Wandering Thoughts

2011: The Year in Music

2011-12-18T21:27:00.001-07:00

It has officially become an annual tradition, the true year in review for music.

2011 had some amazing music, some mainstream and even better independent releases.

Periodically throughout the year I check out several websites to see what other people are listening to, and now I would like to share some great songs from 2011.

If you would like to learn more I am including some links at the bottom of this post to NPR: All Songs Considered.

Enjoy!

1. Alabama Shakes - Hold on
2. Little Scream - Cannons
3. Cavemen - Old Friend
4. Delay Trees - Gold
5. The Roots - The OtherSide
6. Neutral Milk Hotel - You've Passed
7. Wilco - The Art of Almost
8. Tune Yards - You, Yes, You
9. Apparat - Black Water
10. St. Vincent - Cheerleader
11. Bright Eyes - One for you, one for me
12. Drake - Take Care
13. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bubble
14. Bon Iver - Perth
15. Herzog - Silence
16. The Mountain Goats - Estate Sale Sign
17. Cults - Abducted
18. Beyonce - Countdown

NPR: All Songs Considered - Best Music of 2011 blog

NPR: All Songs Considered - The Best Music of 2011 Podcast

and John White IV is still running!

2011-09-19T18:54:00.004-06:00

Kyle Whittingham - USC Press conference

2011-09-14T00:20:00.004-06:00

New Year...New Music

2010-01-08T00:49:00.002-07:00

Just over a week ago we began a new year and a new decade. Many things have changed in the last 10 years yet many remain the same. A common thread I seem to run across quite often is that music will define my current mood. Music is a gateway to story telling, poetry in motion and it can definitely be an inspiring journey listening to a new album from time to time.

With this in mind I wanted to showcase a great year end show from NPR. All songs considered - The Listeners Best Songs of 2009. I want to issue a small caution however. Knowing NPR's typical listened I don't think that it should come as any surprise that this play list contains almost exclusively indie music. I mostly because although you likely have not heard of many of these artists, there will be several which have attained quasi mainstream notoriety.

Lastly, check out the show on the NPR site, or check out their podcast through Itunes. If you are looking for some new music this is a great place to start. I hope you enjoy this play list, I know that I have. While I encountered some of these artists on my own and with the help of some friends, there is some really interesting new music included in this list. Enjoy!

NPR - All Songs Considered - The Listeners Best Songs of 2009

1. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
2. Animal Collective - My Girls
3. Phoenix - Listomania
4. Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You
5. Andrew Bird - Oh, No
6. The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
7. Wilco - Wilco (the song)
8. Bon Iver - Blood Bank
9. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
10. St. Vincent - The Strangers
11.Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's - Zero
12 - Regina Spektor - Eet
13. M. Ward - Stars of Leo
14. The Swell Season - Feeling the Pull
15 . Monsters of Folk - Say Please
16. Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
17. Passion Pit - Sleephead
18. Sufjan Stevens - You Are the Blood
19. Camera Obscura - French Navy
20. Metric - Sick Muse
21. Beirut - The Shrew
22. The XX - VCR
23. Bat for Lashes - Daniel
24. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Home
25. Modest Mouse - Satellite Skin

Surprise!!

2009-11-17T14:33:00.002-07:00

Where the Wild Things Are - A Review

2009-10-13T10:46:00.002-06:00

Where the wild things are is a fanciful tale confronting the insecurities of both parents and children in way that is both confrontational and introspective. Immediately after watching the movie I feared that the narrative was to mature for a ten year old to grasp, but knowing that the visuals would provide a story that children would long remember and identify with almost immediately. After digesting the film for a while I now believe that Spike Jonze hit the nail on the head. Without providing a synopsis, I wanted to point out that the screen adaptation differs from the book a great deal. While the book has fewer than ten written lines of text, the film has much a more robust story line.

The original book allowed a great deal of imagination which was great for reading with your children, allowing them to explore the illustration and to think creatively to craft an entire world to better understand Max’s world. The film is much more explicit in defining Max’s frustration with the world’s inability to understand his experience and his world. Max is a self pronounced explorer who experiences the world through his imagination and attempts to address others from his perspective. Unfortunately this seems to backfire and those around him define Max as disruptive and at times destructive. Max has as brief moment of introspection after storming his sisters room, however following this moment of self reflection Max ignores his insight and continues pursing his own desires and the inclinations of his imagination.

After a catastrophic interaction with this mother where he attempts to garner her attention over that of her boyfriend, Max rejects the world around him and runs from his problems, ultimately shunning the confines of our world to escape to a world which better conforms to his experiences. It becomes clear as Max arrives at this new place Where the Wild Things Are that he must take control and responsibility for his actions, and he is immediately presented with an important decision where must choose how he will interact with a world that he does not understand. Shortly thereafter he becomes aware of the consequences of his decision and must again find a creative way to reconstruct his image. What at the time appears to be a great decision where Max lies, and makes it clear that he is a person of great power and authority soon becomes a nightmare where Max again must confront the fallout from his actions and decisions. He again takes this moment to reflect and finally comes to terms with a better understanding of how his actions affect those around him. Along his journey he forms a conditional friendship with Carol the giant who he soon learns is also misunderstood and similar to himself does not grasp the implications of his actions. Carol serves as a mirror for Max, finally allowing Max to see how his construct of a world or place better than his own can shroud your perception of the reality he is confronted with. The idealism of a utopia where problems do not exist and there is no sadness offers a great juxtaposition to the stark reality where real problems do exist and where you must take responsibility for your actions.

When Max arrives at the decision to leave this world Where the Wild Things Are and travel home, the maturation he has experienced is again mirrored in Carol’s character as he now fully grasps that not all things are perfect, but that you can have a great effect either positive or negative on those around you, and that you must be in the present and not lost in some alternate reality. This is a great film intended for all ages. A film full of imagination, best intentions and lessons learned. Spike Jonze directed another wonderful film. Similar to Being John Malkovich we are lost in some other possible reality that is beyond our grasp, an alternate reality that we fashion as an escape from the world in which we live. I think that both adults and children of all ages can walk away from this film with a better understanding of the effect of their actions on those around them, and how to better cope with the realities of this world. I think this may be one of the more creative and perhaps best adaptations I have seen of children’s story in some time. Absolutely recommended.

2009-10-01T23:28:00.004-06:00

First off, Amazon needs to add some depth to their ratings system. There seems to be a vast chasm between 3 and 4 stars, similar to the difference between a 60% D and a 80% B. If it were up to me I would give this album 3.5 stars or roughly a 70% C. This album is not a failure by any measure, as a matter of fact I liked this album overall.

What an unexpected treasure. After digesting his freshman effort "These Streets" over the last several months "Sunny Side Up" came as quite a surprise. On the first album he shied away from his native heritage vocally while honing his focus on a great story telling dynamic. He discussed his insecurities surrounding women, relationships gone wrong and his abiding faith in the opposite sex. Not to mention his passionate desire to love and be loved. Not to say his voice was anything to turn your nose up at, quite the contrary. The carefully crafted lyricism mixed with catchy folk hooks makes this album both enchanting and irresistible. I loved that album and will continue to listen to it for years to come.

The first thing that strikes me about "Sunny Side Up" is the return to his roots as a Scotsman in his vocal intonation. You can tell within a just a few moments where he cut his teeth. This is a good album, with some great individual songs. what it is missing however is a sense of cohesiveness. There are several amazing songs but they fail to execute on a consistent narrative. While he continues his theme of passion for women, the over all message is delivered using a different approach, tragically it comes across delivering mixed signals. In terms of an epic album this doesn't quite fall into the amazing category, however I would definitely recommend you give this album a spin. "Candy" sticks out to me as an extremely bright spot on this, his sophomore effort, however I think that "These Streets" is a more cohesive effort album for your money.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

2009-09-11T20:40:00.001-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

2009-09-10T23:03:00.003-06:00

Ahh fall. The morning air is a bit more crisp, the sun begins setting a bit earlier each day and new installment of Guitar Hero looms on the horizon. Oh yeah...and football. The first week of September ushers in the beginnings of the college football season, and the mighty University of Utah Runnin' Utes are off an running. The first game of the season has already come and gone and the streak continues 15-0. There is some talk of the Utes moving to the Pac 10 conference after leaving the Mountain West. One of the great things about being a BCS busting team is that we automatically garner more attention. The Mountain West is no where near a BCS conference and does not come with a bowl bid and yet we have been to two BCS bowls in 5 years with two wins. We have a great schedule this year and hopefully as we develop a new offensive weapon in Terrance Cain the Runnin' Utes can stay on top.

Im looking forward to a great season in College football, and now the NFL has started its season as well. A great opening game this thrusday between the Titans and the Steelers was a great begining to the NFL season even if it was headlined with a Tim Magraw concert. A great defensive battle was fought out on the gridiron as it should be, however the first game of the season went into overtime ending on a field goal. I love this game and am so happy that we have reached the best time of the year!

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 review

2009-09-10T22:06:00.006-06:00

To be fair I don't like this rating system. Its not fair to say that 3 stars for Jay-Z is the same as 3 stars for other crappy albums. At the same time this album is not a classic and my rating reflects that. The reason I am rating this album so low is because my expectation is so high. Hova was recently on Real Time with Bill Maher where he explained how his perspective has changed not only through his own monetary success but also due to his age. His music has become more adult over time. Evolving from his younger years posting up on a corner to creating his own businesses and clothing labels. This is exactly what he set out to do, unfortunately he has lost his hunger for the rap game.

The Blueprint was supposed to be just that, a blueprint to the rap game. If the rap world collapsed and someone came across this series they would have the ability to understand where the heart and soul of rap came from and why it existed to begin with. Unfortunately this album is not cohesive, delivers no clear message and appears to be a best of the B-SIDES album. Man does it hurt to say that! There are a few examples of his previous greatness such as Empire State of Mind and So Ambitious, but for the most part this is a solidly disappointing album. I'm sure people will say I'm hating on Hova. Not true, I just expect so much. He does integrate the current state of the world into his rhymes and production style as well, discussing the state of the war in the Middle East and current pop infatuation with Auto-Tune. Death of Auto-Tune was a song with so much promise; starting off by proclaiming himself "chairman of the board" unfortunately he fails to deliver.

