Analyzing Breakfast at Tiffany's: love, stability versus freedom, nature vs. culture, art as commodity

This morning  I read an analysis of Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Major themes

• Stability vs. Freedom 
• The psychological struggle between the need for stability and the desire for freedom is perhaps the central concern of Breakfast at Tiffany's.
• Holly assumes the name "Holiday Golightly", which encapsulates her strategy of avoiding stability by making a holiday out of life, and abandoning relationships and responsibilities when they threaten to jeopardize her freedom.
• Her fantasy that one day she will have, "breakfast at Tiffany's," an absurdity since Tiffany's does not serve food, indicates her choice to avoid stability by casting it in the unattainable ideals of fantasy.
• ...Breakfast at Tiffany's suggests that both characters' pathologies stem from the sense of social exclusion common to people whose lifestyles do not conform to American convention...Holly and the narrator are similar insofar as for both of them, "home" has become a charged object of fantasy and longing.
• Pathologically anxious about being restrained by relationships or even a stable lifestyle, convinced that she belongs to no one and nothing, Holly's fear of the cage represents her fear of being imprisoned by others. That Holly's dislike of cages is introduced in Section 6, which explores Holly's deceptive nature, is important. By aligning examples of deception with images of imprisonment, Capote suggests that Holly's "phoniness" is a defense against making herself vulnerable to others, and hence, to the "cage" of an authentic relationship.
• Fred appears to symbolize Holly's sense of freedom; a recurrent fantasy of hers was that the two of them would escape to Mexico, where they would raise horses. Accordingly, at Fred's death, Holly allows Jose to move in, thus "caging" her in her own apartment. She transforms herself into an "un-Holly-like" version of a stable, domestic housewife. She furnishes her apartment - something she claimed she wouldn't do until she felt she "belonged" - and stops dying her signature multi-colored hair. She becomes pregnant and attempts to learn cooking and Portuguese. She repeats to the narrator that she is happy and that she loves Jose, claims that appear too emphatic to be entirely sincere.
• The disjunction here between Holly's thoughts and reality indicates that, unlike her role as a socialite, "domestic wife" is a fictional part that Holly plays badly.
• This remark is provoked by a sudden anger at his feeling "left out - a tugboat in dry dock while she, glittery voyager of secure destination, steamed down the harbor." The narrator recognizes his perpetual feeling of exclusion is, like a boat moored to a dock, holding him back. However, he does not take direct action to change this quality.
• Section 17 also contains arguably the most memorable - and important - episode in Breakfast at Tiffany's: Holly's abandonment of her unnamed cat and her subsequent bout of remorse. Leaving the cat on a Spanish Harlem street, Holly intends to act nonchalantly about discarding the cat but soon becomes frantic, overeager to be rid of him. She tells the cat to "beat it" and "fuck off" and urges the driver to speed away from the street where she has left him. When the narrator expresses his disgust at this callous act, Holly explains again that she and the cat "never belonged to each other" and that they were both "independents". Nevertheless, her affection for the cat indicated that Holly's attitude toward the animal was ambivalent: while they were both "independents", they shared a home and a relationship. In fact, throughout the novella, the cat is the only consistent presence in Holly's life. By rejecting the animal completely, Holly indicates that she is again unwilling to accept a close relationship and to let something "belong" to her.In previous sections and in her monologue in section 17, Holly indicates that she views her cat as she views herself, an essentially homeless, independent wanderer without a proper name or family. Her cruelty toward the animal thus appears to dramatize Holly's self-destructive tendencies: she acts out her anger and fear on the animal she sees as a figure for herself. Moreover, Holly's abandonment of the cat repeats her own rejection at the hands of her parents, friends, and, most recently, Jose.However, Holly's change of heart, which inspires her to tears and sends her searching for the cat in the rain suggests there is hope for her character. Realizing that she and the cat "did belong to each other...he was mine", Holly admits that no tragedy in her life had been as frightening as "not knowing what's yours until you've thrown it away." This confession presents Holly in her most genuine, honest moment in the novella, and marks the climax of her relationship with the narrator. She admits vulnerability and love for her cat and a need for a relationship in which there is mutual belonging. Strikingly, Holly confesses that both the "mean reds" and the "fat woman" are "nothing," dismissing her usual evasive metaphors for grief in favor of directly admitting her sadness.
• The concluding section of Breakfast at Tiffany's resolves several plot threads while leaving others open-ended. The novella returns to the frame narrative, which focuses on the question of Holly's presence in Africa. Speaking in the present, the narrator quotes from newspaper articles that documented Holly's discovery in Rio, which fortunately did not lead to another indictment. The death of Sally Tomato severs Holly's ties to the criminal case against her and the gossip surrounding her slowly dies down, resolving the plotline of Holly as a refugee. The plot thread that focused on Holly's personal struggle with identity and belonging, however, is left unresolved. The narrator reveals that while Holly wrote him soon after her escape, she had yet to find a permanent address. As he never heard from her again, he assumes that she either never found this address, or forgot about him. This turn of events refutes those of the previous section, which suggested that Holly was on the brink of a positive personal transformation. While she had recognized and acknowledged her need to love and be loved, Holly's postcard informs the narrator that she has returned to her old ways, using men for their money, unable and unwilling to find a stable home. That she did not stay in touch with the narrator retroactively casts a negative light on their friendship, and suggests that perhaps her feelings for him were not as strong as they had appeared.Despite the rather negative ending to Holly's tale, the conclusion of the novella is positive in tone. The narrator relates that a young man named Quaintance Smith moved into Holly's apartment, where he entertained as many male visitors as Holly without the judgment of Sapphia Spanella. The mention of his many "gentleman callers", along with the name "Quaintance" - a reference to George Quaintance, a painter of the 1940s and 1950s whose art was overtly homosexual in content - suggest that the new tenant is gay, practicing an unorthodox lifestyle that links him symbolically with both Holly and the narrator and extends the novella's theme of community between sexual outsiders beyond Holly's departure.The most positive aspect of the novella's ending, however, is that we learn that the narrator has maintained warm feelings toward his old friend. He keeps his promise to her and searches Spanish Harlem for her cat, which he sees behind the window of a homey-looking room. He muses that, along with a home, the cat likely has a name; he is "certain he'd arrived somewhere he belonged." A home and a name were, for Holly, the two signifiers of belonging, and the narrator hopes that Holly has achieved the same things. This sentiment demonstrates the narrator's continued affection for Holly even in her absence. That the novella concludes by exploring his warmth for Holly suggests that the novella was less about Holly than about how loving her transformed the narrator's own life.
• Naming as Identification 
• ...within the world of the novella, proper names symbolize both personal and public identity.
• Holly's use of a pseudonym and her reluctance to confer a name on her cat are thus symptoms of her general rejection of stability. She refuses to take or give a fixed identity until she feels at home in the world.
• Not only does the narrator learn of the poverty and abuse of Holly's childhood, which explains her perpetual sense of homelessness, but he also learns her real name - Lulamae Barnes - which no one else seems to know.
• Rebirth
• The motif of Christmas appears to be most linked to Holly, as her two pseudonyms - Holiday and Holly - are references to the "holy day" and the traditional plant of Christmas, respectively.
• Holly's narrative presents her as "re-born" into different personae and attitudes at several key points that correspond to Christmas. The gift exchange (1943) confirms her presence in the narrator's life, Sally's death (1944) severs her connection to New York and thus the narrator, and the discovery of the carving (1956) marks Holly's final transformation into an art object that inspires the narrator's own art: the written narrative that is Breakfast at Tiffany's.
• The Diversity of Love
• At the heart of Breakfast at Tiffany's is an exploration of the diverse kinds of love that define, enrich, and at times destroy adult relationships.
• Capote suggests non-romantic relationships are not superior because they lack sex, but because they are not based on need or desire.
• Breakfast at Tiffany's juxtaposes love and desire, drawing a sharp contrast between Holly's relationships governed by desire, and her relationships free from it.
• Her arrangements with Rusty Trawler, Jose, Mag, and Berman appear quite different, but all are based on need. Jose desires Holly sexually, Rusty needs Holly to fulfill his quasi-sexual infantile complex, Mag desires to share Holly's social contacts and apartment, and Berman seeks to profit from Holly's potential as an actress. 
• Conversely, Holly desires what these people can offer her in return, be it money, professional contacts, or merely help around her apartment. 
• While such relationships appear solid, all crumble, more or less, when Holly is incarcerated and no longer able to fulfill her companions' desires.
• Demonstrating the sincerity of the bond between a straight woman and two gay men, Breakfast at Tiffany's implicitly questions the narrow definition of love as heterosexual romance that is as dominant now as it was in 1950s America.
