Still at home for the holidays, with a crappy computer. Up to Sugarloaf next week for some good friends and good riding.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Randsell
New bag from Fred Perry Japan. I've been looking for a new bag for a while now and this one is pretty much everything I've been looking for. Military inspired, functional design, and a touch of modernness. Unfortunate that its way out of my price range but still a great piece.
It comes in a can
A lot of the more popular men's magazines have mentioned craft brewed canned beer, but I definitely feel its worth talking about. Oskar Blues is definitely responsible for this tiny revolution. Old Chub definitely gets my vote for the best of the bunch, half for the great quality of the brew, the other half for the commens you get when your drinking a can that says Old Chub on it.
Handiedan
Sorry for the overflow of art print posts, but I've been pretty busy with work and getting ready for the holidays. Definitely a big fan of this guys work though.
Bio from his website:
HANDIEDAN (Hanneke Treffers, 1981) is an Amsterdam based artist and designer. In 2002 she graduated in photographic design at the Academy of Arts and Design St. Joost in the Netherlands. Although her degree says photography, she has also become well versed in apparel design, illustration, flash animation, website design, as well as creating her own fine art.
HANDIEDAN’s mixed media artworks are a delicate cut and paste mixture wrapped in contemporary antiquity. She meticulously combines classic pin-ups and movie images with paint, ink, yellowed sheet music, old fashioned playing cards, money, stamps, Chinese papers, old wood, rusty metal and doodles as a playful mixture of filigree and a newfangled amalgamation of imagery.
His prints can be purchased here, but they sell out like lightning.
Bio from his website:
HANDIEDAN (Hanneke Treffers, 1981) is an Amsterdam based artist and designer. In 2002 she graduated in photographic design at the Academy of Arts and Design St. Joost in the Netherlands. Although her degree says photography, she has also become well versed in apparel design, illustration, flash animation, website design, as well as creating her own fine art.
HANDIEDAN’s mixed media artworks are a delicate cut and paste mixture wrapped in contemporary antiquity. She meticulously combines classic pin-ups and movie images with paint, ink, yellowed sheet music, old fashioned playing cards, money, stamps, Chinese papers, old wood, rusty metal and doodles as a playful mixture of filigree and a newfangled amalgamation of imagery.
His prints can be purchased here, but they sell out like lightning.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Anise
Anise is a flowering plant that is responsible for liquorice like flavor in many spirits and liqueurs around the world. It can be found as the main flooring ingredient in absinthe, Arak, Sambuca and my personal favorite Ouzo. I encountered Ouzo in my first trip to Greece, while in Athens some restaurants would serve it as an aperitif or with appetizers. It wasn't until I traveled the the more obscure Ionian islands that I was found out how much they really drank the stuff. I ended drinking the stuff everywhere at all hours of the day. Every meal came with free ouzo either before or after and many of the bars would serve you up a shot with every other round you ordered. Best part about the free ouzo at the bars was that the bartender would take a shot with you. It seemed to me that the amazing hospitality of the Ionians went hand in hand with the amount of ouzo they could pour down your throat. One of the most interesting things about Anise based spirits is that they remain clear until mixed into a drink. This is because anise oil is soluble in alcohol but not in water and when it is diluted in a drink it begins to separate out. This results in tradition that when using in a mixed drink, the water is to be added before ice, because when ice is added directly a skin will form on the top layer of the drink.
Arak is the anise flavored liquor that is popular in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, and is most consumed in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Eqypt. It is an unsweetened spirit and is distilled initially from grapes and then re distilled after the addition on aniseed. I cant really find much on this spirit but would definitely be interested to try it.
Sambuca is a another anise flavored beverage, and while it gets its flavor form the star anise plant and not the anise flower I still feel it belongs in this group. The star anise is a plant native to southwest china that has an extremely similar flavor to anise. Sambuca is made from the mixing of sugars and star anise oil to pure alcohol. The origins of the name like many other liquors are disputed. Molinari a producer of Sambuca claims that the name is derived from the Arabic for Zammut which was used for the anise flavored drinks being imported form the east. However the Oxford English dictionary claims that it is derived from the term sambucas, which means elderberry, and is often an ingredient in traditional Sambuca.
Ouzo is a drink that also has disputed origins. While there are many claims as to where it originated and how, large scale production did not start until after the Greeks gained independence. The island of Lesbos became the center of production for the beverage. Ouzo gained even more favor in the early 20th century Absinthe fell out of style and the Varvayanis company began to produce and market a "high quality" Ouzo distilled in copper vats. In Greece ouzo is typically served mixed with water or served straight up, I certainly encountered in in the straight up form more often, but then again I don't know what should be expected for a gratis drink. More commonly in the west is it mixed with cola and can often be bought in pre mixed bottles. Like other anise beverages ouzo starts with pure high proof alcohol being mixed with anise seed. Ouzo may contain other additions such as star anise, cloves, and cinnamon.
Arak is the anise flavored liquor that is popular in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, and is most consumed in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Eqypt. It is an unsweetened spirit and is distilled initially from grapes and then re distilled after the addition on aniseed. I cant really find much on this spirit but would definitely be interested to try it.
Sambuca is a another anise flavored beverage, and while it gets its flavor form the star anise plant and not the anise flower I still feel it belongs in this group. The star anise is a plant native to southwest china that has an extremely similar flavor to anise. Sambuca is made from the mixing of sugars and star anise oil to pure alcohol. The origins of the name like many other liquors are disputed. Molinari a producer of Sambuca claims that the name is derived from the Arabic for Zammut which was used for the anise flavored drinks being imported form the east. However the Oxford English dictionary claims that it is derived from the term sambucas, which means elderberry, and is often an ingredient in traditional Sambuca.
