Off to Da Big Island

The Author is taking a brief hiatus, vacationing with partner and resident friends on the big island of Hawaii. Ten days of Aloha. Taking "The Divine Husband" as reading material, the laptop, iPhone & iPod. Our friends in Na'alehu have graciously offered their guest room, and we're flying thanks to frequent flier miles. Our final four days will be at a beachfront condo in Kona, so we're going low stress, low budget. Sweet.


Thanks again to the Favara family for their hospitality. As you can see, their home is a suitable destination in paradise. Tastefully decorated with vintage Chinese and Balinese touches inside, and a to-die-for view from the Lanai. So if the VOG will stay away for a few days, all will be perfect. Plans call for a dinner at Hilo's Seaside restaurant and the usual visit to the fabulous Hawaiian Botanical Garden. I'll post a note from the south Pacific if I'm able, or inclined.

Chai Masala - Hot or Cold

The Author is very fond of tea. Black, green Oolong, and Chai. Masala Chai is best prepared with fresh spices at home. The following recipe, culled from countless hours of undocumented internet surfing, is the basic and a personal favorite. One adjusts the ingredients to taste. Vanilla Bean may be added for denizens of the Pacific Northwest who are used to it in their Chai.

Make and use your Chai spice mix by weight. For best results, use whole or broken spices, not ground! To make 3 ½ ounces, start with about an ounce of shelled green or black cardamon and a half ounce of cinnamon bark. Then be sure you use some clove and ginger, and make up the weight from your favorites from this list:

• Allspice, cracked
• Black pepper, cracked HOT!
• Cardamon, hulled
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander seed
• Ginger HOT!
• Mace and Nutmeg
• Star anise
• Fennel
• Bay leaf

Crack, hull and otherwise prepare your spices. Once blended, the spices can be placed in a cheese cloth bag or large, easy-fill tea filters. Brew a traditional pot of strong, black tea. The Author prefers single-estate Assam or an East Freisen blend. To the tea, add an equal part of milk and the bag of spices. Slowly bring to an easy boil then reduce immediately to a simmer and steep until the aroma is just right. Add sugar or Honey to taste. Remove spice bag and serve.

Technorati Tags: Chai, Tea, Recipe

Family Reunions Rock

Back from a three day "event" in Phoenix, AZ. The Guadalupe & Estefana Munoz family reunion was way fun. Massive bash, total party, good times for all. Except that I lost my iPhone, which was found, then lost again. Some party! There was a whole Javolina and a half a steer buried in the ground to cook, 22 dozen fresh, home made tortillas, and pots of rice and beans. Coolers full of every kind of beverage including lots of beer, and a full-bar with hand-crafted artisan Tequila. 150 attendees from five generations. The party included an evening affair at the local VFW hall. Uncle Jimmie Munoz is a veteran of the 101st Airborne, and the family had seven other vets involved from multiple generations. Two of the girls had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Came home with 8 CDs full of pictures and a DVD of the entire event. Now to find the iPhone.

Off to Phoenix AZ

Leaving tonight for 3 days in Phoenix, AZ. At the airport now. My partner Lupe & I are headed to a Munoz family reunion. The Guadalupe & Estefana Munoz Reunion, to be specific. Five generations are expected, over 150 are signed up as I write. Looking forward to lots of Albondigas, BBQ, and Menudo on Sunday morning. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Signing off til Tuesday. Hasta luego amigos.

Cancer Breakthrough - Polymer Immunotherapy

Okay, I admit that I'm addicted to Gizmodo and Engadget. Who isn't, right? Occasionally the awesome crew at Gizmodo uncovers an unexpected bit of health technology news, in addition to their regular fare of all things electronic and steampunk. Actually, this post really caught my attention as I've managed to survive two, unrelated cancers. One of those episodes required the dreaded Chemo, replete with the four standard drugs for my particular cancer and the addition of a designer monoclonal antibody targeted specifically to the "brand" of cancer I was battling. The conventional wisdom on Chemo is largely true. It sucks, and takes the recipient to the point of toxicity and near-death to kill the cancer. The good news is that it can work like a dream, as in my case. But the prospect of a new approach that is less violent and life-threatening is heartening indeed. Here's an introduction from the Gizmodo post:

Researchers at Harvard have developed a polymer immunotherapy implant that trains the immune system to become cancer soldiers that seek out and destroy tumors inside the body.

