2012

My 2012 has been okay. I might even say good. I'm afraid to jinx it, cause there is still one day left. So what happened.

Mine started out with a trip back overseas to the UK and France. My first time in Paris was quite nice and the weather held up and we were blessed to have friends staying in the downtown section where we were able to crash. Paris seemed a little more comfortable than London. At least on the surface. But London remains my favorite city in the world, so far, in my limited travel experience.

I found out the band could successfully move on despite the devastating loss of our friend/bass player who had to resign due to family obligations. Another local friend, also named Andrew, filled in, and the TQI machine keeps rollin on straight ahead, with more songs on the horizon. It's still great fun after almost eight years. Thank you guys.

Made it to Montreal for a few days in the summer which would prove to be the very last journey I'd be taking in my much loved Mazda3, which broke down about a few weeks after that. I, of course replaced it with my first manual transmission (don't laugh at me) Mazda3, and I'm enjoying driving that car, though I really need to clean the interior and exterior due to snow and salt.

Another improvement I've made is that I'm budgeting better and learning to not eat out as much. Cooking good things that will last long and not being afraid to crack open a canned good every now and again. I got conditioned to cheap rent where I could get away with always eating out, but a year at this new place, which I love, has taught me otherwise. I'm still trying to learn other things I like.

We, of course, had an election between two guys with similar platforms. Their constituents had to pretend differently in order to get enthusiastic and in line to vote. For foreign policy we probably ended up a little better, but economically it seems we're still headed towards a collapse of some sort. Who knows, it's rather amazing it's gone on this long. I guess when you have the greatest military might, you can force other countries to use our meaningless currency.

Overall though, they say things are getting better for everyone on earth. I hope that's true and I hope it was true for you. Be well and live healthy in light of current Health Care legislation.

I remain content in my humble little cozy third floor apartment overlooking Main St. I could see myself living here for a long time. Maybe even dying here. It offers just the right amount of space. The community remains good and like home. Thoughts of going to other places always pop up, but I'd be giving up a lot if I did. Have a good 2013.

((Do as thou wilt.))
~dB~

Chili Recipe (a rough approximation)

This is a rough approximation of an awesome chili recipe I use. I don't believe in following recipes all that strictly. This is also a cheap hardy mean, spicy, can be served with bread, rice, or with an omelette...

olive oil
minced or chopped garlic
1 dried ancho
2 or 3 canned chipotle pepper
1 habanero or scotch bonnet
1 pablano or cubanelle
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 large of canned tomatoes
cumin, paprika, white pepper, salt, coriander, oregano, flour (or cornstarch)
3 cups of thinly sliced beef (chuck or skirt steak is even better)
2 cups of beef stock
1 can of kidney beans, 1 can of black beans

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I like cooking everything in one big kettle so I don't have to wash as much.

1) Coat bottom of kettle with olive oil, crush up your dried ancho, add about a teaspoon of coriander, cumin, paprika, oregano to the mix before anything else, let it heat up awhile, but don't don't burn 'eem.

(SIDENOTE: Experiment with other dried chilies too, you may use as many as you wish, and it will add to the complexity of the flavour)

2) As it starts to warm, ad your onion and 2 or 3 chipotles, and habanero chop up/dice both...the seasonings will coat the onion as you're sauteing, then add the REST of your PEPPERS and your thinly sliced beef. Add a bit more oil if it starts get dry or burn to burn to fast.

3) Throw some salt and white pepper over this...(NOW!)

4) Add your LARGE can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes and let it cook for around 10 minutes or so. I'd suggest cutting them up into small pieces before you add them, but that's your choice.

5) Add about 2 cups of beef stock - Let this cook at least 30 minutes or so, don't cover the pot. Let 'eem simmer. If it starts to boil, then turn down your heat

6) Slowly put 2 teaspoons of flour in, stir as your adding it, this will thickin' it up, be careful, it could clump up on you.....(trust me)

(SIDENOTE: Cornstarch may work for gluten free people)

7) Add Kidney and Black beans, let it cook for about 30 more minutes if possible, or until it turns into the consistency of a gravy...it should be perfect...if not, add more seasonings...as you see fit...warning, this will be hot, but also beefy and glorious.

