the unequivocal notion

New Years Tunes

It's Gary Jules and "Mad World"

Enjoy your New Years Eve.

Observations

• There isn't much to do in Downtown Nampa after 8 p.m. on a Saturday night.

• "It's ridiculous how bad they play" -- How I love Phil Hellmuth. Oh, the many ways.

Anniversary dinner... er, day...

So tomorrow is mine and my wife's 8th anniversary and we decided this year to just stay home, kick back and enjoy each other instead of going somewhere for the weekend. So I planned out the day long menu and we picked up the complete series of Freaks and Geeks and we are going to wine and dine ourselves into oblivion at home. I was pretty excited by this part because it allowed me to spend more on quality ingredients and drinks because I am preparing everything myself and not going out. It's going to be a day long foodie binge with some good drinks along the way. That is if we are still capable of standing by the time the 6th course comes around.

I printed out the menu with drink pairings (which you can download here if you're so inclined) and posted it on the fridge for my wife to see when she gets home tonight. I've pretty much got everything ready to go so tomorrow we can shut out the outside world and just enjoy the day.

Couple things with the menu, the Eggs Benedict were supposed to be quail eggs but they proved rather difficult to procure. Same goes with some of the cheeses, but I managed to find cheeses that are going to be just as perfect for their pairing.

I also promise pics of the dishes that turn out -- we'll just have to see how that goes.

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Breakfast course:
Eggs Benedict w/ smoked salmon and nutmeg hollandaise

-- Served with pineapple and orange mimosas

Hotel McCall webcam

Is there anything the intertubes can't do?

Here is an image I grabbed from Hotel McCall's webcam a few moments ago. You can check out their webcam here.

While we are are on the subject of webcams and winter --this is one that keeps me going during these blistery cold days.

Christmas Tunes

It's Sufjan Stevens and "Put the Lights on the Tree".

I'm not sure what posting is going to be like for the next week as it's going to be a pretty busy time around here.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Restaurant notes

• Market Limone gets a new chef

• James Kelly of the Idaho Statesman reviews Rupert's at the newly remodeled Hotel McCall (one of our favorite places). Sounds like a trip up to McCall is due this spring.

We went to Chef Jon Mortimer's Franco Latino in Eagle last night with some good friends and the overall verdict is still... well, out. I won't attempt to pretend to be a food critic but I'll sum up our experience...
All the dishes were pretty so-so with no flavors really standing out and smacking you in face declaring their excellence. I thought my  Blackened Rib Steak was a really good and for 26 bucks the price was fair concerning the size of the steak. My wife had the Idaho Trout Roulade (19-) stuffed with spinach and blue crab atop a potato cake and was not impressed with it at all. This dish really lacked flavor, the quality of the ingredients seemed top notch, but again, there just wasn't any flavors standing out.

Also devoured was the Smoked Chicken Relleno (15-) and the Roasted Loin (19-) -- again, no complaints but no high praise either. I also have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the Chef's tasting menu when the Chef isn't there. I think it kind of devalues the excitement of the whole concept.

The presentation of all the dishes was very nice and fitting of the respective entrées. I will also note that all of the dessert martinis (8-) that we had were very good. Between the four of us we had the Almond Joy (the unanimous winner), Ultimate Chocolate, Cheesecake and Grasshopper -- they were all very, very good. Overall we may come back someday, but there are a lot of other good eats that we need to get to before we give Franco Latino a second go around.

Here are two reviews from the Boise Weekly.

• At least my reviews aren't as bad as this one left on the Idaho Eats website for Brick 29 Bistro in Nampa.

food
written by mary freeman, September 01, 2007
I came in once and the food was good, the second time way over priced, not enough food'we went to taco time to get full, for 55.00 you should be full. the next time could not get waited on every one was watching the t.v. I came in Saturday night and no salt or pepper no steak sauce one cup of coffee and no baked potato french fries under the steak so they were all soft and nasty, I have never had potatoes under the steak , I will never come in agin people want a steak baked pot. salad or soup you are way over priced for what you get and you better go to a cooking class and learn how to serve food french fries under the meat I cant believe it, and i asked the waiter where the baked pot. was he said you dont serve baked with the steak. I have never had a steak with out pot. soup or salad I hate soggy french fries. Good luck I hope you make it, this is a big

Hilarious.

• Next on our list -- Boise's Rendezvous

Market Limone gets a new chef

Via The Idaho Statesman:

Boise restaurateurs Krick and Bopp split partnership

Two of Boise’s noted restaurateurs, Dave Krick and Andrae Bopp, are no longer partners in the business of food.