• While Holly had described her bouts of the "mean reds", her behavior throughout the novella is remarkably upbeat and nonchalant, illustrating her minimal personal investment in her relationships. However, her rage at Fred's death indicates that her attachment to her brother was quite real and strong. The extremity of Holly's despair further suggests why she avoids permanent relationships, as her experience of pain is apparently intense and self-destructive. Avoiding real attachments is perhaps Holly's way to protect herself against the kind of pain she feels at her brother's death.
• ...the narrator is overcome with love for Holly, and realizes that his desire for her happiness is greater than his own need to keep her with him.
• As Holly and the narrator ride alongside each other, they both experience an exhilarating high, and, seeing Holly's happiness, realizes that he loves her so much that he values her happiness above his own, even if that means the end of their friendship.
• Nature vs. Culture  
• Holly identifies with nature - wild, untamed, and unknowable - over the structured, convention-bound world of human culture.
• Animals, both wild and domestic, symbolize Holly's rejection of social convention.
• The cage, a symbol of the human imprisonment of nature, remains an object of anxiety for Holly throughout the novel, and she refuses to even look at animals in the zoo.
• While Holly considers herself a "wild thing", inherently unsuited to the rules that govern human culture, it appears that this is, at least in part, a facade. 
• Holly is more than willing to be domesticated when she is offered the right price, and settles down more or less happily with the wealthy Jose. 
• Her reliance on fine things and entertainment, and her worship of Tiffany's, a near-universal symbol of New York capitalist excess, indicates that Holly's appetites are not those of an animal, but a woman remarkably invested in the products of American culture.
•  This ambivalence is suggested by another recurring animal motif: horses. 
• The horse is a long-established figure for human control over nature and animal instinct; for Holly, horses appear to represent her control over men. 
• Her first boyfriend after running away from Doc is a horse jockey, she keeps volumes of books about horses on her bookshelf as "research" for her involvements with male suitors, and she fantasizes about running off to Mexico, where she plans to train horses with her brother Fred. 
• She marks the end of her friendship with the narrator with a horseback ride, in which she demonstrates her skill as a rider. 
• In each case, Holly has emotional or sexual control over the male character in the episode. 
• When the narrator's bolts and runs away wildly, it prefigures Holly's loss of Jose when she is arrested later that day. 
• While Holly associates herself with nature and the "wild things" she identifies with, the novella presents Holly in a more complex relationship with the natural world. 
• In her relationships with men, she acts the part of both wild animal and trainer, achieving emotional and sexual control over her male admirers while evading responsibility and commitment.
• Through the dialogue between Holly and Mag, a "very conventional person", the reader's sense of Holly's unorthodox nature is heightened. Mag's embarrassment at discussing sex, her confessed sexual passivity (she prefers to leave the lights off during sex), and blind patriotism stand in sharp contrast to Holly's candor, sexual assertiveness (she states boldly that "men are beautiful"), and indifference toward her home country, a dangerous sentiment during the heightened patriotism of war time America. Holly's statement that she would "rather be natural" than normal indicates another recurring concern of the novel: that definitions of what is "normal" are arbitrary, and serve to control and restrain the natural freedom of the human spirit.
• As the narrator observes Holly in the library, he is reminded of another girl he once knew: the practical, introverted Mildred Grossman. He conveys that the two women were opposites: Mildred a "top-heavy realist" and Holly a "lopsided romantic". Through his comparison, the narrator reveals his account of human personality. While he believes that most people are malleable, their nature fluid and ever shifting, both Mildred and Holly were unchanging, their distinct personalities formed early and thus becoming unalterable. This is a provocative observation when we consider that Holly's identity is pathologically unstable and almost completely fraudulent. By suggesting that Holly's basic character was complete and unchanging, the narrator illuminates Berman's claim that Holly is a "real phony". Holly's fraudulence and instability is perhaps not a cover, but her true nature; her "phoniness" is a very real, essential part of her basic character.
• She confesses that while she never intended to return to Texas with Doc, she slept with him the night before, since he gave her confidence as a child, and "anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot." She explains that she took him to the bus station that morning, and, as they were saying goodbye, she realized that was still Lulamae, "stealing turkey eggs and running through a brier patch.""Never love a wild thing," Holly tells Joe. She explains that Doc was always nurturing wild animals, and that the more love he gave them, the stronger they became. Drunkenly, Holly states that "if you let yourself love a wild thing...[you'll] end up looking at the sky." Realizing that her husband must be back in Texas already, Holly invites the narrator to join her in a toast to Doc.
• Holly's drunken monologue in Joe's bar is one of the novella's famous passages. It gives the reader further insight into the initial attraction between Doc and the young Holly. She explains that Doc was "always hauling home wild things...a hawk with a hurt wing...a full-grown bobcat with a broken leg." He loved to nurture and nurse these animals, despite the fact they only abandoned him once they were back to health. "Never love a wild thing," Holly warns Joe, "[you'll] end up looking at the sky." Holly, a starving and homeless child when Doc adopted her, is thus aligned with the wild animals he also loved. Considering herself a "wild thing", she indicates that she believes that, like an animal, she is inherently untamable, and that it is her essential nature to run away from those who love her. In this way, Holly admits to her fear of commitment while suggesting that, like an animal, she is not responsible for her behavior. Directing her warning at Joe, Holly subtly indicates that he should prepare to be hurt when she inevitably leaves her life in New York.
• As during the escape from Woolworth's, the narrator challenges his own boundaries and breaks habit by engaging in one of Holly's typically "carefree" activities. His pure happiness during both the theft and the horseback ride indicates that Holly's unconventional and spontaneous attitude is what is missing from the narrator's own life, and suggests that his attachment to Holly is partly a wish to become more like her.
• A central concern of Breakfast at Tiffany's is the impossibility of objectivity. Lies, gossip, and stories, all claiming to be true, play crucial roles in transmitting information between characters and shaping how they think about others and themselves. By quoting at length from the newspaper coverage of Holly's arrest, Capote demonstrates that even the purportedly "objective" information of the newspaper is itself prone to the same kind of errors, exaggerations, and biases as the "fictional" stories he writes, and the "fraudulent" tales Holly tells. For example, the narrator explains, Holly was arrested in his bathroom, yet the articles claim that she was found in her "glamorous apartment." The press distorts reality for its own purposes, as does Holly and, perhaps, the narrator itself. This section suggests that story telling is inherently subjective.
• The loyalty of Joe and the narrator in this section validates the relationships between gay men and women, demonstrating the strength of love that is not founded on sexual or financial need.
• Section 16, set in the hospital where Holly is recovering from her miscarriage, explores Holly's pathology in depth. Unable to discuss her sadness and fear directly, she invents another metaphor, the "fat woman", to explain her depression to the narrator. She confides that it was the "fat woman" who had overtaken her after Fred's death, and asks, "[now] do you see why I went crazy and broke everything?" Holly also defends herself against sadness with physical artifice, readying herself for Jose's letter by applying meticulous makeup, jewelry, and her signature dark glasses. As she transforms herself, the narrator notices that her child-like appearance hardens and she appears "armored." The makeup symbolizes Holly's constant attempts to "armor", or protect herself against emotion by assuming different, artificial identities. The presence of three Italian women in the hospital room, none of whom can understand English and who seem to misinterpret the narrator as Holly's lover, are figures for the external world in which Holly feels perpetually misunderstood.
• Art as Commodity 
• Holly is the novella's major symbol for art. 
• Holly, a fictional person of her own making, is a woman who sells her time, affections, and even her body for money. 
• She views herself as a commodity, as something that can and should be bought and sold. 
• She is art as a commodity, and she extends this reasoning to the narrator's writing.
• Her persona is entirely self-constructed. 
• Even her signature appearance is, as the narrator discovers, the result of deliberate artifice. 
• Her hair is dyed, she diets, and conceals her poor eyesight with stylish dark glasses. 
• Aside from concealing her true identity, Holly's self-fashioning implies that she sees herself an artificial object, an art work of her own creation. 
• It is this artificial persona that the wealthy men in Holly's life pay for, establishing Holly as not only an art object, but as one that is sold as a commodity in the sexual marketplace. 
• The narrator's disgust at Holly's plea for him to "make money" is thus an expression of his larger dilemma as an artist whose position in mass-consumer society is precarious. Holly, a commodity herself, represents the pressure of commercial society upon artists to abandon their ideological and aesthetic ideals in favor of economic profit.
• Information and storytelling
• ...the reader is compelled to read Breakfast at Tiffany's not as a story about Holly, but as a story about the narrator and his investment in their friendship.