Would I recommend this album? Absolutely. Jay-Z is one of the best who's ever been in the game. He has had an incredibly long career and I think his body of work should speak for itself. You cannot understand the hip-hop game without understanding Jay-Z. More than music he realized the limitations of simply rapping and spent his time focusing elsewhere crating businesses and a long sustainable legacy. Unfortunately his lack of focus on his music shows through with this effort.

OMFG!!

2009-06-13T15:58:00.001-06:00

Al Franken was right, Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot.

2009-05-21T13:19:00.001-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

My Review of REI Venturi 30 Pack

2009-03-22T18:36:00.001-06:00

REI

Reach for the spry REI Venturi if you're fitting a long hike into a single day. This lightweight pack boasts high ventilation and weather resistance.

Great daytrip bag.

Alaskanwonder Salt Lake City, Utah 3/22/2009

Gift: No

Pros: Lightweight, Easy To Load, Comfortable, Good padding

Best Uses: Day trip, Hiking

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Comfort Driven

What a great bag! I use this bag almost every weekend for short 3-7 hour dayhikes in Utah's Wasatch mountains. There is more than enough room for any gear that I may need, but more importantly enough room for my wife's gear and items for my dog as well. I've taken this bag cross country skiing, snow shoeing and hiking it its been great for every activity. There is a great hydration feature as well. I would recomend this as a daypack for anyone who likes dayhikes, but I wouldnt recomend it for any overnight trips.

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Sunday Morning in Washington...and other thought on News.

2009-03-15T11:08:00.004-06:00

I have been consistently frustrated with the availability of information to the average American citizen by the many sources of media and the partisan nature of reporting in this country today. I have wanted to discuss this issue at length for some time, and from time to time I offer my sound bites and opinions while sharing a beer with a friend or over a cup of coffee. There are several forms of media that we consume: TV, Printed Media, Radio and Online Content. I would like to begin this dialogue by tackling the televised segment of our media consumption. In the future I will continue to tackle the others as well. Surely this is a time altered opinion, and hopefully something that I will be able to speak about these and many other political topics at length in the future.

Every single day I sit at my desk speaking with clients of "The Firm" about the state of the economy, the state of the market and the vast array of information (CRAP) on TV which calls itself news. Whether you watch your local evening news, or if you focus on Nationally syndicated broadcast news on any of the major networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOXnews) its all a bunch of crap. If it bleeds, it leads...it’s that simple. Each of these networks is in business to increase their market share and make more money. They do this through creative marketing, focusing on the negative stories in the news and engage in a constant game of one upsmanship.

If you really want news...real news. There are several sources available. In my opinion you can learn more in the several hours of the Sunday Morning Washington talk show circuit than you can in a week of CNN, MSNBC, FOXnews ect. Now while I love to watch Rachel Maddow or Chris Matthews carry forward the policies and thought processes that I agree with, in the same breath Sean Hannity & Bill O'Reilly do the same to further the conservative (Neo-Conservative) agenda. While it is certainly entertaining there is little to be gained other than some simple sound bites and concise criticisms of any alternate agenda. If you want to dig beneath it all you need some source of balance in your political diet, some way of reaching beyond the punditry professed by the majority of "News" networks you need to dig deeper.

On a daily basis there is a great deal of actual news available on PBS on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. PBS is a not for profit institution funded by the American tax payer. Wow! What a thought! Bipartisan tax monies offered to a not for profit agency to provide non-partisan/bi-partisan news to the public. Additionally Frontline offers a weekly documentarian insight to what is going on in the world around us, it provides a uniquely in-depth insight with interviews and concise information concerning what is going on in the world...again....in a non-partisan way.

Each an every Friday night I begin my weekend with Washington Week with Gwen Eiffel on PBS as she wraps up the week in sound bites and new clips paired with particular points of view offered by other news editors and news columnists in many of the major publications in the world. Sunday is like Christmas to me. Face the Nation, Meet the Press, This Week and Fox News Sunday. These shows provide a great deal of insight into the political psyche of our county on a weekly basis. Surely each network has a particular focus and agenda that they intend to get across to the American people, however if you watch even one of these shows you will gain an insight into the specifics in a way that no network news show intends to provide on a nightly basis.

If you waste you time aligning your exposure to the media which is most in line with your political stream off consciousness you will never be capable of furthering your political scream of consciousness. If you are a raging conservative and watch only Fox News.....you will never understand the thought process of Democrats/Liberals. Like wise if you are a raging liberal and choose to only watch MSNBC you will never be able to understand the Republican/Conservative thought process. Yet by absorbing several sources of media, several perspectives on one political topic you may be able to further your ability to understand the problem more thoroughly and address is more succinctly.

So there you go. There are some great media offerings out there that are far more informative than the forms of media that we seem to ingest daily. Crap in.....crap out. It’s a simple formula.

The Political Meliu

2009-03-15T10:30:00.004-06:00

On January 20th 2009 when President Obama was sworn into office America entered a new period in our political evolution. Clearly the Republican party is falling apart, seemingly held together by the glue provided by Rush Limbaugh. The same party that is brought together by the mantra "Drill Baby Drill" is the same party that simply has no solutions....no answers....no change. Obama swept into office carrying the banner of change and has no intent to back down from his ambitious political track. To be sure his plans have been vast and extremely ambitious. Yet there is a great deal of disagreement over the mandate of his policies on such topics as earmark reform, healthcare, food sourcing, clean renewable energy, education and a host of other policies. Over the last 8 years we have wasted the political capital that was so entrenched when George Bush was voted into office. The party of small government simply became larger. The military expanded far beyond the role of national defense and comfortably stepped into the role of world police. The Republican party has clearly entrenched their belief structure within thier supposed party leadership of Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Lindsay Graham and to a great extent Rush Limbaugh. Somehow the head of the GOP R-Michael Steele has been hung out to dry for being more than the party of "NO". Michael Steele is in my opinion a wolf in sheeps clothing. It seems to me that he subscribes to some abject moral imperative far beyond the Christian ethic. Perhaps he should consider aligning himself with the conservative democratic coalition, The Blue Dog Democrats.

President Obama has created a Dynamic stream of consciousness that clearly the Republicn Party cannot grasp. Once again....to be sure. We are spending a great deal of money, more money than anyone can firmly understand. Over the last 45 days since President Obama's Inauguration the Republicans have paraded before both houses of congress with some very colorful posters comically showing how large the stimulus would be in terms of 100 Dollar bills stacked one atop the other. Then going further to explain how many times we could encircle the earth......HOW IS THIS USEFUL? Answer....its not. This is what I am talking about, the Republican party is simply the party of no. The party of temper tantrums, such as John Boehner dropping a copy of the stimulus plan on the floor at the house, such as Lindsay Graham heralding the end of the American dream.

My hope is that the White House doesn’t confuse "The American Dream" with "The American Promise". There is no American promise, you must work hard, make tough decisions with the hope that you can watch your children do better than you have. Obama is an exemplary model of "The American Dream". Born to a single mother who traveled around the globe, raised by his Grandparents and with no stable father figure in his life beyond his Grandfather, sent to the best schools through his academic achievement. Attained his Law Degree from one of the best Law Schools in the country, and became the first African American editor of The Harvard Law Review and yet gave up some clearly extremely lucrative job prospects to work as a community organizer. He worked his way up from the bottom...he had nothing and came from nothing. He became a state Senator.....a US Senator...and ultimately President of the United States of America. After 8 long years I am finally proud to call myself an American again, proud of our President.

The Republican is simply the party of no....a party with no new ideas, the party of old ideas who can’t see the future. They are simply holding on to failed dreams. Simply attempting to stay on message at a time when they offer no alternative. This is not the Republican Party, this is the Rebupli-Can’t party. Political Party

An interesting video from the office of Nancy Pelosi

2009-01-14T13:18:00.001-07:00

Happy wednesday

2008-11-19T11:22:00.003-07:00

By George I've found it!

2008-10-31T09:43:00.003-06:00

After 8 years of this administration pissing on us I think it is only fair that we return the favor....R-Kelly style.

I voted early. Have you?

2008-10-22T21:33:00.002-06:00

I just may be a convert. Give me some time.

2008-10-22T20:57:00.003-06:00

Check this out!!

The real Wasilla! I love our small towns.

2008-10-22T20:43:00.002-06:00

So four years ago we re-elected a retard to the White House, so again I ask you please....America, please do not put another idiot in the White House. Granted this is a Vice Presidential candidate, however when your chief party candidate is knocking on deaths door I think it is prudent to ensure that your next in command is not retarded....When you are running for Vice President I think it may be important that you have at least some grasp of what it is that your position entails. Really Sarah....your not only embarassing yourself...but also embarassing Alaska. Wow...thats about all I can say.

My day just became a little brighter!

2008-10-21T09:57:00.001-06:00

Who knew the South was still racist?

2008-10-21T09:21:00.001-06:00

Dead bear covered with Obama signs found at school

CULLOWHEE, N.C. (AP) — Police at Western Carolina University and wildlife officials were investigating the discovery early Monday of a dead bear cub draped with a pair of Barack Obama campaign signs.

Leila Tvedt, associate vice chancellor for public relations, said Monday night that maintenance workers found the 75-pound bear cub shot to death in front of the school's administration building at the entrance to campus. The Obama yard signs were stapled together and placed over the bear's head, Tvedt said.

The bear had been shot in the head, Tvedt said.

"Western Carolina University deplores the inappropriate behavior that has led to this troubling incident," Tvedt said. "We cannot speculate on the motives of the people involved nor who those people might be. Campus police are cooperating fully with authorities to investigate this matter."