Last December, they formed an alliance called Flavor Inc.

Bopp, executive chef and owner of Andrae’s (816 W. Bannock St., Boise, 385-0707), brought his knowledge of food and kitchen dynamics to Krick’s successful family of restaurants (Red Feather Lounge, 246 N. 8th St., Boise, 343-3119; Reef, 105 S. 6th St., Boise, 287-9200; Bittercreek Alehouse, 246 N. 8th St., Boise, 345-1813; and The Front Door, 105 S. 6th St., Boise, 287-9201).

The business of Flavor Inc. quickly developed into the idealism of Justeatlocal Inc., which was a 2007 finalist for the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Neighbor Awards due to its commitment to “sustainable, local, fresh food.”

[...]

For Bopp, the change means more time to devote to his own restaurant and a new project with Nampa’s Market Limone (112 13th Ave. S., 442-1313).

It was just announced that he is the progressive market’s new executive chef, a role that has him creating menus and directing a culinary crew for its Zeste Food Boutique.

Dishes range from salmon carpaccio to goat cheese-onion tarts to rustic European sandwiches, and Bopp said the flavor profile is global.

“It’s Italian; it’s Spanish; it’s Middle Eastern; it’s Asian. I’m really excited about it because it lets all of us have some creativity in what we’re doing,” he said. “It’s not pretentious, not super high-end, just good, solid food at a fair price.”

Bopp fell into the endeavor after bumping into Market Limone co-founder, Laurel Mackinnon.

He watched the market go from dream to reality over the last year, and when MacKinnon told him she didn’t have a chef three weeks after opening, he let her know he was interested

Somewhat bad news for Boise, but great news for Nampa. I think I just heard a faint collective cheer from all the Nampa foodies in the distance.

Just go ahead and add Chef Andrae Bopp to one of the many great things going on in our little Downtown Nampa. And salmon carpaccio? In Nampa? Um, I think I'll be down there Saturday for lunch.

Yay.

George Nourse weighs in on Rohm

Idaho Press-Tribune:

Computer contract concerns residents

CANYON COUNTY — At least three county residents are concerned Canyon County officials acted inappropriately in awarding a $143,000 contract to a computer consultant.

Former Canyon County Sheriff George Nourse and Caldwell attorney Jim Rice question the county’s awarding the contract to Rodney Rohm without first putting it out for bids. The contract was originally put out to bid and four bids were rejected.

The county’s spokeswoman said the Rohm contract and the original contract were not for the same jobs and therefore were handled differently.Rohm has come under fire recently from several county elected officials who questioned the value of his consultant work for the county.

There is also concern that Rohm wrote the request for proposal for the contract work and then took the job himself, which would violate Idaho Ethics in Government laws. But Sillonis said again the contracts were not the same.

Nourse, who is considering another run for sheriff after retiring three years ago, thinks the dispute may need to be settled by attorneys.

“There’s stuff there that certainly is questionable and certainly looks like it could be violation of the law,” Nourse said. “But the (state attorney general’s) office is the one that needs to examine it and make that determination.”

Read the rest.

Things are certainly getting interesting over at the Canyon County Courthouse as the old good ole' boy club starts to splinter with the new good ole' boy club.

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Oh, on a side note I found that news story on the Idaho Press-Tribune's website (imagine that, being able to find things on their website). So I hope it's crystal clear that the above link points to the Idaho Press-Tribune website where the story originated. Make sure you let me know if you're confused and don't understand that the story above was properly attributed to the Idaho Press-Tribune. I wouldn't want to confuse anyone into thinking that was original reporting on my part, I just linked to the Idaho Press-Tribune, because, well, that's what bloggers do. And seeing how certain newspaper publishers are still unclear on how the intertubes work I just wanted to make it clear.

Once more for good measure... Idaho Press-Tribune.

Frankly I wish that said newspaper editor would point out exactly where I didn't attribute something of theirs that I used on my site. If there is one thing I cannot stand more than anything else it's having my ethics or integrity questioned behind my back.  Personally, I just think they don't know that those cute underlined blue words do more than just look different than the not-as-cute non-underlined black words.

Foodie stuff

• New York Times has a 101 Simple Appetizers -- Perfect for this time of the year when there are a lot of parties going on and you need that quick 5 or 10 minute dish.

• Also from the New York Times Changing Course at the Food Network. I got to say I pretty much agree with Mario Batali; “They don’t need me. They have decided they are mass market and they are going after the Wal-Mart crowd..." Personally I limit my Food Network intake to Chef Tyler Florence's Tyler's Ultimate and Alton Brown's Good Eats. Other than that I stick to my standard PBS fare: Chef Rick Bayless' Mexico - One Plate at a Time, Chef Jacques Pépin's Fast Food My Way, and America's Test Kitchen.

