Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A Glow of Candles
This is a collection of short stories by Charles L. Grant, a dark fantasy writer. The cover art is eyecatching, having a waxwork mime bowing on a stage, and slowly melting while a woman's hand is parting a curtain in the background. Now comes a little bit of commentary on several of the stories for starters, and then at last my impressions about the book in general.
The contents are:
A Crowd of Shadows
Hear Me Now My Sweet Abbey Rose
Temperature Days on Hawthorne Street
Come Dance With Me on My Pony's Grave
The Three of Tens
The Dark of Legends, The Light of Lies
Caesar, Now Be Still
White Wolf Calling
The Rest Is Silence
When All the Children Call My Name
Secrets of the Heart
A Glow of Candles, A Unicorn's Eye
The first thing about these stories that I noticed was, they weren't scary at all. This was unlooked-for, since the back cover clearly hinted at there being scariness within. Does this mean the author failed? I don't know. Most of the tales would ultimately end up being entertaining, particularly the ones exhibiting a Twilight Zone-like quality to the plot.
The scariest stories - or most closely approaching scary - for me were Crowd of Shadows, Temperature Days, and Legends/Lies. The cheesiest tale I found had to be Glow of Candles, although that's not at all to say it wasn't a good story. In fact it was the most iconic of the bunch, being set in a futuristic world of the author's that is just vaguely anti-utopian and is thus so seemingly probable as to set a mood of subdued dread that builds throughout the piece.
Temperature Days was the most gory of the stories and I found myself enjoying that aspect of it. It wasn't gory except by suggestion, but that's the kind of writing that really freaks me out. The mysterious figure of the Milkman is a powerful symbol of the unknown, something that provides a darkly contrasting backdrop to the tentative uncertainty to which most everyday humans are subject.
The Three of Tens to me seemed like it had potential to be a lot longer and more moody. I don't know why Grant decided to stuff that story into a mere 12 pages, but the characters weren't all that sympathetic to me anyway. Another story was a complete knock-off of an episode of TZ, where an omnipotent kid torments some adults. It's a fascinating enough subject to warrant a revisiting, I suppose. But the end seemed to me a tad too muddled to be satisfying.
This author seems fixated on some misadventure he'd had during his teaching career, involving Julius Caesar (the play) and his department's administration. At least two of the stories were inspired by that incident, and I seem to recall it being mentioned elsewhere. The Rest Is Silence is a fictionalized recount of what must have been the events Grant experienced. As it is "based on a true story", the reader becomes that much closer involved in the events portrayed, which quickly turn fantastical. A pretty unique monster is created in the place of an angry man, that was the counterpart of the author himself. But instead of just retiring from teaching, the character goes all-out and pulls some strange stunt. And also kills the guy that was holding him down.
More than half the stories ended up featuring mysterious deaths that are revealed to be the work of supernatural forces. I suppose that is what characterises this "dark fantasy" genre, or at least supplies much of the darkness. The rest comes from ruminations on the dubious nature of mankind. As I see it, that is a tendency of authors who are uninterested in exploring the nobility of the race.
I think the best quote comes from the end pages of the other Caesar story, Now Be Still: "We've withdrawn into a shell not of sophistication born of learning, but of fear born of knowing." This is an example of a fictional narration that is in fact meant to apply to the real world. Grant seems to be talking about people's attitudes of independence which merely serve to isolate them from each other. (Leadership is a lonesome task, etc.) Dependence on the other hand is still some type of a relationship, and binds people together. In the western world, chasing an ambition of your own is associated in a variety of ways with freedom. But while freedom is a harmless and downright worthy thing to pursue, unrestrained ambition seems to me a form of gratification which in effect extends free will into something that assumes powers and insights which simply don't exist.
My own opinions on this subject have wavered chaotically almost, as I have learned over the years the staggering dimensions of human greed and selfishness. And I keep coming back to fear as the cause behind everything. The fear that through carelessness, if not ambition if not malice, those others around us mean to rub us out. Yet how much do you really care about those people? How readily would you entrust to them your special values? Or take to heart even a little the values which they would sacrifice good sleep and more for? It's not being too dependent on our fellow man that we should be wary of, but rather not needing him at all, until you are the only thing left and your whole existence then boils down to little more than a mar on a rational universe.
So these stories probably won't make you gasp out loud or see visions in the dark but they're good food for thought, and entertaining as fantasy goes.
The contents are:
A Crowd of Shadows
Hear Me Now My Sweet Abbey Rose
Temperature Days on Hawthorne Street
Come Dance With Me on My Pony's Grave
The Three of Tens
The Dark of Legends, The Light of Lies
Caesar, Now Be Still
White Wolf Calling
The Rest Is Silence
When All the Children Call My Name
Secrets of the Heart
A Glow of Candles, A Unicorn's Eye
The first thing about these stories that I noticed was, they weren't scary at all. This was unlooked-for, since the back cover clearly hinted at there being scariness within. Does this mean the author failed? I don't know. Most of the tales would ultimately end up being entertaining, particularly the ones exhibiting a Twilight Zone-like quality to the plot.