Ouzo is a drink that also has disputed origins. While there are many claims as to where it originated and how, large scale production did not start until after the Greeks gained independence. The island of Lesbos became the center of production for the beverage. Ouzo gained even more favor in the early 20th century Absinthe fell out of style and the Varvayanis company began to produce and market a "high quality" Ouzo distilled in copper vats. In Greece ouzo is typically served mixed with water or served straight up, I certainly encountered in in the straight up form more often, but then again I don't know what should be expected for a gratis drink. More commonly in the west is it mixed with cola and can often be bought in pre mixed bottles. Like other anise beverages ouzo starts with pure high proof alcohol being mixed with anise seed. Ouzo may contain other additions such as star anise, cloves, and cinnamon.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Ski and Shoot
I have always thought the biathlon was a pretty interesting event. This may just be because I'm from a town with almost endless amounts of Nordic skiing terrain and rural enough that pretty much everyone goes shooting at least a couple of times. I am always surprised that most people barley know what it is, let a lone know anything about it except for the fact that its an Olympic sport that combines skiing and shooting. Its amazinly impressvie how fast these skiier are, and even more astounding how well they can shoot after being at almost a full sprint for 5-10k. Although relatively unknown in the states, its currently the most televised winter sporting event in Europe.
The Biathlon has its origins in Norwegian military patrols who were equipped with cross country skis and rifles. The first organized competetion to combine skiing and target shooting was held by these patrols in 1776, and continued in regular intervals through the 1800's. This lead to the founding of Trysil Rife and Ski Club, the first club of its kind, whose goal was to promote national defense locally. In 1902 Germany began holding military patrol races in the same style as the Norwegian competitions.
Military partrol races were then shown as a demonstrations port at the first Winter Olympic Games in Charmonix, France. Military patrol races would continue to be shown as demonstrations ports at the 1928, 1936 and 1948 Olympic Games. Finally in 1949 at the 44th session of the International Olympic Committee the Military Patrol would be accepted as an official event. However some changes were made, a proposal by Sweden the event was made an individual competition, opening it up to civilian competitors instead of just military personnel.
The name of the event was changed to simply Patrol Race to reflect the change. It isn't until the rules for the 1955 Winter Olympic Games are drawn up that the word Biathlon first appears. The Union International de Pentathlon Modern, the main managing body for many foot races, would go on to become the ruling body for Biathlon competition. The first Biathlon World Championships did not take place until the 1958 in Saalfelden, Austria and had only 25 athletes from 7 different countries competing in it.
The Biathlon has its origins in Norwegian military patrols who were equipped with cross country skis and rifles. The first organized competetion to combine skiing and target shooting was held by these patrols in 1776, and continued in regular intervals through the 1800's. This lead to the founding of Trysil Rife and Ski Club, the first club of its kind, whose goal was to promote national defense locally. In 1902 Germany began holding military patrol races in the same style as the Norwegian competitions.
Military partrol races were then shown as a demonstrations port at the first Winter Olympic Games in Charmonix, France. Military patrol races would continue to be shown as demonstrations ports at the 1928, 1936 and 1948 Olympic Games. Finally in 1949 at the 44th session of the International Olympic Committee the Military Patrol would be accepted as an official event. However some changes were made, a proposal by Sweden the event was made an individual competition, opening it up to civilian competitors instead of just military personnel.
The name of the event was changed to simply Patrol Race to reflect the change. It isn't until the rules for the 1955 Winter Olympic Games are drawn up that the word Biathlon first appears. The Union International de Pentathlon Modern, the main managing body for many foot races, would go on to become the ruling body for Biathlon competition. The first Biathlon World Championships did not take place until the 1958 in Saalfelden, Austria and had only 25 athletes from 7 different countries competing in it.
Event thought the Biathlon was accepted as an Olympic event the first Olympic Biathlon competitions were not held until 960 when the event premiered in Squaw Valley, California. The original rules had competitors shooting rifles loaded with various large bore rounds at cardboard targets. The shooting distances were originally 250, 200, 150 and 100 meters. The race was original 20km with shooting sections laid out at equal intervals along the route. As technology and popularity progressed the cardboard targets would eventually be switched for glass targets, and then again for mechanical targets. The large bore rifles would be replaced with a standardized 22 caliber long round, with specific standards set for rife length, weight, and muzzle velocity. In modern competition the shooting distance has been adjusted down to 50 meters for all 4 shooting rounds, 2 of which are shot standing, and 2 of which are shot in the prone potions. It wasn't until the 1992 games the first Womens event was added to the Olympic roster.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Mountain Time
Glad the season getting into full swing. Got my college pass for Loon/Sunday River/Sugarloaf. Roof racks and snow tires are on. Time to take it easy on Friday nights so I can get up early and get on the snow. Glad to be spending most of my Christmas break at Sugarloaf with some of my best friends. Nothing beats riding all day and hanging out all night with good people.
aOnly 4 months till I get to hike myself to death for the best ride of the season
Recession Proof Webisode: Mount Snow Opening Day from ian post on Vimeo.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Bruce Cambell
Hail to the king, Baby!
Fine, but from now on, no cover IDs that involve turning down twenty-year-old Scotch! 
Yeah... She's just a little upset about the uh... ya know, the house blowin' up. It's not the whole house. It's just the uh, ya know, the sun room? I mean it came out okay, but I think the bottom line is, you're better off in here until your ma cools off. 
Alright you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This... is my boomstick! The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that? 
It'd been two presidential elections since I'd had a boner like that.
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