Christmas Commercialism

Sometimes I get bummed out about the heavy commercialism of Christmas in the states.

Nice Guys

My brother has had a bit of success in some little races in Europe. Not a big deal, but I thought I would bring some attention to it because there isn't much media covering these races. I came across this article and I thought it was pretty cool and I wanted to share. Here is an excerpt and a link to the full article...

"Where's the nationalistic fervor? Where's the good old jingoistic hatred? Where's the irrational distrust for your fellow man?
Part of the joy and feel-good vibe on the World Cup these days is the fact that the typically dominant bullying Austrians are sucking wind. Eleven races without an Austrian victory is like a month without taxes. Who's not going to enjoy that?

But, truthfully, these are three gentlemen who have always competed the right way. And finally, the nice guys are finishing first."

http://wcsn.com/article/news.jsp?ymd=20061218&content_id=16192&vkey=skiing_news&id=34032&dpre=

And here is a rad picture of us. Rad.
Good on yah Steve(n). Love you dood.

Co2 Chart

click to enlarge and read away...

movie + book + movie

Last night I had a movie viewing duo. An Inconvenient Truth and Ir77 were the two. It was a viewing that started out with a bunch of downers to turn around and watch some uppers. I've seen both before, but it really struck a chord with me last night. Watching a movie about global warming and putting it into a very very real perspective that gets you pretty bummed out on the situation, then watching a film about the anticipation, dedication, stories, pain and exhilaration of the industry that I am directly involved in and basing my life around. They are both super real and important to me especially because they apply so directly. So I suggest taking a look and learning...especially about contributing to fixing the problem so many of us are ignorantly part of.
www.climatecrisis.net - learn a bit about what you can do.
www.ir77book.com - some insight into the emotions of someone trying to make it in the snow industry.

Sleep walking in your real life and wake walking in your dream life.

This is one of my favorite movies. Its kind of heavy, but it has some interesting philosophy in it. I suggest taking a view or a listen, because it can be a little hard on the eyes.

Kendama

A kendama (けん玉 or 剣玉 or 拳玉) is a Japanese toy that consists of a hammer-like object with a ball connected to it by a string. The ball has a hole in it, and it rests on a spike on the top of the kendama. The two sides of the "hammer" are concave and the object is to throw the ball upwards and land it on one of the concave parts of the "hammer".

JP's got some gnarly tricks up his sleeve.

Tiramisu

Last night we went grocery shopping. Tyler made burritos for everyone, then Elina made dessert. It was delicious. I just had a serving of it today, still delicious. Thought I would share the recipe and some history for everyone to enjoy. I'm not too sure of her specific ingredients/instructions, but this should do justice. Good luck...



Tiramisu. Pronounced tih-ruh-mee-SOO. Literally translated it means "pick me up" or "carry me up". It is an Italian dessert invented in the 1960's at the El Touga restaurant in Treviso, Italy. The classic version is composed of a sponge cake or ladyfingers that are dipped or soaked in a mixture of coffee (espresso) and alcohol (rum or brandy). The next layer is typically a Zabaglione (Zabaione) (pronounced zah-bahl-YOH-nay) combined with mascarpone cheese. Zabaglione is a light, airy wine custard made by whipping egg yolks, sugar and sweet Marsala wine over a water bath. Grated chocolate is then sprinkled over the Zabaglione, followed by a layer of softly whipped cream. The layers are often repeated which is why it is oftentimes called an Italian Trifle.

Note: Mascarpone pronounced mas-kahr-POH-nay is a soft unripened cheese that belongs to the cream cheese family. It comes from Switzerland and Italy and is a thick, buttery-rich, sweet and velvety, ivory-colored cheese produced from cow's milk that has the texture of clotted or sour cream. It delicate and mild flavor is great with fresh fruit and is probably best known for its use in Tiramisu. Produced mainly in the fall and winter it is sold in plastic 8 ounce tubs and can be found in specialty food stores and in the deli section of some grocery stores.

Coffee Mixture:
In a small measuring cup, combine the coffee (espresso), sugar, and rum. Set aside.

Whipped Cream Topping:
In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.

