Salsa Mexicana

Yesterday, I was told how to make a proper Mexican Salsa:

Blanch 2 tomatoes and 3 green chili peppers. Peel the tomatoes and get rid of the chili pepper's stalks. Put both with some onions, a pinch of salt and a gulp of beer in a blender. Mix well and serve with tacos.

Fat Chance Without Chutzpah

This is a follow up of Chutzpah Does The Trick.
On of the biggest traveller's problem is, how to get to know the hottest club in town. The local equivalent of Time Out or züritipp is good but local knowledge is better. I share here and now Georgieboy's fail-safe trick with you:

• Search a restaurant with customers you could imagine to party with
• Enjoy dinner and keep looking for the group which knows to enjoy the savours of life best.
• Go over (here, chutzpah is required)
• Ask for the best places to party
• Let them note name & address of the venue (must for cap rides) and the best time to be there (there are few things worse than to be in the right club at the wrong time).

Chutzpah Does The Trick

Last Saturday, I joined, together with my lovely flatmate to be, the traditional pre Xmas party of Georgieboy (his real name is Albin, but I've once decided to call him Georgieboy). Georgieboy is the person with the most chutzpah I know. Many many years ago, we spent the New Year holidays in Brussels. On New Year's Eve (technically it was already New Year) we were queuing in front of the hottest club in town. We were still quite far from the door, when the bouncer opened the door slightly and Georgieboy called "We're from Switzerland". The bouncer looked at us and waved us in. The club was absolutely fabulous. I spent six hours straight on the floor. Actually, Georgieboy is Austrian. But who wants to be picky.

Must Haves

A short list of truly must haves, which I propably will not recive this Christmas:

• G shape ice trays. set of two made of black rubber for £40
• iPod case with web strap for £115 (waitlist!)
• christmas stocking. 38 x 51 cm. white fox with white braided leather cord for £1080 (this is more to present the presents, though)

see www.gucci.com

Sounds! Awards 2004

The Sounds! listeners have decided. Definetely, the bests of 2004:

• Song: «Everything Is Everything» by Phoenix
• Dead Man: Ray Charles
• Record: «Franz Ferdinand» by Franz Ferdinand
• Comeback: «Check It Out» by Beastie Boys
• Swiss Song: «Show Me What You Got» by Baschi & The Fucking Beautiful
• Cover Version: «Comfortably Numb» by Scissor Sisters
• Trend: Post Punk with Trendsetter «Evil» by Interpol

Workbench Extension

1. I'm full of admiration for those who can get some decent work done by means of a pen and a notepad;
2. I don't want to imply that anything I do has something to do with decent work; and
3. you can call me pretentious,

... but I had to add computer #5 to my workbench.


One is an embedded PowerPC, hidden behind the one on the left side, having no dedicated screen.

Angel Trivia

Back in November, Ms.Mac wrote about the huge Guardian Angel, which dangles from the ceiling in Zürich's Main Station. Yesterday, Das Magazin, the weekend supplement of the Tages Anzeiger, published some trivia about this angels:

• Weight: 1.5 tons
• Artist: Niki de Saint Phalle
• Place of Birth: California
• Year of Birth: 1997
• Route to Dangling Place: California - Panama Canal - Rotterdam - Rhine - Basel - Zürich.
• Type: Nana
• Symbolic: The light between the hands symbolises a liquid that flows from one receptacle to another. This stands for the reconciling nature of angels.

As any good housewife, Ms.Mac must have asked herself, how a huge nana angel like this has to be cleaned. This must be done very carefully, because the matt blue surface and the gold leaf of the wings have no varnishing. So far, this happened four times per year after 1 am (it's a busy place, though) by means of pressurized air and feather dusters. Of course, this was never good enough to get rid off all the dust and dirt. Unfortunately, the SBB (the angle's owner) has lost the procedures for the wet cleaning and are quite hopeless. Maybe an angel might help.

