Sunday at approximately 2 p.m. I suffered a major ankle injury while playing soccer. I've never had any kind of sports related injury before. This is terrible. This is one of the most terrible things I've ever experienced. This means: I won't be running the marathon Sunday, I won't be doing any Spring bike riding, I won't be playing any more soccer for the entire season, I'm in major emergency room debt, I won't be able to walk to the Farmer's Market this Saturday, I won't even be able to walk two blocks to work.

This is just nasty. I heard the tendons and cartilage rip. The noise was so loud that the guy standing next to me--who didn't see my fall--turned around completely and said, "What was that noise?" ... It was the sound of my Spring being completely ruined. Shoot me now.

brett at 08:29 AM on April 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've been listening to a bit more reggae as of late, particularly roots and dub, and I've been loving it. It's perfect spring music: laid back, slow and full of good feeling.

The albums above, clockwise from the upper left are: U-Roy - Dread In A Babylon, Joe Gibbs & The Professionals - African Dub All Mighty Chap. 3 & 4, Peter Tosh - Legalize It, and Junior Murvin - Police and Thieves. All excellent albums that you should give a listen to. I'm particularly feeling the Junior Murvin album.

brett at 10:55 AM on April 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

I submit to you two pictures, one taken yesterday, and one taken more than 2 and a half years ago. See if you can spot the difference in the photos:

August 2004

April 2007

Quite a change, I'd say. My hair is finally growing, and my dreadlocks are finally becoming mature. A shame it took them this long, but I suppose in the case of tangled-hair, patience is a virtue.

brett at 10:07 AM on April 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

I happened to come across a brand new single from UGK today, and I think it may not be too much of a stretch to suggest that their forthcoming album, Underground Kingz do for Summer 2007 the same thing that T.I.'s King did for Summer 2006.

The single that I heard was called "Top Drop Dyne," and in the context of their first single featuring Outkast, "International Player's Anthem," I think this could certainly be the sweet summer banger I've been waiting for: the album (and there is one for each year) that just seems to characterize the heat and insanity and energy of the summer so well.

Update: And since I'm such a nice guy, here's the song, "Top Drop Dyne" by UGK, for your listening pleasure and critical evaluation.

brett at 09:47 AM on April 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night Megan and I headed over to the Ross to watch Charles Burnett's 1977 film Killer of Sheep, a film that the Library of Congress cites as a national treasure and that the National Society of Film Critics calls "one of the 100 essential films of all time." It hasn't ever seen mainstream release due to copyright issues with the soundtrack, but has been screened here and there. Finally, this month, it has become accessible through a limited nationwide release, and we figured we would take the opportunity to watch it on the big screen (though apparently only about 9 other people in Lincoln felt like seeing this "long-lost classic of American film.").

I'm not sure that 'masterpiece' is the right word for this--it was beautiful and sad and in every way an aesthetic triumph in its honest portrayal of the Watts Projects in the mid 1970s--but it was still a bit rough around the edges. What's important, though, aren't the slight foibles of the director, but rather the context that this film was made in, and the absolute artistic brilliance of its sublime dialogue and visual composition.

As Dana Stevens writes for Slate:

Killer of Sheep is a collection of brief vignettes which are so loosely connected that it feels at times like you're watching a non-narrative film. But each of these moving parts has a necessary function, and when the movie's brief 87 minutes are up, you want to watch the whole thing over again to see how they all fit together.

This film probably isn't for everyone, but is certainly something to watch for those who wish to have a slight understanding of the emotional experience of African-Americans in the 1970s (something other than films like Foxy Brown, for example. Burnett turns a compassionate lens on his actors, and coaxes out performances that are at times crushingly depressing and powerfully hopeful.

brett at 08:39 AM on April 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday night we finally finished the third season of HBO's The Wire. It was probably one of the coolest shows/seasons of anything I've ever seen, which is weird for me to say because I generally really despise most television programming. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that HBO consistently produces higher quality and more thoughtful TV than any other outlet, but who knows.