Ladyfingers:
20 - 3 inch (7.5 cm) homemade Ladyfingers or 8 Savoiardi ladyfingers

Coffee Mixture:
1/2 cup (120 ml) very strong brewed espresso or coffee
1/2 tablespoon (6 grams) granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy

Whipped Cream Topping:
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup mascarpone
1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping:
1 ounce (30 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Cocoa Powder for Garnishing (optional)

To Assemble:
You will need 4 - 1 cup (240 ml) long stem wine glasses.
Have ready the ladyfingers, coffee mixture, cream mixture, and chopped chocolate.
For the bottom layer you will need 2 1/2 ladyfingers for each glass. Cut or break the ladyfingers in half. Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture and place 5 ladyfinger halves in the bottom of each glass. Next, in each glass, place 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture and then 1 teaspoon of chopped chocolate. Repeat the whole process, putting 5 ladyfinger halves, followed by the cream mixture, and finishing with the chopped chocolate. Cover the 4 glasses with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight. Just before serving dust with cocoa powder, if desired.

Makes 4 - 1 cup servings.

Made it.

Here are the words of the day from dictionary.com for the past few days. I think they are somewhat applicable to my past few day experiences; lay overs, missed flights, people watching, a lot of thinking, noise making, blah blah blah...

Friday December 8, 2006
interstice \in-TUR-stuhs\, noun;
plural interstices \in-TUR-stuh-seez; -suhz\:
1. A space between things or parts, especially a space between things closely set; a narrow chink; a crack; a crevice; an interval.
2. An interval of time.
Saturday December 9, 2006
Argus-eyed \AR-guhs-ide\, adjective:
Extremely observant; watchful; sharp-sighted.
Sunday December 10, 2006
syncretic \sin-KRET-ik; sing-\, adjective:
Uniting and blending together different systems, as of philosophy, morals, or religion.

I'm posting a lot on the Surface blog. If you're looking for some reading material, go right ahead...
www.thesurfacelab.blogspot.com

Viva Lost Vegas

Nothing like a four hour layover in the worlds most commecialized city. Advertisements everywhere, Christmas music playing soothly to boost everyones moral, but with a faint additive from the slot machines. High priced, low quality food and other various products.
But travelling sure is fun!!!!!!!!!!!!
Merry Christmas or can I not say that without someone getting offended? How about happy holidays...

COLOkindofRADO

Photo collage of the 50 hour trip we took to Colorado. Highlights include:

- 3rd Place World Cup Podium by Estaban Nyman!
- Good friends
- Cheek full of sunflower seeds
- Beaver Lickers
- High Speed Police Pursuits
- El Banditos
- Southern Utah via 85mph

+ more!! Take a gander at the chronological collage...

Dave Nylan

www.threemag.com

i've never had my name butchered so bad by a publication...there has been a few bad ones, nikmin, nieman, nylan. i guess those are somewhat understandable, but blake to dave...how in the hell does that one happen?? oh well. regardless, i got a cover and an article and i'm happy with it. browse the site or pick a free copy at your local shred shop, trendy restaurant, or coffee house.

oh, but look for blake nyman, they got it right on the print version. good on yah!

Buy Nothing Day

Distribution of Wealth

"My riches consist not in the extent of my possesions but in the fewness of my wants."
J. Brotherton

Iraq For Sale - The War Profiteers

Dropping Knowledge

www.droppingknowledge.org

Excerpts Vol. 1

I was reading the other night and decided I wanted to do a little series called "Excerpts", in which I'll post random blurbs from things I read.

This is from a Chuck Palahniuk book called, "Invisible Monsters." Chuck writes some super good stuff with great nihilstic humor and insight into our society. He can get kind of gnarly, but if you're looking for a new book to read, try him out.

"Shotgunning anybody in this room would be the moral equivalent of killing a car, a vacuum cleaner, a Barbie doll. Erasing a computer disk. Burning a book. Probably that goes for killing anybody in the world. We're all such products."

1 Party System

This is an excerpt from an article I read about Democrats being no different than the Republicans. Here is the link if you wish to read the whole thing:
To the Killing Floor

...Maybe the punch-drunk American people are like the boozehound who gets turned away from Alcoholics’ Anonymous because he hasn’t bottomed out enough to be ready for a full-blown recovery. Maybe electing centrist Democrats ----rewarding a non-opposition party for having no real progressive positions and simply waiting in the wings for the Republicans to shoot themselves in their feet – only helps the bewildered populace continue to deny that the risk has been taken out of American “representative” democracy by a hostile, deeply entrenched corporate and imperial takeover. Maybe the people of “world’s greatest democracy” need to confront the irrelevance of their scattered and symbolic votes and their (actually quite progressive) policy preferences in a more graphic and serious fashion. Maybe they need a wake up call to help them understand that it’s going to take a truly massive and sustained popular rebellion – a damn near revolution – to bring justice and democracy to this dangerously unequal, imperial, and plutocratic mass incarceration state. Maybe they need something shocking to help them grasp the sad futility of quadrennial and biennial voting rituals conducted under what Marx rightly identified as the defacto "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie." Maybe you’ve got to suffer to become a sans culotte...

