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Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Moving Day
After months of procrastination, I'm finally moving this blog! All the old posts are available there and any new posts will be listed only there. Come on over and see what's new! http://vorpalblade1.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Things I Noticed on My Travels
Just back from the L'ville, Nashville, Birmingham loop. First thing: next time I'm in Nashville I'm going to the Vanderbilt medical library. I've read so many papers out of there this semester, and need to make the time to check it out.
On this trip, things that have come to my attention:
Drivers: yes, it is true I have become a Louisville driver for all the good-bad-and-ugly of it. We run red lights here--lights that haven't been yellow in ages and can hardly be called "orange." Pedestrians here come to corners with a haunted look in their eyes and a tremble in their thighs as they prepare to run for their lives.
Tennessee, or I should say, Nashville, drivers have taken that newly-refurbished Briley Pkwy and consider it their own little autobahn. The sound walls trap all the water on the roadway and it could be four inches deep and rising, but they will drive like Satan is on their asses and gaining fast.
Alabama: I now know why they have those "wrong way" signs on the offramps to the freeway. On a road that clearly went nowhere but the "wrong way" and I was coming off the ramp, a Mustang tootled past me and the driver looked at me as if to say "why are you on my side of the road?" As I watched in the rearview mirror from the top of the ramp, it was evident he finally realized all the cars were coming AT him, and he backed up quickly. Oh, and passing on the right? Not cool, people! Not cool!
All in all, a terrific drive and I'm glad to be back where we ignore red lights, and most cars evidently aren't purchased with turn signals.
On this trip, things that have come to my attention:
Drivers: yes, it is true I have become a Louisville driver for all the good-bad-and-ugly of it. We run red lights here--lights that haven't been yellow in ages and can hardly be called "orange." Pedestrians here come to corners with a haunted look in their eyes and a tremble in their thighs as they prepare to run for their lives.
Tennessee, or I should say, Nashville, drivers have taken that newly-refurbished Briley Pkwy and consider it their own little autobahn. The sound walls trap all the water on the roadway and it could be four inches deep and rising, but they will drive like Satan is on their asses and gaining fast.
Alabama: I now know why they have those "wrong way" signs on the offramps to the freeway. On a road that clearly went nowhere but the "wrong way" and I was coming off the ramp, a Mustang tootled past me and the driver looked at me as if to say "why are you on my side of the road?" As I watched in the rearview mirror from the top of the ramp, it was evident he finally realized all the cars were coming AT him, and he backed up quickly. Oh, and passing on the right? Not cool, people! Not cool!
All in all, a terrific drive and I'm glad to be back where we ignore red lights, and most cars evidently aren't purchased with turn signals.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Domestic violence as pre-existing condition? 8 states still allow it | McClatchy
I don't know if this is just people who haven't taken it off the books, or places where the insurance companies are still quite happy to take advantage of anyone they can. Either way, it's pretty ugly.
Domestic violence as pre-existing condition? 8 states still allow it | McClatchy
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Domestic violence as pre-existing condition? 8 states still allow it | McClatchy
Shared via AddThis
Friday, September 4, 2009
Yea Sushi and All Things Great, Small, and Edible!
No sushi in the South End you say? Nay! I say to you.
Anyway. Here are some pictures from Fuji in Dixie Manor, where we had some extremely fresh, and well-presented sushi for under $45. Remember, this is only a selection of what we had. The rest, I just horked down without pics. It was not only fresh, when I asked for deep fried shrimp with something still looking at me, I got it. Look at this, with raw tails with some sort of roe (?) and deep fried heads.
The shots below were of a special roll where the outside was done with cucumber. Kou (I think I spelled that correctly) started with a whole cucumber. Glad someone can do it.
Buen
o.Here are the before and after shots.
I can't tell y'all enough, if you can get there, go there! And you can get there!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Maido Meh
I've been meaning to post this since Thursday night when it happened... Maido is this terrific local restaurant and after many a hem and haw, we settled on it for dinner on Thursday. I walked in and was promptly told by the bartender (this restaurant has wonderful sushi but no sushi bar, when you walk in you are looking at a bar-bar), that "Nancy" (names have been changed to protect the guilt), would be right with me. Nancy was not right with me, in fact, another server asked if I had been helped and the aforementioned bartender told her Nancy would be with me when she came inside.
