to lick your wounds and brush off the dirt from being smacked down – now is the time to get back to fighting!

Ahem….

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

random thursday rant

1. Pink Floyd releases The Dark Side of the Moon. (March 1)

One of my favorite albums of all time, really turned me on to both prog rock as a teen and the lyrics (written by Roger Waters when he was 29) are wise beyond their years. I can’t wait for the immersion version box set of this album to come out later this month, because it should sound lovely and provide a ton of excellent live tracks and outtakes.

2. Supreme Court rules on Roe v. Wade. (January 22)

I’m a firm believer in the rights of women to have the final say on all of their healthcare choices. As a man, I have no right to tell a woman what she can or can’t do with her own body. Abortion should be safe, legal and rare.

3. President Nixon suspends all U.S. military operations in Vietnam. (January 15)

This senseless war had deep impact on my teenage years, as the baby boomers started to make sense of its aftermath via movies. And the anti-war protest songs make up a great deal of my favorite songs of all time. Less than a month after Nixon ended operations, the first POWs were released.

4. The World Trade Center opens in New York City. (April 4)

We all know the fate of these twin towers. But on this day, they were a symbol of new optimism in a world that was just getting its global trade system back in order after World Ward II. (Note: just one month later, the Sears Tower opened in Chicago, beating the WTC for right to “world’s tallest building.”)

5. Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees becomes the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball. (April 6)

Worst. rule. change. ever. Thanks for nothing, George Steinbrenner. The DH was brought about as a way to try and drum up fan support for MLB. Unfortunately, it ended up contributing to pitchers who are as wide as they are tall, with precious few skills other than throwing a ball. Thank goodness the National League hasn’t fallen for the DH (save for spring training and inter-league play at AL ballparks).

6. Skylab is launched. (May 14)

As a kid (and heck, even now) I was a huge fan of outer space, NASA, astronauts and everything associated with them. Skylab paved the way for the Space Shuttle and in the International Space Station – not a bad track record for a flawed space station. The Skylab exhibit at National Air and Space Museum is one of my favorites.

7. Secretariat wins the Triple Crown. (June 9)

The horse that many consider the greatest of all time won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes in 1973. Sure, I’m not a big fan of horse racing, but it’s still quite the achievement for a young horse.

8. Gen. Augusto Pinochet leads successful U.S.-backed military coup in Chile. (September 11)

Proof positive that, throughout the years, the United States isn’t always on the “right side” of history.

9. Nixon orders the “Saturday Night Massacre.” (October 20)

Sure, there were plenty of Watergate moments I could have chosen in 1973. But this one is the first one that raised calls for Nixon’s impeachment. I mean, on November 17 he famously proclaimed, “I am not a crook!”

10. The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from DSM-II. (December 15)

One of the landmark decisions in the ongoing quest for recognition of and equality for the LGBT population of the United States – and an appropriate ending to this list, given today is the day that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” finally became history.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

ten on tuesday: headlines from the year you were born

I don’t have that much to say about Jerry Leiber, other than he co-wrote some of the most recognizable foundation songs of rock-and-roll. So many luminaries of rock – from Elvis to The Beatles, to Lady Gaga and Green Day – have plied the Leiber & Stoller catalog for the perfect tune.

And they certainly wrote many that instantly job one’s memory.

Here are a few to enjoy:

“Yakety Yak”

“Stand By Me”

“On Broadway”

“Kansas City”

Anybody else like Leiber’s stuff?

Also, RIP Nick Ashford – that’s two halves of two hit-making songwriting teams. Very sad.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

remembering jerry leiber