SIASOM

Break Like The Wind

One of great things about the internet is the great amount of information that it provides literally at your fingertips.  I started using Yahoo! Answers to find information that might be slightly, or greatly, outside the mainstream, or that are very mainstream in the way of helpful household hints.  I appreciate that people can anonymously pose those odd questions of the type that at one time or another pop into all of our heads.  Like this for example.

Mexican Liquors

Here at SIASOM headquarter, tequila is the preferred liquor.  I appreciate the land it's made in and the plant it's made from.  And it's the only liquor I will shoot.  But it's at its best when it's served in a margarita or straight.  A good anejo sipped like brandy is a great drink.  The LA Times has a list of some of the lesser-known Mexican liquors. 

Waiter, There's a Culture in My Cup

There's a controversy going on in LA.  The LA Times has an article about it here.  It seems there's some questions over the frozen yogurt that the 20-store Pinkberry chain serves.  Remind you of something?  It's like the Rudy Guilianni frozen yogurt 'Seinfeld' episode brought to life.  Kramer taints the sample, and Guiliani does the cameo at the end.  The law really takes this delicious low-fat desert stuff seriously.  Why aren't they going after McDonald's or Taco Bell for calling their products "food"?

Labs, lawsuits, attorneys, yogurt - stay tuned for the next episode of this drama.

(ed. note:  "Labs & Lawsuits" would make a good name for a band.  Or a CD.)

A Midsummer's Night Dream

No blog dedicated to the sun, the sand, the sea and all things summertime would be worth its salt if it didn't comment on a day that all sun worshipers, watermen, waterwomen, surfers, sailors, single women, kids, astronomers, playwrights, citizens of Santa Barbara and Reykjavik, mystics, senior citizen drivers, and just about anyone who loves these lazy, hazy days of summer (presumably everyone who reads this blog) does not appreciate.

The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is this Thursday.  This is the day that summer officially begins (and winter officially begins in the Southern Hemisphere - so screw them).  Why is it considered "official"?  Good question.  Because at  2:06 PM EST, the sun will reach its farthest point from north of the celestial equator.  What does this mean for you?  It means there is more sunlight on this day than any other.  Seems like a good time to celebrate.

It's a common misconception - I think mostly by college students - that the sun is closest to the earth during summer.  That's definately not the case.  Actually, on July 6 the earch will be at its farthest point from the sun.   It's all about tilt, baby.

There are parades, celebrations, and events around the world that mark this day each year.  Here at Siasom we support these celebrations, and we're seriously considering petitioning Congress to make this day a national holiday.  It's an ideal day to play hooky anyway (ed. note - does anyone still use the word "hooky" anymore?  Is there a new word for skipping work/school?).

So happy solstice.  Barbeque, eat, drink, play, dance around the maypole, and just have fun.  Summer's officially here and the livin' is easy.

A Legend's Last Season

We have William G. Morgan to thanks for one of the greatest sports ever invented.  I took up the sport in high school, and those days of tournaments and road trips started an amazing 10 years of playing the game that I fell in love with many reasons.    Need more hints?  It was invented at a YMCA in Massachusetts, it borrows things from a few other sports, and was basically invented to give uncoordinated, out-of-shape businessmen something to participate in without hurting themselves.
That's right, as you probably already guessed from the picture, the sport is volleyball.  It's a beautiful game.  And one, like golf, that can be played by people of all skill levels.  Also like golf, it can range from brutally slapstick to marvelously exciting to watch, depending on the talent and skill level of the participants and the setting of the event.
When you take a great sport, strip the players down from 6 to 2 per side, then strip those 4 players down to nothing but bathing suits, caps, and sunglasses, and set this all in the sand...well, you've got the makings of a great event.  This is the AVP beach tour, and this summer it may be coming to a location near you. 
The season is half over but you still may have a chance to catch a few matches.  Check out the schedule here.  The next event is in Seaside Heights, NJ on July 5 - 8.  This is the tour stop that had been held in Belmar for several years.   Take a long July 4th weekend and head down-the-shore to check out the guys and gals pound the ball around the beach.  And say 'hi' to Skeeter Mcgee, the tour announcer.   He does a great job of getting the crowd pumped up.  Also say 'hey' and thanks to Mr. Karch Kiraly.  The volleyball legend is playing his last season on the beach at age 46 - truly amazing.  This guy has played at the highest levels of the sport for more than 20 years.  Seeing him play this season is like seeing the Rolling Stones, when they finally do a farewell tour, that is.
You also have the chance at seeing the gold medalists Misty May and Kari Walsh.  They've won eight tournaments in a row and have already reached legend status.  You may even see them play the team with my personal favorite, the beautiful Rachel Wacholder.  I mean beautiful, athletic, strong, she's perfect.  Please pass her my #.
See you on the beach!

