Megan had been craving pineapple curry for days, and so pineapple curry was what she got. I think that it turned out quite well, but next time I won't experiment so much with the tofu.

This also happens to be the same dish that we cooked for Zach & Melissa's going away party. Delicious!

brett at 05:49 PM on May 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was possibly one of the busiest, hungriest most tired days that I've had in recent memory. I'll spare you the details, but to make a long story short I spent about 8 hours in a small town 100 miles from here recording video footage for something we're putting together at work. The drive home was absolutely excruciating, especially considering I knew what was waiting in the mail for me at home.

An acceptance letter from Waseda. Specifically from Waseda's Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies. People always seem to say that moments like these are similar to having a heavy weight removed from one's chest. It wasn't exactly like that, but I'm feeling absolutely electric, and really, just happy to have all this anxiety finally gone.

Update: For those who know nothing of Waseda, here's some info from WikiPedia.

brett at 05:43 PM on May 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Well it's been nearly 2 months without an authentic Lil Wayne mixtape (I don't count the T.I., Young Jeezy and Juelz collabo mixes that came out this month), but worry not, the figured head of Young Money has managed to sneak in a bit of heat before summer.

I've said enough about Lil Wayne in the past for you to know how I am going to feel about this. I will, however, mention that this disc is mostly just a ton of great remixes, rather than truly new material. Diplo is on quite a few tracks, lending his mixing prowess, and it works quite well. Get yourself fixed up, DJ Benzi & Evil Empire Present Lil Wayne - None Higher (We Got the Remix). I particularly love hearing Weezy's verse on the Neptunes' produced "Heard of That." He just slaughters that beat, and Slim Thug should be embarrassed.

And just to note: has anyone been keeping track of the Lil Wayne releases this year? Just off the top of my head I'd say he's put out at least a dozen mixtapes since January 1st. That's a minimum estimate. Who has the count?

Update: This is probably going to make my year end list.

brett at 09:28 AM on May 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today, for a post-Farmer's Market lunch I ate a vegan reuben sandwich at Open Harvest, made with tempeh and vegan gourmet cheese. It was probably one of the richest things I've eaten since becoming vegan. Megan, ate the delicious sandwich below.

Just a standard hummus sammy with plenty of fresh veggies, but delicious nonetheless. Tonight looks like Roller Derby and two concerts on the agenda, though I may not make it to any of them, due to my newfound frugality in the face of increasing debt.

In other news, the graduate school responses have been mailed to me, and now it's only a matter of time before I know my fate. Probably next Tuesday or Wednesday. Talk about anxiety!

brett at 02:59 PM on May 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday night, Ryan, Megan and I went to see the film Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea. I had only read a brief description of the film on the Ross Theater's website, so I was a little skeptical going in with no trailer to judge things by. Boy was I surprised. This film is a gem in documentary film making.

To make a (very long) story short: the Salton Sea is California's largest lake (some 30 plus miles long) that was first filled by flooding from an engineering disaster on the Colorado River in 1905. It subsequently became a resort town designed to rival Palm Springs in the 1950s, but after a wave of crippling storms and agricultural runoff draining into the lake, it has morphed into an ecological disaster driven by incredibly high salinity levels: the lake routinely has fish die-offs in excess of 10 million (due to oxygen shortages and botulism), and also has major avian issues resulting from the contaminated fish.

Environmental concerns aside, the lake is still surrounded by tiny communities of eccentrics who refuse to leave, and still adore their oasis in the desert. The documentary chronicles their fascinating stories: a nudist who lives beside the highway, a man building an painted adobe mountain in tribute to God, relocated residents from L.A.'s South Central neighborhood, "Hunky Daddy," Salton Sea's unofficial mayor, and more. This film is a magnificent look at the lives of those truly American eccentrics who love their individuality and unique position relative to the whole of California. A true portrait of what one resident calls "the last American frontier," where land can still be bought for under a hundred dollars.

Unfortunately it leaves the Ross on Thursday, I believe. So you may want to go see it. Personally, I'm disappointed that I missed opening night last Friday, when the film's director was actually in Lincoln to give a short talk. Rats. More about the area on Wikipedia, and more about the movie here.

brett at 10:17 AM on May 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night was little more than a quick and dirty brocolli & tofu stir fry, yet it came out tasting a lot better than usual because of a different type of sauce I tried.

It was actually a very simple sauce: dark sesame oil, tamari, hoisin and sesame seeds with a bit of sugar. I just steamed some broccoli and fried some tofu in peanut oil, then stir-fried it all with the sauce mixture I had whipped up. I served it over white rice, and it was delightful. Somehow I had forgotten what a great combo broccoli and tofu make; they hardly need the addition of other vegetables for a filling dish.

brett at 08:27 AM on May 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm positive that last night was one of the best meals Megan and I have ever cooked. Words that come to mind are "light," "leafy," and "green" but also somehow "rich" and "hearty." It took me a bit to prep this meal for the soup and bok choy, but the actually assembly and cooking was relatively simple and fast. Margaret joined us with beer, as well.