Greedy Pigs!

What's a greedy capitalistic pig?

Pretty much anyone who starts a business, wants more money, and hires people to work for him/her. Of course this pig doesn't just hire employees, he/she exploits them every time. That's what they get off on. Even though it's a voluntary agreement.

Public school teachers, professors, politicians (to name a few) of course aren't and can never be greedy. Even though salaries are forcefully taken from what others earn. When teachers strike or demonstrate, they of course, are never being greedy. They're just asking for their "fair share." If politicians, making a living off of bribing their constituents with goodies, need more of your money (to fund such goodies and stay in power) they of course are not being greedy. Government can never greedy as it always has our best interests in mind. Ask the Native Americans.

We all need to come together as one, and make sure such pigs...yes, the ones hiring people and creating jobs and livelihoods for others, get punished for their evil greed. Governments always manage funds far more effectively than the private sector and it's best we give them more, so maybe we can all get free health care like "thriving" Europe. We need to be more like (most of) Europe, completely emasculated and dependant on the public trough.

Motivational Blog

Most of us are dull, lazy and miserable. Some may have well paying jobs and nice cars and hair but they still suck and they're still miserable. I see it all the time. There's nothing interesting about them. The same can go for average and poor people - wealth has nothing to do with it, why did I bring it up? But everyone generally sucks. Most of us are on meds for mental health or chronic issues because of our poor diets and societies desire to put us in boxes and feminize the male (Like that whiney pussy Bob Costas). The "man" is kicking everybody's asses so much so that you have a flock of bleeding hearts supporting a war criminal president and supposedly small government factions backing the authoritarian sociopath. Things are flipped upside down in this world and country and that's the way they like it. Good natured, honest and upfront blokes like myself get painted as shady and weird while the creepers run wild. On a daily basis I get crucified for speaking truth to power. They don't want you to do that. Ever. If you ever call things for what they really are, expect to get shit flung at you.

((Let it be known, there was a never a perfect time and my goal was not to romanticize the past as they were full of injustices. Let's move forward.))

The next time I see you at least give me something interesting to talk about. I'm tired of this surface bullshit. But, maybe that's all you got. F#ck you then! Don't even look at me or do something noteworthy. Tell me about something new you learned how to cook. Let me know how that yoga course is helping out your vibe, or how that Remain in Light album changed your outlook on things. Maybe you finally got to nail that big breasted slut who's half your age that lives down street that you've always seen in the coffee shop. Or how you're starting a noise band that sounds like nothing you've ever heard before (sigh). Entertain me. Most importantly, entertain yourself.

The point is, stop being a pathetic douchebag that has nothing to share or contribute. Our existence in this realm is far too short for that kind of lifeless approach. Get the f#ck out of my goddamned way. There are more good times and moving moments to be had and I choose to either make them, or be apart of them. You can help me with this...or like I said, get the f#ck out of my way.

Going Down the Mouth of the Dragon (GDTMD).

A friend, after I mocked him for doing something risky, responded quite calmly and confidently, "hey, gotta down the mouth of the dragon."

This, of course, blew me away. The simplicity and wisdom of the phrase shut me up immediately. I had no comeback for this. I walked into the other room. No more words were ever discussed about it. I understood where he was coming from and I had complete and total respect for that approach.

Recently, I may have gone down the mouth of the dragon, and for now, dare I jinx myself, it seems as though I will be okay. I won't explain what I did, because this is a family blog, but I assure you wasn't very prudent. Generally, when we make decisions to go down the mouth of the dragon, we aren't in our right mind. We're either bored or stressed out. In most cases it's an "in the moment" decision. Might even be impulsive.

Sometimes one needs to GDTMD strictly to come out the other end. Some people don't come out the other and will stuck in the belly. The decision can ruin a life, or make it. Make no mistakes, it's not all glory, but when you make the decision, the consequences seem non existent.

Private Clubs ~ then & now.

There was lots of, what seemed to be, economic diversity where I came from regarding my neighborhood and private grade school. The differences seemed to be a lot more contrasting than they are now. Generally speaking, those who I associate with now, tend to be in my humble income bracket, though I think I'm at the lower end of the average. There are exceptions.

