SYP Says

Tag, you're IT!

Harry Joiner recently tagged me for a little blog game that came to him from Dennis Smith. Now, I have absolutely no idea who Dennis is, but I'm sure he's a cool guy. Such is the way of the Internet. Here are my answers--post yours if they're worthy.

Four Jobs I've Had

Before I had entry-level jobs at nifty places like Jazz at Lincoln Center and Vanguard Documentaries, and before I got into the e-commerce and online marketing world 12 years ago working for brands including A&E, The History Channel, and now Musician's Friend, I cut my teeth on jobs like:

1. Manuscript Reader: There are many people in the world who think they are great writers. Don't believe them!!
2. Concertmaster: Mostly, I just tried not to trip.
3. ESL Tutor at a Prison: The men I taught at Fishkill gave me some of the most helpful life advice, such as: make sure to always have driver's licenses from at least two different states...
4. Caterer: Made me realize that I really enjoy cooking, but not for hundreds of people at once. Too sweaty.

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over

1. Aliens: Game over, man! Game over!
2. La Femme Nikita: Luc Besson at his best.
3. Contact: I want to be Jodie Foster in this movie.
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Spaghetti westerns and Clint Eastwood. A match made in heaven.

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch

1. Gilmore Girls: The best-written show on TV
2. The Sopranos: Except that I think I actually like Six Feet Under more. Oh well.
3. Star Trek: The Next Generation: I was going to put Amazing Race which I do like quite a bit, but if I'm honest with myself, I could watch 24 hours of TNG and DS9 reruns--oh wait, isn't that Spike TV? (Sorry, Keith)
4. Battlestar Galactica (new): My new fave!

Honorable Mention goes to McLaughlin Group..."Bye, Bye!"

Four Places I've Been on Vacation

1. Jaisalmer, India: The best camel trek of my life
2. Zihuatanejo, Mexico: The best fresh abalone of my life
3. The Grand Canyon: Did a rim-to-rim of GC in 2 days--go if you've never been
4. St. Martin: Blue water, yummy croissants, and naked people

Four Favorite Dishes

1. My mom's black bean tacos
2. pav bhaji
3. pissaladiere
4. spanakopita

Four Places I'd Rather Be

Right now, actually nowhere. I loved living in NYC, but I'm having a glass of wine on my deck overlooking the Oregon mountains which isn't such a bad life either. But there are a few places I'd like to visit soon, including Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Costa Rica, Turkey, and Mongolia.

Four Bloggers I'm Tagging

TBD...do I even know four other bloggers??

And speaking of bloggers I don't know, here's a great cartoon from hugh macleod.

Haiku of the Day

Bright lights, big city

I'm thinking overrated

Sundeck good enough

Stanislaw Lem & Ali Farke Toure R.I.P.

Two greats of music and literature recently passed away: Stainslaw Lem and Ali Farka Touré . Lem was a Polish science-fiction author known for his dry humor and versatility and Touré was a renowed blues singer and guitarist from Mali.

Many of Lem's books have not been translated into English. I was lucky enough to find a translation of THE STAR DIARIES a collection of satiric SF tales  starring Ijon Tichy, intrepid explorer and space hero, in a rundown bookstore in New Delhi back in 1992. From that point on, I was hooked. Lem's stories are philosophical, imaginative, absurd, and comic. One of his best known works, SOLARIS, was adapted into film twice--once by Russian director Andrei Tarkovksy in 1972 (try his movie STALKER) and much more recently by Steven Soderbergh starring George Clooney (don't bother watching this version--it turns the novel into a romance in space which it's not).

Lem is one of my all-time favorites. For more about him and his work, check out this Interview with Lem and Tribute to Lem by another fan .

Ali Farka Touré was often known as the "African John Lee Hooker" and his music bridged traditional Malian music with American blues. His style was hypnotic and he often sang in one of several African languages, including Fula. My favorite album of his is THE SOURCE although all of them are great. I'm not sure where I first heard about him, but I've been listening to Touré for over a decade and it's sad to know that there won't be any new music  of his to enjoy.

