tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29921442008-08-25T22:25:52.238-07:00You know that thrill you get when you're just about to kiss someone for the first time? This isn't like that.popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-68793913685260606902008-04-09T00:04:00.000-07:002008-04-09T00:08:57.099-07:00

Hey, all. I forgot to report this from my MySpace blog (it's been a while since I last did this, after all), but here it is, finally. I know I’ve been inexcusably incommunicado for a while. You know how life is. But I thought I’d bring you all a ray of sunshine, a breath of fresh air amidst our daily drudgery. The Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco Join up and show your support

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-90279793551771727942007-10-24T12:41:00.000-07:002007-10-24T12:47:08.315-07:00

Greetings from Reims, the heart of Champagne country! Since last I posted, Brandy's computer developed connectivity issues, so you'll have to wait for any substantive posts. This is just a quick hello to let you all know that we're still alive and well. P.S. - I really hate how French keyboards are laid out. A lot. You have to press shift to get a period, for God's sake.

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-16760700771140378752007-10-04T15:03:00.000-07:002007-10-04T15:25:20.256-07:00

Hello, all. It's just after midnight here in beautiful Krakow, Poland. Brandy and Jamie have gone to bed, and I'm sitting at the very nice computer in the Hotel Globtroter. It's been a bit of a struggle finding convenient (and free) Internet access in Europe thus far, but this place rules. It is really weird seeing all the Blogger prompts and instructions in Polish, though. I'll have a longer

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-40372577654544927982007-09-27T00:12:00.000-07:002007-09-27T00:14:03.922-07:00

Happy midnight, all. Brandy and I are in the midst of our final preparations and packing arguments. In less than eight hours, we'll be on a plane headed for... well, a layover in Chicago first. But after that, we'll be headed for Amsterdam to begin our five-week, whirlwind tour of Europe. Despite our historically bad timing (the currency exchange rate), we're really looking forward to this trip.

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-80622448837254829752007-09-21T10:13:00.000-07:002007-09-21T10:15:17.276-07:00

Hat tip to Aaron Gleeman and Deadspin for this. This prank was just too damn good to not post. For the blow-by-blow, click on the Deadspin link above.  

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-39115662945325728842007-09-14T09:25:00.000-07:002007-09-14T09:26:39.021-07:00

Well, that's done. Took my WSET exam yesterday morning. Think I did OK. Depending on what they were looking for in the short answer, I either did extremely well or extremely poorly. Either way, I learned a shitload, and if I have to retake the test, I have to retake the test. And to think, Level Four (the Diploma level) is exponentially more difficult. Now that I've finished this round of

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-70795903914052704802007-09-11T09:49:00.000-07:002007-09-11T09:50:13.936-07:00

Hey, all.I promise, I'll have a real post (short as it may be) on Friday.T-minus ~48 hours for the WSET Level Three exam.Off to study, study, study...

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-10285081169665205612007-08-31T15:31:00.000-07:002007-08-31T15:33:17.272-07:00

Not yet. But soon. You see, in preparation for my 15th high school reunion, the magic of which will be going down on Sunday, I just bought a new digital camera. This one, actually. I haven't used it yet, but I like the fact that it is only slightly larger than my business card holder and slightly smaller than my wallet. Now that's a small camera. The folks at CNET really liked it. The super-geeky

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-46714523233543672212007-08-29T07:23:00.000-07:002007-08-29T07:27:50.161-07:00

Good morning, lovely readers. I apologize for the extra-long hiatus from blogging (I know you require my incoherent ramblings to function on a day-to-day basis). I was sick, then Brandy was sick, then Brandy ended up having bronchitis, and you know that no one feels like sitting at a computer typing when they're sick / nursing someone back to health. Since the end of our long, slow recovery,

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-21917734270500109072007-08-09T08:49:00.000-07:002007-08-09T09:34:38.204-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while. I've been sick. Honestly, that's no excuse since I've been able to go to work and all, but it seems that when I'm sick and at home, I don't feel creative in the least, little bit. But Decanter Magazine's little email news flash turned me on to this site (eat-american.com) that highlights rare and nearly-extinct American agricultural products from

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-51499570091301896562007-07-26T09:12:00.000-07:002007-07-26T09:14:19.980-07:00

On Tuesday, Brandy took the day off, and we went to lunch at Zuni. We split a Caesar salad, a burger with blue cheese and heirloom tomatoes and an order of shoestring fries. Wonderfully tasty, as always (I do, however, miss the truffle burger). We decided that that is the perfect amount of food for lunch. Especially since... That night, we went to Morton's for dinner (yes, that's two restaurants

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-42422230815296409212007-07-19T08:59:00.000-07:002007-07-19T09:00:40.136-07:00

Well, this makes it four posts in three days. Weird. Anyway, if you find yourself in the Mission in the near future, you should try looking for these little stencils on the sidewalk. [Yes, the picture is the link to the post on SF MetroBlogs.] I must say that I loved these books as a child - the classic Choose-Your-Own-Adventures, the Middle-Earth-themed knock-offs, all of them. Very engrossing.

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-10137121019704804412007-07-18T09:56:00.000-07:002007-07-18T09:59:04.471-07:00

This story both angers and depresses me. That these people can continue to function without actually using their brain is an affront to all dead people (or to borrow one of their pet causes, an affront to all living Christians trapped in a persistent vegetative state). "There have always been intellectuals who want to tell people how to live," Martha adds, to an almost visible sense of relief.