The scariest stories - or most closely approaching scary - for me were Crowd of Shadows, Temperature Days, and Legends/Lies. The cheesiest tale I found had to be Glow of Candles, although that's not at all to say it wasn't a good story. In fact it was the most iconic of the bunch, being set in a futuristic world of the author's that is just vaguely anti-utopian and is thus so seemingly probable as to set a mood of subdued dread that builds throughout the piece.
Temperature Days was the most gory of the stories and I found myself enjoying that aspect of it. It wasn't gory except by suggestion, but that's the kind of writing that really freaks me out. The mysterious figure of the Milkman is a powerful symbol of the unknown, something that provides a darkly contrasting backdrop to the tentative uncertainty to which most everyday humans are subject.
The Three of Tens to me seemed like it had potential to be a lot longer and more moody. I don't know why Grant decided to stuff that story into a mere 12 pages, but the characters weren't all that sympathetic to me anyway. Another story was a complete knock-off of an episode of TZ, where an omnipotent kid torments some adults. It's a fascinating enough subject to warrant a revisiting, I suppose. But the end seemed to me a tad too muddled to be satisfying.
This author seems fixated on some misadventure he'd had during his teaching career, involving Julius Caesar (the play) and his department's administration. At least two of the stories were inspired by that incident, and I seem to recall it being mentioned elsewhere. The Rest Is Silence is a fictionalized recount of what must have been the events Grant experienced. As it is "based on a true story", the reader becomes that much closer involved in the events portrayed, which quickly turn fantastical. A pretty unique monster is created in the place of an angry man, that was the counterpart of the author himself. But instead of just retiring from teaching, the character goes all-out and pulls some strange stunt. And also kills the guy that was holding him down.
More than half the stories ended up featuring mysterious deaths that are revealed to be the work of supernatural forces. I suppose that is what characterises this "dark fantasy" genre, or at least supplies much of the darkness. The rest comes from ruminations on the dubious nature of mankind. As I see it, that is a tendency of authors who are uninterested in exploring the nobility of the race.
I think the best quote comes from the end pages of the other Caesar story, Now Be Still: "We've withdrawn into a shell not of sophistication born of learning, but of fear born of knowing." This is an example of a fictional narration that is in fact meant to apply to the real world. Grant seems to be talking about people's attitudes of independence which merely serve to isolate them from each other. (Leadership is a lonesome task, etc.) Dependence on the other hand is still some type of a relationship, and binds people together. In the western world, chasing an ambition of your own is associated in a variety of ways with freedom. But while freedom is a harmless and downright worthy thing to pursue, unrestrained ambition seems to me a form of gratification which in effect extends free will into something that assumes powers and insights which simply don't exist.
My own opinions on this subject have wavered chaotically almost, as I have learned over the years the staggering dimensions of human greed and selfishness. And I keep coming back to fear as the cause behind everything. The fear that through carelessness, if not ambition if not malice, those others around us mean to rub us out. Yet how much do you really care about those people? How readily would you entrust to them your special values? Or take to heart even a little the values which they would sacrifice good sleep and more for? It's not being too dependent on our fellow man that we should be wary of, but rather not needing him at all, until you are the only thing left and your whole existence then boils down to little more than a mar on a rational universe.
So these stories probably won't make you gasp out loud or see visions in the dark but they're good food for thought, and entertaining as fantasy goes.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A Bio through Speeches
The Eloquent President: A Portrayal of Lincoln through his Words by Ronald White isn't a comprehensive biography of Lincoln, but rather analyses of various speeches Lincoln's made during or before his presidency. While pretty accessible to people without an English or Communications background, it is more a rhetorical analysis than a standard biography. On the other hand, there's plenty of biographical detail for someone who wants snapshots at various figures or events of Lincoln's time, including Lincoln himself. For instance, White spends pretty significant time on emphasizing the partisan role of newspaper editors then (they didn't worry about media bias at that time because they didn't seem to see bias as a bad thing ;)).
However, in the end, the main emphasis is on analysis of Lincoln's speeches- his process in writing them, their relations to one another, their word structure. Two things that White did well in helping people appreciate the speeches are: 1) he'd stack up phrases one after another, sometimes with slight indents, to help people see how each phrase builds on the other and also to enhance their poetic quality; 2) he'd compare earlier and later speeches' line by line to help people see the progression of ideas from one speech to another.
White also picks a good selection of different speeches by Lincoln, all related. One of the primary themes is the progression of Lincoln's ideas on slavery. Another theme, if I understand it correctly, is Lincoln's move from rationalism to a deeper appreciation of divine will. The two intersect; Lincoln early in his presidency tries to avoid the topic of slavery, but toward the end of his presidency, sees the Civil War itself almost as divine punishment for America's sin of slavery. Hence, the selection of speeches doesn't just include Lincoln's major (and some minor) public addresses, but also Lincoln's private "Meditation on the Divine Will."
Like that private musing, many of the selections were not actual speeches given by Lincoln but addresses written by Lincoln to be read by someone else (for instance, a letter at a rally, or his addresses in Congress- at that time, presidents didn't give State of the Union speeches in person). However, White helps us appreciate how Lincoln, being attentive to speaking to an audience, wrote with a live audience in mind. Thus, even Lincoln's addresses are like speeches, especially in how he writes for the ear, rather than just writing for quiet reading.