Mind blown: Breakfast at Tiffany's and The A-Team

Mind blown: not only did George Peppard star alongside Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 romantic comedy film Breakfast at Tiffany's, but he would later go on to star for five seasons of 1980's TV series The A-Team as Col. John Hannibal Smith.

"You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself. [takes out the ring and throws it in Holly's lap]"

"I love it when a plan comes together."

The Porch Mardi Gras grand opening celebration

Dawn and I celebrated Valentines Day this evening at The Porch.

I drank something called the Hurricane Haunt: Bacardi, Myers dark rum, blood orange puree, grapefruit juice, and pineapple juice. It tasted like Kool-Aid.

Dawn ordered SoCo Squeeze: Southern Comfort, amaretto, and sweet and sour.

As had happened on our previous trip on Christmas Day, the waitress brought us a complimentary amuse-bouche: a tapenade with crostini.

Dawn tried the Porch Fried Chicken: airline breast stuffed with duck confit & goat cheddar, yukon gold mash, sautéed greens, brown sugar beurre blanc.

I ate Crawfish Purloo: sautéed crawfish, peppers, onions, andouille sausage, carolina red rice, blue crab gravy, and grilled chicken breast. I also ordered a side of collard greens.

For dessert we tried the Red Velvet Brownie with vanilla ice cream and cream cheese frosting.

We sat outside on the heated porch; we felt OK for 8 C (46 F) weather.

Probably should mention the woman passer-by who ripped a vinyl sign off the porch railing next to our table and danced with it to the sound of the Mardi Gras music. She sat down on the other side of the porch from our table and began yelling vulgarities. The busboy noticed but before someone came outside, she had knocked over a table. A confrontation ensued, with the woman picking up a chair and the manager escorting her to the sidewalk. She hovered for a minute or two longer, then departed up the street. Disturbing; so much suffering on display.

Game face of the day

Well played, sir. :o)

Via:

Game face of the day
http://thedailywh.at/2012/02/15/game-face-of-the-day/

Watching videos at faster speeds

Enounce, Inc. makes a product called MySpeed which allows users to speed up or slow down video playback.

Via:

Watch Online Videos in Half the Time
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/04/watch-online-videos-in-half-the-time/

Distraction-free breaks

Via: http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2011/11/28/focus-without-caffeine/

Needing breaks is an inevitability. And, sometimes, those breaks make sense. Taking 15 minutes away from a bug can help you think about the problem in a new way. Clearing your head can help you regain focus. 

However, most people take stupid breaks. Not only in the timing of their activities, but the types of things they do on a break, all create opportunities to completely kill the momentum they established earlier. 

Distraction-free breaks means taking breaks that won’t kill your momentum, so you can boost your energy back up without getting caught in a detour that will end up in procrastination. 

The first rule of taking breaks is to never break with an activity that is engaging. Television, internet, video games, Facebook, phone texting, email or anything else which will occupy your mind. The reason for this is that you don’t want to replace the momentum you helped build with some other task. 

Instead, I’ve found it far more effective to focus on breaks that are relaxing, but that I can easily snap out of to go back to work. Taking a short walk, drinking a glass of water or stretching are all good candidates. I’ve also found short naps helpful too, but they don’t seem to work for all people, so use with caution. 

Now, this might sound like I’ve eliminated anything fun from the break. What’s the point of taking a break if you don’t really enjoy it? 

But that is the point. Breaks aren’t about having fun, that’s what having real time off is for. Breaks are about strategically recouping your energy and focus to reattack the work at hand. Leave the television, games and entertainment for when you can relax guilt-free in the evenings.

Blue suede shoes

Noticed someone wearing blue suede shoes last Wednesday and they really popped.

Zappos: http://www.zappos.com/blue-suede-shoes#!/blue-suede-shoes-men-blue-shoes/CK_XAToCzhBCAp4BegLTBIIBApIWwAEC4gIFGAEPCAc.zso?t=blue+suede+shoes&s=recentSalesStyle/desc/

Cheapest way to eat

What represents the cheapest source of eating healthily?

People seem to follow a variety of health gurus; I have compiled some info, below.

Goals

1. Provides 2000 calories per day
2. Maintains ratio of about 30% Protein : 30% Fats : 40% Protein
3. Meets standard vitamin recommendations for A, C, E, K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, B12, Pantothenic acid
4. Meets standard mineral recommendations for Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium
5. Meets standard fiber recommendation
6. Keeps saturated fat to a minimum
7. Keeps cholesterol to a minimum
8. No coupons; too much of a time sink 

Breakfast

Oats with raisins and banana: about $0.12/serving

Eggs

Lunch

Sandwiches

Salads

Dinner

Rice and beans extravaganza: cook about four cups for a weeks worth

Frozen veggies

Snacks

Whey protein shake, flavored with vanilla, chocolate, what have you

Nuts

Tomato juice

Fruits

Yogurt

Beverages

Tap water

General

Multi-vitamin

Vitamin D3

Michael Pollen: "Eat a variety of fresh, unprocessed foods. Focus mostly on produce and, if you’re an omnivore, choose high-quality meats."

Staples: beans and rice

broccoli and sweet potatoes

olive oil or canola oil

sunflower seeds

calcium and B12: supplement, nutritional yeast (B12),

Via:

Eating healthy for $3 a day

http://www.miketuritzin.com/writing/eating-healthily-for-3-a-day/

How To Live (Comfortably) on $36 A Month For Food

http://andrewhy.de/how-to-live-comfortably-on-36-a-month-for-food/

16 ways to eat healthy while keeping it cheap

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/07/30/16-ways-to-eat-healthy-while-keeping-it-cheap/

Tonsillectomy Confidential: doctors ignore polio epidemics and high school biology

http://boingboing.net/2012/01/10/tonsillectomy-confidential-do.html

AnyLeaf

http://www.anyleaf.com/grocery-deals

Extinct surnames

Have tossed about the idea of changing our surname for some time.

The thought crossed my mind this evening of reviving an extinct surname.

One article from 1914 claimed, given an infinite amount of time, all surnames eventually will become the same.

Yellow Magic Orchestra

Listening to electronica via Yellow Magic Orchestra: http://j.mp/yNsphR

Really like the positive energy associated with their music. : o )

"Is war as old as gravity? If I love peace do I have to love trees?" http://j.mp/zTpzjc

Jiskefet - cricket engelse sport

I love it:



High camp. :o) Jiskefet represents a Dutch comedy group.

Via: http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/pkqht/how_cricket_looks_for_most_people/

The reddit community provided an explanation:

Alright let's see if I can break it down a bit easily. Most people get lost at the explanation because they just honestly don't want to try and learn, otherwise, just like any other sport, the rules are not that hard to learn. 

So in cricket there's these things called runs, almost, but not exactly the same as in baseball. In baseball, you have 4 bases, and you always run to the next base. In cricket however, there are two bases, and a person from the batting team is on either base. At each opportunity, they are allowed to run back and forth from their respective base, for each successful crossing, they get a run. Now in baseball, you have people manning each base to get the batter out, in cricket, they have these things called stumps. They're just three wooden sticks out of the ground. You have to hit the stump while the batter is away from the base, just like in baseball. 

Now in cricket, you have a circular field, and 11 players in the bowling/pitching team. How things are done in cricket is, the bowler runs to pitch, while in baseball, they usually just stand in one spot. Now once the ball has been hit, if the ball goes to the boundary while rolling on the ground, it amounts to 4 runs mentioned previously. If the ball goes out of the park like a home run, that's 6 runs. 