Happy Father's Day

Tomorrow is Dad's day.  It doesn't have the glamour of Mom's day but just check out dad with his shirt off when he's mowing the lawn and you'll know why.  My father left our family when I was eight years old when my parent divorced and I never heard from him again after that so my memories are mostly fuzzy. 
Show pops some love on tomorrow, and if you want to give him a gift, trust me, he has enough ties.  There is one four-letter word that could make him happy.  It starts with "b", ends with an "r" and rhymes with "beer". 
There are a lot of father-themed songs floating around the blogsphere in celebration of the day.  I think the classics are still the best when it comes to songs like these because they offer familiarity, flashbacks, and sentiment.  Here are a few of my favorites, starting with an all-time classic .
Happy Father's Day!

Download cats_in_the_cradle.mp3

Download daddys_little_pumpkinjosh_ritter.mp3

Download daughterloudon_wainwright_iii.mp3

Download daughterpaul_simon.mp3

Download fathers_sonwolf_parade.mp3

Brown The Runway

OK, this one is off-topic too, but it's too funny not to share.  Enjoy.

Somewhere Over the Chihuahua

I know, it's a little off-topic, but I say we bring this 6 year old over here to from the UK to kick some ass on American Idol.  She would get at least as far as Sanjaya.  I would really be looking forward to "songs of Biz Markie" night.  So what if she's technically not American.  Neither is one of the judges.  And if she can bring this female judge to tears, I imagine Paula Abdul would curl up in a ball sobbing.   

I Like Mine With Lettuce and Tomato

Americans like lists.  Top 10 this, Top 5 that.  Most admired, most beautiful, most unusual, biggest, worst.  I can't say I'm any different.  When you lead a busy life, which many people do, it's helpful to have some things capsulized.  It's convenient and efficient.  On the other hand it's not always reliable.  Lists are often subjective.  You find many more like "Most Unusual Smell" than you do measurable things, like "Tallest Miniature Horse". 

At the top of my list of favorite lists is any "Best Hamburger" list.  If any food lends itself to a Best Of, it's the burger.  It's a food most of us understand, it's served in a lot of places, and it can be everything from an overcooked lump in a stale bun to a sublime, complex experience.  At its heart it's just ground beef on a bun, which as legend has it goes all the way back to the days of Genghis Khan more that 800 years ago.  Seems he and his posse riding the countryside on horseback - no doubt with "Hummer" branded across the rear - it was not easy to stop and build a fire for their meal.  The army needed food that could be carried with them on their horses and eaten easily, so they would put scraps of meat under their saddles to tenderize while they rode.  When they got hungry the would eat the meat raw.   They wouldn't even add some capers, onions, and chopped parsley and make a good tartare.  These guys were tough.

Here is one of many lists out there.  Your town probably has its own.  I took notice to this one because it purports to be a national list, and it put a restaurant not too far from my neighborhood as Number 1.  I haven't been to Le Tub, and I've heard good and not-so-good, so I plan to experience it myself and see what it's all about.  This list comes from GQ magazine:

The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die

20. Hamburger Sandwich
Louis' Lunch
New Haven, CT 

19. Our Famous Burger
Sidetrack Bar and Grill
Ypsilanti, MI

18. Hamburger
Poag Mahone's Carvery and Ale House
Chicago

17. Double Bacon Deluxe with Cheese
Red Mill Burgers
Seattle

16. Hamburger & Fries
Burger Joint
San Francisco

15. Build Your Own Burger
The Counter
Santa Monica 

14. Hamburger
J. G. Melon
New York City

13. Cheeseburger
White Manna
Hackensack, NJ

12. Hamburger
Bobcat Bite
Sante Fe

11. Grilled Bistro Burger
Bistro Don Giovanni
Napa, CA

10. Number Five
Keller's Drive-in
Dallas

9. Cheeseburger
Burger Joint, Le Parker Meridien Hotel
New York City 

8. Hamburger
Miller's Bar
Dearborn, MI

7. Buckhorn Burger
Buckhorn
San Antonio, NM

6. California Burger
Houston's
Santa Monica

5. Kobe Sliders
Barclay Prime
Philadelphia

4. Rouge Burger
Rouge
Philadelphia 

3. Not Just a Burger
Spiced Pear Restaurant at the Chanler Hotel
Newport, RI

2. Luger Burger
Peter Luger Steak House
Brooklyn

1. Sirloin Burger
Le Tub
Hollywood, FL

And I have to appreciate a blog dedicated to the burger.  I first starting reading these guys' blog a few months ago, and like to check in on it every couple weeks to keep expanding my burger-related knowledge in tune.  Checking out A Hamburger Today is a great jumping off point into the world of all things ground up, cooked, and put on a bun.  They also have more links to "Tops" list for burgers.

I have to leave now.  There's a hot grill getting very lonely.

Islands and Lakes

This is your geography lesson for the day.