• Via Slashfood: Make Your Own Chicken Nuggets -- I haven't tried it yet, but this just begs for some upscale nugget creations. Using this method you can only be limited by your palate and imagination.

• A couple from author and cook Michael Ruhlman: Best Bar in the World and  The Craft of Humane Cow Slaughtering.

• Read everything you can at Carol's French Laundry at Home -- one of my favorite food blogs.

• Which side are you on in the Garlic Press War?

You're kidding me? Right?

While you can put me in the "if-it-has-to-be-a-Republican-I-don't-mind-if-it's-Romney" camp this is some utter bullshit.

AP:

Romney Gets Tearful Recalling War Toll

LONDONDERRY, N.H. (AP) — Mitt Romney's eyes filled with tears Monday as the Republican presidential contender recalled watching the casket of a soldier killed in Iraq return to the United States and imagined if it were one of his five sons.

Adding a poignant twist to a story he often tells on the campaign, Romney recalled the scene at Boston's Logan International Airport while he was Massachusetts governor to make the point that the country remains united despite its differences over the war or other national challenges.

It was a counterbalance to a moment earlier this year, when Romney told a woman in Iowa that his grown sons — none of whom has served in the military — were serving the country by helping with his campaign. Romney later apologized for the remark, saying it was wrong to equate military service with campaign involvement.

Mitt Romney has no idea what it is like to hear a knock at the door and wonder if it's about a loved one in Iraq -- he knows his military-aged sons are sacrificing for their country by riding in their dad's air conditioned campaign bus. How he can attempt to relate the emotions that thousands of Americans have gone through when getting a late night phone call or unexpected knock at the door is pretty damn infuriating.

And let me say I'm down with Romney if it comes to that. Don't get me wrong, I'll take nearly any Democratic candidate over him, but if a Republican wins I'd rather it be Mitt. Right now I'm rather enjoying him pull one over on the Conservative wing of the Republican party right now while he looks for the Republican nomination. It's almost humorous to see exactly how easy it is to manipulate these people. I'd insert a comment about sheep right about here, but I'll let it go.

I'll go ahead and chalk this one up to absentminded politicking for the time being.

Conan O'Brien on Wine... and Sideways (the movie)

Difference #11297

• Democrats question their elected leaders and demand accountability.

Weird ain't it?

At the movies

Yesterday, after a morning of finishing up our Christmas shopping and a couple hours of me nagging, my wife and I went and watched the Coen Brother's latest flick; No Country For Old Men. I'm not really going to say much about it except that it is one of the best movies I've seen in sometime. One of those rare occasions where the critics nail it.

Awesomeness.

Goin' through this pass in the mountains. It was cold and snowin', hard ridin'. Hard country. He rode past me and kept on goin'. Never said nothin' goin' by. He just rode on past and he had his blanket wrapped around him and his head down and when he rode past I seen he was carryin' fire in a horn the way people used to do and I could see the horn from the light inside of it. About the color of the moon. And in the dream I knew that he was goin' on ahead and that he was fixin' to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold, and I knew that whenever I got there he would be there. Out there up ahead. And then I woke up.

You can check out the trailer here.

Weekend Tunes

Joe Strummer w/ The Mescaleros and their version of Bob Marley's incredibly powerful parable; "Redemption Song"

Flogging Molly @ The X

I hate to say that I don't really listen to Flogging Molly that much these days, not as much as I should be anyway. Flogging Molly is sadly reserved for my summertime playlists and the like; they can have just a little too much energy for me sometimes. I first got into them when I was in Korea and listened to their outstanding album Drunken Lullabies all the time. Namely when we were heading out the gates for a field exercise -- boomboxes in the front of our Humvees were blaring "Raise What's Left of Flag for Me" during some of those early humid mornings. Call it our squad song.

Well, I was pretty much done with talking about Flogging Molly after the decision had been made between either them or Iron & Wine a week or two ago. But I just heard Flogging Molly's acoustic session that they performed live in house at 100.3 The X's studios earlier in the day before playing the Big Easy that night. And I gotta say that I'm pretty impressed.

So if you're a fan of the band definitely check out the recordings on the X's website, it's one of the first times they've played acoustically for a live audience. And if you've never heard, or ever even heard of Flogging Molly you should head over and check out the recordings, they are pretty damn good. Irish music has an uncanny ability to sound better when performed without electricity.

