It's strange to me that some weeks Thomas Friedman seems like a lunatic, and other times he seems to be the only person who can say the obvious truth. Today I'm right with him:

Where are the Democrats who would declare that the best way to enhance our security, make us better global citizens, reduce our dependence on Middle East oil and leave a better planet for our kids is a Manhattan Project to develop a renewable energy source...?

Yes yes yes.

Tonight I watched a dvd on my new computer. Upon inserting the disk a window opened with the option of setting the region or ejecting the disk. It also informed me that I would only be able to set the region 6 more times. I didn't like the sounds of it but I went ahead and chose to set the region and the dvd began playing immediately.
I've read this article and although I feel I now understand what the regions are and why they exist, I'm wondering if anyone has advice on whether I should get some software that let's me get around this region jazz.
Any thoughts Jim?
I found this line from the article interesting "If on the other-hand you plan to purchase DVDs from other regions (which might or might not be illegal) then making your DVD player capable of playing all regions is the best and cheapest way to go." So being an American and purchasing a dvd in say, London may be illegal?
Also, region codes may actually be illegal in New Zealand and violate some World Trade Organization laws?
Hey, I said I found it interesting, not surprising.

The Piano Teacher

Before buying the new computer I attended an anti-war march in downtown Portland.
The press is saying that there were almost 5000 people, it looked like more than that to me, course us protesters always seem to stretch the numbers. Although many of the protesters seemed to be in their mid-50's and to be old hands at marching, there were lots of seniors and teens, even the locked out brothers of the ILWU.
I've decided that almost any panel from Get Your War On would make an awsome poster. Here's GYWO page 15

Toys-R-Us
Been working a little bit lately, enough so that I'm posting from my new Imac with 17" display.
10.2 seems pretty cool. So is having a dvd player/burner.
Seems that you have to launch netscape in "classic" (OS 9.2) mode though.
I'll be downloading Mozilla and Rea7 player asap.

Out of all languages presently spoken in the world, what percentage are spoken in NYC?

I have no idea, but I'm very curious. I'll guess 70% just to get things going. Probably it's much less than that. Or possibly there is no way to even get a grip on the number of different languages spoken in the world.

Any guesses? Any idea where to look for possible answers?

That feature Jim was talking about a couple of weeks ago, used I think only once by Alex, and brought up again by Linda, that automatic posting in the future feature--is that, as Jim implied, a total bust, a feature with too many bugs, or could it be dusted off and tried again? I was just getting ready to use it when you removed it. Is there a worst that could happen, not worth the risk sort of thing going on here, and would it be wasting Jim's time? I was looking for a way, by visiting online only once a week or so, to do a gradual, maybe everyday time release of the remaining old NOLA crap.

sea urchin risotto?? well we were sent it out the other day at feledia, not bad....
i did lunch there and dinner with 5 dishes at 71 clinton fresh foods in between....rumor is i ate and drank to much cause i pasta'd out with hiccops sounding like a hippo and linda had to head to the couch after punching me in the gut...another day in paradise!!

i bought expensive fresh NY porcini at the market this am and while they were ok as a pasta sauce (butter, oil, parm chesse, pasley), we could not eat them all, so lets see if the cats will, rex 4 or 5 pieces, prisilla eat everyother one left and licked the bowl clean, she ate more than me.....she's purring taking a nap now

A pair of nuns just walked by

I've had some problems with transmission at Dumaine so this is the first got up the nerve time to try a library machine. I have come all the way up Canal to an affluent lakefront neighborhood because I reasoned rich people would all have machines at home. My hypothesis has proved true. But I'm sitting here at an expose machine right by the checkout, weird.

Of late my three favorite dining experiences all happen to total under $10. I have been cooking at home most nights out of a general weariness with restaurants (this might have something to do with the fact that everyone I associate with can speak of nothing else as they are building one, and I feel like I have been swept up in some very dodgy cult that can’t quite dislodge itself from the birth canal, but also the fact that most eateries all seem a little disappointing. Much of the time something reductive happens on the way from the home kitchen to the restaurant kitchen—perhaps it’s as simple as volume, volume of customers, volume of food being prepared, and number of hands putting out a dish—and things just start to taste less). Apart from this culinary narcissim, economy and nutrition are also contributing factors. Why can’t you eat a big dish of delicious vegetables anywhere? But when not in the kitchen, I happily resort to these venues: Dumpling House at 118A Eldridge Street, where the visuals provided by the cooks are as delightful as the food (try the chives and pork fried dumpling, the sesame pancake with beef, or the chives and egg pancake). Dessert can then be had at the nearby Laboratorio del Gelato on Orchard. For simple but excellent Chinese take out (or eat it there) head to Golden Siu Sam Yuen at 5 Catherine Street (near Chatham Square and East Broadway) for their roast duck (or eel, or salt-baked chicken, or barbecued small pig, or ribs, or lobster) with rice and vegetables. When in the northern territories, two hot dogs with sweet relish and a mango papaya drink from Gray’s Papaya at 2090 Broadway and 73rd, can result in a person feeling deeply contented.

ny times magazine duz clinton street. quite a dewey-eyed tribute.

Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art

Argintinian dinner at Ripe

Bacalao stuffed poblano pepper with corn broth

Grilled hearts of lamb, watercress, dried mango, and toasted almonds with a sherry vinaigrette

Matambre - rolled painted hills flank steak stuffed with black kale, hard cooked egg, onion, and oregano

New potatoes


Tres leche



Wines:

Don miguel gascou 2001 malbec mendoza argantina

bodega jacgres + francois lurten 2002 mendoza
valle de uco
pinot gris

layunta torrontes 2001
famaatina valley
la rioja - argentina



The Bacalao stuffed pepper and corn broth soup was amazing. So was the flank steak.