Other than being an interesting study of Lincoln on its own, the book is also pretty good at helping a novice learn how to speak or write well. It's not written as a manual, so it's not something that can be picked up directly. But if someone had a mind to it, he could use the book as a reference while reading Lincoln's addresses, and in that way, develop a good speech and writing style.
One thing about Lincoln that makes his eloquence relevant to today's is that Lincoln liked plain speech, so his metaphors and his words were usually accessible to a lay audience. That's especially applicable in today's mass society, since today, people prefer plain to florid speech.
However, in the end, the main emphasis is on analysis of Lincoln's speeches- his process in writing them, their relations to one another, their word structure. Two things that White did well in helping people appreciate the speeches are: 1) he'd stack up phrases one after another, sometimes with slight indents, to help people see how each phrase builds on the other and also to enhance their poetic quality; 2) he'd compare earlier and later speeches' line by line to help people see the progression of ideas from one speech to another.
White also picks a good selection of different speeches by Lincoln, all related. One of the primary themes is the progression of Lincoln's ideas on slavery. Another theme, if I understand it correctly, is Lincoln's move from rationalism to a deeper appreciation of divine will. The two intersect; Lincoln early in his presidency tries to avoid the topic of slavery, but toward the end of his presidency, sees the Civil War itself almost as divine punishment for America's sin of slavery. Hence, the selection of speeches doesn't just include Lincoln's major (and some minor) public addresses, but also Lincoln's private "Meditation on the Divine Will."
Like that private musing, many of the selections were not actual speeches given by Lincoln but addresses written by Lincoln to be read by someone else (for instance, a letter at a rally, or his addresses in Congress- at that time, presidents didn't give State of the Union speeches in person). However, White helps us appreciate how Lincoln, being attentive to speaking to an audience, wrote with a live audience in mind. Thus, even Lincoln's addresses are like speeches, especially in how he writes for the ear, rather than just writing for quiet reading.
Other than being an interesting study of Lincoln on its own, the book is also pretty good at helping a novice learn how to speak or write well. It's not written as a manual, so it's not something that can be picked up directly. But if someone had a mind to it, he could use the book as a reference while reading Lincoln's addresses, and in that way, develop a good speech and writing style.
One thing about Lincoln that makes his eloquence relevant to today's is that Lincoln liked plain speech, so his metaphors and his words were usually accessible to a lay audience. That's especially applicable in today's mass society, since today, people prefer plain to florid speech.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Brothers
This review of the Star Trek TNG episode "Brothers" (ep 3, season 4) focuses on the character of Lore (portrayed by Brent Spiner), the android predecessor and figurative brother of Lt. Commander Data. I'll begin with a short summary of the episode.
One day on the bridge of the Enterprise, for unexplained reasons, Data begins reprogramming the ship computer. He removes the air supply from the bridge area (forcing the rest of the crew down to the engineering headquarters of the ship) and uses various means to disable the captain's control and prevent interference. He then pilots the vessel to a mysterious planet, where its sole inhabitant is revealed to be Dr. Noonien Soong, his creator. He had sent out a signal which turned on a sort of auto-pilot mode inside Data and made him come to the scientist, who then restores Data's normal state of self-awareness. He introduces himself and then laments Data's career choice of working in Starfleet. Data asks why he was created, and Soong replies that it's a lot like the human urge to procreate, and that he hoped Data would follow in his footsteps.
After a brief time, Lore also shows in Soong's lab, having responded to the same homing signal. Despite a warning by Data, Soong returns him to normal as well, and a bitter confrontation ensues. Lore blames his father for disassembling him and Data for setting him adrift in space. Lore was about to storm out when Soong tells him he summoned them because he was sick and didn't have long to live. Dr. Soong shows Data an emotion chip, which is supposed to enable him to experience basic human emotions. He then takes a nap, and on waking, installs the chip into what appears to be Data. But in fact it was Lore who had disabled his brother and switched clothing. Soong tells him the chip's effect would be unpredictable, since it was specially designed for Data's use (he hadn't known that Lore was "alive" until that day). But Lore ignores his words and hurls him across the room and then teleports away. At this point the Enterprise crew has managed to regain enough control to beam down to the planet and collect Data.
In a side story throughout the episode, a kid played a practical joke on his brother that resulted in him being infected by some contagious disease. The cure could be administered only at a nearby starbase facility where he needed to be taken within 3 days. Data's commandeering of the ship places the boy's fate in great peril, heightening the drama. However when the ship gets to the starbase on time, the sick boy seems to have forgiven his brother and they are shown playing together again.
The way that Brent Spiner executes the part, one couldn't help but sympathize with Lore. The wicked android has been shown in an erlier episode to be capable of indirect mass murder, when he lured a giant space crystal entity to his homeworld to eat all the humans. Dr. Soong has called him unstable and said he "wasn't functioning properly", hence the need to disassemble him all those years ago. But when in this episode he looked pleadingly at Dr. Soong, and said, "Why didn't you fix me?" I had a chilling feeling. I don't know too many people whose behavior borders on the sociopathic the way that Lore's does, but everyone has imperfections of character or an emotional weakness here and there. His inquiry to his creator was akin to a prayer to God himself, asking why he is plagued by weakness and inadequacy. The bitterness eating away at him comes out later when he accuses Soong of using sub-standard parts to make him, and says "you owe me." But by then the emotion chip was working in him, and appeared to be amplifying his anger.