University police called in state Wildlife Resources officials to remove the body and help in the investigation.

Bear season is under way in western North Carolina.

Link to Article

I'm a huge douche!

2008-10-20T15:41:00.002-06:00

Apparently to Rush Limbaugh if you are Black....and vote for a black man...you are a racist. CHECK THIS OUT! What a douche to believe that because Colin Powell who has announced his support for Barack Obama over the weekend is now a sudden racist. Apparently if you disagree with anyone who has given you a job you are a bad person! WTF! I don't that that "The Gipper" would approve of this presidency, it's really more of a national tragedy. Fuck you Rush.

Oh my god!

2008-10-16T09:38:00.000-06:00

Oooh....shiny.

2008-10-14T10:27:00.001-06:00

Anything you can do...I can do better.

2008-10-14T10:12:00.000-06:00

What to Alaskans think of Sarah Palin

2008-10-13T20:41:00.001-06:00

So it begins!

2008-10-12T21:35:00.026-06:00

Taylor and I have started remodeling out home just as we had planned, and while it is nice to finally take those steps necessary to accomplish the goals we began with, it is more time consuming and stress inducing that I once thought. The total time planned for this project is 4-5 weeks...and we are now finished with week one. We accomplished a ton in the first week.

It started last Sunday October 5th with the kichen tear out. We tore everything out with the exception of the tile. By Tuesday night we had all of the tile out after borrowing some roofing tools. The tile was a pain to remove, but it was also a disaster of a mess. We cleaned everything up, and by Wedneday our contractor removed the drywall in the kitchen and the basement, installed a new exhaust fan in our upstairs bathroom, ran new electrical for add a new light switch in the kitche and also installed the under cabinet lighting. Over the first weekend I installed a new coaxial outlet in the basement do we could hook out TV up on the wall in the basement.

Monday the contractor will be back to add a new light outlet above the kitchen sink, replace the canned lighting in the kitchen, add a gas line for the stove and also a water valve for out new fridge. We have a lot planned during this remodel and I cannot wait until it is complete. Its a mess but it will be great once we are finished.

I wanted to provide a few updates on our little remodel because I know people have been interested. I am including a link from the photo above with pictures that I uploaded online. I included the initial photos from our walkthrough back in April before we closed on the house, as well as mid-project pictures.

Its been a long couple weeks with the stock market going nuts as it affects how many hours I put in at "The Firm". Hopfully things will sort themselves out in the comming weeks as I could certainly use a reprieve, however regardless whether it is 6 weeks or 6 months I fully expect my job to become easier as the American economy begins to improve. Recession?? Depression?? You make the call, surely the various news outlets and pundits have given enough fodder to consider.

Sarah Palin's accent explained

2008-10-02T18:31:00.000-06:00

Posted September 18, 2008 7:30 AM

by Jason George

Have you noticed Gov. Sarah Palin's accent?

If so, you're not alone. Ever since U.S. Sen. John McCain added the Alaska governor to the Republican presidential ticket, Palin's speech pattern and pronunciation have prompted Web and water-cooler conversations.

Some keyboard critics enjoy the sound of Palin's voice; many don't. Fans and foes alike describe it with colorful phrases, such as "a little Minnesota, a little Valley Girl," "an interesting mix of Minnesota, and Mississippi" and "bush-like," as in Native American accents heard in Alaska's bush or remote areas. Many commentators wonder if Palin's voice reflects a true "Alaskan accent."

It does--at least it's one Alaskan accent, said William Labov, a University of Pennsylvania linguistics professor and co-author of the "Atlas of North American English."

"She's a good example of the Northern speech with a Western influence," he added, pointing to several examples, such as Palin's dropping of "g's" from word endings and pronunciation of "terrorist" as two syllables instead of three.

Also, "that 'O' sound is a character in the 'Fargo'-like speech influenced by the German and Scandinavians," he added.

Of course, Alaska's isolation and its large population of transplants from the lower 48 mean that there's not just one state accent. Palin herself was born in Idaho before moving to Alaska as a young child. Except for her infancy, and college stints in Hawaii and Idaho, Palin has lived her whole life in the nation's 49th State.

Not all Alaskans agree that Palin's accent is their own. However, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska's largest newspaper, chided comedian Robin Williams last week for "apparently [not recognizing] an Alaska accent," as he described Palin as "Tina Fey meets 'Fargo.' "

Fey's take on Palin, during last week's episode of "Saturday Night Live," was brilliant, said Judi Dickerson, a Hollywood dialogue and dialect coach who has worked with numerous A-list actors, including Russell Crowe for the film "Mystery, Alaska."

"It's really making it flat and nasal," she said. "Even to the little mouth purse of self-satisfaction, it was perfect."

Dickerson added that Palin's voice also attracts a listener's ear because it sounds untrained.

"It's difficult for women in a man's world to find a command with their voice without getting labeled as sounding too masculine," she said. "I would help her find the bottom half of her voice."

Palin herself hasn't commented on such assessments directly, but she has admitted--even played up the fact--that her familiarity with speaking on the national stage is limited. Archive clips from the 1980s, when Palin worked as an Anchorage television sports reporter, reveal a voice very much like the one she employs today in her campaigning for the vice presidency.

Through a spokeswoman, Palin did offer her thoughts on Fey's Saturday night impersonation, according to weekend wire reports.

"She thought it was quite funny," said Tracey Schmitt, "particularly because she once dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween."

Check the Article out along with comments!

When Athiests Attack

2008-10-01T20:07:00.000-06:00

When Atheists Attack
A noted provocateur rips Sarah Palin—and defends elitism.

Sam Harris
NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Sep 29, 2008

Let me confess that I was genuinely unnerved by Sarah Palin's performance at the Republican convention. Given her audience and the needs of the moment, I believe Governor Palin's speech was the most effective political communication I have ever witnessed. Here, finally, was a performer who—being maternal, wounded, righteous and sexy—could stride past the frontal cortex of every American and plant a three-inch heel directly on that limbic circuit that ceaselessly intones "God and country." If anyone could make Christian theocracy smell like apple pie, Sarah Palin could.

Then came Palin's first television interview with Charles Gibson. I was relieved to discover, as many were, that Palin's luster can be much diminished by the absence of a teleprompter. Still, the problem she poses to our political process is now much bigger than she is. Her fans seem inclined to forgive her any indiscretion short of cannibalism. However badly she may stumble during the remaining weeks of this campaign, her supporters will focus their outrage upon the journalist who caused her to break stride, upon the camera operator who happened to capture her fall, upon the television network that broadcast the good lady's misfortune—and, above all, upon the "liberal elites" with their highfalutin assumption that, in the 21st century, only a reasonably well-educated person should be given command of our nuclear arsenal.

The point to be lamented is not that Sarah Palin comes from outside Washington, or that she has glimpsed so little of the earth's surface (she didn't have a passport until last year), or that she's never met a foreign head of state. The point is that she comes to us, seeking the second most important job in the world, without any intellectual training relevant to the challenges and responsibilities that await her. There is nothing to suggest that she even sees a role for careful analysis or a deep understanding of world events when it comes to deciding the fate of a nation. In her interview with Gibson, Palin managed to turn a joke about seeing Russia from her window into a straight-faced claim that Alaska's geographical proximity to Russia gave her some essential foreign-policy experience. Palin may be a perfectly wonderful person, a loving mother and a great American success story—but she is a beauty queen/sports reporter who stumbled into small-town politics, and who is now on the verge of stumbling into, or upon, world history.

The problem, as far as our political process is concerned, is that half the electorate revels in Palin's lack of intellectual qualifications. When it comes to politics, there is a mad love of mediocrity in this country. "They think they're better than you!" is the refrain that (highly competent and cynical) Republican strategists have set loose among the crowd, and the crowd has grown drunk on it once again. "Sarah Palin is an ordinary person!" Yes, all too ordinary.

We have all now witnessed apparently sentient human beings, once provoked by a reporter's microphone, saying things like, "I'm voting for Sarah because she's a mom. She knows what it's like to be a mom." Such sentiments suggest an uncanny (and, one fears, especially American) detachment from the real problems of today. The next administration must immediately confront issues like nuclear proliferation, ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and covert wars elsewhere), global climate change, a convulsing economy, Russian belligerence, the rise of China, emerging epidemics, Islamism on a hundred fronts, a defunct United Nations, the deterioration of American schools, failures of energy, infrastructure and Internet security … the list is long, and Sarah Palin does not seem competent even to rank these items in order of importance, much less address any one of them.

Palin's most conspicuous gaffe in her interview with Gibson has been widely discussed. The truth is, I didn't much care that she did not know the meaning of the phrase "Bush doctrine." And I am quite sure that her supporters didn't care, either. Most people view such an ambush as a journalistic gimmick. What I do care about are all the other things Palin is guaranteed not to know—or will be glossing only under the frenzied tutelage of John McCain's advisers. What doesn't she know about financial markets, Islam, the history of the Middle East, the cold war, modern weapons systems, medical research, environmental science or emerging technology? Her relative ignorance is guaranteed on these fronts and most others, not because she was put on the spot, or got nervous, or just happened to miss the newspaper on any given morning. Sarah Palin's ignorance is guaranteed because of how she has spent the past 44 years on earth.

I care even more about the many things Palin thinks she knows but doesn't: like her conviction that the Biblical God consciously directs world events. Needless to say, she shares this belief with mil-lions of Americans—but we shouldn't be eager to give these people our nuclear codes, either. There is no question that if President McCain chokes on a spare rib and Palin becomes the first woman president, she and her supporters will believe that God, in all his majesty and wisdom, has brought it to pass. Why would God give Sarah Palin a job she isn't ready for? He wouldn't. Everything happens for a reason. Palin seems perfectly willing to stake the welfare of our country—even the welfare of our species—as collateral in her own personal journey of faith. Of course, McCain has made the same unconscionable wager on his personal journey to the White House.

