Puppet Time!

Here is a great inspiring PBS segment of Jim Henson talking about the construction of basic Muppets.

Recipes from La Souvigne

http://souvigne.pagesperso-orange.fr/recipes/index.htm



Just stumbled upon this while searching for a hungarian style crepe I used to make: Palacinta Gundel Modra.
This place is a bed and breakfast in southwest France.. and offers recipes from all of the lovely things they prepare for guests, online in a very organized and simple manner. (the recipes are written in both French and English, so it's great for anyone studying the French language)
Included is the Palacinta Gunel Modra recipe. It is different from the recipe I used, which came from a giant pan-European cookbook, featuring different recipes and cultural facts from each country. HERE is the recipe from that book:

PALACINTA GUNDEL MODRA (Hungarian Crepes)

3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp. sugar
pinch salt
((combine to shiny batter and let stand 2 hours))
butter, melt to coat pan
1 cup soda water ((add to batter right before cooking))

then cook like regular crepes.
for a tasty savory variation - use beer instead of soda water, and top with sliced sausage, onion, and Gruyere cheese. 0r mushrooms, onion, and Gruyere.

Chicago January 11th Snow

After driving 13 hours in a surreal tunnel of 100 foot visibility, blowing snow and roaring big-rigs, Anna, Nicole, and I reached Chicago at 7am, just in time for morning rush hour. Sleep was hard to force, as my senses were thrilled into such a strange state - that, as everyone slept in Jonah's Uptown apartment, i sat on the futon and watched the snow quietly fall over Sheffield street - the morning light reflecting the blinds on the wall, and seeping through my eyelids. I lay on the futon feeling as though i was somehow underwater, yet full of excitement and utter exhaustion.
(a few hours pass)
The snowstorm was beautiful. Onto the train to the loop we went.
Nicole wanted to go to the Chicago Cultural Center, which was down by Millenium Park. I had never been, and it was fantastic. The beautiful building was once known as the People's Palace, a name I much prefer to the current title. There was a great photography exhibit there by an unknown street photographer Vivian Maier. (more on this later as she deserves a separate post)
There was also a space there dedicated to supporting, hosting, and showing artwork made by people with mental and developmental disabilities called Project Onward. I fell in love with the art of Adam Elias Hines, who makes posters on cardboard with pen and colored pencils, mostly of pop culture icons and places in Chicago. There were literally hundreds of them to browse through, I purchased his Fleetwood Mac poster - which will soon be hanging in my room. Luckily on our way out I ran into Adam and got to meet him - we shared a moment over our love of Fleetwood Mac.
I wish there were more programs encouraging creative expression, especially for those who have such a hard time expressing themselves traditionally in our society. Project Onward is truly a great thing.
Anna plinked away at a beautiful grand piano upstairs, echoing through the empty parlor - myself staring out on Michigan Avenue at the traffic through the streetlights and snow, catching the cool reflections of the chandeliers seemingly projected onto buildings outside.
Afterwards we went to watch the ice skaters, and check out the silver sculpture in the park. I usually steer clear of tourist type spots, but let me tell you - Millenium Park is definitely no Navy Pier. I took a quick 360 video to hopefully capture what we saw. It was a very happy Chicago magical snow time.
It doesn't quite capture the feeling, mainly because it doesn't pick up all the falling snow very well.