The salad was great. But the lamb heart was so finely sliced, tender that it was practically un-noticable. I guess subtle is the word. I could take it or leave it. The dried mango and almonds were my fave touch.

I loved the wines, the dessert was nice too.

All is served family style so second and third helpings on wine and food (not dessert) if you want.

Special dinner that night so price was double the usual: $40 plus tip. I love this place.

email from Ripe


>What is Ripe and why are they bothering me?
>
>
>
>
>ripe is:
>
>a small local company that to date is best know for its
>family style dinners called "family supper",
>we are also well established caterers, and at present have a few new
>projects...
>
>
>A. family supper
>In march 2001 we began a series of informal dinners held in our home
>twice monthly for around twenty guests, after serving over 700 guests
>in our living room, we moved to our new location on N interstate,
>expanding our concept into a restaurant,
>for lack of a better word...
>..
>since march 2002 we have been serving up to 45 diners,
>3 nights a week in our spacious open kitchen...
>...
>all our guests arrive at the same time and sit together at three
>long woodentables
>there are no waiters, just cooks bringing out large platters of food
>and earthenware pots to be passed and eaten family style...
>...
>there is only one menu per week, though we encourage people to alert us to
>any
>dietary restrictions in advance.
>...
>The price of the meal is $20/per person + gratuity
>dessert is available for $5
>...
> everyone receiving this email is invited to attend one of our suppers
>dinner is served
>every wednesday, thursday and friday
>at 7:30
>
>
>b. cake
>we are beginning a new division of our off-premise business with "cake"
>offering
>special order desserts and pastries by mandy groom, formerly the executive
>pastry chef
>of zefiro and bluehour

>c. gotham bldg coffee shop
>we have just opened a humble coffee shop and lunch place on the corner of
>interstate and albina, featuring pastries by cake and food by ripe... open
>m-f 7-5
>call 503.493.2646 for more info


>(family supper is featured in
>better homes and garden this month pg 37 - 42)
>
>family supper Dates
>
>open dates
>booked dates
>what is ripe and why are they bothering me?
>
>
>open dates
>
>
>september
>27th (just had someone cancel 8 seats. let me know asap)
>october
>2nd
>16th
>17th
>18th
>midnight supper 18th
>23rd
>24th
>25th
>30th
>tentative: Native seeds day of the dead benefit 10/31 $50
>november
>6th
>7th
>13th
>14th
>15th
>midnight supper 15th
>tentative : wine dinner november 16th
>
>*october 9th and 10th are benefit dinners for community advocates
>(child abuse and domestic violence prevention) call 280-1388 for
>reservations
>
>
>booked dates
>
>september
>28th
>29th
>30th
>october
>1st
>2nd
>3rd
>4th
>5th
>11th
>15th
>19th
>22nd
>26th
>november
>1st
>2nd
>5th
>8th
>9th

Atlas of the Universe

Bad news for trees.

Hoi An at 135 West Broadway was fine, aint Vietnam, but is there anyplace in NYC to come anywhere close....I used to live at #135 WB and thats where Linda and I first hung out, Brooklyn has allowed me not to miss 135 WB...I very much miss the Slanted Door in SF, thats good Vietnamese, all whom have been long for more....Steve help me out, I saw a listing and a yummy looking photo about Pho Van in Portland (1012 NW Glisan), is it good??:>)

we take a car service to Queens on some road I remember being on only once before, we mill around Kew Gardens circling 83rd Ave looking for #120-35, we have mapquest so we tell the driver to drop us in front of this big beautiful house....one block away we find the sign Uzbekistan Cultural Center / Uzbekistan Tandoori Bread House / Kosher Restaurant, in my bag I have a 1968 Rioja and a 1930 Dulce Monastrell, and my pals are well equiped also...we enter to many onlooking eyes, sit down and dig in, the first round of food was fantastic (lamb noodle soup, lamb dumpling soup, salad of carrot/slaw/pickles, big lamb dumpling, rice pilaf w. boiled lamb, fried potato, glorious bread), room had murals and great paintings (one of which by the end of the nite I was asking the owners to buy, and we are still talking), soon the music began and people were dancing....the mains (griled meats shish kebob(sp?) were less good for only two correctable reasons, too much salt and overcooked...great nite!!

Ate at Washington Park last night. Beautiful room. Very good service. Extensive wine list. One app sparkled (pasta with crab and heirloom tomatoes) but the rest of the food, while good, didn't excite any of us. Desserts, on the other hand, were yummy. Nice night, but I'd need to hear something different to try again.

i was lucky enough to be at the museum today when a few people from the library got to go on a tour of the beetle collection, and i tagged along. the museum has about 17 million insect specimens and over a million are beetles. pretty amazing. the scientist who showed us around just finished a 2,000 page paper on one particular beetle. and back in his office we got to see one (with a microscope) which is the only known specimen of its kind.

back in the fifties (or sixties maybe) a very large african beetle was found in a shipment of bananas at one of the ports, and was sent over to the museum to be checked out. turned out to be harmles, so the entomology people kept him as a pet. when he died the times ran an obit -- with a photo.

did you know that fireflies are a type of beetle?

anybody needs to watch the first four episodes of the sopranos can download them with kazaa by searching for "Sopranos pre-air." not a broadcast quality picture but not terrible either.

quite enjoyed CQ, by roman coppola, son of francis.

remember the new york (and elsewhere) on $10.00s a day books ? how about a new york on $10.00 a day for wine post (one or two bottles for ten and under). i wont tell anyone.