The whole point of the game is to continue scoring runs, without getting batted out. The batting side has 10 continuous batsmen, and there is only one inning change, instead of 3 batters, and 9 inning changes in baseball. There is also a limit to the number of "pitches", limited to 50 overs in a One Day International game. One over is 6 pitches or rather bowls, that can be done by one pitcher/bowler. The bowler must be changed after every six pitches, and this goes on for either 50 overs. Or until all 10 batsmen are batted out. 

I hope that helps, the rules are fairly similar to baseball, people just fail to bother trying to understand them. 

Edit: Also next to the runs will be something called overs, like Over 20.4 -> that means its the 20th over and the 4th ball in the over. Two more bowls, and there is a pitcher change. 

Edit 2: I am an American, and I learned! It really is possible, and its fun.

40 threads

A cute web site:

http://40threads.com

Google-a-Day puzzles: Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1596)

Via: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/02/agad021212/

The puzzle for Feb 12: 

"Reading one stanza a night, how long would it take to finish the first poem written using Spenserian stanzas?"

The Faerie Queene, written by Edmund Spenser and published first in 1590 (books 1-3) and second in 1596 (books 1-6), seems to represent the first poem to use Spenserian stanzas. He wrote it with the intention of fashioning a "noble person in vertuous and gentle discipline". It represents one of the longest poems of the English language and Spenser died prior to completing it. Only a fragment of book seven remains.

The summary of each canto for books 1-3 makes for fascinating reading.

Books 1-7 total stanzas:

3,810 (stanzas in cantos only) or
3,847 (stanzas in cantos and book prefaces)

3,810 days = 10.4314343 years
3,847 days = 10.5327369 years

Accessing an online edition of the text which enumerates each stanza by canto for books 1-3:

Book one stanza count, by canto

Preface:     4
Canto I:    55
Canto II:   45
Canto III:  44
Canto IV:   51
Canto V:    53
Canto VI:   48
Canto VII:  52
Canto VIII: 50
Canto IX:   54
Canto X:    68
Canto XI:   55
Canto XII:  42

Total stanzas: 617 (cantos only) or 621 (all)

Book two stanza count, by canto

Preface:     5
Canto I:    61
Canto II:   46
Canto III:  46
Canto IV:   46
Canto V:    38
Canto VI:   51
Canto VII:  66
Canto VIII: 56
Canto IX:   60
Canto X:    77
Canto XI:   49
Canto XII:  87

Total stanzas: 683 (cantos only) or 688 (all)

Book three stanza count, by canto

Preface:     5
Canto I:    67
Canto II:   52
Canto III:  62
Canto IV:   61
Canto V:    55
Canto VI:   54
Canto VII:  61
Canto VIII: 52
Canto IX:   53
Canto X:    60
Canto XI:   55
Canto XII:  45 (or 47, via 1590 edition)

Total stanzas: 677 (cantos only) or 682 (all)

Books 1-3 total stanzas: 1,977 (cantos only) or 1,991 (all)

Accessing an online edition of the text which enumerates each stanza by canto for books 4-6:

Book four stanza count, by canto

Preface:     5
Canto I:    54
Canto II:   54
Canto III:  52
Canto IV:   48
Canto V:    46
Canto VI:   47
Canto VII:  47
Canto VIII: 64
Canto IX:   41
Canto X:    58
Canto XI:   53
Canto XII:  35

Total stanzas: 599 (cantos only) or 604 (all)

Book five stanza count, by canto

Preface:    11
Canto I:    30
Canto II:   54
Canto III:  40
Canto IV:   51
Canto V:    57
Canto VI:   40
Canto VII:  45
Canto VIII: 51
Canto IX:   50
Canto X:    39
Canto XI:   65
Canto XII:  43

Total stanzas: 565 (cantos only) or 576 (all)

Book six stanza count, by canto

Preface:     7
Canto I:    47
Canto II:   48
Canto III:  50
Canto IV:   40
Canto V:    41
Canto VI:   44
Canto VII:  50
Canto VIII: 51
Canto IX:   46
Canto X:    44
Canto XI:   51
Canto XII:  41

Total stanzas: 553 (cantos only) or 560 (all)

Book seven stanza count, by canto

Canto I:    not extant
Canto II:   not extant
Canto III:  not extant
Canto IV:   not extant
Canto V:    not extant
Canto VI:   55
Canto VII:  59
Canto VIII: 2

Total stanzas: 116 (cantos only)

Books 4-7 total stanzas: 1,833 (cantos only) or 1,856 (all)

Hands Down, the Best “It Gets Better” Video You Have Seen

Via:

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/02/11/hands-down-the-best-it-gets-better-video-you-have-seen/

Police sketches of famous literary characters

:o)

Edward Rochester, via police sketch software

Via: http://thecomposites.tumblr.com/

Periodic table of vegetables

I kind of want one:

Via: http://naomiweissman.com/fft.htm

Radio Songs

Heard on 88.9 KXPR out of Sacramento, CA:

Edouard Lalo: Norwegian Rhapsody (Rapsodie Norvegienne) - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Yondani Butt, conductor; Label: ASV; Number: 709 BUY Audio

Felix Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture in B minor Opus 26 - Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Charles Dutoit, conductor; Label: London/Decca; Number: 417541 BUY Audio

Radio Songs

Heard on 88.9 FM KXPR out of Sacramento, CA:

Exotic: Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov: Procession of the Sardar Opus 10 - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; David Zinman, conductor; Label: Telarc; Number: 80378 BUY BUY

Philip Lane: Suite of Cotswold Folkdances - Royal Ballet Sinfonia; Gavin Sutherland, conductor; Label: ASV; Number: 2126 BUY

Slatkin & Co Candle

A great candle: Slatkin & Co "Winter"

Radio Songs

Heard on 89.3 KQEI out of North Highlands, CA (rebroadcast of KQED out of San Francisco):

Moyers & Company's premiere episode: "The premiere episode explores how America's gross inequality is no accident, but was in fact "politically engineered," with insight from "Winner-Take-All Politics" authors Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson. Also, Bill Moyers reads an essay on how Occupy Wall Street is waking us up to economic inequality."

Heard on 94.7 KKDO out of Sacramento, CA:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Rusted Root's "Send Me on My Way," from their 1994 album "When I Woke," on the PolyGram label. Video. Joyful fun.

Now defunct London, UK Elastica's "Connection" from their 2007 eponymous album on the Deceptive and Geffen labels. Video.

Radio Songs

On 91.5 KYDS out of Sacramento, CA:

Helsingborg, Scania, Sweden natives The Sounds' "The Best of Me" from their 2011 album "Something to Die For," on the SideOneDummy label. Audio. "Oh my love!We've got to save ourselves, if we want to save the world..."

On 88.9 KXPR out of Sacramento, CA:

Křečovice, Czechoslovakia-born Josef Suk's "Fantastic Scherzo Opus 25," performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic, JoAnn Falletta conducting, on the Naxos label.

Wikipedia Editing

Playing with this Microsoft Excel to Wikipedia table convertor:

http://excel2wiki.net/wikipedia.php

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Convert_tables_and_charts_to_wiki_code

Mall Art

Really like this artwork:

Source: Westfield Downtown Plaza Mall, outside store Getta Clue

An Open Letter to KXPR 88.9 Sacramento

Dear Capital Public Radio Classical KXPR:

Please, please, please: select a new on-air tagline to replace "the classical station."

Reasons to select a new on-air tagline

1. It states the obvious
2. It buries "classical" between two dead-weight words
3. It says nothing about what makes KXPR a great classical music station

Compare to San Francisco-based KDFC's "Classical. And then some."

• "Classical" becomes a first-class citizen, out front and center
• "And then some" telegraphs a vitality and positive energy to match the on-air talent
• Listeners hear the tagline in a professionally-produced and packaged sound clip (please also package-up ads)
• Packaging KXPR's sound clips and ads frees on-air talent to talk about the music and connect with listeners

I suggest holding a contest, inviting submissions, and allowing people to vote on your web site.

Thank you.