More Luck Than Skills

If I lack one skill, it's to tie up my shoelaces properly. I still remember my struggles to learn the trick back then in kindergarten. Nonetheless, after all these years of hard practice, they never seems to be secured for more than a couple of hours and I have to bend down and tie them again and again... I'm surprised that I've never had a serious accident caused by stepping on my own shoelaces - touch wood.

Savours of Life

This is a follow up of Perfect Xmas Jam.
Some weeks a ago, Jeanpi and I made 80 liters of carrot jam, which we filled in 400 glasses (see recipe). This week, Jeanpi made the final touches and shipped them to 400 customers and friends of Elektro Basa AG. If you will not receive one before Christmas, you did not fulfil the requirements of the recipient list and should consider Elektro Basa AG a bit more. They are brilliant in creating connections.



By the way, Elektro Basa AG wishes you for 2005 more time to enjoy the savours of life.

...sino también bailar

This is a follow up of Ensalada de Navidad.
A friend has sent me a note, saying that indeed la navidad en España, como en Latinoamerica es muy alegre. En México no tan solo cantamos sino también bailamos. We have a lot to learn in Central Europe. Christmas in Mexico does not only include blithely singing but dancing as well!

Ensalada de Navidad

This summer, I started taking Spanish classes. Today, we had the last class before the Christmas holidays and our teacher took the opportunity to introduce us into some Spanish Christmas customs. One was singing villancicos. Contrary to the slow and deep Swiss Christmas carols, the Spanish versions have a lively tempo and the lyrics have to rhyme, not to make sense. They are made to celebrate with verve. ¡Viva la alegría de vivir!

You're lucky that this blog is without sound or you would not have made it to this point. I'm a horrible singer. Therefore, I stop with the carols and share a Christmas Salad recipe with you, which we also received in class today:

• 1 big endive
• 1 big pomegranate
• Sherry vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• salt
• caraway

Defoliate the endive, cut it into small pieces and wash them well. Shell the pomegranate and get rid off the yellow skin. Put both endive and pomegranate into a salad bowl and mix well. Prepare the dressing, consisting of the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and caraway. Mix everything together. Serve with meat, roast lamp, piglet or turkey.

Praise for Mestization

Yesterday, I was given a bottle of Mestizaje (2002). This Spanish wine, which I could enjoy with the donor, is the intoxicating blend of more grapes varieties than I can name on the top of my head: Bobal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Syrah, Tempranillo & Merlot. It's much like discovering a new universe.
I reckon, only one person will decipher the double entendres, but I don't care at all.

No Competition - But Worst So Far

This is a follow up of Slave of the Codex.
I've just thought that nothing can shock me now. The other day, I explained why I don't send Christmas cards. Today, I received kind of a revenge. This is the worst Christmas card I ever received. I hope nobody ever tries to beat it.

Ready for Christmas

This is a follow up of No Kylie - Screwed by Amazon.
Danilo did a far better job than f*ing Amazon - that is, they actually did the job. Today, the Kylie Calendar 2005 arrived. Hurray! Now, I'm mentally ready for all the Christmas stuff. Bring it all in. Nothing can shock me now.

Tree Shock

Yesterday, I was shocked by strange things happening at Ms.Mac castle. They set up the Christmas tree (made of plastic) & put some electric lighting on. This revealed to me that the same events are handled in so many different ways and, at first, only the own way seems to be the right one.

My personal Christmas tree tradition is, that the tree is set up on Christmas Eve. It has to be a real tree, preferable grown in the area. Personally, I prefer spruce, because the pine needles are evenly arrange around the twigs. But any pine tree does the job. Nature is never flawless and somebody might have been faster and the perfect tree went to another home. Nature can be improved - ask any plastic surgeon. Improving the shape of a tree can be done by adding twigs (drill & glue).

Now, one has to open a window and leave the room. Decorating the tree is the job of the Christkind, which also brings the presents at the same time. If the Christkind is nice, it puts candles made of beeswax on. When it has finished decorating and arranging presents underneath, it lights the candles, rings a bell and disappears into the night, and sometimes, leaves just a wisp of hair at the window frame.

The tree will stay in the living room until the feast of Epiphany. However, It's not recommended to light the candles after New Year's Eve.