Now that season 3 is over, and with it, many of the storylines and characters, I'm left with an odd feeling of emptiness (I actually had some weird dreams about Stringer Bell). I have to imagine that this is because the show has such rich character development and excellent casting, and it also manages to stay true to a lot of what really happens in urban cities: from the cops and robbers and drug addicts to the politicians and dockworkers and even teachers (in season 4, I hear). The writers and directors truly show both sides of the drugs trade, and reveal to us the common humanity that exists between cops, drug dealers and your average every day citizen--that is to say that The Wire shows us a lot of the faces and personalities of the black inner city, and in ways that don't necessarily demonize, but rather fuel understanding. I simply cannot write enough positive things about this show and the questions it raises.

If you haven't seen this yet, do yourself a huge favor and pick up the first three seasons on DVD, they are actually relatively cheap right now, and you'll be able to see what probably amounts to the best television show ever made--and barring that, at least one of the most phenomenal lineups of faces I've ever seen in any cast (Avon Barksdale, Stringer Bell, Omar, Cutty, Slim Charles, etc.).

A lot of this show was actually based around the experiences of the two writers, one who was a Baltimore reporter and the other who was a cop turned teacher (also in Baltimore). They wrote the book The Corner which had me enthralled in the heroin-drenched lives of those living near Monroe and Fayette streets, and now they've taken that same understanding of urban and African-American issues, and put it to work on the little screen. It's really a treat that no one should miss--an eye opening, entertaining look at the world which surrounds many of us, and that we still neglect. The show raises more questions than answers, and for that reason alone is worth a critical look.

brett at 08:21 AM on April 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the best producers in hip-hop (think Dilated People's classic song, "Worst Comes to Worst") has a new instrumental album out, and it is just fantastic, almost on par with last year's smooth Donuts by J. Dilla. Though it is only 14 tracks, The Alchemist's new album, Rapper's Best Friend is perfect spring/summer listening all the way through.

I particularly like the final track, "Shine," and will probably have this playing on repeat for the next month or so. It's all instrumental, and is comprised mostly of unreleased beats, though some previously released tracks for groups like Mobb Deep and artists like Tony Yayo have found their way onto the disc, too. Check it out, if you can.

brett at 09:58 AM on April 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

So after that 12 mile run yesterday? I was a little bit burned, but not badly, as I had applied sunscreen and also have relatively dark skin. Megan, on the other hand, forgot her sunscreen, and is probably the most fair skinned person I know. See below for details:

Yes, it is as bad as it looks. And if you touch her, she writhes in pain. Camping last night didn't help much, either.

brett at 12:17 PM on April 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wanted to remind everyone that I'm eatin' well. Below is some asparagus, bell pepper and mushroom pasta. The sauce is a red bell pepper, olive oil and dill puree. Delicious.

Tonight I'll be grilling some mushrooms and vegan burgers over an open fire out at Bluestem Lake. If you care to join me, you know the number to call!

brett at 05:52 PM on April 21, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Believe it or not, the photo below is the scene I came home to after a twelve mile run with Megan and Eric. At first I didn't know exactly what I was looking at, but when I got out the telephoto lens, my worst suspicions were indeed confirmed: two homeless people were well on their way to a sexual encounter about 100 yards from my apartment.

And yes, of course I took photos! Thankfully, someone pulled into the alley and they were deterred from finishing the dirty deed. But yet, I still feel somewhat filthy from having simply stumbled across this. Wowzers.

brett at 05:47 PM on April 21, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

What a week of riding and writing and cooking and sleeping and long jogs in the Spring sun. This week provided a lot of firsts: first week I've ran without my shirt this year, first time sitting outside on Arturo's new patio, first time truly hanging out with Dan P., and the first time writing an article for the Reader in under one hour (from interview to final product, whoops!).

Life is good. The weekend has a lot in store, starting with a big hip-hop show at the Chatterbox tonight featuring the Beatnuts:

This will provide a nice evening of partying in anticipation of Saturday, which will find me running my second 12-miler of the week with Megan. That should certainly be a blast, and help continue in the disintegration of essential body tissue located in and around my ankles and knees. I can't wait.

Saturday night I'll also be camping, and will probably take a few pictures. Maybe. Next Tuesday is the big Wasteoid show at the Chatterbox as well. I guess that means that Spring is finally here.