It's interesting how if you liken the emotion chip implantation to a reverse-lobotomy, the scene could be viewed as a statement about psychological "treatments" (albeit in the context of androids and positronic brains). At one point Lore says that Data would be more like him if the latter had the chip installed. Dr. Soong also points out that it would make Data more trusting of Lore. But as it turns out, Data was right all along to have distrusted his brother. Soong seemed to think that familial harmony was more important than being right. Certainly the emotion chip appears to make Lore more dangerous, since earlier he seemed genuinely upset upon hearing of his builder's anticipated death, while after getting the chip he thinks nothing about weilding his android strength in shoving the sick scientist. But is that purely because the chip was not "prescribed" for him, but for Data? Or would Data - a reliable, rational and ultimately stable individual - lose all of these traits in becoming more human? It seems that when brains and personalities are concerned, there aren't any cures: only a trade-off is possible.
I have a sister who I've had a historical animosity with. I would liken her to Lore, in terms of having an unstable "evil" personality. (I suppose she viewed me the same way for much of her life.) As pushy and demanding as she was, it was difficult at best to coexist with her in our little apartment. At one point she moved in with our grandparents so as to put distance between her and myself, and I was real grateful for that sacrifice on her part. But I think always in her mind I was an evil brother, without regard for her personal space, her things or her comfort while living together (never mind being protective and caring the way an older brother ought to have been.)
More recently she has been behaving quite civilly when I was around, and helping me out with such things as I need and even seems to appreciate when I do things for her. I've grown as a person too, I like to think... Although really it was her realization that there's more to life than antagonizing those who annoy her that is bringing peace back into the relationship. I guess I have to ask myself whether logic winning out every time was worth the absense of brotherly love as such. It's a hard question to consider. In the extreme case of Lore it was just as well, since fewer people got hurt that way. But Dr. Soong seemed to think that he knew what was best for his creation, and would have preferred it if Data could give compassion to his evil twin.
And in a final sense, I would agree that compassion is the most important psychological ability that a person has at their disposal. It may come easy as in the case of a father for his child or siblings for each other, or it may be difficult, as when trying to understand the viewpoint of a villain. But even more so than logic, it has a great potential for making the galaxy a better place.
One day on the bridge of the Enterprise, for unexplained reasons, Data begins reprogramming the ship computer. He removes the air supply from the bridge area (forcing the rest of the crew down to the engineering headquarters of the ship) and uses various means to disable the captain's control and prevent interference. He then pilots the vessel to a mysterious planet, where its sole inhabitant is revealed to be Dr. Noonien Soong, his creator. He had sent out a signal which turned on a sort of auto-pilot mode inside Data and made him come to the scientist, who then restores Data's normal state of self-awareness. He introduces himself and then laments Data's career choice of working in Starfleet. Data asks why he was created, and Soong replies that it's a lot like the human urge to procreate, and that he hoped Data would follow in his footsteps.
After a brief time, Lore also shows in Soong's lab, having responded to the same homing signal. Despite a warning by Data, Soong returns him to normal as well, and a bitter confrontation ensues. Lore blames his father for disassembling him and Data for setting him adrift in space. Lore was about to storm out when Soong tells him he summoned them because he was sick and didn't have long to live. Dr. Soong shows Data an emotion chip, which is supposed to enable him to experience basic human emotions. He then takes a nap, and on waking, installs the chip into what appears to be Data. But in fact it was Lore who had disabled his brother and switched clothing. Soong tells him the chip's effect would be unpredictable, since it was specially designed for Data's use (he hadn't known that Lore was "alive" until that day). But Lore ignores his words and hurls him across the room and then teleports away. At this point the Enterprise crew has managed to regain enough control to beam down to the planet and collect Data.
In a side story throughout the episode, a kid played a practical joke on his brother that resulted in him being infected by some contagious disease. The cure could be administered only at a nearby starbase facility where he needed to be taken within 3 days. Data's commandeering of the ship places the boy's fate in great peril, heightening the drama. However when the ship gets to the starbase on time, the sick boy seems to have forgiven his brother and they are shown playing together again.
The way that Brent Spiner executes the part, one couldn't help but sympathize with Lore. The wicked android has been shown in an erlier episode to be capable of indirect mass murder, when he lured a giant space crystal entity to his homeworld to eat all the humans. Dr. Soong has called him unstable and said he "wasn't functioning properly", hence the need to disassemble him all those years ago. But when in this episode he looked pleadingly at Dr. Soong, and said, "Why didn't you fix me?" I had a chilling feeling. I don't know too many people whose behavior borders on the sociopathic the way that Lore's does, but everyone has imperfections of character or an emotional weakness here and there. His inquiry to his creator was akin to a prayer to God himself, asking why he is plagued by weakness and inadequacy. The bitterness eating away at him comes out later when he accuses Soong of using sub-standard parts to make him, and says "you owe me." But by then the emotion chip was working in him, and appeared to be amplifying his anger.