In speaking before her church about her son going to war in Iraq, Palin urged the congregation to pray "that our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God; that's what we have to make sure we are praying for, that there is a plan, and that plan is God's plan." When asked about these remarks in her interview with Gibson, Palin successfully dodged the issue of her religious beliefs by claiming that she had been merely echoing the words of Abraham Lincoln. The New York Times later dubbed her response "absurd." It was worse than absurd; it was a lie calculated to conceal the true character of her religious infatuations. Every detail that has emerged about Palin's life in Alaska suggests that she is as devout and literal-minded in her Christian dogmatism as any man or woman in the land. Given her long affiliation with the Assemblies of God church, Palin very likely believes that Biblical prophecy is an infallible guide to future events and that we are living in the "end times." Which is to say she very likely thinks that human history will soon unravel in a foreordained cataclysm of war and bad weather. Undoubtedly Palin believes that this will be a good thing—as all true Christians will be lifted bodily into the sky to make merry with Jesus, while all nonbelievers, Jews, Methodists and other rabble will be punished for eternity in a lake of fire. Like many Pentecostals, Palin may even imagine that she and her fellow parishioners enjoy the power of prophecy themselves. Otherwise, what could she have meant when declaring to her congregation that "God's going to tell you what is going on, and what is going to go on, and you guys are going to have that within you"?

You can learn something about a person by the company she keeps. In the churches where Palin has worshiped for decades, parishioners enjoy "baptism in the Holy Spirit," "miraculous healings" and "the gift of tongues." Invariably, they offer astonishingly irrational accounts of this behavior and of its significance for the entire cosmos. Palin's spiritual colleagues describe themselves as part of "the final generation," engaged in "spiritual warfare" to purge the earth of "demonic strongholds." Palin has spent her entire adult life immersed in this apocalyptic hysteria. Ask yourself: Is it a good idea to place the most powerful military on earth at her disposal? Do we actually want our leaders thinking about the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy when it comes time to say to the Iranians, or to the North Koreans, or to the Pakistanis, or to the Russians or to the Chinese: "All options remain on the table"?

It is easy to see what many people, women especially, admire about Sarah Palin. Here is a mother of five who can see the bright side of having a child with Down syndrome and still find the time and energy to govern the state of Alaska. But we cannot ignore the fact that Palin's impressive family further testifies to her dogmatic religious beliefs. Many writers have noted the many shades of conservative hypocrisy on view here: when Jamie Lynn Spears gets pregnant, it is considered a symptom of liberal decadence and the breakdown of family values; in the case of one of Palin's daughters, however, teen pregnancy gets reinterpreted as a sign of immaculate, small-town fecundity. And just imagine if, instead of the Palins, the Obama family had a pregnant, underage daughter on display at their convention, flanked by her black boyfriend who "intends" to marry her. Who among conservatives would have resisted the temptation to speak of "the dysfunction in the black community"?

Teen pregnancy is a misfortune, plain and simple. At best, it represents bad luck (both for the mother and for the child); at worst, as in the Palins' case, it is a symptom of religious dogmatism. Governor Palin opposes sex education in schools on religious grounds. She has also fought vigorously for a "parental consent law" in the state of Alaska, seeking full parental dominion over the reproductive decisions of minors. We know, therefore, that Palin believes that she should be the one to decide whether her daughter carries her baby to term. Based on her stated position, we know that she would deny her daughter an abortion even if she had been raped. One can be forgiven for doubting whether Bristol Palin had all the advantages of 21st-century family planning—or, indeed, of the 21st century.

We have endured eight years of an administration that seemed touched by religious ideology. Bush's claim to Bob Woodward that he consulted a "higher Father" before going to war in Iraq got many of us sitting upright, before our attention wandered again to less ethereal signs of his incompetence. For all my concern about Bush's religious beliefs, and about his merely average grasp of terrestrial reality, I have never once thought that he was an over-the-brink, Rapture-ready extremist. Palin seems as though she might be the real McCoy. With the McCain team leading her around like a pet pony between now and Election Day, she can be expected to conceal her religious extremism until it is too late to do anything about it. Her supporters know that while she cannot afford to "talk the talk" between now and Nov. 4, if elected, she can be trusted to "walk the walk" until the Day of Judgment.

What is so unnerving about the candidacy of Sarah Palin is the degree to which she represents—and her supporters celebrate—the joyful marriage of confidence and ignorance. Watching her deny to Gibson that she had ever harbored the slightest doubt about her readiness to take command of the world's only superpower, one got the feeling that Palin would gladly assume any responsibility on earth:

"Governor Palin, are you ready at this moment to perform surgery on this child's brain?"

"Of course, Charlie. I have several boys of my own, and I'm an avid hunter."

"But governor, this is neurosurgery, and you have no training as a surgeon of any kind."

"That's just the point, Charlie. The American people want change in how we make medical decisions in this country. And when faced with a challenge, you cannot blink."

The prospects of a Palin administration are far more frightening, in fact, than those of a Palin Institute for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated.

I believe that with the nomination of Sarah Palin for the vice presidency, the silliness of our politics has finally put our nation at risk. The world is growing more complex—and dangerous—with each passing hour, and our position within it growing more precarious. Should she become president, Palin seems capable of enacting policies so detached from the common interests of humanity, and from empirical reality, as to unite the entire world against us. When asked why she is qualified to shoulder more responsibility than any person has held in human history, Palin cites her refusal to hesitate. "You can't blink," she told Gibson repeatedly, as though this were a primordial truth of wise governance. Let us hope that a President Palin would blink, again and again, while more thoughtful people decide the fate of civilization.

Harris is a founder of The Reason Project and author of The New York Times best sellers “The End of Faith” and “Letter to a Christian Nation.” His Web site is samharris.org.

URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/160080

Usefull foreign policy advice

2008-09-28T02:03:00.000-06:00

Open mouth...insert foot - Part III

2008-09-28T00:47:00.000-06:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

America....FUCK YEAH!!!
She is beyond clueless, and quite honestly I am ashamed to call her a Governor. Now I may be wrong here....but don't we typically pick our "Executives" based upon experience. Give me a fucking break. She is a joke, a hack and does not deserve a place on the ticket. For christs sake (if I believed in him) she will be the ruin of this country.

When she was selected as VP I was concerned about McCain's VP selection. Now..I'm simply scared. There is the possibility that she may become President of the United States.....wrap your mind around that. Worthless, clueless.....but at least she is from a small town. Well, she needs to go back to that small town....so we can all forget about her.

Master.....Master...

2008-09-28T00:26:00.000-06:00

Ok so Metallica is back, no really I mean that. St. Anger was an utter failure, and some 4 years later they have emerged from the studio a band that has found thier magic once again. Rick Rubin strikes again with a stellar success, he truely has the Midas Touch.

Open mouth...insert foot - Part II

2008-09-28T00:17:00.000-06:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Wow...I can't wait until thursday when Biden rips her apart. She really has no clue what goes on in the world.

Open mouth...Insert foot

2008-09-28T00:12:00.001-06:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Now to be fair....she has no clue what she is talking about. McCain/Palin....a recipe for failure.

A change would do you good

2008-09-27T15:11:00.000-06:00

So I was looking for some great Obama backgrounds for my computer and came across a website I felt compelled to share. If you have a chance to visit this site, please do and as always, yes we can!

http://obamamedia.wordpress.com/

Read this book.

2008-09-27T09:13:00.000-06:00

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Flat-Crowded-Revolution-America/dp/0374166854/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222528238&sr=8-1

If you have never read any of Friedmans books, shame on you. He is an amazing author and someone I utterly respect. For the most part he remains outside of the political fray publishing articles each thursday on the economic and political impact of some world event. Over a course of several months he will follow an issue, travel a bit and comment on what he sees. If you have never taken in his articles each and every thrusday in the Liberal news paper The New York Times again, shame on you. There is much that can be learned from Friedmans comments.

In his most recent book he comments at length about how America has lost its way in the world, and spends more money and time focusing on isolationist & protectioninst infrastructure that we have lost our way in the world and more importantly our place among nations. We have fallen from grace as a result of this administration, thier policies and the total lack of realistic sence of self. We have become tangled in a war with no way out and have become saddled with a debt that you and I will be charged with paying off. Both Republicans and Democrats have now reached a place where they spend more time fighting with each other, and arguing of the details of the past they that have spent thier efforts looking into the past....rather than the future.

That simple perspective cannot be overstated, that by not making any sincere effort to be proscriptive rather than descriptive will accellerate our decline as a great nation. Friedman says that we need a new revolution for our country and a revolution focused on energy solutions. One of the reasons we have become entangled in the affairs of Middle Eastern (Petrol) countries is simply because it serves our interest in the persuit of natural resources. If you honestly believe this had anything to do with protecting democracy...or human rights...shoot yourself and save me the effort.

Friedman could not be more correct in his prescription for a successfull American future. We cannot afford to define ourselves any longer as living in a post-cold war, post-Vietnam era. But rather a Pre-renewable energy climate era as Freidman prescribes. If we cannot find some national interest to latch on to we stand to fail as a nation. Beyond the political party, or which presidential candidate wins...we need a change. Obviously you already know where I stand on the issue. We need a change in this country...not another cowboy in the Whitehouse.

Friedman's New York Times columnist page

Proof that I live in one the most liberal neighborhoods in SLC. Awsome!!

2008-09-05T09:36:00.000-06:00

When I awoke this morning, this was in my drive way. I now totally believe I am in the correct neighborhood, one where equal rights thrives.

do you believe in Magic?

2008-09-04T13:41:00.001-06:00

Survey says...

Let's hope that they are out of Republican magic....

Me is smart....(for the record this is not our car)

2008-07-30T13:17:00.001-06:00

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10044138

So this little article is about an idiot who couldnt wait for traffic to clear. Now in all fairness, the cops blocked off the entire freeway during rush hour, and this fool got creative...what a douche.