So what was dinner, anyway? It was, as I had said, "A soup, a cold salad, and a hot salad." More specifically it was a Thai style spicy coconut soup with white mushrooms, tofu and cilantro, a vegan Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes and avocado, and braised baby bok choy with shiitake mushrooms in a hoisin style sauce. The soup was classic (and delicious), the bok choy was experimental (and delicious), and the Caesar salad (prepared by Megan) was easily the best salad I've eaten this year.

This meal was one of the first I've cooked in a while that didn't include a grain, in the form of either rice, potatoes, bread or noodles. I really enjoyed it, and I'll probably start cooking a few more meals like this, with an emphasis on making "side vegetables" (like the bok choy) into more of a main course. I think that will encourage smaller portions, and when combined with a salad and soup, create a delicious, light summer meal. More pictures of dinner over at Flickr. Definitely one of the best vegan feasts I've prepared in a while.

brett at 08:10 AM on May 21, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

And Homer's is officially done. The doors are locked, the shades are pulled, and the inventory looks to be basically liquidated.

What this means is that now, in downtown Lincoln, there is no longer a new record store. There are a few used outlets (Spindle and Recycled Sounds) that are still in operation, but nowhere is there a CD shop selling this week's new releases. That is pathetic. Blocks from a college campus, there is nowhere to buy new music. Nowhere within walking distance. This also means that soon, construction will start--just below my sleeping quarters--on another sandwich shop.

This is not an improvement to downtown Lincoln.

brett at 11:19 AM on May 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Farmers' Market is in its third weekend, and it was particularly crowded today--almost reminiscent of a large city! There's not much good produce yet (mostly just asparagus and green onions), but I have been picking up some nice bread.

Today was also relatively cool, which I think contributed to the massive amount of people downtown. Starting next week Grateful Bread will be down there, too, which means just one more of my favorite stores will be within a 5 minute walk from my front door. Hooray!

brett at 02:16 PM on May 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night there was some great clouds moving through the Lincoln area. Radar showed a massive storm headed our way, however we only got a slight downpour lasting 10 minutes, followed by some neat lightning.

It looked much cooler than it actually was. After I snapped this photo I thought that we were going to be in for a hell of a storm, but alas, Spring thunderstorms seem to be the things of sweet childhood memories and little more. I sort of tried to take a panoramic picture of the clouds, but I think I failed.

brett at 12:12 PM on May 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, Homer's is finally moving out. I guess the lease expired in November, but there are finally some new tenants who are ready to move in and take over.

So what this means is that I now have a new basement neighbor, Erbert and Gerbert's sandwich shop. I guess it's a small Midwestern chain, but judging by their website, they don't look very promising, especially considering that within one block there is a Jimmy John's, Subway, Doozy's, Planet Sub, Great Wraps and Pita Pit. Another sandwich shop? Whatever.

Check out the Journal Star article for a tiny bit more information on the move.

Also, in other downtown news, the revamped State Theater is slated to open this Thursday (according to the rumors I've heard). We shall see how that turns out... when I checked on Monday they had yet to lay the carpet or install the sound system. Oh, and it looked unpainted. Good luck, carpenters!

brett at 09:01 AM on May 15, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4)

This is the new Binary Star. Yesterday I was lucky enough to stumble across some of the freshest underground rap I've heard in years. It's funny, because I've been saying that intelligent, underground hip-hip has been dead (or at least on life support) for a few years now. It's all been a mishmash of bad copycats and underwhelming half-acts not truly devoted to the music, no better than their flashy, pop-rap counterparts. Basically I had been saying that underground hip-hop had fallen off bigtime, and yet here are the Blue Scholars to resurrect the genre, and show us how it is supposed to sound.

This Seattle duo tackles all the issues (war, poverty, corruption, love, education, etc) and they do it with a playful edge that still leaves room for some somber tracks, injecting more than a few introspective moments into the album, Bayani. This will certainly (owing to the Blue Scholar's geographic location and subject matter) become a darling of the white, college hip-hop crowd that loves to stare down their collective noses at artists like Lil Wayne. But who cares, this is good music, even if the pretentious hordes will attach themselves to it so they can continue sneering at music that isn't "white" enough for them.

This isn't good music, this is great music. Definitely top ten on the year, as of today, at least. Try and check it out if you can, the album, Bayani drops in stores on June 12, and the duo's beautiful harmony and poignant lyricism will definitely blow you away.

brett at 08:24 AM on May 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today I took an overhead photo of one of my small cacti. I tried to line it up to match with a photo I had taken of the same cactus about 6 months ago. Take a look.

If you look closely, you can still see the original branches that the cactus has grown from. Pretty explosive, I'd say. This plant has been a fun one to raise.

brett at 03:03 PM on May 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

I just thought I'd drop in with a few new singles for the weekend. Listen to them, or don't. The following are sometimes fun and sometimes stupid, but remain always as spring jams to prepare you for the summer jams that will undoubtedly be following in short order.