It's interesting how if you liken the emotion chip implantation to a reverse-lobotomy, the scene could be viewed as a statement about psychological "treatments" (albeit in the context of androids and positronic brains). At one point Lore says that Data would be more like him if the latter had the chip installed. Dr. Soong also points out that it would make Data more trusting of Lore. But as it turns out, Data was right all along to have distrusted his brother. Soong seemed to think that familial harmony was more important than being right. Certainly the emotion chip appears to make Lore more dangerous, since earlier he seemed genuinely upset upon hearing of his builder's anticipated death, while after getting the chip he thinks nothing about weilding his android strength in shoving the sick scientist. But is that purely because the chip was not "prescribed" for him, but for Data? Or would Data - a reliable, rational and ultimately stable individual - lose all of these traits in becoming more human? It seems that when brains and personalities are concerned, there aren't any cures: only a trade-off is possible.
I have a sister who I've had a historical animosity with. I would liken her to Lore, in terms of having an unstable "evil" personality. (I suppose she viewed me the same way for much of her life.) As pushy and demanding as she was, it was difficult at best to coexist with her in our little apartment. At one point she moved in with our grandparents so as to put distance between her and myself, and I was real grateful for that sacrifice on her part. But I think always in her mind I was an evil brother, without regard for her personal space, her things or her comfort while living together (never mind being protective and caring the way an older brother ought to have been.)
More recently she has been behaving quite civilly when I was around, and helping me out with such things as I need and even seems to appreciate when I do things for her. I've grown as a person too, I like to think... Although really it was her realization that there's more to life than antagonizing those who annoy her that is bringing peace back into the relationship. I guess I have to ask myself whether logic winning out every time was worth the absense of brotherly love as such. It's a hard question to consider. In the extreme case of Lore it was just as well, since fewer people got hurt that way. But Dr. Soong seemed to think that he knew what was best for his creation, and would have preferred it if Data could give compassion to his evil twin.
And in a final sense, I would agree that compassion is the most important psychological ability that a person has at their disposal. It may come easy as in the case of a father for his child or siblings for each other, or it may be difficult, as when trying to understand the viewpoint of a villain. But even more so than logic, it has a great potential for making the galaxy a better place.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Cakes-a-plenty, and other edibles
As my copy of Moby Dick appears to have sounded to the unfathomable depths, I now bring you the first of what I hope will be many informative food reviews. Below you will not find a detailed comparison of steak from steakhouses, or intelligent discussions of fois gras or vodka & caviar... Just regular foods that regular people can buy at the supermarket.
First on our list are the Yoplait yogurts. But not just any Yoplait - the custard style ones, having the gold lid and called "thick and creamy" on the container. To my knowlege, they come in at least 3 flavors: banana, strawberry, and peach. Yoplait has long been the king of blended yogurts, with their products being rather devoid of texture (we call this "smoothness" though, and desire it) compared to the similarly packaged LaYogurt. But their thick & creamy style yogurt is unique in being almost jello-like in consistency, and just as fun to eat. To the eye, when the lid comes off (with some tiny bubbles sometimes showing at the edges of the unbroken surface of the yogurt) it suggests white or pink chocolate, and always makes me feel a little giddy deep inside. I will admit having sometimes dreamt of eating half a dozen of the banana flavored cups in one sitting, although that would of course be an excessive quantity of yogurt!
The next item I want to talk about is Stop & Shop apple bread. This is a typical loaf of sliced white bread, except with little bits of apple throughout. Say what you will about store brand food products (you could begin by saying that they try to compete in price alone), but this bread delivers some really great taste. For anyone that loves raisin bread, and is not aware of the possibilities of other lightly flavored fruity bread, this will come as a welcome eye-opener. But while toasted raisin bread goes great with peanut butter and breakfast tea, the great topper for apple bread, I found, is pepper jack cheese in a sandwich melt. What I mean by this is simply, I would melt the cheese for a few seconds in the microwave, until it's a bit sweaty looking and the edges of each slice are rounded. Of course neither would compare to something similar bought fresh from a bake store... But as far as being an economical and convenient alternative, Stop & Shop apple bread is a winner!
Next up is a product that has been close to my heart for many a year. Entenmann's makes two kinds of cheesecake: The Deluxe French Cheese Cake, and the Pineapple Filled Cheese Cake. While some detractors will claim that Entenmann's - with it's mass-production style and highly processed ingredients and preservatives - has no business selling cheesecakes, the reality is that both of the aforementioned cakes taste fantastic. The french style cake is very soft and features a creamy, slightly tart flavor; while the pineapple variety is made more in the New York style: with a subtly browned outer membrane covering the top of the relatively firm cake, and a crumb crust holding it up from below. Especially exciting is the pineapple filling that lies between the cheesy part of the cake and the crust. Not only is it of a great quality, but the moisture from this filling eventually imbues the crumb crust with a sponginess that makes it very palatable indeed (favorably comparing with more expensive bake shop cakes, whose crusts often are much too dry and/or too sweet to complement the cake properly.) A strawberry topping for cheesecake may be much more common in New York, but the pineapple jam is a fantastic idea and a pairing well worth sampling.