Got John Mayer?

2008-07-21T21:34:00.000-06:00

We sure do.

One of the coolest things I have ever seen.

2008-07-21T16:02:00.000-06:00

http://view.break.com/539734 - Watch more free videos

Who's the A$$hole now?

2008-07-20T13:08:00.001-06:00

What a way to spend a saturday night, Bacci Ball, BBQ and a friendly card game.....yeah right. We played Asshole, and what a great game that is. There is no real winner, but there aren't any real losers either. We took little Amber to a friends house and she hung out and socialized with other dogs while we partied the night away. All in all....good times. Now.....for a productive Sunday.

Say it ain't so!

2008-07-19T10:03:00.000-06:00

Going....going....gone..
Sad but true, Starbucks is closing a total of four stores in Utah. Now I know you are asking yourself, what will the city of Saracuse do without a Starbucks? Ladies and gentleman, while this may be a significant blow to the local Starbucks economy....please plan accordingly.

You gotta spend some time....with this album.

2008-07-17T12:19:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been listening to some new albums and wanted to point out a real gem that I think you should check out. I have always liked Death Cab...since Transatlanticism, but this album is awsome. This album really hits its stride, at a time when this band has industry capital to spare they raised the bar. From the 9 minute balad "I will Possess Your Heart" , to the 2 song set ending in "Grapevine Fires", Ben Gibbard really pulls you into this album with his strong vocals. Ranging from the tragicly pathetic "you can do better than me" to the painfully epic "The Ice is Getting Thinner" this album delivers from begining to end.

Rarely do I listen to an albums latter tracks and find myself thouroughly impressed. But I would place this album along side other epic albums as well. If you dont take this album in, I am regretfully sad to say you are missing out on a great album. Go give it a spin, you'll like it....take my word for it.

So you think you can dance?

2008-07-05T17:35:00.000-06:00

Mandalorian Dance
by PatrickBoivin

Mike..were have you been?

2008-07-04T17:18:00.000-06:00

So im sure everyone has been wondering what I have been. Life has been super busy, but im sure everyone feels the same. I will post a more comprehensive update soon, and I will also keep my dedicated readers up to date more frequently going forward. Here are a few photo's of Amber. We celebrated her first 4th of July with her first hike! We went up to Bell Canyon in Sandy, UT and wrapped up the day in Tanner park near Sugarhouse. She did extremely well on her first major outdoor experience. We cant wait to get her outdoor more often. Amber will be 14 weeks old tommorow, and she is just over 30 lbs. now. What a great pup!

And her name shall be....Amber!

2008-05-03T17:20:00.000-06:00

So we closed on our home on on April 23rd, late to be sure but not that bad considering. Everything went well with our cross country trip and then also with the home closing. The title company went out of thier way to help us out with an after hours close...and we fianally recieved our keys and spent the first night in our home on Friday April the 25th. All went well....we made a trip to Ikea and loaded the Jeep up with all things necessary to make a house a home.

All in all we bought a new bed frame, dresser, night stand, PC desk a few shelves and some odd's and ends all for a total out the door cost of less than $1000! Ikea makes wallets happy.

So today May 3rd we made the next huge decision in our life....we bought a dog. She is so damn cute. She is a 6 week old female Weimaraner from a litter of 9 pup's. She is AKC registered and extremely well tempered. We picked her up this morning and spent the day making sure she is a happy and well cared for pup. We had a visit with the Vet at 12:30pm and then off to the Pet Smart for some new toys and a leash. All in all it was a busy day...and I think she is tuckered out.

Oh, we also arrived at a name for her. We have a cat already and her name is Jewel...so we thought we would stick to the precious/rare stones genre, and we arrived at the name Amber.

I've Been Everywhere Man...

2008-04-19T19:03:00.001-06:00

Really...I mean that. I have been everywhere. You know those catchy car rental commercials featuring Mr. Cash? Yeah....that is literally my life the last two days. My fiance and I left the D.C. area on Wednesday night and drove just long enough to get out of the Washington metro area. We settled down just a few hours out in New Stanton, PA for one night. We then took off making it all the way to Kansas City, KS on our first full day of driving and then on the second day we made it to Denver, CO. What an adventure...oh and we had our cat as well. Our cat Jewel did really well on the trip sleeping most of the time, which was awsome.

We covered some serious ground in just two short days. We were in or crossed the following states: Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Mossouri, Kansas and Colorado. On monday we will add Wyoming and then Utah to that list. What a trip this will be to look back on. We have not taken in any sights along the way, this was a simple point A to point B trip with a neices B-day in the middle, and a great chance to see our inlaws. In any case it has been a great trip...and a land speed record. Lastly...here is map of our journey.

We are closing on our home on Tuesday, so I may not update for several days.

P.S. I am exhausted!

Go West, young man, and grow up with the country...

2008-04-17T22:27:00.000-06:00

Oh...wait.....wrong West....Yeah.....thats more like it.

So I wanted to update my readers on my current journey. As you may already know I am in the middle of relocating with my fiance' to the wonderful west once again. We have been apart for some two months now as we have been looking for a home and tying up some loose ends before the relocation. I have been thinking of a proper title for this little jaunt and I have ultimately decided upon "Operation Western Migration". Now I could have just as easily have gone with "Westward Ho!", however I hate that casino in Vegas and thus will pass.

Well I am currently three days into my secret mission with my fiance on our little jaunt back to the west. I flew into D.C. early Wednesday morning catching a red eye flight from Los Angeles. Now Im sure you are asking yourself, L.A.? Yeah, thats right....I took the red eye from L.A. after being bumped from a flight to Denver. Now I should have been in D.C. just before midnight, but alas I arrived just after 6am eastern and spent the day packing our household belongings.

Anywho.....so we are on our way back to the SLC with our cat Jewel with an estimated arrival of Monday April 21st. Wish us well on our little journey and I pending any WiFi along our route I will keep my eager public updated.

P.S. Howard Johnson, Free Wireless, Free breakfast...attitude at no extra cost! An absolute steal at $49. All in the heart of small town New Stanton, PA.

Don't Party Like a JUICED Rockstar...its crap.

2008-04-13T21:05:00.000-06:00

A matter of Fairness...

2008-04-13T12:19:00.000-06:00

So I would like to post one more addendum to my previous "A Tale of Things to Come" post. I have constructed a list of the coffee shops that I intend to review in the comming "Taste of SLC" post. There are some significant concerns that warrent further detail however. For instance there are some serious questions that need be asked, such as "Do they roast thier own coffee?", "What type of Grinder to they use?", "How is the overall atmosphere?", "Should I go for the coffee...or to hang out?" All important issues and surely I have not covered all of them here. So I would like to establish some criterion for my reviews that I will stick to.

For starters there are a few variables that will remain as constants in my reveiws. The drink of choice is a 12oz. Latte with 2 espresso shots. As to weither it is to go or to stay that will be determined by the individual visit, for instance if they offer me a mug to stay I will accept it. This is somewhat like Morgan Spurlock's experiment with McDonalds. If prompted to consider a mug "To Stay" I will accept, otherwise it will be a to go cup. In any case this will be noted in the review. Oh...the milk...yeah, it matters. for all of my reviews I will be using whole milk only. There is a reason for this. I would prefer 2% milk, however some coffee shops prefer to economize by having skim and whole only...and when 2% is requested they simply mix the two making thier own brand of 2%, which I would argue is not really 2%. So...whole milk cannot be screwed up...so I will always use whole milk.

There are some variables that are simply value oriented items that you cannot attach a controlable variable lable to. For instance, do they roast thier own coffee or whose coffee do they serve? This is increadibly impotant. This is perhaps he most important variable that requires mentioning. There are several shops which roast thier own espresso, however others are still serving coffee roasted by someone else. This is not necessarily a negative, however it is definately a positive in most cases if they do roast thier own!

Next comes an entire class of variables that are quantitative in measure but qualitative in terms of context of a review. Here are a few to consider

If served in a mug was the glassware warm or cold?
How was the presentation?
How was the interaction with the Barista?
How was the decor of the shop? Local art...or generic art of the Target variety?
How is the signage? Can you easily identify your beverage on the menu board?
How was the quality/variety of the "cold case" options? Muffins, crissont's, cookies ect.
How was the parking? (Note this may effect the overall customer experience.)
How is he clenliness of the shop?
How was the overall customer experience?

Im positive that this will not capture all that I am hoping to in terms of qualitiative measures, however this is a good start.

Lastly...and most importantly. No matter if you are treated like a king, or like a coffee vagabond...ultimately the coffee is why we are going through this little exercise. So lets discuss the beverage. A latte is a great benchmark that almost no one can screw up to badly, however there is a significant difference from the average latte and an amazing latte, of which I have had both. There are specific measures that are intigral to this specific review, so I will mention them now.

How was the crema in the beverage?
How was the temperature of the beverage?
does the barista know what coffee art is? Any coffee art?
how is the nose of the cup, crema ect. Does is smell burnt or sweet?
How is the body of the beverage? Is it creamy or flat? Dull or Vibrant?
How is the espresso? Is it single orgin?(DOUBTFULL!!). Is the espresso bold or mild, sweet or bitter? How is the aftertaste of the espresso?
What flavors do you taste in the beverage?
What is the flavor profile? Is is short and crisp..or long and robust?

I will certainly answer most of these questions in my reviews, and I certainly believe that it is important. Measuring coffee shops against each other is complicated, however everyone definately has thier favorite's. Some coffee shops fit specific moods or purposes (i.e. studying, catching up with a friend, surfing the web for a bit, quick espresso on the way to the office).