[Rage Against The Machine - Killing in the Name (Mr. Oizo Remix)]
[Shop Boyz - Party Like a Rock Star]
[Notorious BIG f. Akon - Tryin to Hold It Down]

I particularly like the Biggie track, though I wish Akon's synth-infused voice wasn't on there garbaging up what would otherwise be a dope song. Also, the RATM track is just asinine.

brett at 09:04 AM on May 11, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow. This is just fantastic. My calathea is flowering! This plant is one of my favorite houseplants. It has been a blast to take care of, and has shown explosive growth since I added it to my apartment.

What I love about this little guy is that his leaves actually unroll instead of simply growing out and getting large. They extend as little scrolls, and then just sort of unroll whenever they are ready. I also love the mysterious way in which it's leaves react to light: they prefer to point straight down during the day (looking as if they are dying), only to flip completely up at night when it's dark.

So the other day I noticed that something was extending out of the top of one stem. I assumed that it was simply another leaf, but after a closer inspection I realized that it didn't have the small, scroll-like look to it. No, it was flowering, and I was looking at a flower stem! This is just the first day, and so although I took a ton of photos of it, I anticipate more flowers as the spring progresses. Now let's just hope my jade tree can flower!

Also, if you like the photo above, I have it saved in a wallpaper format for your desktop. Download here.

brett at 05:00 PM on May 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a few things that I've been eating lately. First, a spinach and tofu calzone that I made from scratch, including the whole-wheat crust. Mine doesn't look so hot (in terms of the folding), but Ryan's came out great. Either way, it may not have looked perfect, but it tasted magnificent. When I recreate it, I plan on using a homemade tomato sauce to top it off.

Below is a whole-wheat pizza with pesto, tomatoes and garlic. All vegan, of course, and created in no time at all (despite the fact that I made the dough from scratch).

I let Ryan handle the dough rolling, which is why it ended up shaped like a heart! Yum!

brett at 06:44 PM on May 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I've been cooped up inside (due to a sprained ankle as well as nonstop thundershowers), I've had plenty of time to start on my massive summer reading list in international politics. I started with this dandy, Hans J. Morgenthau's classic "Politics Among Nations," considered the defining work on international relations since World War II.

Not brilliant prose by any means--dry and dense--this is truly a scholarly text with little room for flowery language, despite that, it manages to guide the reader through a concise description of the inner workings behind the international relations puppet-show we see playing out daily in the news. Morgenthau uses examples rooted in philosophy, politics and world history to make his point, and the book provides lessons in many fields beyond that of simply international relations.

The information in this is priceless, though I think that perhaps I'll need to read it a few more times to truly digest all of what Morgenthau was getting at in this 600 page monster.

brett at 01:10 PM on May 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

This weekend I had a chance to interview the Orlando based Sol.iLLaquists of Sound, one of the best new hip-hop acts--no, one of the best new musical acts--in the country. I was blown away by their jazz ringed, drum-and-bass infused rap music, a patchwork of styles held together by two female vocalists, but I was even more blown away by the foursome when I spoke with the group's producer, DiViNCi.

The four not only make music together, but they also live together in a house outside Orlando, are vegan, and consider themselves married by choice. They do nothing but make music, and are currently signed to a three album deal with Epitaph Records

Anyway, the show will certainly be the best hip-hop show in Nebraska this year. Not only is it at the Waiting Room, it's only 10 dollars, and will showcase a group that has some serious fire and passion in their music--as well as intelligence. They speak on all things, be they political, social, or even related more simply to the relationship between oneself and the divine. Plus, I hear that DaViNCi plays his MPC (a sampling machine) in the same manner as Yo-Yo Ma plays the Cello.

Don't miss it! May 13th, 9 p.m., Omaha, Nebraska. For some more elaboration on the group, see my article in this Thursday's Reader.

In other weekend news, I planted some more basil, propagated a philodendrum, a coleus and three jade trees. I bought a french press and some candles from a few garage sales, enjoyed the thunder and lightning, had a slow dinner with Megan at the Oven, went to a couple nice parties (one of which ended in a wet escape from police as Ryan and I descended three stories down a fire escape into ankle-deep floodwaters at 2 a.m.), watched Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and did a huge amount of cooking including: whole wheat pizza with pesto and tomatoes, gypsy soup, drunken noodles and more.

Also: I'm on my feet (foot?) again. But only barely!

Finally: congratulations Chia and Adam on your distinguished release from the wonderful institution that is the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the psychology and mathematics departments respectively. Good luck in the future.

brett at 09:28 AM on May 07, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you haven't been over to Zach and Melissa's Japan blog, you should definitely check it out. It's crazy to see them going through many of the same experiences that I went through when first traveling to Japan!

They also have a nice Flickr photostream going on. It's almost up to 300 or so photos, and there's some very interesting stuff in there. Go peep it. (The photo above was stolen from their page.)

brett at 10:46 AM on May 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a photo of my ankle, complete with ice and Ace bandage and bruising and all sorts of pain. Looks lovely, doesn't it?

So there it is. Disgusting bloated flesh that will keep me from doing most of my fun activities for at least a month. But even now, only about 48 hours later, I'm feeling significantly better, so here's hoping this heals quickly (but even if it does, that still doesn't solve the problem of what will surely be some ridiculous hospital bills).

brett at 10:34 AM on May 01, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)