While we're on cakes I will round out the review with an ode to carrot cake. Some of you may be thinking, "Carrots? What, in a cake?" Well if that's the case, then you've truly been missing out. Carrot cake may just be the best cake this poor race of man has ever achieved! It's dense yet light, flavorful yet not oppressive, and doesn't require any particular mood or occasion to taste just right. There are several variants available, the more heathenish ones being "plain" or icingless carrot cakes. But a good carrot cake is easily recognizeable by the characteristic aroma, and very often the appearance of a "white-topped brick-like" construction. Now, it's a little known fact, but the best parts of carrot cakes are the nuts and the raisins... Foolish is the carrot cake-maker that doesn't pay great homage to raisins! The cream cheese icing obviously is integral as well, as it highlights the complexity of the dessert (a complexity which otherwise may not be duly appreciated...) Which is the reason why - and I'll not bring up my secret sweet tooth then - personally I disdain the plain carrot cakes, though they are still worthwhile if skillfully baked with the aforementioned necessary components.
First on our list are the Yoplait yogurts. But not just any Yoplait - the custard style ones, having the gold lid and called "thick and creamy" on the container. To my knowlege, they come in at least 3 flavors: banana, strawberry, and peach. Yoplait has long been the king of blended yogurts, with their products being rather devoid of texture (we call this "smoothness" though, and desire it) compared to the similarly packaged LaYogurt. But their thick & creamy style yogurt is unique in being almost jello-like in consistency, and just as fun to eat. To the eye, when the lid comes off (with some tiny bubbles sometimes showing at the edges of the unbroken surface of the yogurt) it suggests white or pink chocolate, and always makes me feel a little giddy deep inside. I will admit having sometimes dreamt of eating half a dozen of the banana flavored cups in one sitting, although that would of course be an excessive quantity of yogurt!
The next item I want to talk about is Stop & Shop apple bread. This is a typical loaf of sliced white bread, except with little bits of apple throughout. Say what you will about store brand food products (you could begin by saying that they try to compete in price alone), but this bread delivers some really great taste. For anyone that loves raisin bread, and is not aware of the possibilities of other lightly flavored fruity bread, this will come as a welcome eye-opener. But while toasted raisin bread goes great with peanut butter and breakfast tea, the great topper for apple bread, I found, is pepper jack cheese in a sandwich melt. What I mean by this is simply, I would melt the cheese for a few seconds in the microwave, until it's a bit sweaty looking and the edges of each slice are rounded. Of course neither would compare to something similar bought fresh from a bake store... But as far as being an economical and convenient alternative, Stop & Shop apple bread is a winner!
Next up is a product that has been close to my heart for many a year. Entenmann's makes two kinds of cheesecake: The Deluxe French Cheese Cake, and the Pineapple Filled Cheese Cake. While some detractors will claim that Entenmann's - with it's mass-production style and highly processed ingredients and preservatives - has no business selling cheesecakes, the reality is that both of the aforementioned cakes taste fantastic. The french style cake is very soft and features a creamy, slightly tart flavor; while the pineapple variety is made more in the New York style: with a subtly browned outer membrane covering the top of the relatively firm cake, and a crumb crust holding it up from below. Especially exciting is the pineapple filling that lies between the cheesy part of the cake and the crust. Not only is it of a great quality, but the moisture from this filling eventually imbues the crumb crust with a sponginess that makes it very palatable indeed (favorably comparing with more expensive bake shop cakes, whose crusts often are much too dry and/or too sweet to complement the cake properly.) A strawberry topping for cheesecake may be much more common in New York, but the pineapple jam is a fantastic idea and a pairing well worth sampling.
While we're on cakes I will round out the review with an ode to carrot cake. Some of you may be thinking, "Carrots? What, in a cake?" Well if that's the case, then you've truly been missing out. Carrot cake may just be the best cake this poor race of man has ever achieved! It's dense yet light, flavorful yet not oppressive, and doesn't require any particular mood or occasion to taste just right. There are several variants available, the more heathenish ones being "plain" or icingless carrot cakes. But a good carrot cake is easily recognizeable by the characteristic aroma, and very often the appearance of a "white-topped brick-like" construction. Now, it's a little known fact, but the best parts of carrot cakes are the nuts and the raisins... Foolish is the carrot cake-maker that doesn't pay great homage to raisins! The cream cheese icing obviously is integral as well, as it highlights the complexity of the dessert (a complexity which otherwise may not be duly appreciated...) Which is the reason why - and I'll not bring up my secret sweet tooth then - personally I disdain the plain carrot cakes, though they are still worthwhile if skillfully baked with the aforementioned necessary components.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Two out of Three Ain't Bad
So a few months ago, Meatloaf came out with Bat out of Hell III. I don't think it has quite the grandeur or creativity as I and II, but like Meatloaf sang in the first Bat out of Hell album, "two out of three ain't bad."
In I, the world was introduced to Wagnerian Rock, composer / songwriter Jim Steinman's mix of rock and opera in epic excess.