The ultimate reason for this review is because there are so many coffee shops in SLC, where do they fit into the social tapestry that makes this city so damn great? Now this is an organic project that at some point may expand outside of the SLC area....for instance if I happen to go on vacation to the coffee mecca Seattle (this town makes me happy!), or its little sister Portland! There are tons of great shops in the west...something that the East coast simply does not grasp. Manhattan in all of its greatness is unfortuantley missing some of the simple things in life. There is far to much stress and far to little hanging out and socializing without a $15 cocktail in your hand. Don't mistake this to mean that I do not like coctails and wine as well, however I dont think it is a pre-requisite for a social interaction, part of the reason that I wanted to move from the East. I simply appreciate my lifestyle in the West more...however this is the topic area of another post which is forth comming.

There is one element that I have not mentioned at all that while is somewhat related to the review purpose of this blog is also not any measure of the quality or either the coffee or the overall experience. Photos...yes photos. I full intend to create a catalog of photos which will display each of the coffee shops that I visit. This may be the deal breaker for my readers as to weither a visit is waranted or not...or may simply reinforce the value offered by each coffee shop. In any case, I will make it a sincere effort to capture each exerience on film.

Now that we have establisher a general framework concerning the criterion that will be used to grade coffee shops, which shops have thus far made the list? Now this is not a completely comprehensive list of shops in the SLC, as I am certain I have missed several so please feel free to comment on any shops I have missed.

Caffe' Dbolla
The Coffee Garden
Salt Lake City Roasting Company (aka: RoCo)
The Coffee Break
The Greenhouse Effect
Alchemy Coffee
Java Jo's
Caffe' Expresso (that is tragicl not misspelled)
The Coffee Connection
Blue Star Coffee
Cup of Joe
Millcreek Coffee
Beehive Tea Room
Bad Ass Coffee Co.
Nostalgia
Beans and Brew's
No Brow Coffee & Tea Company
Cocoa cafe
Two Creek Coffee Co.
Dolce Coffee

wow...as I expanded my seach I noticed that many new shops have emerged. Now I am going to go out on a limb and assume that the vast majorty simply wrote thier name on a shingle and hung it out declaring that they are a coffee shop. I have seen this before...and it is typically not pretty. However I am always willing to entertain recomendations by the many readers of this blog.

Cheers....go enjoy an amazing Sunday in SLC!!

I shall call it...The Broken Swan

2008-04-11T10:05:00.000-06:00

So the other evening My landlord and I were enjoying an AWSOME dinner prepared by his robo-girlfriend (seriously....there is no way she will never sleep!) and to cap off the evening I spent some time at the espresso machine plying my trade, or at a minumum honing my skill. When I finished making an amazing mocha and had delivered the final product this is what appearred. As I made my way back to the kitchen for round two I was informed that the name of my Signature beverage should be "The Broken Swan" as a result of my ill fated attempt at some coffee art. In any case, my mochas are getting better and better!

So while I am taking some time to discuss my recent coffee adventures I think it is only appropriate that I update you on my "A tale of things to come" post. I have been visiting coffee shops in the SLC for almost 2 weeks now and I have formed opinions on several lattes. I am currently reserving my opinion until I visit every shop on my list so as not to encourage my readers to influence my opinions. There are reviews in the work's people, I absolutely insist on intilectual integrity.

Lastly, there are two new additions to my at home coffee experience that I have not given proper introductions to.

First - On a recent visit to one of Salt Lake's finest coffee shops I made the decision to purchase a coffee cup for my home use. I have looked at this particular cup before, but finally took the initiative to add it to my collection and add it to the rotation. Now typically I have more than 5 travel mugs on hand, however I am still mid relocation back to the SLC and this is my only travel mug, so currently it is the only one in rotation.....i'm not even sure that qualifies as a rotation. Now while initally apprehensive about the unasuming stature of this particular 10 oz. coffee cup, I took into account the consistant endorsement from John the Caffe owner and took the plunge. Wow...he could not have been more correct! I fully encourage you to consider adding this little gem to your home brewing experience.

Now when making such a formal introductiton it begs to give an apt description. The cup is only 10 oz in size and appears from its small stature to be inadequite to quell you coffee needs. However, the stainless steel lined theremal interior is suspended beautifully within what appears to be a clear accrylic/polymer outer shell. The thermal interior is supported at the base by a type of rubber fitting that is affixed to the bottmomside of the cup. The base of the cup appears to be made of a stamped rubber emblem of the manufacturer of the cup Gordon Sinclare (Tony's Brother). The outer contours of the cup are slightly wave like in shape from the top of the cup to the base. Laslty the lid is fashionably surrrounded by a stainless steel rim similar to the rim on the thermal lining. The exterior of the cup has the logo of the Caffe boldly displayed in a classy fashion. The logo is not etched into the accrylic/polymer casing but is affixed to the front by what appears to be some sort of chemical bonding process that is far above my attention span. I have hand washed the cup almost 15 times to date and the logo does not show any wear, what a great feature. This mug is perhaps one of the best designed coffee mugs that I have ever owned, and adhears to the simplicity in design ethic that makes modern contemporary design features so sought after!

Welcome to the family Mr. Sinclare

Second - Its all in the grind. Well, thats "what they say" anyway. Now I cannot dissagree with this logic, it is damn near infallable. Truth be told, I am a professional in my industry and I tend to know more than the average customer about my industry. I have hands on knowledge that can only come with real world experience in my particular profession. Like wise, I must defer to the specialists not to lead me astray in this particular department.

While I have always had a grinder available due to my Fiance's tour of duty behind the counter at Starbucks, we have always yearned for more. So I have been asking questions about what to purchase and where to purchase, and unfortuantly to buy an adaquite espresso grinder I will have to work some overtime to fund that purchase. While I am not opposed to doing so, I am also in the middle of purchasing a home and am bleeding cash like Michael Jordan at the Golf Course. So ulimately I knew that I would require a burr ginder to improve my home brewing experience in order to adequitely gind my beans with something more adept than the equivilent of a garbage disposal.

I have spent some time looking into this matter and I finally decided to purchase a grinder that would not set me back and would improve my experience dramaticly. I settled on a burr grinder designed for Starbucks and sold under the Barista brand lable. Thus far my happiness is vastly improved, and so to is my coffee. I feel that it is only fair that I take ample time to introduce the newest member on my home brewing team.

The design on this burr grinder is actaually amazing. It has a simple classic appeal, while it appears to be semi-professional with the cone shaped bean hopper at the top. one of the features I like most about this specific grinder is the capture mechanism. There is a plastic bin which captures the espresso as you grind. The shoot that delivers the grounds is top loading in nature. That is, there is not a hole in the wall of the capture bin but rather it functions like a bucket and is top loading. Thus far I have not invested a ton of time playing with the features of the grinder. Depending on the type of grind that you desire, there is a dial that you rotate which moves the burr's (coffee shaving drill bits) internally in the grinder to different positions to achieve the desired grind. While it is not stepless (there are specific notches you have to select) it appears to be a dramatic increase from my previous efforts.

I have only pulled some 10 shots with the new grinder however my home experience is experienceing a golden era. Welcome to the team!

Quick...to the point no fakin'!

2008-04-11T09:26:00.000-06:00

Click on the picture above!

Ok, so in a tragic moment of pax Americana utter nostalgia I wanted to post a brief homage to the ever popular Robert Van Winkle aka "Vanilla Ice". In another tragic falling from grace story the former poet was arrested at his home in Florida following a domestic altercation. While this is not the first time (Really?) im positive there is a good reason that can simply explain this little mix up.

Since his fall from grace is already such an amazing piece of the public lexicon I will spare you the details of this epic crash and burn. Interestingly though his plight might be all the more tragic once you learn the names of his daughters, Dusti Rain and Keelee Breeze. Now typically I would leave family out of this, but who in the hell would name their children like strippers. Seriously...your personal life is humiliation enough, do you need to impart your douchebaggary upon your children? So in summary, Vanilla is still a douche...but a rich douche, however I dont think he will ever come back to the SLC (Why?) after his last foray behind the Zion curtain. The way I heard it...he was completely throttled by a concert goer, I can't say as I blame them.

How do I really feel?

The Home Inspection Went Well!

2008-04-09T20:33:00.001-06:00

I had the inspection at the home on Kensington on Tuesday morning, and it appears that all went well! Home inspections are expensive, I had to write a much larger check than I wanted to but all in all, the home is a go! This makes me happy!

Have you Registered?

2008-04-08T13:30:00.000-06:00

Read on...read on

What could they be up to?

2008-04-08T08:38:00.000-06:00

A Burning Question?

2008-04-08T01:14:00.001-06:00

So I offer a brief item for debate and something to be considered. I would like you to take into consideration the economic factors behind this epic question. Being a guy offers a completely different perspective on questions such as this. While I am always willing to learn a new skill that I might impliment in my daily life perhaps some skills are best left unmastered.

So, I offer you this.

A sock has a hole in it, what shoudl I do? Should I repair the sock with a quick mending job? Or should I discard both sock's (it certainly does not make sense to keep one sock!) and venture forth for a new pair of socks?

Take into consideration the above photo before you pass judgement. Weigh and consider....oh, and vote.

Mike's Ipod - Autumn Playlist

2008-04-06T23:25:00.000-06:00

I wanted to take a moment to share with my readers one of my favorite playlists, something that I put together for the fall last year, but something that I still love listening to today. So, please enjoy!

Autumn

Rufus Wainwright - The One You Love
Ben Fold's Five - Selfless, Cold and Composed
Foo Fighters - Ain't It The Life
The Killers - All These Things I've Done
Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes
Radiohead - I Might be Wrong
The White Stripes - The Denial Twist
Wilco - Jesus, ect.
The Counting Crows - Ghost Train

Office Etiquite Vol. 1

2008-04-06T22:49:00.000-06:00

So in my position in "The Firm" I work in an office environment with many other people. We all have to share space in every situation. There are a few things that really get to me though. I wanted to take a brief moment to discuss one of the things that frustrates me about sharing space. Fist Victim, The Bathroom.

