squadron supreme

The work of Felix Sockwell. Image found at NYtimes.com.

Let's just say for a moment that the only way to interpret the second amendment is that it's the right of every American to bear arms. Most people probably would agree that the purpose that the hallowed founding fathers had in mind when they wrote this was insurance against an oppressive government in case their grand little experiment was a failure.

Now let's posit that we have a truly oppressive government. There's a popular revolt. It's the regime against the people. The regime has stealth bombers, stealth fighters, RPGs, the hydrogen bomb, M-16s, uranium-tipped bullets, apache helicopters, and so on. Don't worry though, my buddy Gary has a .22. He'll overthrow those fascist bastards.

I'm fairly certain unless the supreme court rules that all weapon regulation is unconstitutional, the second amendment does not serve the purpose for which it was intended. Reversing the ban on hand gun ownership in DC was almost insignificant with regards to protecting the second amendment and was just plain stupid.

I want my thermonuclear warhead, goddammit! It's my constitutionally protected right.

Sometimes law is stupid.

selfish bastard.

Holy fuck! I made good pizza. The crust was crisp yet pliant, dotted with not-quite-char and the edge was light and puffy. Basil was from me ma's herb garden. I used my patented double-bake technique--first with just the sauce and then again with the cheese. This keeps the cheese from burning while still allowing the crust enough time to get a little crisp. Total bake time was 6-7 minutes, which is probably the best I could hope for in a conventional oven.

Sadly, there were no live witnesses and I had to eat this pizza all by my lonesome (it's a hard knock life).

Two things I did differently: used more yeast in my dough mixture and set the oven to broil. I also wisely waited for my dough to rise in the fridge overnight. I also probably kneaded the dough less than I usually do, though I think this has little to do with my success. I'm going to go with Jeff Varasano and say that the rest time is more important for purposes of gluten-osity.

I've got three more balls of dough left, which hopefully will still be in good shape tomorrow for more pizza-making. Pizza anyone?


I was probably a little light on the cheese.

this is why.

words are pictures: an example of why i like typography.

Tastebud

Tastebud Farm is now a restaurant, which lies hidden behind a walled courtyard deep in the forest of southeast pdx. My housemates and I ventured there prior to its official opening, but after building a following at area farmers markets over the years though, the cat is almost entirely out of the bag already and my housemates and i had to wait 40 minutes to get in. the busy waitstaff was kind to us, providing drinks on the outdoor patio.

Tastebud prides itself largely on its ingredients, which are fresh and regionally produced and the menu changes regularly to account for the change in seasonal goods. prior to the pizza eating, we sampled some pancetta with asparagus (believe the dish was roasted), which was overpoweringly flavorful—salty and savory. It was possibly the most absurdly tasty dish I've had the pleasure of consuming in recent memory. After that my expectations for the pizza were high to say the least. A wood-burning oven is always a good sign. Alas though, the pizza was only mediocre. While the sauce and cheese were certainly good, they really missed the third part of the margherita trifecta—basil—which was not yet in season. The pepperoni was a bit of a one note player, all smokiness, very little spice or sweetness. The clincher for me, though, was the airy-ness of the crust, which was the lightest baked good I've ever had. The air bubbles were universally large, which meant that you couldn't get any of that bready, umami satisfaction out of it. So pillowy. So very, very pillowy.

My recommendation: make a meal of the appitizers and desserts. The pizza's good, but it's not the star of this show.

holy mite-ridden hamsters and the fall of the roman empire

wagons east!