But while known best for the excess of the title track, Bat out of Hell III wasn't just about excess. It was also about campy teenage love (Paradise by the Dashboard Lights) and lost romance (Two out of Three Ain't Bad). The lyrics sometimes bordered on the ridiculously overblown, and that was part of the charm. Basically, if you like simple melodies, you will never like a Jim Steinman song. But if you don't take things too seriously and just want to enjoy the camp, then it's great.
Bat out of Hell II - actually produced by Steinman this time- and coming more than 10 years after Bat out of Hell- was even more excessive than Bat out of Hell. Bat out of Hell featured 3 songs clocking over 7 minutes. Well, Bat out of Hell II featured 6 songs longer than 7 minutes. Those songs featured long and weird titles like, "I Would Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)," "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back," and "Objects in the Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are." Some of the lyrics were so ridiculous that you'd just have to laugh. For instance, there's:
"What about your childhood?
Its defective!
Its dead and buried in the past"
which doesn't seem too strange. A bit excessive, but fairly normal. But it's followed by:
"What about your future?
Its defective!
And you can shove it up your ass!!"
What the... I mean what .... there's *no* transition there.
Now after another hiatus of ten-odd years, we have Bat out of Hell III, where some of the songs were written by Jim Steinman, but where he's otherwise been almost uninvolved. And when you're missing Jim Steinman's touch, you just don't have a great Meatloaf. Meatloaf's voice has held up well over the years. The songs are still bombastic and excessive, but somehow, the thrill is gone, and I'm afraid we can't take it back.
The signature songs on this album are "The Monster is Loose," which is kind of metal-y. It isn't *bad* but it doesn't quite add anything to the Meatloaf canon. He already sung the ultimate epic with "Bat out of Hell," and he already sung the ultimate long and overdrawn but seemingly not dragging out love ballad with "I Would Do Anything for Love," and he's already sung a hard-rock Meatloaf in "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back," so what was the point of "The Monster is Loose?"
So Meatloaf tries his hand at a love duet, which traditionally he's been quite good at, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." Now I probably won't say this for any other song, but Celine Dion already did the definitive rendition for that like 10 years ago. Meatloaf's version is actually *not* excessive enough. It's actually kind of quiet. And his duet partner's role is basically to echo him, rather than contributing significant verses on her own. Meatloaf's best duet was in "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights." Even though the two singers certainly sound much older than teenagers, they push off 70's drive-in teen angst very well, and the transition from professions of love to can't stand the hell out of each other is quite convincing.
All in all, still a very listenable album- that is, if you're into Wagnerian rock. Meatloaf has the balls to sing and Jim Steinman has the balls to write lyrics that are so absurd that only someone with straight out moxy can, such as "Your love is blind- blind as a bat!" And I think that's gotta count for something. Better than the endless verses ending in "hold me tight" with most other pop songs. And there's something much more fun about the emotional overwroughtness of Wagnerian Rock, which is even more overblown than most 80s power ballads, as opposed to the empty mechanical songs that usually get cranked out now, where the singer has no conviction.
In I, the world was introduced to Wagnerian Rock, composer / songwriter Jim Steinman's mix of rock and opera in epic excess.
But while known best for the excess of the title track, Bat out of Hell III wasn't just about excess. It was also about campy teenage love (Paradise by the Dashboard Lights) and lost romance (Two out of Three Ain't Bad). The lyrics sometimes bordered on the ridiculously overblown, and that was part of the charm. Basically, if you like simple melodies, you will never like a Jim Steinman song. But if you don't take things too seriously and just want to enjoy the camp, then it's great.
Bat out of Hell II - actually produced by Steinman this time- and coming more than 10 years after Bat out of Hell- was even more excessive than Bat out of Hell. Bat out of Hell featured 3 songs clocking over 7 minutes. Well, Bat out of Hell II featured 6 songs longer than 7 minutes. Those songs featured long and weird titles like, "I Would Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)," "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back," and "Objects in the Rearview Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are." Some of the lyrics were so ridiculous that you'd just have to laugh. For instance, there's:
"What about your childhood?
Its defective!
Its dead and buried in the past"
which doesn't seem too strange. A bit excessive, but fairly normal. But it's followed by:
"What about your future?
Its defective!
And you can shove it up your ass!!"
What the... I mean what .... there's *no* transition there.
Now after another hiatus of ten-odd years, we have Bat out of Hell III, where some of the songs were written by Jim Steinman, but where he's otherwise been almost uninvolved. And when you're missing Jim Steinman's touch, you just don't have a great Meatloaf. Meatloaf's voice has held up well over the years. The songs are still bombastic and excessive, but somehow, the thrill is gone, and I'm afraid we can't take it back.
The signature songs on this album are "The Monster is Loose," which is kind of metal-y. It isn't *bad* but it doesn't quite add anything to the Meatloaf canon. He already sung the ultimate epic with "Bat out of Hell," and he already sung the ultimate long and overdrawn but seemingly not dragging out love ballad with "I Would Do Anything for Love," and he's already sung a hard-rock Meatloaf in "Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back," so what was the point of "The Monster is Loose?"
So Meatloaf tries his hand at a love duet, which traditionally he's been quite good at, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." Now I probably won't say this for any other song, but Celine Dion already did the definitive rendition for that like 10 years ago. Meatloaf's version is actually *not* excessive enough. It's actually kind of quiet. And his duet partner's role is basically to echo him, rather than contributing significant verses on her own. Meatloaf's best duet was in "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights." Even though the two singers certainly sound much older than teenagers, they push off 70's drive-in teen angst very well, and the transition from professions of love to can't stand the hell out of each other is quite convincing.