For more about Ali Farka Touré, check out this BBC Obituary and Bio at World Music Central.

Unkind Donuts

Just got back from the Ashland Indie Film Festival where I saw WORDPLAY, the breezy new documentary about crossword puzzles, NY Times Editor Will Shortz, and the people who love them (from regular joes to Bill Clinton, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina, and Jon Stewart).

Go see it if you are a word nerd like me (switch the letters "h" and "s" in "Noah's Ark" and you get "NO! A shark!"). It's funny and touching and a pleasantly entertaining way to spend 90 mins. Watching the movie left me a little homesick too--much of the documentary is spent with crossword fanatics in NYC and Stamford, CT where the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is held.

Try your hand at a puzzle or two here .

Q. E. D.

TODAY'S POINTLESS POLL!

When Elvis left the building, where did he go?
	The Bahamas
	Outer Space
	Neverland Ranch
	He turned into Bruce Campbell & moved into a Texas nursing home.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Ashland Eats

So, I've only been in Ashland a month, but I've already got some favorites and since people keep asking me where I like to eat here, I figured I'd list some of my new haunts (even though this is probably not that interesting unless you're either planning on visiting Ashland or you already live here). But hey, this is my blog and I figure I'll do what I want with it. Being a New Yorker, my standards are pretty high. Here goes:

* Best Sashimi: Kat Wok. A combo night-club/restaurant with sashimi the size of your head.

* Best Pub: Black Sheep. A traditional English Pub complete with fish & chips, shepherd's pie, and darts. Surprisingly good salads and smoked trout.

* Best Intimate Dinner: Cucina Biazzi. 4-course Italian meal in a cozy townhouse setting.

* Best Casual Dining: Gepetto's. Eclectic Oregonian Italian. Has a good assortment of sandwiches plus great tofu-garlic dressing!

* Best Place on the Square: Alex's. American brasserie with great fireplace and delicious food. Upstairs overlooking the plaza.

* Best Mexican: Pipon's. One of the few upscale Mexicans I've found in the area. Try Agave if you want tacos and tamales.

* Best Sandwiches: Pangea-- good soups, great wraps, friendly, granola-y atmosphere.

* Best Pizza: Great American Pizza. Healthy Pizza Hut. Try the whole wheat crust! In Medford, my favorite is Kaleidoscope. Gourmet Pizza choice: Cozmic Pizza.

* Best Word-of-Mouth: New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro in Talent. Everyone says this place is great and you need reservations two months in advance, hence the reason why I've never been there. UPDATE: Went here for dinner last night (4/19) and it almost lived up to the hype.

* Best Burger: TIE between Louie's and Big Al's. Louie's has a great bar atmosphere. Big Al's is a converted root beer stand with great burgers.

* Best Super-Healthy Yet Still Tasty Bread: Village Bakery

* Best Local Wine: RoxyAnn in Medford. I hear Troon and Edenvale are also excellent.

* Best Pasta: Macaroni's. Classic Northern Italian.

* Best Diner-Style Breakfast: Wild Goose. Good eggs over-easy, sausage, toast.

* Best (Only) Donut Shop: Puck's makes homemade donuts every morning.

* Best Cheap College Eats: Mihama's Teriyaki Grill and Happy Falafel.

* Best Thai: House of Thai. Authentic. If you're looking for Thai Nouvelle, try Thai Pepper.

You can skip Breadboard, Munchie's, and Omar's. They're all fine but over-rated.

I miss the variety of choices in NYC, but I'm happy trying out new places for now. At some point, I'm sure I'll write a whiny blog about all the restaurants in NY I'm craving. I won't subject you to that just yet though!

Bada Bing, Antarctica

I recently  saw March of the Penguins, a very sweet documentary about the annual journey of Emperor penguins as they march to their traditional breeding ground, withstanding extreme cold, raging blizzards, and harsh winds, just to pair off with a mate who will lay only a single egg.

As many people were, I was touched by the movie which humanizes penguins and left me feeling cuddly and warm. Penguins are really much more like us than we realize. For the latest on this, click here (photo courtesy of a clever chap I know):