The Apotheosis of Polly Parrot Fish

The Apotheosis of Polly Parrot Fish, originally uploaded by Blog-Sothoth.

I never did a painting in oil before--and it shows. But I was compelled to immortalize our beloved parrot fish somehow.

netflixed

When I was a wee lad my father kept the current issue of Playboy on the back of the john. This is the only fond memory I have of him. The other day I remembered a Kris Kristofferson/Sarah Miles photo spread that was exceptionally interesting for a six-year-old, and then I Googled the pair to see if I could find the movie associated with that photo spread.

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea is a most peculiar film. I rather liked it, though it seems "of" the '70s in a way that locks it firmly into that epoch, much like Play Misty for Me or The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. Based on a Yukio Mishima novel, the cast features one of the all-time great child villains, an amoral elitist who experiments on cats a la the young Bill Frist. When widow Sarah Miles falls for a Yankee sailor, her son and his compadres are at first curious, then indifferent, and finally outwardly hostile to Kristofferson's sea-faring hero. I'll say no more to avoid spoiling your fun!

Song request

For Julio in Reservoir Hill

#47

How come I never heard of Kenneth Fearing before? The Big Clock is a sophisticated, cleverly handled noir with a great plot set-up. Its execution is flawless. Another great NYRB re-issue, and well worth a couple hours of your life.

[The Daedalus bookstore in Belvedere Square has allowed me to triple the number of volumes in my NYRB re-issue library of late. They've got cheap copies by the dozen.]

Another one bites the dust...

Satisfying news via the internet tubes.

netflixed

I netflixed Werner Herzog's Fata Morgana. I wasn't in the mood, and only made it halfway. Some of the shots are interesting and mysterious, but the film stock transferred to DVD is much less than pristine. When a film is mostly silent footage of desert with occasional voice-over readings from the Papal Vuh you need a quality transfer.

So I did what I often do when distracted during one of Herzog's not-quite successful experiments: I listened to his commentary track. Always worth the price of admission.

chicken adobo

chicken adobo, originally uploaded by Blog-Sothoth.

Even before her stroke my mother-in-law was saying that she was tired of cooking. Now she'll help when we cook but she's otherwise not interested. She prefers going out and getting some fresh lake trout.

So when I crave chicken adobo or another Filipino dish I have to make it myself. Adobo is pretty simple. I doubt my approach is traditional, but I like the results.

I cube boneless and skinless chicken breasts a couple days before cooking and marinate them in a mixture of beer, white vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and spices. When I am ready to cook I use a deep frying pan and bring a mix of white vinegar and soy sauce to a boil. I add garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns (and habeneros--traditional adobo is tangy and NOT hot--but I like a bit of kick). Then I add the chicken and simmer and stir regularly until cooked thoroughly. It is important not to over-cook the chicken or it will become tough. Serve over rice.

Bon appetit!

#46

I must say that after reading The Opening of the Way I'm a lot more sensible than this dude:



Now I shall mediate the Sons of Horus and bring under conscious control all of my various kas and bas.