Alex, I'm in TN

Tonight I sit in a cabin on a mountain in the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. It's completely quiet, and the big windows reflect lights from inside, and all the hazy lights on the hills, hazy from the constant fog, creeping down from higher elevations and from its source, the forest breath. The forest breath will keep on breathing I hope, for long after we are gone - the human race... and reading just moments ago, someone very dear to me has spent his last breath - and that's what I'd like to talk about today. Alex Chilton has died today at the age of 59. He had a heart attack just days before playing a show in Austin, TX. Alex, in my own opinion wrote some of the best, if not THE best beatles inspired pop/rock songs this side of the Atlantic, and to me - his songs mean more to me than any beatles album ever has. They were rockin', real, painfully hopeful and nostalgic of the best things in life. Songs about girls, riding around in cars, being completely in love, the desire to cut class and get high in a graveyard, he had the ability to make you want to smash a bottle in the street, and then stay up writing love letters and looking at the moon, wishing you were far away somewhere with that girl you've been wanting to talk to for the longest time. I guess I should tell you that Alex Chilton was the lead singer/songwriter for the group Big Star - who deserved to be far more known than say someone like, Aerosmith. Big Star was Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stevens, and Andy Hummel - I think there were other members, but im not gonna research that right now. They were a Memphis band, and released three incredible albums - #1 Record, Radio City, and Third/Sister Lovers. All three have very special places in my heart, and all three would be on my top 50 albums of all time list (if I had one). These records hold some of the sweetest melodies, rippling with beautiful acoustic guitars, then moments later, showed some of the catchiest electric guitar hooks and organ grooves around. Third/Sister Lovers was a very personal venture, featuring some of the most depressing songs I have ever heard, with very little glimmer of hope. compare the songs, say.... O My Soul, with Holocaust, and you'll see the wide range of feeling they had as a group.
Well, I don't even know why I'm writing about this.. It will be all over the news tomorrow, and nobody reads this anyway... but I feel like. I mean, I was thinking about Alex Chilton just days ago when we had the option to go to Memphis - and I was thinking - what if I looked for Alex Chilton? Another time I felt that was in Iowa City in 1999, when I stopped by for a late night burrito or something, I noticed that he had just played a show there - I thought maybe I could find him at a hotel or something. Don't know why I have that kinda desire to see him.. I don't with anyone else.... So I'm in Tennessee Alex, I wish I could have met you. Your songs and style made me feel things that no other music has, and you deserved so much more. My thoughts are with your family - and I hope you are travelling through the universe in peace.

Sonny Sharrock 1988

This live footage of one of my all time favorite guitar players Sonny Sharrock along with Melvin Gibbs on bass and Abe Speller on drums, makes my heart beat so fast... and my mind float up and away... brilliant stuff here, true poetry in sound. dig it man.

NEW THING GOIN' ON (NEW POST - NEW BLOG)

So this is an attempt to resurrect the 'Animal Couch' blog I didn't really start about a year ago... I think I posted 2 or so posts... here still... but I am starting over on the same place, now called Transmitter Waves.

It is snowing lightly on E street in Lincoln Nebraska... Giant light wandering flakes finally decorating the gray earth and cement that November gave us. December 3^rd I guess it is now... Trying to keep the temperature up without losing too much heat through the open blinds. It has become apparent now, that I need to communicate with my family and friends that live far away from this town – and I have been doing a fairly crumby job of it so far, and so – to blogging I go. I guess this is the best way to start off with one. To have no real intention with it, other than to update loved ones and the possible passerby with the minor points and habits of my life here in Nebraska. So let it begin. This is it, TRANSMITTER WAVES...
12-05-09.......... It is noon, woke up later than I was expecting, but stayed up really late drawing with Grant and Andrea last night, and then watched an episode of Monk as I drifted off to sleep (Grant fixed my Flash plug in – so I can watch video again on my computer) So I guess I don't feel too bad about sleeping till 10. Especially since its a rare day for me to do that anymore! So like I said it is snowing finally! And Im really excited about it! Drinking some coffee I bought from the Tobacconist – Gyro shop on north 48^th street, who roasts his own beans too... Colombia Supremo.. not shabby, tastes very middle of the road, not many accents or points to talk about... it does taste fresh though. I think it's incredible just how many coffee roasters in Lincoln... We are very lucky here.

Listening to 'The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter' by the Incredible String Band, which I haven't listened to in a while, and it seems perfect for a day like today, with all its mystical imagery and droning eastern accoustic strums... Get my day going on a dreamy note... perfect for making pizza later at work!
Oh yes! Since this is my first post, I should direct my fam/friends to links and images that will visually show you pieces of my life here... The next post will be a 'virual tour' of my apartment!!!!! SO EXCITING! Stay Logged!
so here are links to the websites of my jobs..

Blues Control

a friend of mine, Tim.. mentioned these guys, 'Blues Control' about a month ago, and just got around to checking them out. very nice. on Siltbreeze records.