Everyone in my family seemed to be still influenced by the great depression. Cash always seemed tight, bedrooms were cold, as heat was turned down, and barely ever did we eat out as a family. No one really knew how tight things were, or even if they were, but you got the impression things could go under at any moment. This is probably more of a result of anxiety that was nicely passed down to me and one of many reasons why I'd never start a family.

We lived close to housing projects, though I had many friends who were quite well off and had a different approach from our own. Many of these people joined clubs and I had a few friends that were members of such things. This was the 1980s and were, or I was, a wanna-be prep boy so these things seemed quite appealing and while I didn't lose sleep over this, at times I thought it'd be great if our family were members, even though we had no business setting foot into such places.

The first place I remember, I won't mention the name, was just a pool and tennis court club and a decent sized building to change, shower, get snacks, etc. No golf course. It was fenced in and in a decent neighborhood, though near train tracks. Looking back, it didn't seem very elitist, though I was surprised to find out they had a rule that you couldn't play tennis topless (for guys). Not that I ever wanted to play topless, the rule just seemed weird and authoritarian at that time. The fees weren't outrageous, I just checked the site, but maybe it lacked diversity. I have a hard time thinking that that was their policy, but who knows. People who belonged here seemed to all have a similar vibe, upper middle class and white, most probably listened to NPR and voted democrat.

Then there was another club. Others, from another part of town joined this one. One family would join than another would follow. This place was on the river and involved boating, or at least you would think so by the name (again, I won't mention the name). The few people I knew in this club didn't own boats but I guess they wanted to surround themselves around people that owned boats. I got invited once or twice and from what I remember, it had a big dirt parking lot, the tennis courts were on the other side of the property, and the swimming pool was just a swimming pool. There were boats docked in the water I think. I vaguely remember the boats. I remember it being sort of a hot spot for assholes to hang and get drunk and instill that type of faux elitism on their shallow children.

In truth and at the time, in my tiny adolescent brain, both of these places did seem cool. That is, from the outside, on the surface. And, there was a mild disappointment that we weren't apart of such things. But the disappointment didn't last very long and even then the whole scene seemed to be pretty transparent and even annoying and not my thing. Not our thing. It worked out alright to be unrefined, freezing in my bedroom, and eating tacos with hard shells involving seasoning packets on ground meat.

Our unspoken silent war against the excesses and exclusivity of private clubs came to an end in the early 90s when my parents decided to join the Jewish Community Center. While this establishment certainly wasn't on the same level (in regards to snobbishness) as those two places mentioned previously, the JCC did have nice facilities and a decent ping pong table. Think of it as an upscale YMCA if you're not familiar. I think we were members for a year. I used the ping pong tables a couple times then stopped going. It would've been a great resource for staying in shape and meeting people outside my limited circle but I was far too introverted back then to extend myself.

Currently, I'm a member of one private club and this is the Kutztown Fire Company (I've written about it before). This place is beautiful in that it's old school as hell,  cozy, and lacks any kind of "I'm better than you" attitude. It's a place my grandparents could've been members of. It's comfortable. It's true.

My critique of the first two clubs were done in a way to capture my mood about them as a child. It goes without saying people like to rub elbows with people they feel are like minded or on the same level. We need not waste time thinking about the morality of such endeavors or who's smaller minded than the next. That should be left behind with other youthful inclinations. Know where you're at and what you like apart from any titles, groups or status symbols and the blessings will flow.

!(<3 have a good toosdee <3)!

Budgeting/From the 3rd Floor Kitchen of Dainty Bones

Well, it took me 36 years of existence in this painful world to make serious economic decisions regarding my budget. I've been in this apartment for over a year now, and my rent has doubled. This has caused me some financial woes during the end of the month. When I say financial woes, I'm not comparing myself to people at the poverty level, I'm referring to 30-something professionals who are too undisciplined with their cash, leading to light starvation, and the selling off of various items to pawn shops every now and then to afford gas. I'm well aware my problems are small and I'm in no way making myself out to be a victim of this shitty economy...as shitty as it is. I'm really quite well. Dare I say content. For now.