I'm looking forward to the Summer, and looking forward to the arrival of June, which will (hopefully!) mean the arrival of a small envelope from Waseda University saying "ACCEPTED!"

brett at 08:59 AM on April 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I just returned from the bank and post office, which means that all of my graduate school application materials are now officially out of my hands (and soon to be in the air over the Pacific Ocean). The final admissions decision for Waseda is May 24th, so hopefully by June 1st or so I should know whether or not I'm heading back to Japan in 2007. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Update: I would also like to note that although it isn't even May yet, I have a severe farmer's tan due to soccer and marathon training. Nice.

brett at 09:44 AM on April 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday ended with another installment of what has become pretty routine as of late: cooking a large vegan dinner on Sunday evening, and inviting a few people over to share in it and some wine (last night was a McWilliam's South Australian Shiraz!). I had decided earlier this week that I wanted to attempt something a bit more complex for dinner, and so we ended up creating some lasagna!

Though Megan didn't like these much, Eric and I couldn't stop eating them. What you see above is a plate of "tomato basil lasagna spirals," a dish of rolled up lasagna noodles stuffed with a filling made of walnut pesto, tofu, basil, cayenne, sun-dried tomatoes and more. The topping was a homemade tomato sauce that actually came out a bit sweeter than we expected (made up mostly of cherry tomatoes, basil and tomato paste with seasonings). We did a simple salad, spring greens with avocado, mushrooms and a block of miso-marinated tofu.

All in all it was delicious, though I think I can rework this recipe to have even more of a kick. The filling was nice, but a bit bland. Next time around I plan to add more spices and also something to thin it out a little bit--perhaps more olive oil.

brett at 08:57 AM on April 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

brett at 02:29 PM on April 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Eric and I did some serious cooking the other night, and what came out of it was a fine batch of drunken noodles. I modeled it after my favorite dish from the Blue Orchid, and improvised here and there (I couldn't get my hands on any vegan oyster sauce in town), but it ended up tasting great.

The first time I attempted this dish, I actually ruined the rice noodles, as I had never cooked with them before and they just didn't want to come out al dente (instead they were a gummy mess). The second try, however, yielded a delicious quarter inch wide noodle that was wonderful with the blanched broccoli, red onion, garlic, tofu, basil and red pepper flakes. Delicious. I think this will probably become a staple dish as I get better at it.

brett at 12:22 PM on April 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Just take a look at these big, fat boomers (yes, plural, there are actually two in that sack). Aren't they just massive? I picked them up at Russ's the other day, after discovering them hiding at the bottom of the mushroom bin. What a find.

Eric and I cooked up a couple of these the other night (dusting them with olive oil and then covering with a spice blend), and it tasted so fantastic that I simply had to go back and buy two more. These will taste great on some 9 grain bread, or perhaps marinated overnight with some tofu and tossed on the grill! Yum.

brett at 12:59 PM on April 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've received an update from Zach and Melissa, and they have started writing in their blog! So far it's sparse, but then again, they did just land in Japan. If you'd like to keep up with what their doing, check it out at http://blogs.bootsnall.com/zachary/. It sounds like so far they've been planting a lot of rice, something I've also had the opportunity to do, and it's a blast. Squishy feet, muddy ankles ankles and great weather, what more could a farmer desire?

brett at 08:40 AM on April 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Plenty of interesting stuff going on this week, most interesting of which is that I've started to do a bit of drawing again, in charcoal! I had a lot of free time this weekend, now that my graduate school applications are finished, and so Megan and I decided that we would do a bit of painting and drawing; her with watercolor and I with charcoal. It's a blast. I'll be sure to post some of my rudimentary work online in a few weeks.

Other neat things going on lately? Zucchini & walnut vegan muffins, my first foray into baking, were a huge hit with my father and also seemed to go over well at Easter dinner with the rest of my extended family. I spent Friday night in Omaha with Ryan and Megan, gambling on the penny slots at the Horseshoe Casino, eating blackened tempeh at McFoster's Cafe, drinking Bud Lite at The Brother's Bar, and finally watching a great show at O'Leaver's. A fantastic evening.

