Voltron

He plays piano and was not facing us. You weren't ready for the intensity of James Farm in general, so I don't think you would have caught that spark. But I do like The Afrobilly Sessions. Now playing: Mavis Staples -- You Are Not Alone Highly buzzed and listening to the EC BA AD1 on the RS-1 and HP-2, I have to say this album sounds divine.

Bourbon Toddy Unlike Jerry Thomas, the Stork Club Bar Book of 1946 has this drink on the rocks and that far better suits my mood. Plus, the ingredients are far more interesting. Here is the recipe and the rest of what the Stork has to say about the beverage: "The approach of the dinner hour, which in New York varies between seven o'clock and midnight, is the signal for unloosing Niagras of Scotch and soda and cloudbursts of Martinis and Old Fashioneds. And if you object to the fruit salad, festoons of maraschino cherries, flotsam and jetsam of orange rind and canopies of Japanese parasols and American flags which are served with old fashioneds in many places, it is possible to obviate all this nuisance value by simply asking for a bourbon toddy. At Jack Bleeck's Artists and Writers Saloon hard by the Herald Tribune and in such Hollywood outposts as Mike Romanoff's and Dave Chasen's, it is known for no discoverable reason as a "gag", but its common term is bourbon toddy an by such it goes elsewhere in the land" 1 lump of sugar saturated with Angostura bitters [i used Jerry Thomas's Own Decanter Bitters as an homage to the creator] twist of lemon 2 oz [Parker's Heritage wheated] bourbon 1 oz water 2 cubes ice The sugar should be ground to syrup in the water with a muddler and the whiskey and ice cubes added after that. In its origin and, the the minds of gastronomic purists, the cocktail was originally intended as a brief drink, a quick aperitif to stimulate the appetite and stiffen the flagging gustatory senses, but it has passed into accustomed usage as a drink to be absorbed in considerable quantity despite the admonitions of the judicious." I love this book that my sister got me for $10 at a vintage shop in Minneapolis, and which I saw at Cask in SF for $250 to other day. Good stuff.

Listen to their stuff on the the myspace page, even though it will not give you the full effect.

The James Farm album is going to blow us all away. Next couple of months, latest. I hope. They have a show in Portland, OR in late February and if they are not playing around here in that time frame, I think Claire and I might go. Maybe meet my robot bro, Smegs.

Joshua Redman -- Elastic

Not nearly. It is hot looking and would have been a bitchin' combo if not for the opamps and tacking on parts.

Further to the manly drinks... Hulk Whiskey Smash! Dissolve 1 tsp of sugar in a similar amount of water, add several sprigs of mint, SMASH! mint until flavour is extracted. Draw out the sprigs of mint, add one wine glass (2oz) of whiskey (or brandy or whatever, depending on what kind of smash you are making), shake or stir well, and pour into wine glass half full of ice, then decorate with fruits in season. Simple and surprisingly tasty. Hulk like!

Seeing as I double-posted, here is a manly drink! Navy Grog Arghhh! The recipes were annoyingly inconsistent with the three simple ingredients posted on the Anvil List and I was shy of grapefruit juice or grapefruits, so I went with a combination of the classic Don the Beachcomber recipe and a more streamlined version. Plus I wanted to make more drinks tonight so I went from 1oz of each rum to .75oz. .75oz Goslings Black Seal .75oz Ron Zacapa .75oz Appleton Estate V/X .75oz honey syrup (2:1 honey:hot water) 1.25oz lime juice Shake and strain onto new ice with garnish and top with club soda, if you please. No scurvy in these here parts!

Anvil Action Singapore Sling from the Raffles Hotel "recipe" which is really an ingredients list that Regan turned into a recipe and added the appropriate soda. 2 ounces Bluecoat gin 1/2 ounce Heering cherry liqueur 1/4 ounce Triple Sec 1/4 ounce Benedictine 2 ounces pineapple juice 1/2 ounce lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters Soda water (optional) Shake all but the soda with ice and strain into collins glass with new ice and top with soda. Used highball glasses with straw spoons but ran out of time for garnish of orange/pineapple/whatever.

You're amazed because it is amazing. Cool stuff.

Michael Formanek -- the Rub and Spare Change Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green -- Apex

Michael Formanek -- the Rub and Spare Change Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green -- Apex

That looks like a party, Mike! What can you cut with that wooden knife, Greg?

Hurray for double posts!

Get it out of there!

Catching up after hosting too many New Year's events: Good luck on tenure, Jim. I too think it is a lock! I hope you ca tune out your mom while she is on a downer, Jacob. Just focus on other stuff like getting well enough to travel. Have fun in the snow, Pete. The kids must be loving it! Good luck with the hearing, Mike. Plead ignorance! Hope you're finally feeling better, Nate, and that the family cycle of sickness has run its course.

There's a reason the French are known for their wines.... Near my in-laws is a dive called Dick's Pourhouse. We should do a tour of bars called Pourhouse some year.

Have a great one fellas! Cheers!

You carry your years well, Brian. Have a great one! Cheers

Happy birthday you "football" lover, you! Cheers!

Jitter in the Shitter in 2011!

You need to find the old ones to save your father from disappointment. They could go bad, you know.

Fuck! I hate that fucking cunt Ben Gramain!