All in all, still a very listenable album- that is, if you're into Wagnerian rock. Meatloaf has the balls to sing and Jim Steinman has the balls to write lyrics that are so absurd that only someone with straight out moxy can, such as "Your love is blind- blind as a bat!" And I think that's gotta count for something. Better than the endless verses ending in "hold me tight" with most other pop songs. And there's something much more fun about the emotional overwroughtness of Wagnerian Rock, which is even more overblown than most 80s power ballads, as opposed to the empty mechanical songs that usually get cranked out now, where the singer has no conviction.
Friday, March 30, 2007
If you wanna hang out, you've got to take her out; cocaine!
Cocaine, the Energy Drink, that is. I would *never* advocate illegal drug use.
(OK, now that the disclaimer's gotten out of the way, so if I work for a politician or run for office, this post can't be used against me)
Cocaine Energy Drink is certainly very *distinct* from other energy drinks. It's probably mostly because of the 280 mg of caffeine; it may also be their use of Dextrose rather than high fructose corn syrup (although I think that's the least distinctive marker- how much difference can using a simple sugar versus a complex sugar make?); but the most noticeable difference off the bat is that it's *spicy.* Spicy like Jamaica Ginger Beer (aka Ginger ale but with noticeable amounts of ginger). That's probably what I like most about Cocaine energy drink, the spiciness. I don't think any other energy drink is spicy. The flavor base, I believe, is something like pomegranate, so it's also got a mild sweet and tart taste.
Along with huge amounts of caffeine, you may expect a crash. They advertise that you won't feel such a crash, and that effect certainly is very reduced. I didn't feel much of a crash today, anyway. I drank one at around noon, and I'm still feeling pretty alert now, so the added caffeine does help (sleeping 10-12 hours the night before because I'd been chair-sleeping for a few days in a row probably helped more, though ;)). This was *not* a well-controlled experiment.
There's no "mediciny aftertaste" or not a really noticeable one, something bevnet always complains about for energy drinks. In other words, unlike most energy drinks, Cocaine is not just a knockoff of Red Bull.
The case of cocaine cost me about $44 bucks on ebay, including shipping. The cost, retail, however, is nearly $4 / 8 oz can. The cost on their website is pretty reasonable, coming to under $2 / can when you don't account for S&H. So I think if you buy it at the right places, you are getting a fairly reasonably priced energy drink, since it also has about 2-3 times as much caffeine as most other energy drinks (this depends on how we're supposed to interpret how energy drinks list "caffeine" and "guarana" as ingredients; if they're double counting, then most energy drinks have between 80-100 mgs of caffeine; if they're not double counting, then some energy drinks may have about 200 mg of caffeine).
Cliffs:If you like sweet and spicy drinks without a Red Bull aftertaste, and you like getting a caffeine kick, then Cocaine Energy Drink is worth a try.
(OK, now that the disclaimer's gotten out of the way, so if I work for a politician or run for office, this post can't be used against me)
Cocaine Energy Drink is certainly very *distinct* from other energy drinks. It's probably mostly because of the 280 mg of caffeine; it may also be their use of Dextrose rather than high fructose corn syrup (although I think that's the least distinctive marker- how much difference can using a simple sugar versus a complex sugar make?); but the most noticeable difference off the bat is that it's *spicy.* Spicy like Jamaica Ginger Beer (aka Ginger ale but with noticeable amounts of ginger). That's probably what I like most about Cocaine energy drink, the spiciness. I don't think any other energy drink is spicy. The flavor base, I believe, is something like pomegranate, so it's also got a mild sweet and tart taste.
Along with huge amounts of caffeine, you may expect a crash. They advertise that you won't feel such a crash, and that effect certainly is very reduced. I didn't feel much of a crash today, anyway. I drank one at around noon, and I'm still feeling pretty alert now, so the added caffeine does help (sleeping 10-12 hours the night before because I'd been chair-sleeping for a few days in a row probably helped more, though ;)). This was *not* a well-controlled experiment.
There's no "mediciny aftertaste" or not a really noticeable one, something bevnet always complains about for energy drinks. In other words, unlike most energy drinks, Cocaine is not just a knockoff of Red Bull.
The case of cocaine cost me about $44 bucks on ebay, including shipping. The cost, retail, however, is nearly $4 / 8 oz can. The cost on their website is pretty reasonable, coming to under $2 / can when you don't account for S&H. So I think if you buy it at the right places, you are getting a fairly reasonably priced energy drink, since it also has about 2-3 times as much caffeine as most other energy drinks (this depends on how we're supposed to interpret how energy drinks list "caffeine" and "guarana" as ingredients; if they're double counting, then most energy drinks have between 80-100 mgs of caffeine; if they're not double counting, then some energy drinks may have about 200 mg of caffeine).
Cliffs:If you like sweet and spicy drinks without a Red Bull aftertaste, and you like getting a caffeine kick, then Cocaine Energy Drink is worth a try.
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