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-20198896719718344662007-07-18T09:20:00.000-07:002007-07-18T09:21:45.140-07:00

In San Francisco? Well, it happened last night. When Brandy and I awoke this morning (waaayy too early), it was obvious that it had rained ovenight. I think it's great. A little rain washes away some of the dust, pee and detritus that tends to build up in San Francisco during the summer. The occasional summer rainstorm is one of the few things that I miss about the Midwest. NBC11 said that it was

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-11723389661645778312007-07-17T15:32:00.000-07:002007-07-17T15:33:53.039-07:00

The latest show on the Tivo... Burn Notice on USA. For those of you who don't know anything about the show, it's about a spy who gets fired, except when spies get fired they get burned - cut off from all contact, frozen out of all bank accounts and assets, and otherwise just dropped off the face of civilized earth. It's an interesting premise, and in execution it's a bit like James Bond meets

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-77435434366130217562007-07-09T23:11:00.000-07:002007-07-09T23:12:39.816-07:00

Yes, MySpace is great for keeping in touch with current friends and finding old friends and making new friends. But if you couldn't tell from my friends list, I also really like to utilize MySpace as a way to keep up with some of my favorite bands. Tonight, I was really happy that I do that. Tonight, I received a bulletin from the supremely lovely and talented Juliana Hatfield (or her duly

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-80286399262996641072007-07-09T10:15:00.001-07:002007-07-09T10:15:49.634-07:00

OK, already late for work, so you'll have to just content yourselves with these pictures. And yes, I broke down and started a Flickr account.  

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-69127255662749193562007-07-05T21:58:00.000-07:002007-07-09T10:17:05.767-07:00

Hey, kids. Remember when I mentioned that I had volunteered to work the All-Star FanFest? Well, it turns out that I passed my FBI background check (no jokes, please), and I'll be working two shifts. I'll be one of the first people you see on Friday, since I'm working the box office lines on the first morning of the event (that would be tomorrow at 9 a.m.). I'll be there until 1 p.m. in case any

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-15772618760429393482007-07-03T14:13:00.000-07:002007-07-03T14:18:18.751-07:00

No, Brandy's not pregnant. That would interfere with our ability to drink like champions on our impending Alcohol Tour of Europe™ (also known as the Joy of Drinking™ tour). The title refers to the band, the Goo Goo Dolls. And no, I don't like them; I rather dislike them, honestly. They make innocuous radio rock (that I once heard brilliantly described as "unoffensive") in much the same vein as

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-80787496977730851272007-06-21T13:45:00.001-07:002007-06-21T13:49:41.144-07:00

The past couple of weeks, with most network shows being on hiatus and all, Brandy and I have found ourselves watching a lot of Discovery Channel shows. They may be "reality" shows, but they're a lot more entertaining and informative than a bunch of idiots hurting themselves, eating scary/disgusting things, or playing politics in the midst of pointless, forced activities. A brief recap, then, of

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-59208311377238999742007-06-19T09:32:00.001-07:002007-06-19T09:35:58.938-07:00

Granted, this is probably something about which I could just as easily twitter, but it seems more fun to post here. Besides, you don't get to post these provocative titles on twitter, either. In any case, I have a confession to make. I use body wash, not bar soap. "Oooo... manly," you're thinking. Abso-fucking-lutely. But seriously, I just don't like feeling all waxy after I'm done showering. I

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-75426066650137382422007-06-13T10:11:00.000-07:002007-07-20T08:55:25.211-07:00

Oh, and as a rabid Tigers fan (and a proud Justin Verlander fantasy owner), I would be completely and utterly remiss if I didn't make any mention of the Tigers' first no-hitter since 19-freaking-84 (coincidentally the last season the Tigers won the World Series?). A beautifully funny write-up at Roar of the Tigers. This kid, she writes some really funny shit. It's turned into a daily must-read

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-80245058513509818202007-06-13T08:04:00.001-07:002007-06-13T08:04:34.159-07:00

On Sunday, Brandy and I did Date Night at the Symphony™. Again. We went to Indigo for dinner beforehand. Again. We sat in the Terrace seats. Again (although this time, we sat on the other side, behind the percussion). We heard them play a Mahler symphony. Again (this time, it was Symphony No. 7, the one for which they won the 2006 Grammys for Best Classical Album and Best Orchestral Performance).

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-7160197086570854372007-06-13T07:32:00.001-07:002007-06-13T07:32:52.211-07:00

Because I promised to post this on my blog... I didn't see any rules on the original, but I think it goes something like this: if you ask (in the comment section) for me to do you, I will answer (in the comment section) the below questions. I know there will probably only be one or two of you who submit to this sort of public sharing, but c'est la vie. 1. I'll respond with something random about

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2992144.post-28068447094654262522007-06-05T15:06:00.001-07:002007-06-05T15:06:47.068-07:00

Hey, all. After working yet another Saturday night (I can't wait until Pedro's ready to fly solo on Saturday nights), I was ready for a nice Sunday of rest and relaxation. Instead, Brandy and I went to see the Vivienne Westwood exhibition at the de Young Museum on Sunday. Yes, we went to a museum. Yes, she's a fashion designer. Yes, I'm straight. For those of you unfamiliar with her body of work,

popcultisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10972894415089504153noreply@blogger.com