September 2003 Archives

I heard about this film while listening to NPR. I won't even bother to summarize the film; they do a great job of that at Bubba Ho-Tep.com

The film looks odd, but as any Bruce Campbell fan will tell you, that's not so bad. If you need more than the raving fandom of a B-movie hero, please consider that the film has been highly acclaimed at numerous independent film venues. "If you see one ELVIS VS. MUMMY movie this year... This Is It!"

What I will do is send out a call to arms! There is a rumor that the Portsmouth Music Hall is considering a halloween showing of the movie. However they are afraid it may be too much of a niche. There are only a few 35mm reels of the film in the US, so they need to know who their audience is before they commit.

So call them or email them and cast your vote!

No, not the damn wasps that stung me while painting my house. I'm talking about the nonchalant way that Sting dismisses George W. Bush. He downplays the potential references to the big "W" in his new song "This War" by saying it's not about the President at all, and that he doesn't find George W. Bush that interesting, really. But he does go on to criticize the prez for the "disaster area" in Iraq. You can read the interview here or see the clip here.

My opinion? While it's sad that the world is all f'd up at least it's given Sting something to sing about again. The album goes on sale soon and I will be buying my copy through traditional legal channels so as not to rouse the ire of the RIAA.

Today, my ass hurts.

Now don't get any ideas... it's simply a matter of doing far too many twist stances in class on tuesday, and then (stupidly) not working out the next day to keep the blood flowing. So basically, my Gluteus Maximus and my Semimembranosus hurt like hell. Also, my Obturator Externus is in some serious pain as well.

It's times like this when I question why I do this to myself.

Anyway, the whole incident has led me to haul out my various liniments, rubs, salves, and other potential pacifiers of pain. Some of these are pretty good, but there are a lot on the market and I'd welcome suggestions if you know of any other good products.

Tiger Balm is the stand-by, especially since they started selling it at most grocery stores. It does seem to loosen up tight muscles and is soothing. However, it smells very strongly (not bad, but very strong) and will stain clothing. So I give it a B-

Salonpas is the most effective pain killer of them all. In fact, the main ingredient is a form of topical silicate similar to what you find in aspirin. It will actually kill pain, and comes in clean easy-to-apply sticky patches. They work great, but you will regret using them as soon as you have to peel the thing off. The glue works a little too well. I used one on a thigh injury once, and it lasted a few days, through showering and workouts and everything before I finally had to rip it off (along with a good deal of my leg hairs). So, this one gets a B

Dit Da Jow (or something like that) is some ancient mojo medicine designed for the sadistic practitioners of Iron Palm training. I picked some up on a whim because I'm pretty sure I have arthritis in my hands and it is supposed to heal joints, ligaments, increase circulation etc. Surprisingly, it really works. Or at least it seems to. It smells funny and is sticky, though. I'll use it during any training that focuses on my hands, but it's not a practical therapeutic liniment because it just smells too strange. B

Ben Gay is well... not even worth it. Most common over the counter sports rubs are like Ben Gay. They are greasy, smelly, and don't really work. That is, unless they have Capsaicin as a major ingredient, which brings us to...

Capsaicin products include "Heat", and other "Hot" sports rubs. Capsaicin is the same chemical that makes hot peppers hot, and it has anti-inflammatory properties. It really does work well. Capsaicin is the thing that did the trick when I had an injury to my shoulder. However, it can burn your skin in strong doses, and you DO NOT want to get it in your eyes. It will hurt the next day in the shower as hot water re-activates it. For God's sake, keep it away from your privates. C+

That's all I can think of right now. I'll add more later if I think of any.

Ironically, just one day after my post about tea we received a box of Keurig Green Tea at the office. For those who don't know about Keurig, there is an online demo of how it works. Basically, it makes fresh brewed coffee one cup at a time using little packet things. But it can also make tea. Man, and I thought flying cars were cool.

Anyway, it's not the best green tea in the world..., but it's not bad either, and it's super convenient. Maybe now I'll be able to kick coffee for good. You see, green tea has about 1/10th the caffeine of coffee, so if I only drink green tea, I can drink twice as many cups and still get only a fraction of the caf.

I was really tempted to write about how much I had to spend on a Pellet Stove, or how I went to replace a few clapboards only to find a huge infestation of these living in my wall. But I want to be more positive than all that. You've all heard enough of me whining "my house is falling apart, blah blah blah." So this is for you*, and it's all about tea.

*I mean, when you only have three or four people who actually read your blog, you have to keep them happy, right? Otherwise all I would get are hits from people searching for Vict*ia's Se*ret Models (I get an obscene number of hits each day thanks to this unwise use of a keyword).

So anyway, about tea.

I've been getting more and more into tea over the past few years. It started many years ago when I grew addicted to the Green Tea they serve at sushi restaurants. That inspired a quest for a source of quality green tea. That, in turn, led me to a few great places to buy tea. And not just green tea.

My current favorite is actually a toss up between a few completely different teas, depending upon my mood.

For days when I'm twisted up and on edge, a dose of strong and pungent Pu-Erh tea from China does the trick. It claims to have restorative effects, and I'll stand by that claim. It is restorative - my guess is that it has a fairly high caffeine content, but there's more than that, too. It awakens you, but also relaxes. I've chugged this tea after a stint of heavy workouts and I swear it actually helped ease sore muscles. It's bitter-strong, and will probably appeal to anyone who drinks coffee black. (I like the Mini Tuocha PS21, as shown on this this page although I usually by it from here

For casual sipping when I'm in the mood for something light and refreshing, I go for white tea or green tea. The local markets (either Lo's in Portsmouth, or the place in Dover who's name I forget) have a good selection of greens, but for white you'll have to online. I really enjoy the Silver Needle from Rishi Tea. It has a somewhat nutty but very mellow flavor. The trick with white tea (all tea really, but white is extra tricky) is to brew it right; some teas like boiling water, some like water that been boiled but then cooled for five minutes, etc. Some you "pour through" and some you steep. Any good tea merchant should be able to give good instructions along with the tea, though.

For morning time gotta-wake-up tea? Drop all tea-snobbery, it's time for some good old fashioned spicy Constant Comment

For iced tea?

Take any white or green tea, add fresh mint, and chill.

Last night I outdid myself with a fantastic spinach curry. Yes, I am patting myself on my back for this one. Curries have always been one of those hard-to-get-quite-right dishes, and after many attempts, I think I may have finally got it right.

The recipe started when I realized that all of the cilantro we had in the garden had gone to seed. Well, I guess the inspiration came when I realized what cilantro seeds were. So I picked a small handful of fresh coriander, and roasted it along side some mustard seeds in a small amount of safflower oil. When the seeds started to pop, I added some garlic, fresh tomatoes from the garden, and some apple peppers (also from the garden). I let that simmer for about an hour, covered, adding coconut milk as needed to maintain moisture. After an hour or so, I added fresh cracked black pepper and some off-the-shelf curry powder, along with a healthy portion of chopped spinach (frozen... the garden-grown stuff has all been long-since consumed). I usually have better curry powder but I was all out. Regardless, this came out pretty good.

Finally, I added some red chili paste for some zing and some tomato paste as a thickening agent and for color.

The whole thing was served rather frugally on a bed of basmarti rice... but it worked. The occasional bite that hit a roasted mustard and/or coriander seed added pleasant quality to the meal.