Ambrose Bierce

Listened to this discussion about Ambrose Bierce on KQED 89.3 FM's "Forum with Michael Krasny"; pointed me to his memoir, "What I Saw of Shiloh."

Still digesting the imagery and new words (for example, "mien"). Powerful.

Revolution Foods

A Revolution Foods truck passed me on the way to work several weeks ago.

I know nothing else about this company.

Mary Oliver

Listened to Mary Oliver read poetry on San Francisco-based non-profit City Arts & Lectures . Loved it.

Sadly, no podcast.

She differentiated between "turning into" a writer versus "becoming" a writer; the former, she said, reminded her of people who lock themselves in rooms and sharpen their pencils, while the latter go out and live their lives and integrate poetry into it.

Bonus random connection event: Linda Hunt, the host, played the character of Shadout Mapes in Dune (1984).

Radio Songs

Heard on a random Sacramento station:

Galveston, Texas-born Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," from his 1974 album "Can't Get Enough," on the 20th Century Records label. Video. The original had cowbell. Look at that blaze orange suit!

Heard on KDVS 90.3 FM out of Davis, CA:

Los Angeles-based Army Navy's "The Long Goodbye," from their 2008 album "The Last Place" on the The Fever Zone label. Audio. Eminently sing-alongable. Sort of reminded me of Toad the Wet Sprocket.

Tokyo-based Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Simoon (シムーン)," from their  1978 eponymous album on the Alfa Records label. Audio. Lovely. 

Heard on KXPR 88.9 FM out of Sacramento, CA:

Somerville, Massachusetts-native Alan Hovhaness's "Prelude and Quadruple Fugue Opus 128", 1936. Audio. A fantastic early morning accompaniment to crossing the flooded causeway into the rising sun.

Imperfect Veneer

The above advertisement for "Make a Smile" dental here in the Sacramento region shows what happens when a half-baked idea gets the green light.

This ad ran on page 39 of Sacramento Magazine's November 2011 issue (meant to reflect Norman Rockwell's iconic 1943 painting, "Freedom From Want"):

1. Giraffes eat only plants; monkeys and hippopotamuses eat primarily plant-based diets (even the cat supplements it's diet with plants)--the entire premise seems half-baked.
2. Dental floss at each place setting?
3. In some ways, it comes off avante garde--the artist seems to have replaced the traditional grandmother and grandfather with a same-sex couple.
4. The turkey looks abnormally large.
5. Kind of creepy looking teeth-shaped salt and pepper shakers

To me, it all kind of comes off as the kind of turkey day animals might celebrate in a sanitarium--and, indeed, we cannot see the guests arms, so perhaps the nurses have placed them into straight jackets. It might also explain the lack of decoration on the facing wall and the joyful grins.

Haunting.

Five Years At HP -- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly :)

Five Years At HP -- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly :)

Note: these will likely only make sense to those who were there. I wrote these in 2005, after working five years at HP's Roseville facility, where we manufactured high-end supercomputers for North American region and the world. I am not sure I even remember the details of them all, anymore.

The weirdest thing about leaving HP along with 15,000 others, that year: the concurrent e-mails prompting me to select a five-year HP Product Service Award Gift. :o) I still have the crystal  planar bowl, somewhere, in Wisconsin.

First: The Bad and the Ugly

• Me: “Hey Darryl, I need one more code release, just one more man....” ;)
• prdmbpa:/var/opt/bp/home/mbpbat DEFR
• Andy Taff/Su Chu/and so forth: “Hey Kevin, I need a SolConfig set-up done by this afternoon for proto picks....” ;)
• Suky: “Hey Kevin, can you help me out with these fifteen P1 BLT tickets in the queue?” ;)
• You overpaid me by HOW much??? :P
• Mostly irrelevant but compulsory organizational meetings ;)
• Voice-mail: “Hi this is Kevin Schultz at the New HP....”
• Bonuses section of Carly earnings announcement: “You’ve all worked very hard. However, <$lame_excuse>”
• (sfadmin:pts/0) cab01:/var/opt/sf/home/sfadmin/voltest/bin> ./VolTestMain -i2k
• Order Execution team during ESG07a Rel 5: “Kevin, Frank wants to volume test some test picks tonight to test the backflush code, could you be available?” ;)
• Houston folks, ESG07a Rel 5, one week into testing: “Hey Kevin, did we need to set-up inventory for test orders flowing through MBP?”
• Operating on not enough sleep from the Houston hotel room during ESG07a Rel 5 volume testing: “Whoops, I just set all test orders in development backplane to BPCO.” x_x
• Roseville War Room during ESG07a Rel 5: co-worker starts singing (whining) along to music and not realizing it because music was turned up too loud.  Said person eventually ended up blowing out the iPod ear buds. :P
• Overhearing Kurt’s daily soccer and on-line role-playing-game teleconference ;)
• Don Bowen, talking to us in the RP cafeteria: “There’s a rumor they’re moving the factory to Houston....”
• Cliff Henson, during site closure announcement, after answering 2 questions and telling people they just lost their jobs: “I think all your questions are answered on this handout and y’all should go back and read it.  Thank you.”
• Dysfunctional management: Cliff Henson, Robert Sharpe, C. Kevin Harper, Charlie “The beatings will continue until morale improves” Baugh, David Witt (others....)
• TeamPlayer (TimeWaster) 
• Porting sfweb to Oracle (awk/sed/ksh/TCL/remsh/chicken-wire/weboor)
• Non-productive interruptions inherent with cubicle office environment
• Sean: Zebra printer noise -- *whiiiiiine* *cut*
• HP laying off folks right before the winter holidays in 2002.
• On the job for a week or two and watching security walk your co-worker/friend out the door. :P  (Yes, I know now why y’all fired him) ;)
• Huddling around RP ceiling speakers to hear quarterly earnings announcements
• Sitting across cubicle wall from Don Conner at RP and listening to him record voice-mail greetings until he got it right ;)
• Robert Sharpe bringing the wireless telephone headset into the bathroom.  Wild.
• That squeaky cart wheeled slowly down the hallway in R4.  *squeak* *squeak* *squeak*
• The alarm bell of the door in the corner of R4 going off for 10 minutes. *ringggggggggg*
• Cell-phone ring-tones going off for 30 seconds with no one around ;)
• Piercingly shrill SAP support pager going off but slow response because the wearer wears headphones.  :P
• Sitting across R4 cubicle wall from someone who hung their phone headset on the vertical cubicle connecter.  *clink* *clink* *clink* .... :P

All's Well That End's Well: The Good

• Kurt’s stories. “Party foul” :)  Also one of the few people I know to have a saying, “Pull a Kurt.” :)  Too much about Kurt to list here. “Dude!” ;)
• Lieu Nguyen: Surviving serious illness, and handling stress so peacefully
• Dave Horowitz’s hockey stories
• Trivia at TGIF
• Basketball at RP
• RP Follies
• Jim Behrens: Chupacabra :)
• Monthly team birthday lunches (thanks Jewel)
• Jay: Hospitality and can-do attitude
• Chris Bell: Not being an absentee dad
• Kindness and maturity of Indian contractors I worked with during ESG07a Rel 5.
• Trent: “Wag monk”
• John: “You can always tell if someone washes their car themselves by looking for dirt on the rims” ;)
• Julie: Beach Buddy ;)
• Doug Walters: Duct tape :)
• Mary Kay Kane yelling: “Hey everybody! .... Happy birthday, to you....”
• The Phantom Glenn Thomas, for having a protocol regarding the invocation of his name. :)
• Alex Ulbrich: stories about life as a private investigator, rolling out of a moving vehicle at night to gather intelligence on potential insurance abusers. LOL
• Naeya: for her grace and for making fantastic Halloween costumes
• Kathy: Standing up for me
• Mike: TCL ;)
• Mila Congrove (SI): Positive attitude and I loved her accent :)
• Cecilia, Jackie, Chris, Terri, and Ken (Sodexho): Super bean and rice, or rice bowl with veggies.  And the black cook from RP who told me I could drive to LA on Hwy 99 in five hours.  Even after I tried it and failed to do so, he claimed he could do it. :)
• Sodexho’s vanilla bean yogurt (my favorite)
• Kris: battling through arm problems.  She had a note above her desk at RP quoting either Bill or Dave: “If anyone ships defective product to meet a deadline, I will personally fire them” (paraphrase).
• Julia: taking care of all those animals, tirelessly helping out, always pleasant to chat with
• DC: “I never thought I could get soaking wet in 5 seconds while running in the rain from my car to the entrance to a shopping mall until I moved to Houston” ;)
• Tom: That dog won’t hunt. :)
• Osamu Hayashi (Hayashi-san): Kevin-san. :)
• Suky: “Oh my gosh!” :)  Thanks for teaching me about The Tube. :)
• Budd: future executive vice-president, I tell you ;)
• Noeli: Introducing me to Marisa Monte and other Brazilian music, and being a friend during ESG07a Rel 5.  Ate mais!
• Countless kindness of everybody on the team.  Thanks for giving me a chance.  I’ll definitely let you know where I end up.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