Also, Sam showed me a documentary on 'N' Street Liquor that her friend Sean pieced together. It is one of the most fascinating things that I've seen lately. He simply hung around the liquor store for what must have been weeks on end, and filmed the alcoholics who came in on what was probably an hourly basis. He interviews them and talks with them about their favorite drinks, why they drink, and what's going on in their lives. Amazing stuff that I think, with a little more work, could easily be turned into a full-length documentary worthy of at least regional distribution. What makes it so interesting is that it's alcoholism looked at from the lens of the enabler: the liquor store.

brett at 10:54 AM on April 09, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

As a child, I think I always made the (incorrect) subconscious assumption that rabbits laid eggs. I mean, I knew that rabbits didn't actually lay eggs--they come from chickens!--but something about easter and all the holiday marketing campaigns had my young brain convinced that colorful easter eggs did in fact come from bunnies. Anyway, Megan & Ryan dyed some eggs last night.

Some inappropriate eggs, that is. Yesterday actually had turned into somewhat of a major cooking day, though I'm not sure how. Eric and I grilled up "portabello mushroom steaks" and I also cooked what is becoming my standard asparagus/bell pepper dish. Fumio brought over a walnut and lime cream cake and there was also pesto, french bread and two bottles of wine. Where did all this food come from?! It's nights like these that I truly feel like I'm part of a vegan community. It's great to have support and also to be surrounded by people who love experimenting with new, ethically-sound foods just as much as I do.

In other news, Zach and Melissa are safe in Japan, and I have communicated with them. They are extremely busy but will be funneling more information our way as they get some free time. I'll keep everyone posted.

brett at 01:31 PM on April 08, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I finally had a chance to watch a David Lynch movie that I've been dying to see for months. We didn't actually have the DVD, so we watched it in an AVI through my computer hooked up to a television. I think the poor quality probably enhanced the experience, actually.

The film, Lost Highway, actually seems to depart a bit from standard David Lynch cinematography, but it stays committed to what has become Lynch's signature: keeping the audience tense, confused and begging for more. This was an astounding piece of suspense and psychology that I highly recommend. I'm going to try and watch it again sometime soon, actually, so let me know if you want in.

brett at 02:23 PM on April 05, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Last night I think I sat in a trance for about 45 minutes listening to the new Lil Wayne mixtape with a few friends. I've heard it before (about 10 times through), and I just can't get over how amazing he is. Truly, Lil Wayne has ascended to the status of "greatest rapper alive," and if he can keep this up, he will be making a claim for the G.O.A.T. here in another decade.

The new mix is called Da Drought 3 and is pretty much 15 straight tracks of Lil Wayne (at least on the version I have). All killer, no filler. He just sort of starts rapping and doesn't stop for about 60 minutes. We get to hear him sing, and spit "like a dog mouth," and even do something I would have to call spoken word poetry. It's effortless. It's whimsical. It's fun. It's something that's never been done with rap music before. As Jessica said, "It's as if he's never even heard rap music, like he doesn't know how it's supposed to sound." He takes other people's beats and makes them his own.

Right now, Lil Wayne isn't just the most exciting thing in hip-hop music, he's the most exciting thing in music, period, and if you aren't listening to him, you're missing out on some fantastic stuff.

I just can't believe that he keeps putting out masterpieces--and for free. Da Drought 3 is free, just like his last, phenomenal mixtape was. At the end of this one, he even says (while chomping a mouthful of gummi-bears): "I hope you got this for free, if not you're stupid."

So, already in 2007 we have about 2 mixtapes from him--both of which have legitimate claims at album of the year. Did I mention it's only April? He definitely has two major label studio albums slated for this year as well--but I'll bet he does three. 'Prolific' is a word that doesn't even scratch the surface of what Lil Wayne does. He doesn't make rap music, he is rap music--Lil Wayne is living, breathing proof that Nas was wrong (it was a great album, Eso, but hip-hop ain't dead, it's alive and spinning like a hurricane down in the 504, just go see for yourself). Anyone who sticks with the whole "hip-hop is dead" mantra after hearing Lil Wayne is just admitting to their own aging tastes in music.

If you still aren't convinced (after hearing Lil Weezy Ana 1, and Greatest Rapper Alive II) just get the new mixtape, and listen to him flow over Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." You won't believe your ears.