I don't belief in the Christkind anymore. Hence, you will not find a Christmas tree at gomad mansion.

Memorable 2004

The countdown has started. 2004 is almost over. I don't want to count the chickens before they're hatched, but I've already found twelve personal reasons, why 2004 is a memorable year:

1. Favourite Word: rock. Yeah ms.mac, without shit, you're right about that one.
2. Favourite Country: España. Thank you, Tina, Anigna & Thomas, for dragging me to this amazing place.
3. Favourite Album: Morrissey, you are the Quarry. Especially & still after a trillion times, I'm Not Sorry For gives me goose pimples. This album's led me in a breeze to...
4. Favourite Rediscovery: the oeuvre of The Smiths & Morrissey. How can people talk about comeback. Morrissey has never been away.
5. Favourite Pop Act: beyond the shadow of a doubt Scissor Sisters. Filthy passion has returned to music.
6. Favourite Rock Act: The Libertines. Who would've thought that anything could ever live up to Up the Bracket. The Libertines did it a f*ing second time and they did it even rocking better.
7. Favourite Remixes: Depeche Mode 81...04. The 37 tracks have been occupying my stereo set & iPod (Favourite Toy) for more than a month.
8. Favourite Live Act: The Darkness at Openair St. Gallen. I did shake my boots & backside to a 70s long music loud hair act and I'm not even ashamed of. Justin Hawkins knows how to rock a crowd.
9. Favourite Film: The Raspberry Reich by Bruce LaBruce. Agitprop meets porn. Tops also in the category Favourite Laugh.
10. Favourite Challenge: after 21 years, giving up solitude living on December 31.
11. Favourite Blog: ms.mac's meanderings. Keep meandering, rocking lady.
12. Favourite New Friend: He knows. Guapo, you definitely rock me.

Advantageous Nut Piles

I'm the responsible person for the Xmas cookie production in my family (the cookie bitch as ABS calls it). My favourite recipe goes back to my great-grandmothers. It fulfils five important requirements of cookie baking: (1) resourceful, (2) fast, (3) easy, (4) cookies taste good, (5) contains booze. Unfortunately, they don't look very pretty. But who cares, when the recipes has so many advantages. Let's start:

• 500 g of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 250 g of ground walnuts
• 250 g of ground hazelnuts
• Kirsch

Mix sugar and eggs. Add nuts and Kirsch. Make small piles. Bake for 1 hour with approx. 120°C. Hard to mess up, init?

Scissor Sisters In Frankie's Footsteps?

Scissor Sisters' forthcoming single Filthy Gorgeous is supposed to be promoted by a video clip in which band members are being spanked, ridden by a midget, and exposed to a vast array of breasts and sex toys. Will this finally be filthy enough to be banned from music televisions' playlists? [article]

Talking about Scissor Sisters: the single I Believe in You, which they have written for Kylie, was released two days ago.

Last Call For Sounds!

I guess, you've almost missed the poll of the year. So hurry up and vote for the Sounds! Awards 2004! [select Musik > Sound!.. > Sounds Awards]

Don't Mess With Lefties

I've thought, the only advantage of being left-handed is to have the zipper on the right side when you're peeling your partner during petting. But thanks to scientists of the University of Montpellier, we now know that left-handers often have the upper hand in a fight [article]. Therefore, I highly recommend not to mess with a lefty (i.e. me).

Slushy Memory

Somehow a post by Ms.Mac has reminded me of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. But, it's Imagine Day anyway...

Canned Excitement

Legions of marketing folks are working hard on finding needs which haven't been satisfied yet. The good news is that there is one less to find. Get Sofia Coppola's sparkling & canned wine beverage Sofia Mini as fast as you can.

Wine Soup

This is a follow up of Hot Cider.
Another South Tyrolean discovery was Wine Soup, which surprised me with its terrific flavour and creamy texture. It does not take a lot of time to cook it:

• ½ litre of well seasoned meat stock
• 5 egg yolks
• ¼ litre of cream
• ¼ litre of Chardonnay
• cubes of a stale bread roll
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• cinnamon

Roast the bread cubes in butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Mix stock, yolk, cream and wine in a thick bottomed pan. Bring mixture to a boil while whisking. Boil and whisk until the mixture is creamy. Fill in pre-heated soup bowls. Add bread cubes and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve & enjoy.

