Mayan Wisdom Made Easy

2 years ago

Notes: 1 / 2 years ago

Death to Summer Part VI

Boardwalk Empire (HBO)

Scorsese. Buscemi. Winter. HBO. Prohibition era. How could you not be excited for this show?

Tagged:
Boardwalk Empire

2 years ago

Death to Summer: Part V

Eastbound & Down (HBO) - September 26

2 years ago

Death to Summer: Part IV

I love grilling steaks, beer can chicken, eggplant, etc. But, there is a certain time of year where I hit a wall. Where grilling seems more of a chore than a pleasure. That point is about now when it’s 100 degrees outside and I have to put on 2 layers of bug spray just to venture into my mosquito-infested back yard just to cook a decent steak. It is this time when my mind starts to wander to thoughts of chili, turkey, queso dip, pulled pork, brisket and all the other delightful things I can cook in the comfort of track pants when it’s 10 degrees outside.

I used to be a pulled pork purist who wouldn’t imagine cooking pulled pork indoors. I had a huge Brinkman smoker with a side fire box. I would spend all day preparing to throw a pork shoulder on my smoker around 1pm and then spend a sleepless night tending to it while slowly getting drunk and watching a Twilight Zone marathon. This smoker was no “set it and forget it!” smoker. No, it was a dirty bastard of a smoker with unforgiving seams that would toy with me and my cook temperature all night long. Also, no matter what the forecast said, it would rain every fucking time I did an overnight smoke. What I got was some of the most delicious and rewarding, yet hard earned pulled pork I’ve tasted. It was such an exhausting process I did it at most twice a year. Fast forward to my family moving to fire-unfriendly Colorado and I unloaded my smoker on my brother.

Living in the mountains of Colorado is nice, unless you love cooking outdoors, then you’re screwed. Oh sure, I could have had a gas grill, but I’ve never swung that way. As the months go by my pulled pork cravings get worse. I ended up picking up a nice, deep roasting pan on Amazon along with some Butt Rub and decide to give cooking pulled pork in an oven a try. What I joyfully discovered was, in exchange for some smokey flavor, I was able to still cook some of the most delicious and rewarding pulled pork I’ve tasted. Not only that but, I was able to do it without setting foot outside or staying up all night. Now cooking pulled pork amounted to throwing it in the over before I went to bed and then pulling it out sometime mid-afternoon. So, instead of doing pulled pork once, maybe twice a year during Summer weekends I was cooking pulled pork for the Super Bowl, for the 24 season premiere, for Tuesday.

So, now that I am back in Kansas City, I have yet to pick up a smoker again. I may someday. It is still one of the best hobbies there is. But, for the time being I am happy to have it be part of my cold weather repertoire (along with this bitchin’ Paula Dean brisket recipe.)

Notes: 1 / 2 years ago

Death to Summer: Part III

Say what you will. Question my manhood. But damn do I get excited when the time finally comes to hit the local Yankee Candle store for our yearly supply of Fall and holiday candles. Making chili half-drunk at two in the afternoon on a crisp Fall Sunday while watching the NFL just isn’t the same without the sweet smell of Fall Festival wafting through the air.

Notes: 1 / 2 years ago

Death to Summer: Part II

Since I couldn’t offer much insight on The Walking Dead I am moving right on to part II and a show I know quite well…

Sons of Anarchy (FX)

If Friday Nights Lights was not still on the air, I would claim this as the best show on television. And like Friday Night Lights, hardly no one I know (except Tom) watches this amazing show.

SOA will follows an outlaw motorcycle club in the town of Charming, CA led by the co-founding member Clay (Ron Pearlman - who I hated before SOA) and Jax, the son of the deceased, other co-founder. The show follows the club as they sell guns, make porn and fight Nazi skinheads like Henry Rollins. Katy Segal also stars in the great role of Jax’s mother and Clay’s wife. The show was really good season 1 and great season 2. The cliffhanger to season 2 seemed questionable, but after 2 great seasons I am willing to trust the writers.

Sadly, while Netflix instant watch has plenty of FX shows available, it’s two greatest shows (this and It’s Always Sunny…) are not available. I’ve been really close several times to buying both seasons on DVD just to loan them out to people. The new season starts September 7th, so it would take a feat to catch up before then, but it’s definitely worth the time and money to do it.

http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/

2 years ago

Death to Summer: Part 1

And now, part 1 of 43 in my Death to Summer series, highlighting reasons to look forward to the end of August, the shittiest month ever. And don’t give me that “February is worse” bullshit. August is 3 days longer than February and doesn’t have a Superbowl. So, let’s get started…

The Walking Dead (AMC)

Of course one of the greatest things about Fall is TV. This year I can finally celebrate not grudingly putting myself through 24 and Lost every week. Let’s face it, that shit got old. It’s time for something new. Thankfully, there are some strong prospects this season. Shows that aren’t about cops or doctors or housewives or guidos.

Now, I have not read the Walking Dead comic, but that’s probably better anyways because I won’t spend the whole time nitpicking the show. Really, I just know one thing about this show, it’s about zombies. That’s enough to get me to watch at least the first 2 episodes. Starting in October 2010, it will hopefully finally give my daughter and I a show to watch together besides Wipeout and Tosh.0.

http://www.amctv.com/originals/The-Walking-Dead/

2 years ago