Restaurants offering Thanksgiving dinner in Sacramento for 2011:

Yelp's List: http://j.mp/uTGhN3

CSUS University Center Restaurant (Sacramento): http://www.enterprises.csus.edu/dining/ucr/index.html 

Silva's Sheldon Inn (Elk Grove; ): http://www.silvassheldoninn.com/holiday.html $??? THANKSGIVING 2011  Serving from 1-5:30  Reservations required  686-8330 Tuesday -Saturday after 4p.m. A SAMLING OF THE MENU  Dinner includes soup and salad.   Butternut Squash Soup served with a Savory Crouton   Mixed Baby Green Salad with Honey Toasted Walnuts, and Cranberry Vinaigrette   - MAIN COURSES -   Traditional Roasted Turkey with Cornbread Stuffing, House made Cranberry Relish, Mashed Potatoes and Turkey Gravy Center Cut Pork Chop Stuffed with Apples, Bacon and Sage, served with Apple Cider Cream Sauce   Prime Rib of Beef served with Creamy Horseradish Sauce   Organic Farm Raised Salmon Grilled, and served with Garlic,Herb Butter   Half Duckling Roasted crisp, served with Cranberry, Orange, Port Wine Sauce   Children 10 yrs. and under may select from : Turkey, Prime Rib or Fresh Fish Desserts are all made in our kitchen and are priced separately  Beverage selections are priced separately  18% Gratuity added to parties of eight or more

Sam's Hof Brau (Sacramento; American): http://www.thehofbrau.com/sams-monthly-specials This Thanksgiving… Enjoy the Freshness of Home Without the Dishes!  Choice of Roast Turkey or Bakes Ham Entree for $12.49 Includes Yams, Mashed Potatoes, Dressing, and choice of Vegetable or Salad and a piece of Pie! Valid Thanksgiving Day only (open from 11am-8pm) *not valid with any other promotion of discount

OpenTable's list: http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=1&m=35

Buca di Beppo's (Sacramento; Italian): http://www.bucadibeppo.com/thanksgiving/ Celebrate an American Feast with an Italian Twist… and Family-Style with portions meant for sharing!  Make your reservation now for a Traditional Thanksgiving Meal and complement your meal with our Classic Italian Favorites. Our thanksgiving Feast inclUDes _ Turkey • Sausage Stuffing • Mashed Potatoes • Gravy • Green Beans • Cranberry Sauce  SMALL Serves up to 3 $39.99 LARGE Serves up to 6 $69.99

Formaggio Taverna & Patio - Sacramento Marriott Rancho Cordova (Rancho Cordova; Italian): http://j.mp/uFfbkD Thanksgiving, November 24th - 11am to 8pm. Entrees: Turkey $30 Prime Rib or Salmon $28 Butternut Squash Ravioli $28 Includes Salad & Dessert Buffet Complimentary Wine 

Grange (Sacramento; Californian): http://www.grangesacramento.com/events.aspx Thanksgiving Dinner November 24, 2011 2-7pm  $65 plus tax, plus gratuity  First Course (choose one) Delta Pear Salad Mulled Wine Poached Pear, Deviled Walnuts, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Picked Greens, Sherry Vinaigrette Smokey Pumpkin & Black Bean Bisque Spicy Spoon Bread Croutons Confit California Albacore Tuna Warm little farm fingerlings, shaved fennel, water cress Preserved lemon citronette  Seasonal Salad Greens White Balsamic – Cranberry Vinaigrette   Second Course (choose one)  Organic Roast Turkey  Stuffing, Pancetta Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Potato Gratin, Roast Heirloom Carrots, Cranberry Relish, Natural Jus  Dungeness Crab Stuffed Passmore Trout Marcona Almond Puree, haricot vert, wild rice, Brown butter Vinaigrette  Martin Amigh Braised Lamb Shanks Stone ground polenta, Root Vegetable hash gremolata, Pomegranate braising jus  Autumn Vegetable Strudel Braised greens, Sweet potato, Sweet & Sour onions
Dessert (choose one)  Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie Cinnamon Ice Cream  Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding Seasonal Creme Anglaise  Apple Cranberry Cobbler Oatmeal Crisp, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 

Il Fornaio (Sacramento; Italian): http://www.ilfornaio.com/images/thanksgiving/IF_TG_menu_A_11_11.pdf Thanksgiving 2011 Thursday, November 24, 2011 Join us this Thanksgiving 11:30am-8pm for a four-course feast with an Italian twist: $35 for adults, $18 for children 12 and under. A la carte menu will also be available. Start a new Thanksgiving tradition with your family at Il Fornaio. 

La Provence (Roseville; French): http://www.laprovenceroseville.com/docs/october/THANKSGIVING%20%20prix%20fixe%202011.pdf Thanksgiving Dinner at La Provence For the table An assortment of artisan pâtés, spreads, tapenade and breads Starters Potage de Courge d’Héritage Heirloom squash soup garnished with crème fraîche Salade de Betteraves et Roquefort Roasted beets, Roquefort cheese, honey walnuts, wild arugula, citrus tarragon vinaigrette Main Course (choose one) Dinde en Deux Cuisson Lacquered and roasted breast of turkey, confit of leg Accompanied by traditional cranberry sauce and turkey gravy Pavé de Saumon Crispy pan-seared salmon, fennel and Fuji apple salad, cider sauce Côte de Bœuf Bordelaise Thyme and Dijon crusted prime rib with a Côtes-du-Rhône shallot sauce Suppléments (Sides for the table) Haricots Verts Sautéed Blue Lake green beans Choux de Bruxelles Brussels sprouts sautéed with cherrywood smoked bacon and shallots Purée de Pommes de Terre Roasted garlic mashed potatoes Dessert (choose one) Crumble de Canneberges Cranberry and grape crisp Tarte de Potiron Pumpkin tart Gâteau au Chocolat Flourless chocolate decadence cake served over crème anglaise $45 per person $12 children 10 or under plus tax and gratuity Corkage Fee $13 18% gratuity and one check for parties of 7 or more Sous Chef Derrick Sand Chef Partner Shane McMahon Pastry Chef Sandra France 

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood (Sacramento; Seafood): http://j.mp/vpe18R Thanksgiving 2011 Thursday, November 24, 2011 Join us on Thanksgiving! 

The Mustard Seed (Davis; Californian): http://www.mustardseeddavis.com/ Thanksgiving 2011 Thursday, November 24, 2011 We will be serving our Annual Traditional Thanksgiving Feast. Four Courses for $48.00 a person. Featuring Organic turkey breast with all the trimmings. 

Osteria Fasulo (Davis; Italian): http://osteriafasulo.com/ Thanksgiving at Osteria Fasulo Thursday , November 24th. 2011 11:30am till 6:00pm Tacchino Tonnato Thinly sliced cold turkey in a tuna creamy sauce * Tortellini in brodo Homemade turkey ground stuffed tortellini served in turkey broth * Tacchino Ripieno Stuffed turkey breast with prosciutto & Fontina cheese And a white wine sauce * Torta di Castagne Homemade chestnut cake served with vanilla ice cream Buon Appetito! $ 45.00 per person 

Piatti (Sacramento; Italian) : http://j.mp/uhh6nF Thanksgiving 2011 Thursday, November 24, 2011 Join us on Thanksgiving! Open 12pm-7pm 

Rudy's Hideaway Lobsterhouse and Bar (Rancho Cordova; Seafood): http://j.mp/tsaY9T Thanksgiving 2011 Thursday, November 24, 2011Serving dinner from Noon to 6 pm. Featuring a Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings including mashed potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie for $23.95. Come celebrate with us! 