Hot Cider

I spent the last weekend with some Rover friends in Bozen. It's a perfect place for a pre-Xmas trip. One of the things I did not know was that the South Tyrol is the biggest apple-growing region of Europe. About 10% of all apples produced in the European Union are from this area.

We were welcomed by South Tyrolean rovers with a new drink (at least for me): Hot Cider.

Use unfermented cider and cook it like mulled wine (just make a bit less use of spices) - that is, bring to a boil with some pinches of cinnamon, cloves and a bit of lemon juice.

Perfect Xmas Jam

Christmas is approaching fast and it's about time that I publish the recipe for the Perfect Xmas Jam. Xmas because it tastes like & perfect because is contains only half as much sugar as standard jam. Let's start with the ingredients:

• 500 g carrots (no joke)
  
• ½ litre of cider (unfermented)
• 300 g sugar
• 2 pinches of cinnamon
• 100 g almonds, ground
• 8 g agar-agar

Steam the carrots and mix them in a blender. Fill the carrots with the cider in a pan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and keep boiling until the sugar is dissolved. Dissolve agar-agar in cold water or cider and add to the mixture. Keep boiling for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add cinnamon and almonds.

Fill the jam to the brim into glasses. Put the covers on and turn the glasses on the top until they are cool.

Three weeks ago, together with Jeanpi I made 80 litres (or 400 glasses). It's great. Try it.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

At Ms.Mac castle, I've seen a pile of Instant Barbecues, which they've bought in Scotland. These are disposable barbecues. Unwrapping and lighting with a match is all it takes. If the job is done, one can throw it in the trash bin (just allow to cool).

I've told my friend Jeanpi about this item and he responded: "Of course, how would they ever have a chance to have a barbeque between showers without it".

Slave of the Codex

Today, I received a Christmas card (thank you very much, Ms.Mac). Unfortunately, I'm Swiss and Swiss don't do Christmas cards (neither Valentine cards). In addition, we have to fight weird Anglo-Saxon cultural indoctrination (e.g. Santa Claus, Halloween, paper hats). Hence, I can't send Christmas cards to anyone. It may happen that you catch Swiss folks doing anything of the mentioned above. This just shows that there are spineless slobs among us. I do apologize in advance. (PS: I have nothing against receiving Christmas cards - that's not prohibeted by the unwritten codex of Swiss cultur)

Caught by Vibes?

My precious bodily fluids are in heavy circulation and it seems that I'm not the only one. Is this caused by Xmas vibes as some of us suspect?

Ceci n'est pas un chat

Ahmed Bin Salad has called the animal on the flashy new icon and the photo in my profile cat. That's not correct. It shows a marten.

Marten (actually the German Marder) was the name given to me by the Boy Scouts. It is a tradition among guides and scouts in the German speaking part of Switzerland to baptize new members. The idea is to give a name that reflects the characteristics and qualities of person. I have now idea, which of my qualities supposed to be reflected in a marten.

Cultural reference for non art geeks: René Magritte.

Geeky Thursday

Today, I'm sporting a Think Geek T-shirt with the phrase /(bb|[^b]{2})/ ^*. I picked this garment, because yesterday, a colleague called me Geek.

I'm still not sure whether I should be pleased or offended. Traditionally and as I understood, a geek is person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy, who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept. My colleague pointed out that this has shifted and a geek is now a person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. I'm still not totally convinced and sure how to put it. But maybe, buying stuff from Think Geek makes denial pointless anyway.

^* hint: coded in Perl, written by a limey during the English Renaissance.

Wax Raider

There's not enough hours in the day for me right now. Hence, this quote is appropriate: "Don't tell me I'm burning the candle at both ends, tell me where to get more wax."

By the way, Madame Tussaud, who was an expert at wax modelling and brought the Wax Museum to London, was born on Dezember 1^st, 1761.