So, we get seated outside and the weather is lovely and eventually our server asks if we would like something to drink. The water arrives promptly, but "I have to go all the way back to the kitchen to get your ice tea." We're now 15 minutes into this visit. The ice tea finally arrives and we place our order. Everything raw. This shouldn't be a big deal. You shouldn't have to fish before the prep. I also made it clear that I would be ordering more as the night wore merrily forward. We sat down at 8 PM, the food arrived at 8:50 PM. A plate of sashimi, and some sort of roll with avocado on the outside, which had been sitting so long it had kind of melted to the top of the roll.
In their defense: it was some of the best frickin' sashimi I ever put in my face, but when we weren't done, it was clear another hour of waiting was not an option. We went down the street to Osaka where our food was produced in a few minutes and where the waitress and all the staff were solicitous and polite. Oddly enough, that always makes the food taste better. Osaka has always been my go-to sushi bar and now I know why. I won't be making the same mistake again.
So, we get seated outside and the weather is lovely and eventually our server asks if we would like something to drink. The water arrives promptly, but "I have to go all the way back to the kitchen to get your ice tea." We're now 15 minutes into this visit. The ice tea finally arrives and we place our order. Everything raw. This shouldn't be a big deal. You shouldn't have to fish before the prep. I also made it clear that I would be ordering more as the night wore merrily forward. We sat down at 8 PM, the food arrived at 8:50 PM. A plate of sashimi, and some sort of roll with avocado on the outside, which had been sitting so long it had kind of melted to the top of the roll.
In their defense: it was some of the best frickin' sashimi I ever put in my face, but when we weren't done, it was clear another hour of waiting was not an option. We went down the street to Osaka where our food was produced in a few minutes and where the waitress and all the staff were solicitous and polite. Oddly enough, that always makes the food taste better. Osaka has always been my go-to sushi bar and now I know why. I won't be making the same mistake again.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Ted
I was sitting in a cafe in Kinsale when I learned that Ted Kennedy had brain cancer. I didn't really understand how the Irish felt about the Kennedys until I saw an eight page story about Senator Kennedy and his diagnosis. Today, I can only imagine what the papers look like.
His was not a career I followed closely, and to be honest, when I hear his name I think "Chappaquiddick" but I guess if anyone worked to make up for a horrible mistake it was him. Listening to his grandkids speaking, it's clear they will follow in the family's political footsteps, but perhaps without his style. Few would have the balls to use their own funeral as a political gesture, and I think holding his funeral at a church that has been a home for every immigrant population is definitely a political gesture. A gesture that won't get him anything, but shows that he stood behind what he said.
He gave us a lot of bad punchlines, but he actually worked and asked other politicians some tough questions. Good work.
His was not a career I followed closely, and to be honest, when I hear his name I think "Chappaquiddick" but I guess if anyone worked to make up for a horrible mistake it was him. Listening to his grandkids speaking, it's clear they will follow in the family's political footsteps, but perhaps without his style. Few would have the balls to use their own funeral as a political gesture, and I think holding his funeral at a church that has been a home for every immigrant population is definitely a political gesture. A gesture that won't get him anything, but shows that he stood behind what he said.
He gave us a lot of bad punchlines, but he actually worked and asked other politicians some tough questions. Good work.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Damn You Foodies
OK, I do it. Some of you do it. You see a restaurant on TV and have to try it. All I will say is the last time I was in KC, the line at Oklahoma Joe's actually went around the shop and out the door. I couldn't wait, had to get home, but the smell made me tear up as I turned around and walked out.
Like flatiron steak, or your favorite band, it's wonderful to get there first but bittersweet when it makes it big. Recognition is good, but shouldn't there be some sort of wristband for the people who were there first?
Like flatiron steak, or your favorite band, it's wonderful to get there first but bittersweet when it makes it big. Recognition is good, but shouldn't there be some sort of wristband for the people who were there first?
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