Sienna (El Dorado Hills; Californian): http://www.siennarestaurants.com/schedule-of-events.htm Thanksgiving 2011 Thursday, November 24, 2011We are preparing a spectacular Feast Buffet featuring Hand Carved Prime Rib & Roast Turkey, Fresh Shrimp, Roasted Salmon, and much more! From 12pm-8pm, $32.95/Kids U12 $15.95 

Tazzina Bistro (Woodland; American): http://www.tazzinabistro.com/files/Thanksgiving_2011_No_wine_pairings.pdf Tazzina Bistro Thanksgiving Prix Fixe Menu Starters Mixed Baby Lettuces balsamic vinaigrette, pickled red onions & cucumber Caesar Salad with garlic croutons & Grana Padano cheese Tart Apple Salad with Granny Smith apples, endive, romaine, radicchio, Shaft's Bleu cheese, candied pecans & sour apple vinaigrette Prawn Cocktail with housemade cocktail sauce Wild Mushroom Pâté with crostini, white truffle oil & toasted hazelnuts Caramelized Onion Soup with garlic crouton & Gruyère cheese Clam Chowder Entrées Herb-Roasted Turkey with Wild Mushroom dressing, mashed potatoes, lots of gravy "love" & cranberry-orange relish Children’s Turkey Plate with mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry-orange relish…$8.95 Beluga Lentil Ragout with roasted garlic, herbs, broccoli, roasted carrots & gremolata Kurobuta Baked Ham with gingered sweet potato purée, braised cabbage & orange maple glaze Snake River Farms Kobe Burger with Tabasco Aioli, sweet & spicy pickles, grilled red onions, choice of Shaft's Bleu cheese or white cheddar on ciabatta bun with French Fries Grilled Salmon with roasted pepper-olive relish, braised greens & crispy horseradish potato cake Grilled Flat Iron Steak with roasted garlic butter, broccoli & potato-Gruyere gratin Dessert Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake with whipped cream & caramel sauce Chocolate Mousse & Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Apple Pie with vanilla bean ice cream Three Course Prix Fix $32.00 per person Two Course Prix Fix $27.00 per person Children’s Entrée A La Carte Historic Cranston's Building     614 Main Street Woodland, CA 95695 (530) 661-1700 

Zinfandel Grill (Sacramento; Californian): http://zinfandelgrille.com/index.php/menus/thanksgiving-2011.html Thursday, November 24, 2011 Join us at Zinfandel Grille for Thanksgiving! Special three course menu including a traditional turkey dinner from 1-7pm for $32.95 per person and $10.95 for kids! 

Other:

Sheepherder Bar & Grille (Rancho Cordova; American): special Thanksgiving menu 11:00-6:00 p.m.

Rio City Cafe (Sacramento; American): http://www.riocitycafe.com 

Black Angus Steakhouse (Citrus Heights; Steakhouse): http://www.blackangus.com/ special Thanksgiving menu & regular menu

The Broiler Steakhouse (Sacramento; Steakhouse): http://j.mp/vPagNT special Thanksgiving menu & regular menu

The Firehouse Restaurant (Sacramento; American): http://www.firehouseoldsac.com/thanksgiving-november-24/ Thanksgiving 2011 Traditional Menu November 24, 2011 12:30 ~ 8 p.m.  First Course Please Select One   Seafood-Stuffed Prawn stuffed with a scallop-crab mousse rolled in puff pastry and baked golden, sauce cardinal and crème fraîche   Leek Tart with Duck Confit savory herbs with chèvre, roasted fall vegetables and house-cured duck confit salad  Second Course Please Select One   Mixed Greens spiced walnuts and blue cheese, pickled beets and citrus fruit and orange honey vinaigrette  Butternut Squash-Pear Bisque roasted squash and warm fall spices, sherry-infused velouté and toasted pepita-root vegetable ragoût  Third Course Please Select One   Herb-Roasted Turkey boneless breast with cranberry relish, spiced apple-pecan stuffing, mashed potatoes and sage velouté   Prime Rib slow roasted with signature dry rub, mashed potatoes, sautéed vegetables, demi-glacé and horseradish cream   Salmon seared with smoked salmon persillade, lacinato kale with garlic and bacon, confit potatoes and Dijon crème   Braised Lamb Shank slowly braised with tomato and herbs, wild mushroom risotto and pistachio-lemon gremolata  Fourth Course Please Select One   Pumpkin Spice Cake maple filling, cream cheese icing, caramel sauce and vanilla anglaise   Chocolate Bar chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, hazelnut royaltine, chocolate cake and vanilla bean chantilly  $46.95 per person  Deneb Williams ~ Executive Chef Jill Berger ~ Pastry Chef   Split entrées not permitted. Tax, gratuity and beverages not included. Gratuity of 20% will be added to parties of six or more guests. Special holiday menu.  As a courtesy to other guests, please turn off electronic devices. A corkage fee of $20 will be applied per 750 ml bottle brought into the restaurant.  ~  Thanksgiving 2011 Vegetarian and Vegan Menu November 24, 2011 12:30 ~ 8 p.m.  First Course Please Select One  Leek & Chèvre Tart savory herbs with chèvre, roasted fall vegetables, toasted almonds and frisée  Eggplant Napoleon fried eggplant and olive tapenade with sweet pepper hummus (vegan option)  Second Course Please Select One  Butternut Squash-Pear Bisque roasted squash and warm fall spices, sherry-infused velouté and toasted pepita-root vegetable ragoût  Mixed Greens baby greens and spiced walnuts, pickled beets and citrus fruit and orange honey vinaigrette (vegan option)  Third Course Please Select One  Yam-Ricotta Gratinée caramelized onions baked in herbed artisan ricotta with crisp pickled fennel salad  Paella “Style” Risotto artichoke hearts, peas and tofu, fire-roasted bell peppers and tomatoes and saffron-infused rice (vegan option)  Fourth Course Please Select One  Pumpkin Spice Cake maple filling, cream cheese icing, caramel sauce and vanilla anglaise  Apple-Cranberry Crisp spiced apples and cranberries and pecan-oat crumble (vegan option)  $46.95 per person   Deneb Williams ~ Executive Chef Jill Berger ~ Pastry Chef  Split entrées not permitted. Tax, gratuity and beverages not included. Gratuity of 20% will be added to parties of six or more guests. Special holiday menu. As a courtesy to other guests, please turn off electronic devices. A corkage fee of $20 will be applied per 750 ml bottle brought into the restaurant.  Deneb Williams ~ Executive Chef  Jill Berger ~ Pastry Chef   Beverages of soda, milk or juice included. Split entrées not permitted. Tax and gratuity not included. Gratuity of 20% will be added to parties of six or more guests. Special holiday menu. As a courtesy to other guests, please turn off electronic devices.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Sacramento; Steakhouse): http://www.ruthschris.com/Menu/Thanksgiving Ruth's Chris Thanksgiving Day Menu This Thanksgiving enjoy a 3-course turkey dinner for $34.95* First Course (Choice of) Ceasar Salad Steak House Salad Seafood Gumbo Entree Roasted Turkey Breast Sliced oven roasted turkey breast, served with homemade gravy, Ruth's sausage and herb stuffing and cranberry relish. Sides (Choice of) Garlic Mashed Potatoes Sweet Potato Casserole Green Beans with Roasted Garlic Creamed Spinach Dessert A Dessert duo Pairing of Pumpkin Cheesecake and Vanilla Ice Cream *A la carte dinner menu will also be available.

Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar (Sacramento; Seafood): http://www.scottsseafood.net/_pdf/Tdaymenu_2008_rev.pdf Their 2008 menu: Oven Roasted “Diestel Ranch” Turkey $25.95 with garlic mashed potatoes, natural gravy, pancetta-sage stuffing,  candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans almandine  and pumpkin cheese cake for dessert

Scott’s Seafood On the River (Sacramento; Seafood): http://www.scottsseafood.net/_pdf/Tdaymenu_2008_rev.pdf Their 2008 menu: Oven Roasted “Diestel Ranch” Turkey $25.95 with garlic mashed potatoes, natural gravy, pancetta-sage stuffing,  candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans almandine  and pumpkin cheese cake for dessert

Hyatt Regency Dawson's Restaurant (Sacramento; American): http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/images/hotels/sacra/SACRA_thanksgivingmenu.pdf Thanksgiving Dinner November 24, 2011 Puree of Sweet Potato and Apple Soup, Crème Fraiche Sage and Country Sausage Stuffing Mascarpone and Lemon Whipped Potatoes Candied Garnet Yams Brussel Sprouts with Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Orange Zest Roasted Mushrooms, Pearl Onions and Fennel Pan Seared Pacific Salmon, Roasted Root Vegetables Dry Rubbed Chicken Breast, Melted Leeks, Natural Jus Carved Items Whole Roast Turkey, Traditional Giblet Gravy and Fresh Cranberry Relish Rock Salt and Rosemary Crusted Prime Rib of Beef, Au Jus, Horseradish Rum Raisin Glazed Ham, Assorted Mustards Salad Bar Crisp Romaine and Baby Spinach, Assorted Dressings and Toppings Marinated Mushroom Salad Sherry Vinegar and Herbs, Lentil and Wild Rice Salad, Roasted Sugar Beets French Beans and Bleu Cheese, Bay Shrimp and Lobster Salad with Cucumber Sweet Onion and Louie Dressing Seafood Bar Chilled Prawns, Fresh Lemons and Cocktail Sauce Oysters in the Half Shell with Champagne Mignonette Smoked Salmon, Capers, Shaved Red Onions and Tomato Dessert Station Pumpkin, Cherry and Old Fashioned Apple Pies, Decadent Chocolate Cake, Pastries, Fruit Tarts, Bread Pudding, Assorted Cheesecakes and Made to Order Crepes Hyatt Regency Sacramento 1209 L Street, Sacramento, CA  95814 For Reservations please call 916-321-3600 $44.95 adults, $22.95 children 5-12 years of age Hours: 5:30p.m - 10:00p.m Nightly Reservations: 916 321 3600

Hyatt Regency Vines Cafe (Sacramento; American): http://sacramento.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp#1923 Thanksgiving Buffet – Thursday November 24th Time: 11am – 4:00pm Price: Adults - $44.95 Children 5-12 years old - $22.50 Children 4 and under free Reservations required by call 916-443-1234 No Thanksgiving is complete without a slice of pie. Or two. Or three. Celebrate Thanksgiving at Hyatt Regency Sacramento on Thursday, November 24th from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Join us for a bountiful buffet featuring traditional holiday favorites. Up to three hour complimentary valet parking included.

Ryde Hotel's Thanksgiving Day Feast (Ryde; American): http://www.rydehotel.com/html/thanksgiving.html THANKSGIVING DAY FEAST RYDE HOTEL & EVENT CENTER THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2011 12:00 PM-4:00PM STARTERS International Cheese And Fruit Selection Ambrosia Holiday Fruit Salad Fruited Baked Brie with Sliced Baguettes Local Greens with Bleu Cheese Crumbles, Sugared Walnuts and Pear Vinaigrette Selection of Relishes Rolls and butter ENTREES Roasted Turkey with Maple Herb Butter Apple Cider Giblet Gravy Fresh Cranberries Apple, Cranberry and Sausage Dressing Sangria Baked Ham Mashed Potatoes With Chives Candied Yams Green Beans Almondine DESSERTS Chef prepared Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin Pie with fresh whipped cream Bread Pudding with Crème Anglaise $35.00 Per Person plus tax and gratuity Children 10 Years And Under Half Price Parties Of 8 Or More Subject To 18% Gratuity Chef Michael Ivie Ryde Hotel 14340 Highway 160 Walnut Grove, Ca. 95690 Reservations Call 916-776-1318

Also, too, my list from 2007: http://schultkl.blogspot.com/2007/11/sacramento-area-thanksgiving.html

Sacramento Downtown Free Parking Spots

Sacramento Downtown Free Parking Spots:

• Between 5th and 6th Street on W Street (Google Map: http://g.co/maps/9k74d)
• Park before 8:30 a.m.
• (Unverified) Between 6th and 7th Street on P Street (Google Map: http://g.co/maps/bhdcp)
• (Unverified, 2004) 1900 block of G Street http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/people-places/content?oid=31507 (Google Map: http://g.co/maps/zq6ez)

Others?

The City of Sacramento publishes the location of "long-term" meters, here: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/transportation/parking/onstreetmaps.html

However, they do not show controlled areas.

Six Month Feedback on Raised Work-Surface

I wrote this feedback for my raised work-surface at my place of employment; adapting to share my thoughts with the general public. I raised my work-surface in April, 2011.

Six Month Feedback on Raised Work-Surface

·         General Feedback

o   I suggest a strategy of standing and sitting:

§  I stand for two hours, then sit for two hours

§  Adjust as needed (sit more if tired, and so forth)

o   Per above, I suggest you obtain a chair with proper ergonomic seat height (see “Suggested Equipment,” below)

o   Occasionally, I still feel some light back soreness—but I would never go back to sitting all day, given the choice

o   Food for thought, only—electric or hydraulic height-adjustable desks would allow for variable work-surface heights throughout the day

·         Installation

o   I raised two work surfaces and left one lower, which allows a bit more room to spread papers and such, and looks a bit cleaner

o   Face monitors toward a low-traffic area, to minimize passer-by distractions/eye-contact

o   Before the movers arrive, make it easy for them by moving all objects off of the desk, disconnect any cables, remove things from walls, and so forth, as needed

o   Set work-surface height at distance from 90-degree elbows to the floor

o   Monitor at time of installation, to properly set the ergonomic work-surface height (critical):

§  Take a tape measurement from the floor to your 90-degree elbow to determine the ergonomic desk height

§  After installing the work-surface, confirm the height (for example, place an unplugged keyboard on top and verify ergonomic arm position)

§  A bit low work-surface height is better than a bit high work-surface height, as you can always fine-tune height increase (for example, standing on a mat)

§  Surface height should feel comfortable!

·         Standing “Pros”

o   Standing eliminates post-lunch lethargy, for me

o   I perceive an increased focus while standing

o   I still feel a bit of back soreness while standing, from time to time—standing helps but is not a miracle solution

o   Some argue standing is good for dieting as it burns more calories than sitting:http://lifehacker.com/5798791/calculate-how-many-calories-you-can-burn-if-you-switch-to-a-standing-desk

·         Standing “Cons”

o   Standing all day, like sitting all day, is hard on the body, but in different ways—to compensate, alternate between standing or sitting, and take breaks, walk around, and so forth

o   Shorter colleagues may find a high work-surface challenging during desk-side meetings (a good reason to keep at least one lower work-surface)

·         Suggested Equipment

o   Foot rest

o   Anti-fatigue mat

§  $10 at Harbor Freight Tools for four 2’x2’ foam mats

§  Alternatives at Amazon.com

o   Chair with ergonomic seat height

§  A short-term work-around: adjust existing 30” stool with reams of paper until 90-degree elbows (while seated)

§  Chair options: foot-rest, seat back

Radio Songs

Heard on 90.3 FM KDVS out of Davis, CA:

Belfast, Northern Ireland-natives Language of Flowers' "Tara Mascara," from their 2004 album, "Songs About You," on the Shelflife Records label. Audio. Fun lyrics: "Your family name is my number one aim." 

Los Angeles-based Earth, Wind, and Fire's "I've Had Enough," from their 1981 album, "Raise!" on the ARC/Columbia Records labels. Audio. Love the horns! :o) 

Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany-native Paul Van Dyk's (Matthias Paul) "Kaleidoscope," from his 2004 album, "Reflections," on the Vandit label. Audio. 

Chicago-based Fruit Bats' "Shivering Fawn," from their 2011 album, "Tripper," on the Sub Pop label. Audio. Mellow and much appreciated in the early morning commute. 

Essex, England-native Blood Orange's (Dev Hynes) "Sutphin Boulevard," from his 2011 album "Coastal Grooves," on the Domino Records label. Video.