What have I done?
Pretty much just one thing. Cutting out going out (Yeah, big surprise). I'm enjoying that cozy apartment I'm spending more on, and entertaining myself through Netflix, and other (clean) Internet sites, streaming channels and sports events, lectures on philosophy and economics, and what have you. If you will.

It's no secret I like going out. I like the local vibe in this town, there are good people here. Some bad. Mostly good. I like eating out a lot too. I like good food. More than anything, I like a good meal. Food, drink and socializing are what make me happy. Food, drink and socializing can also cost a lot.

So, I only drink if I'm at a bar with people. They call that social drinking. That's now gone (or reduced). I do miss the socializing, that's gone too (or reduced). But, I could substitute that desire to interact with the people with a desire to interact with various cooking ingredients and spices, and create some good food that is both cheap and healthy, but most importantly, tastes good. I'm very picky with food, let it be known.

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What have I been eating that's both cheap and yummo ~ What I like?
1) Homemade Pizza-
A decent sized ball of dough may cost a dollar, if that, and I can get four or five awesome pizzas from it. I've been doing the Pesto thing a lot now, and I'm too lazy to make it. I can get a jar of that stuff for under 3 bucks which is good for 2 pizzas. My dough is top shelf (thanks to a recipe I stole from a friend). I'm eating just as good as those at an Italian restaurant, and clearly my pizza is better than that college shit they sell in this town.

2) Omelets
I eat a lot of eggs. I make omelets, usually with just mushrooms and/or peppers. Cheap and filling. Good protein. I usually add some cumin in there as well as other secret spices.

3) Beef Smoked Sausage (Hillshire Farms)
It's very similar to Kielbasa though made of all beef. Yeah, it's corporate highly processed beef but fry them up, till the skin is crispy (with a little grape seed oil), add a chipotle, a bit of a habenaro, half an onion (sauteed), and red bell pepper (sauteed), with a little Asian mustard powder ~ then put it all on a bun, and you'll be in a good place. No joke.

4) Ramen
Most people know about Ramen, but I think few push it to its limits. If you're not afraid of a little MSG, then start by frying up some mushrooms, bell pepper, shredded carrots, and meat if you got any. I usually put Sriracha and a little peanut oil in the mix. I then add the water and make the soup. When the soup and veggies and noodles are all cooked, I end with an egg and top it with a green onion at the very end. Quite cheap and filling.

5) Chili
Chili is making a comeback with me, and I can see this meal being a good friend during cold Pennsylvania nights. Have some fun with it though. Most decent grocery stores now have a decent array of dried chili peppers from the southwest. Buy a few, and grind them up, and put them in the mix along with the other standard ingredients. I prefer adding a beef stock and flour to make it all thick. A large pot of this stuff can go faster than you think. And it's economical.

These are just some of my food choices I make at home, and when these get perfected, you can move onto something else. I've been experimenting with Hot'n'Sour soup too, among other things, and if I get that down, I'll put it up. But you will become a better person, and cash won't be as tight, if you decide to eat out less and perfect a few dishes and make them irresistible. (Otherwise, why bother)
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((Another big budgeting decision I made was to get a really cheap cell phone, which I wrote about almost two weeks ago, check that out if you care.))

So, gone are the days of fear and panic when I see my balance running low. Instead of being a time of worry, it's now an occasion for opportunity, creativity and adventure in the kitchen. This is to the benefit of the mind and body (and soul). Yeah, it's cliche, but there are really infinite possibilities, spice combinations, ingredients and approaches. Options and choices are always something to be valued and utilized to their furthest potential as you see fit for your own tastes. You're in charge of your own kitchen. Live it up and save some cash in the process, and maybe you'll have something to offer your friends and community.


dbones.

(disclaimer: These blog posts are not intended or designed to pass on any hidden or secret or profound knowledge, just an honest discussion of where I'm at and what I'm doing. You may find this to be completely unoriginal and uninteresting and that's perfectly fine. Though, they are written with a heartfelt truth and honestly about the things I'm into at this stage. If they are of no use to you, please move on to the next blogger or feel free to comment in the comment section. To each his own.)