Now, we all have routines that we tend to make for ourselves. Perhaps its a specific morning or after lunch ritual that we take part in that helps preserve our sanity. Let's face it, man was not intended to spend his life in a cubicle, so the daily routines that we create for ourselves are our last ditch effort to preserve our sanity in the given environment.

Bathroom etiquette is something that we could all benefit from having a brief lesson on when we begin work at an office. The concept of a "courtesy flush" should not be overlooked as one way to add value to your bathroom routine. Also of note is the addition of a news paper via a vie The Wallstreet Journal within your stall. If you have that amount of time to commit to a bathroom visit, see your manager...im sure they can come up with more for you to do!

Lastly, those sinners who deem it appropriate to attempt to flood the counter top with water they gleaned from the tap they most likey used as a public fountain; god forbid they use it to wash their hands. But I digress...why is it necessary to douse the counter tops with water as we exit the restroom. There are no plants on the counter top...thus no need or water on the counter. So seriously...wash your hands....wring as you see fit...the use a hand towel to finish the job.

This is not science folks.

I (We) made them an offer that they could not refuse...

2008-04-01T22:30:00.000-06:00

More photos after the jump!!

I am a Latte and Mocha's are a superstition

2008-04-01T21:57:00.001-06:00

So, the challange has begun....review to follow.

Axis & Allies....which side are you on?

2008-03-29T18:19:00.000-06:00

So Marcus...I think you are wrong...

Get you Chadder's on...

2008-03-29T18:16:00.000-06:00

A tale of things to come.

2008-03-28T23:28:00.000-06:00

So in the coming weeks I intend to post reviews of the various coffee shop's of Salt Lake City. Now I know you are saying to yourself "But Mike, Utah is full of Mor(m)on's." Now while you might be correct, Salt Lake City is full of local culture.

There are a ton of local Coffee shop's that range from drive throughs for those on thier way to take care of various tasks. To the hang out spot for those that choose not to contribute to the GDP! There is the ever elitest local shop where the coffee is fantastic but pricey, to the philanthropically oriented mainstay of the downtown strip. Lastly you have the college hang out spot that seems to invite collegate studiers to the under 18 late night hang out spot.

So Salt Lake City offer's a ton of local coffee shop's and while it may take me a while to get through all of them, I fully intend to visit the many coffee shop's of Salt Lake City.

Now in order to undertake such a venture one has to have a standardized methodology with which to measure each of the fine establishments. For starters, espresso is a standard. While we all enjoy a good mocha from time to time, the very ingredient that makes a Mocha a Mocha (namely: Chocolate) is more than capable of hiding the very thing I will set out to judge. So, a Mocha is off the list. Next, the latte is the gold standard of any self respecting espresso shop. The first time I visit any new Espresso shop I always order a latte in order to adequately judge the quality or the establishment. Now for me...the true tell of a quality espresso shop is the Cappuccino. Now the problem with a cappuccino is that it varies so much from shop to shop. While a Latte is espresso and steamed milk, the Cappuccino is an artform.

To be fair any slackass can make a latte, however one's ability as a barista can be the final stop in the long chain of variables that end up in your cup. The quality of the raw bean that specific year, the quality of the individual beans as they are roasted, the final blend that makes each shop's signature "espresso blend" and lastly the abilities of the individual Barista to control the extraction process of the espresso. Espresso is not a simple task, but rather requires a passion for the art. This is ultimately what ends up in your beverage for your enjoyment.

So, since I have finished that diatribe I have an important decision to make. Which beverage will I use to judge the many coffee shops of Salt Lake City. Well, ultimately I believe that the Latte is the best beverage to judge both the quality of the espresso as well as the skill of the barista at each specific shop. So, while the beverage is the simple task, there is more to be decided. All beverages come in various sizes. 8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz and in some cases 20 oz and in the rare case a 24 oz!! I believe that the best beverage to use as a benchmark is a double shot of espresso in a 12 oz. latte.

There is a whole other catagory of factors that one can use to judge an espresso shop by. The cheerfullness of the baristas, the tangible skill of the baristas, the artfull abilities of the barista, the clenliness of each espresso shop, the thoughtfull ness of the marketing and the menu. The overall impression of the establishment and one could even go so far as to judge a shop by the quality of thier retail products and selection of music.

For this first round of judgement we will focus not on the overall quality of the establishment but rather the quality of the beverage in the cup. The test begins.....now...

Come on y'all let's take a ride....

2008-03-28T23:05:00.001-06:00

If I were a package....and I had not arrived.....lets say I was being sent rather than received...what would my day look like?
Well you can't start out the day wiout a trip to Starbucks!

Then it's off to the office....

and to finish my day off I head for the a local UPS shipment center. Whew...what a full day!! It's off to Washington D.C. to my good friend Ted.

Tickets go on sale Saturday....be there..

2008-03-27T11:27:00.001-06:00

Me likey indie rock!!

2008-03-23T13:50:00.000-06:00

Songs for Saturday Mornings....

2008-03-22T01:34:00.000-06:00

1. The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
2. Alexi Murdoch - Love you More
3. Band of Horses - The Great Salt Lake
4. Iron & Wine - Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
5. Spoon - Don't You Evah
6. Down the Line

enjoy!!

What do you think?

2008-03-21T14:09:00.001-06:00

Click on the picture above to see more!!

It Has Arrived...

2008-03-20T21:03:00.000-06:00

Hello Citycreek...

2008-03-19T19:51:00.000-06:00

The Way I See It...

2008-03-19T18:58:00.001-06:00

Mmmm....dinner.

2008-03-19T18:56:00.000-06:00

Imagine me and you....and you and me...

2008-03-19T07:40:00.001-06:00

Oh what a night...

2008-03-16T14:51:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Brain Veaman!!

Oh what a night....

Would you like to touch my monkey?

2008-03-16T12:46:00.001-06:00

The Way I See It...

2008-03-15T12:35:00.000-06:00

Songs for Saturday Mornings....

2008-03-15T11:11:00.000-06:00

1. Mason Jennings - Nothing
2. The Counting Crows - Millers Angels
3. Ben Folds - Fred Jones Pt.2
4. Belle & Sebastian - Wrapped up in Books
5. Beth Orton - Couldn't Cause Me Harm
6. Coldplay - Green Eyes

So, how do you classify a slow Saturday morning?

In all fairness

2008-03-09T18:45:00.001-06:00

So in the never ending hunt for a new home, I have requested that my readers give me thier opinion on which home they liked better, and then to defend them selves. I would like to go on record publicly to thank everyone for thier positive....negative...and confusing words. In light of this new series, I now have a second poll I would like to put out before the voting public.

Of the two homes that I previously posted, it seems that home #1 is the more popular house. Thank you to Dirty for posting the links to the homes, and if you took the opportunity to look into the two homes, you will see that they are rather different homes. There are unfortunately not enough photos on the website for this home...so I will be establishing a photo album of the home soon.

What I would like to ask here is, what is a fair price for this home?
- To Give a little history, this house was first listed in October of 2007 for $450,000.00

- It was then dropped over a series of just short of 6 months to $398,000.00. This was when we located it.

- While we were looking at the property it was relsited at $375,000.00.

Here are the stats for the home -

built in 1909

2112 square ft.

4 bedroom

1.75 bath (one full bath & one shower)

2 car garage - disconnected from house

Formal Dining room

Renovated kitchen

.18 Acre lot near the 9th & 9th area

updated electrical in the home

So....what do we know?

The housing market is in the toiliet, with inventories rising daily.

Houses have been listed on the market for longer than they have been for almost 10 years.

Ben Bernanke will probobly lower Fed rate again when the reserve board meets on 3.18.08.

There are no comp's in the area to value this home against.

Loan rates continue to remain stagnant, but have come up almost 3/4% since January.

Housing prices are on the decline after the steep increases in home values over the last 3-5 years.

So with all that being said, what would be a fair offer on this home, and what would you pay for it?

Did I do that?...uh,..yeah...you did.

2008-03-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

So Dirk Nowitzki is a douche bag. As you may have read in a previous post....Nowitzki took Kerilinko down on the hardwood the other night like a sack of potatos. The entire "DELTA" center exploded in outrage...and yet, no foul. Kirilenko sat out for the remainder of the game and took X-rays to make sure he didn't break anything, turns out he had a "Strained Hip".

UPDATE!!

Nowitzki suspended one game for flagrant foul on Utah's Kirilenko

Yeah Dirk....you Douche bag...you did do that!

Cappuccino...Raaahhh!

2008-03-05T19:09:00.001-07:00

Well....its Wednesday....time for a Cappuccinio!

Bzzzzz....zzzzzzzzz

2008-03-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

It has arrived...

2008-03-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Which house should I buy?

2008-03-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

Option 1:

Option 2:

Please tell me why you like either house?

Welcome to Utah.....Dirk!

2008-03-04T01:31:00.000-07:00

So tonight Marcus and I went to a Utah Jazz game, and watched them wrap up thier 16th consecutive home game win again the Dallas Mavericks! What a night. Dirk Nowitzki took Kirilenko to the floor hard in the first quarter, putting him for the remainder of the game. Let hope our boy is still up to a strong remainder of the season!

I passed my exam for "The Firm"

2008-03-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Cocoa Caffe...and Studying..yum!

2008-03-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well T-minus 24 hours to test time, so I am studying away for the exam that I have to take for "The Firm" tommorow. I am studying at Cocoa Cafe and wanted to take a break and make a brief blog post.

I am at Cocoa Cafe....having...

Yum!!

Espresso Conundrum - Volume II

2008-03-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

So after triaging the espresso machine for a few days, the water tank finally showed up...and we were able to enjoy a great breakfast with a round of mocha's! Marcus wanted to try some new Special Dark Hershey's chocolate for the Espresso's, and I must say...Bravo!

I installed the water tank this morning and am now off to study the day away. I have a huge exam for "The Firm" that I must pass in order to maintain my employment, so I figured....why not spend some time studying for it? As much as I hate paying taxes...I love having paychecks.