And speaking of those two mixtapes, I'd like to mention that Lil Wayne is just doing this for fun. He's dropping CDs left and right--literally giving them away--and he doesn't care. He encourages you to pirate his music, explicitly suggesting that those who bought it were morons. He understands his fan base. He understands what people want. He gets it.

He makes classic albums available for free on his website. He just makes music because, well, that's what he does and he fucking loves it. It's very, very rare to see a creator (in literature, music or art) operate at such a high level, so near apotheosis. Don't miss this. This is one of those special moments of genius that we are lucky enough to be living in the midst of and witness firsthand--I'm talking Jimi Hendrix, Pablo Picasso type genius. Genre shaking genius. The best part of it all is that it still feels like he's not even trying.

Get on the bandwagon, already. If you need copies of anything, let me know.

Update: I'd like to mention that the version of Da Drought 3 I have is most likely not even the actual mixtape. I only have one CD, and it is actually supposed to be a double disc. If the leaked, unpolished version is as good as I've described above, I can't even imagine what the finished product will be like.

Here's the first disc, in a torrent, if you'd like to, you know, hear a genius make music. And if you do download it, I highly recommend the track "My Daddy," an amazing, veiled rant against homophobia in rap music that turns into an oddball, acrobatic display of Lil Wayne's ability to turn words to liquid.

brett at 10:30 AM on April 05, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Two great songs dropped today. One, from UGK featuring Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast (a song which I think has major potential to be a hit single) and another diss song from The Game, aimed directly at (surprise) Tony Yayo and 50 Cent. They are both stellar, and guess what, I have them here for your listening pleasure:

[ UGK f. Outkast - International Player's Anthem ]
[ The Game - Body Bags ]

brett at 02:32 PM on April 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I bought a new plant this weekend. Actually, I bought three, but the most majestic of them all is my new, 5 foot tall jade tree! Isn't it magnificent?

This thing weighs over 100 pounds, easily, and I might be in love with it. Hopefully I will move it to a larger pot within the next few weeks, in order to give it some room to grow even bigger. I'm just a bit worried about how I'll get it out of my apartment when the time comes to move.

brett at 11:35 AM on April 02, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Megan and I spent most of the week preparing for Friday's vegan feast, and I'd say that it went off without a hitch. The guest list was nearly flawless, the atmosphere was perfect, and the food was exceptional (and not just because we cooked it!)

We served quite a bit of food on Friday, starting off with a vegan three-onion "appetizer pie," that had all kinds of goodies in it, and involved blending dry chips in a food processor--this thing was so thick that it was difficult to believe no animal products were used. The second appetizer was bruschetta with a very tasty olive and capers spread. Next was our soup--a clear miso with baby spinach, tofu and mushrooms--that came out incredibly well. The main course, however, was by far the best: we created a "Four 'P' Yellow Curry" that used a karee yellow curry with potatoes, pineapples, peppers and peas, served over jasmine rice. Dessert was soy ice cream (strawberry and vanilla) with fresh strawberries and bananas (thanks Liz!).

We drank four bottles of wine, 18 beers and sat around talking in the candlelight for more than a few hours. It was a blast, and something that I'll remember for many, many years. Thanks to everyone who came and helped make the evening a great one.

For those who don't know, Zach and Melissa will be leaving for Kansas City on Wednesday, then flying to Japan on Thursday, where they will begin work on an organic farm in Chiba, and then travel to Taiwan and possibly Nepal. I have a feeling they will be globe-trotting for quite a while. If you'd like to see them before they go, tonight may be your last chance: come to Lazlo's beer tour at about 6 p.m. and drink some free alcohol with all of us (just give me a call).

The rest of my weekend? The Prairie Vibrations Reggae Festival at the Zoo Bar on Saturday, and a 90 minute soccer game followed immediately by 9 miles of running with Megan on Sunday. My legs are pretty sore today. On the horizon this week? Putting the finishing touches on my graduate school applications, which will be in the mail exactly 14 days from now (and I will find out if I'm in or out by May 24th).

Also, there are a few more party pictures on flickr.

brett at 09:36 AM on April 02, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)