OMG!!!!!!

Who cares about the elections?!? Brit and K-Fed are getting a divorce!!! Thanks Fox News ticker for keeping me up to date on the news that really matters!

Politics.

I got this email from my buddy Backlash. Kind of funny. Today is November 7 and we're supposed to be voting today. As little as this awesome "democratic" voting priviledge we have does, I'm still going to go vote.
I'm in no way endorsing the Democrats or any other party with this post. Right now there is alot of finger pointing going on and little work. So, here is my finger pointing. I know that our current situation isn't too tip top. And the people who are making the decisions right now, in my opinion, shouldn't be.
Take what you want from this...


Things you have to believe to be a Republican today:

Jesus loves you more than most and shares your hatred of homosexuals, socialists and Hillary Clinton.
Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him to fight Iran, a bad guy when
Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him,
and a bad guy when Georgie Jr. needed a reason to invade Iraq under a veil
of lies to access Iraqi oil, turbo charge war profiteering(making billions
through murder), and a diversion for his administrations' incompetence and
failure to locate Osama bin Laden.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist but trade with
China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of International harmony.

The United States should not be hindered by the regulations and
restrictions of the United Nations...and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N.
resolutions against Iraq and Iran.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body and well
being...but multi national corporations can make decisions affecting all
mankind and the well being of the planet without regulation or
accountability.
The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in
speeches, lie about progress in Iraq, and simultaneously slash veterans' benefits and
combat pay while leaving them poorly equiped and without enough troop
numbers to be effective.

If condoms and sex education are kept out of schools ...kids won't have
sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then
demand their cooperation and money when it suits us and our incompetence
and arrogance repeatedly create horrible results.

A better way to fight terrorism is to illegally take and torture prisoners
worldwide, occupy a soverign nation while killing thousands of civilians
and demand that they adopt a form of democracy that meets with U.S. approval
and elects officials that we approve of and protect our economic interests.
Otherwise... its not the right kind of Democracy.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing basic
health care to all Americans is socialism... HMO's and insurance companies
really have the best interests of the public at heart... just ask their
CEO's who earn on average 460% more than the average wage earner in those
altruistic industries.

Global warming and tobacco's links to cancer are junk science... but
creationism and intelligent design shoud be taught in all schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense...
but a president and his whole administration lying to enlist support for an
invasion of a country which poses no threat to the U.S. and has not
attacked us, to launch a war in which hundreds of thousands of people are violently
murdered and results in a choatic and destabilizing civil war which the
U.S. is caught in the middle of at $1.7 billion a day... that is solid defense policy and is making us all safer.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution...
which include banning gay marriages, censoring free speech and spying on
its own citizens.

The public has a right to know about the Clinton's cattle trades ... but
George W's drug, drunk driving, and driving businesses into the dirt while
his cronies earn millions in stock trading records... are none our
business.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a fat
conservative radio host... then its an illness and you need our prayers for
your recovery.

War profiteering ( making money on building weapons and killing people to
secure your national interests) is OK!!!! We should do more of it... its
good for the economy and increases world wide respect for the United
States.

Corruption, lying about everything that does not fit your agenda, accepting
bribes, Selling votes, and ignoring everything that does not help your
agenda is the best form of Government... Let's call it Democracy... Lets'
call it good work Republicans...

Do you feel safer???? More proud of your country???? More secure about
your future????
Happy about the largest Deficit ever known to the U.S.???? Muder and
torture in your name????

Communication

I searched for "communication devices" in Google and I came across this picture. I found it ironic, because I wanted to write about communication and how it is digressing, but this picture is showing the exact opposite. This blog is just another way to keep in touch or express myself digitally, rather than in the more primitive form of speak, touch, feel, etc... with real physical people and objects. Texting, email, phones, instant messaging, Myspace, and all the other ways of faux communication are everywhere and so easily accessible. People are forgetting how to communicate on a more personal and intimate level. I'm guilty as well, but having some sort of a conversation through texting or email is so easy, but as soon as you try to communicate to that person face to face, it becomes a much more difficult task, so you retreat back to texting. Your digital relationship is tip top, but as soon as your physical real relationship is put to the test, you're awkward and uncomfortable.
So I guess this is how I want to start my blog, by reminding myself and whomever comes across this, that we all need to improve our real relationships and get back in touch with the real world.

Time to be hypocritical...