So the Espresso machine is a go! And everyone is happy!

It has arrived...

2008-03-02T15:39:00.001-07:00

Important Paper...

2008-03-02T04:09:00.000-07:00

So I would like to take a quick survey to see what the consensus is. Now, please feel free to defend yourself in the comments. There are no right or wrong answers, just stupid ones. So once again....please indulge me.

Which of the following is correct?

Option 1: Option 2:

VOTE OR DIE!!!

Are you Hardcore?

2008-03-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

Are you Hardcore? Because this guy sure as hell is. Last night I went to my first hardcore show in a while. I have a buddy that is in a local SLC Harcore band by the name of Clifton. We went to thier show, and while we were there I snapped a few picutres. I set up camp just outside the mosh pit during thier set, and saw this huge dude in the pit that I was ble to snap a few photos of. What a beast....something tells me he is on his way to Wendy's for a frosty.

Here are a few follow up pictures of the same self respecting gentleman....how charming!

The Show was a great show, it was nice to connect with an old friend who is chasing his dream. He is a damn great guitarist who is awsome a what he does. It was a great show!

Chapter 2: The Aftermath -

So after a reminicent late night trip to the Village Inn on 4th, I dropped my friend off at his house.

As I was leaving his house, there was a truck heading my way with it's headlights off. I flashed my lights...then honked my horn, but he didnt acknowledge me whatsover. Now typically this would be normal, however this road is damn near one lane wide, so to recieve no response is a bit bizare. I brought my car to a stop to let this car pass....and as it passed, I noticed a trail of sparks.....and then a piece of rope.....attached to the truck.....and then...a piece of railing. Now I know, your asking yourself..."A railing"? What could that mean?

To which I reply....

Yes....a railing.

So yes, this guy had a rope tied from his truck to this house....and ripped the railing off. Now...you may say, "what a dick!" Worse yet...as he drug the railing down the street, his trail of debris also struck another car....and destroyed its tire!

So ..me..being the pillar of social responsibility that I am, I spoke to the homeowner that the car was parked in front of. The car was not thiers, but thier neighbors....so I gave them my name and number, then as I exited the neighborhood I located an officer and made them aware of the scene that just unfolded as I made my trip home.

Wow! What a night...

Another one bites the dust..dun..dun...dun..

2008-03-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

An Ode to the Bachelor....

Last night was awesome! Our buddy Dr. Brain Veaman is getting married, so we had a Bachelor party for him over at our buddy Shad's house. We started the night playing some poker,

And then went on to drinking some Yeager....

and then played some Rockband! Over all it was a great night, Congratulations Dr. Veaman.

We look forward to the wedding!

Espresso Conundrum - Volume I

2008-02-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

As I began to plan my trip to the puddle in the desert I was well aware that I would require certain luxuries that I have become acustomed to...therefore I hatched a plan. I would mail my worldly goods to myself to allow me to at least have a glimpse into the lifestyle that I was previously acustomed to. Fist and foremost on that list you would think would be clothing, or daily goods...but I say no good sir. I mailed my espresso machine.

After a brief trip to the local Uhaul store to procure some boxes I began the packaging process. I began with a bed of news paper that was well crumpled in order to provide a shell of comfort for said machine. I then packaged the various items that acompanied the machine into the same box so that they would not get seperated. I took into account that the majority of the machine was made of steele, but that there was a water tank made of plastic. I carefully packed it full of crumpled paper and sent my machine on its merry way.

I had been in SLC for 4 days when my machine arrived. Words can explain how excited I was to pick up my machine and set it up at Casa De Lopez. Perhaps more excited was my gracious host to know that he would now have a barista...of some skill....on staff to call on at any time. Now, call a man an asshole who is arrogant enough to demand a fine cup of espresso, but hey...who am I to deny a man the "little things in life."

To my horror, I opened the box, unpacked the entire machine, and realized that the plastic water tank was ....well, it was in a better place.

I can only surmise from this adventure that at the very moment the espresso machine crossed into Utah airspace that the machine began to silmultaniously combust under the shroud of oppression that is SLC.

After some hunting I was able to locate the vendor, and have ordered a new water tank...this time with a warranty!! It should be here any day now, but in the mean time I have found a way to triage the machine and force it into service. Lucky for me...who wants coffee on the way to the office......Bad for the roommate who wants to sleep in. I can only imagine that it must sound like the world record of lugi hacking in the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning.

In any case, the machine is up and running for the moment, with a new tank on the way. Happiness is at an all time high, and increased productivity isn't far behind. Much like economic trends, increased espresso consumption is a leading indicator of increased production. The espresso machine currently makes its home happily on the counter at Casa De Lopez.

Currently Listening to: Feist - Sealion

To do: Visit Caffe D'bolla for an amazing pound of espresso

It has arrived....

2008-02-29T20:29:00.001-07:00

The Ethics of Hand Washing...and elevator talk.

2008-02-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

First Topic: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

So over dinner the other evening several friends and I were discussing the ethics of hand washing. I made the argument that I wash my hands typically more than five times a day, and without failure after using the restroom. Most importantly.....I use soap. I recently started a new position in Salt Lake City and while finishing my restroom routine...soap on both hands, lather for 30 seconds...wash up to the wrist, rinse..dry..ect... I noticed that there was another gentleman who just finished his plumbing handy craft in stall number two who was making his exit as well. He stepped up to the sink, turned on the water, rinsed..and walked away. No Soap...NO SOAP!! Apparently he believed that the antibacterial powers of soap offer no benefit, but rather that hot water was sufficient. I made a point to note who he was, and to put him on the "don't shake his hand" short list.

The reason that I bring up the timely fact of the conversation over dinner is simply because within out social circle there is someone who possesses magical powers. He can make a bottle of hand soap last months. Now some would say, "this makes sense". Is it possible he is just adding water to dilute the soap? After close review...I answer...no. Take it for what it is...oh...and wash your hands.

Next topic: Elevator Talk

I have been at my new job with "The Firm" for just over one week, and unlike my last office this building is secure enough to keep the black knight at bay. As an employee of "The Firm" I have a security badge that will allow me to enter the building and exit the elevator at the appropriate floor. While making my journey to my office, I happened to share the lift with one other person. About 30 seconds into the journey, she chose to engage me, her: "Do You Work Here?" me "Yes...and I bet you do as well." At that awkward moment we arrived at my floor and I exited, feeling mentally defeated by our conversation. Now....understandably, elevator rides are always weird, which is why as a society we have arrived at the simple superficial greetings, such as "hey", or asking "How are you?", even though both parties understand that no one cares how you are really doing.

Part of my new blogging experience will be tested here, I will be issuing challenges from time to time. I thoroughly encourage people to add comments to my blog as well as the blogs of others, but just for fun I will also issue a challenge from time to time.

The next time you are on an elevator and someone you don't recognize joins you on your adventure and feels the need to ask you..."How are you doing?", please respond with something totally in appropriate. For example...

"How are you?"

"I just had my toe amputated.".........silence.

The purpose of this response is to make the interaction as awkward as possible, so please indulge me with any phrases you may find particularly useful....it amuses me. Also, please leave comments to document this momentous occasion, I look forward to it.

SLC II - The Return of Mikey Mike

2008-02-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so its true. I have returned, both metaphorically and physically. I have been on a haitus since my last post. I was serving a mission in Washington D.C. I have returned to Salt Lake City and happiness is at an all time high. I have connected with old friends, haunts and the ever outstanding Cafe Rio. I have yet to determine where my blog will go from here, however I believe I will begin by making a brief list of the things I have missed.

Top 5 Things I missed about Salt Lake City

1. Mountains
2. Caffe Dbolla
3. My Friends
4. Cafe Rio
5. The Bayou

I also know that you are asking yourself..."What is Mike listening to these days?"
Here to provide solace to the masses is a brief view of one of my favorite play lists

1. Madina Lake - Here I stand
2. Cute is What We Aim For - Newport Living
3. Blackhawks over LosAngeles - All The Nations
4. Gomez - How We Operate
5. Starsailor - Counterfeit Life
6. Moving Units - The Kids from Orange County
7. Rooney - The Girl Has Love
8. The Decemberists - O Valencia!
9. Mae - Brink of Disaster
10. The Bravery - Tyrant
more to come....

Show me the money!

2004-09-20T19:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, so now seems like an ample time to bitch. The moment you find something sweet, it dissapears. In this case, I was visiting the site http://ifoundsomeofyourlife.blogspot.com for a few days, I think I found along with the assistance of some other inteligent blogger the people in question (look at my last post) and the moment the gig was up, away went the web site. It begs the question, why say something if you are unwilling to follow through with it. Oh well.
Time for an update. I interviewed for a position with State Farm last week working with and for an agent here in the Salt lake Valley and I think that I am going to be offered the position. Heres the rub, it will be about 25 to 30 hours a week, and will be a serious job. Now the pros. t The pay is significant, the opportunity is awsome and its field that I already know quite a bit about, State Farm will even pay for my licenses! What a deal. The con's, this is not a screw off job. It is a serious position, and I am at a position in my life where I am trying to graduate...so can take this job. Only time will tell. Out for now.

Go Commodores!

2004-09-18T14:13:00.000-06:00

http://ifoundsomeofyourlife.blogspot.com

Mystery Group at Football game

So, interesting story. I was browsing the blogging community late last night and in my adventures I came across an interesting site http://ifoundsomeofyourlife.blogspot.com. Now if you have a chance, you should visit this site, its damn funny. Although the blogger is semi-anonymous I think that I have found some interesting informaiton. The first time that you visit this site, you should click on the Explanation link at the top of the page. This sets the scene for the adventures of Grant, James and Me. As you chronicle thier adventures in college. Well, without divulging to much information concerning this site, I think I have found some connection. So if anyone comes across my Blog and takes my advice you may be as intruiged with this other blog as well.