Here is the original technology review.

Cancer

Change Has Come to America

It is with very great pleasure indeed The Author witnessed the end of a long, dark night in American history. As the helicopter arose from the Capital to take George W. Bush out of Washington and government, my heart rose and a great sense of relief flooded my being. Profound relief. Change has finally come to my homeland. For the first time in ages I feel like flying the flag, pounding my chest, pledging my allegiance all over again. How cool is that? I know that there are like-minded individuals worldwide who are sharing this special and historic moment, and that makes me feel strongly connected to the world and re-committed to peace and justice for all people.

With an approval rating over over 80 percent, President Obama will enjoy a rare opportunity to leverage the good will and energy of the masses to move his agenda forward. It sure doesn't hurt that the man is a mesmerizing and inspiring orator. His voice, his cadence, his sincerity give him that illusive "voice of authority," so valued in great leaders. I believe that he will be a great leader, which motivates me to be a great and loyal citizen. Let the fireworks and celebrations begin!
Change
Barack Obama
Presidential Politics

Winter Holiday Musings

The December solstice has come and gone. Mid-Winter is upon us, and a couple of weeks of snow has finally yielded to rain and unwelcome morning fog. The holidays were bearable, we all survived with personalities and relationships intact. No small task, given the perversion of the season and the excess that it invites.

On December 13th, we enjoyed yet another installment in our annual holiday fest - the best local social gathering of the season. Guests this year were treated to catered fare from the Jacksonville Inn and lots of big, red wine. Thanks to my friend Platon Mantheakis for his help and support in that regard.

Following our annual fest, we made Tamales, in a nod to my two adult daughters' Hispanic maternal roots; and brewed pots of hearty Assam tea, in a nod to their Scots-Australian grandmother. Our holiday dinner included a standing rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, baked veggies, sweet potato pie and plum budding with hard sauce for desert. In the run-up, my partner and daughters were a whirlwind of baking projects: Persimmon cookies and pudding; Coffee Cake; and, Mouse au chocolat. Lupe cracked some of her 2006 vintage Cabernet, and my eldest contributed some of her home-made hard cider. Our youngest found time to join us from her ever-changing living situation in close-by Ashland, where she will be teaching the finer points of carving to classes full of anxious pre-teen plankers on the slopes of Mt. Ashland.

I'm heading back to work for at least a while tomorrow morning. Just to check the pulse of the business and catch up. I'll be posting about that assignment next week. I have been at this new consulting gig since July 18th, and I'm very grateful to be working in this tough economy.

Bye Bye July

It is the last day of July, and the image on the left is taken from my back porch. Japanese Maples are among my favorite specimen trees and we are fortunate to have two as back porch bookends. The garden is in full bloom, just below, and we're continuing our never-ending battle with gophers and deer. This year, there are more than just a few red foxes shrieking all night long, and a lot of raptors scaring the hell out of our flock of chickens, now numbering 19. Red-tail Hawks, Osprey and the occasional Falcon.

The Author has taken a new vocational assignment, as VP of Marketing at an Integrated Communications Management company. That's a mouthful, to be sure. I've posted before about the changing face of marketing communications in a digital world, and now I've got a great opportunity to put theory and vision into practice in a company I admire and respect. Doesn't hurt that they have great customers who love them. I'm expecting this development to impact my ability to keep up the three-to-four posts a week that has been a benchmark objective for this blog. The good news is that once I have systems, policies and procedures in place the insanity will subside and I'll get back to my normal schedule. Oh, and my new employer bought me a brand-new MacBook to get us on the same page. That's an awesome piece of gear, and totally complements my iPhone and iPod. So I'm in gear-head heaven as I contemplate all the cool stuff I can add to the system. I'll post a note with the story about my first Mac, a pre-launch gift from Ron Roner and the Apple marketing team in 1986 (or was it 85?), at a future date. It's a good story.