Available are "The Lightening Storm" and the outstanding "If I Ever Leave This World Alive".

Ridiculousness and the IBC

Caught this passage in the Idaho Press-Tribune from Brian Donesley concerning Governor Otter's Liquor Task Force's recommendations:

Brian Donesley, an attorney and coalition member, said removing the quota system would reduce the value of liquor licenses. He said that in the resort town of Ketchum, a license is worth about $500,000, and that one in Boise about $150,000.

Those values would decline sharply without the quota system, he said, adding that people who hold licenses obtained them with the belief the quota system would continue.

“There’s a contract and understanding between the state and people” who hold liquor licenses, Donesley said. “Governor Otter is in breach of that in what he’s proposing, and he appears insensitive to basic issues of fairness.”

Seems to me "fairness" would be opening up the liquor licensing system so more people would be able to open up bars and more restaurants would be able to serve booze with out having to cough up 100 plus grand.

Liquor licenses in Idaho are a speculative investment, there isn't and shouldn't be a guarantee on that investment. The government is not required to back up that investment nor should they. Moreover, the government should not be holding other business owners back just to help out those who already have licenses.

I also liked this from the Idaho Beverage Coalition website:

Please join us. We need to have every licensee in Idaho join us to oppose any new laws which might destroy our businesses, our livelihoods, and our futures. We must unify in opposing the any law that takes away our right to transfer our liquor licenses, eliminates the quota system, or proposes the granting of licenses without limit. Such changes violate founding concepts of the Idaho Constitution and statutes.

Hyperbole much? This type of exaggeration will not really help them win over any sympathizers. Oh, and for people who make a living selling booze to say that the state should regulate "morality", "temperance" and "sobriety" is just plain stupid. That is not the case they want to be making.

Free market competition? No, we shouldn't have that in Idaho:

If cities and counties are allowed to issue liquor licenses to anyone they chose, competition will change the market and those who have not invested will be able to compete directly against you.

FYI -- opening a bar or restaurant requires investing in more than just a liquor license.

And then they claim this:

Crime will likely increase, which will be used as a justification for more police power against your industry.

Wow. I used to have a little sympathy for these people (just a smidgen), but these guys are really reaching, and just by reading their website you can see exactly how far they are reaching. It also seems they use some of the same strategy people that some of our politicians use, when in doubt -- just invoke fear and ignorance.

They really need to rethink the strategy that they plan to employee if they want to get anything out of this. If they don't get any compensation from the state (which I do support) it'll be because they don't deserve any -- not with the avenue they decided to take. Idaho is going to move into the modern ages here sometime soon whether they like it or not; they can either get on board with change or be left behind.

I really hope that Governor Otter remains true to his claims of Libertarian ideals and stands strong on this issue. He's moving in the right direction, now he just needs to keep moving forward regardless of what these people throw at him.

Ghost hunting in Nampa

Who knew?

This actually happened back in 2006 but it just came to my attention the other day (please do not ask); I saw that the Idaho Spirit Seekers, the Idaho affiliate of TAPS did an investigation of Pete's Tavern (damn, who knew Pete's Tavern had a website?) in Downtown Nampa.

It would seem that they were unable to find any ghosts or paranormal activity, but that was only because of the camera crew and their equipment.

Fact checking Letters to the Editor?

Do they bother to even do that anymore? Now, I understand that you can't check every little thing, but jeeze, this one has been talked about and debunked hundreds of times over the last 6 months.

Idaho Statesman LTE:

Barack Obama studied at radical Islam school

Most people do not know that Barack Hussein Obama (real name) was brought up by a Muslin stepfather and attended school where he was taught radical Islam. He professes now to be Christian, yet insisted on using the Quran instead of the Bible when he took the oath of office.

In September of this year, he attended a political rally with other Democratic candidates. When it was time to say the Pledge of Allegiance, the other candidates put their hands over their hearts and said the pledge while Obama turned his back on them, stood with his hands at his sides and said nothing!

Don't believe it? Check the Snopes Web site.

Do we really want this man for our president? Scary.

CLARICE WRIGHT, Boise

I really hope this didn't make it to the print edition. If it did then the Idaho Statesman has a correction to issue and some apologizing to do. This was just a blatant lie, in which the writer even took the liberty of telling the Statesman where they could see that she was lying. Amazing.

Luckily now that the Statesman offers comments on their website her LTE can be refuted right there -- and it is, but not so for the print edition. I guess if you can just make stuff up and the Idaho Statesman will gladly reprint it with no questions asked it opens up a whole 'nother door for good times.

Below is my LTE, let's see if I can get it published.

Otter's liquor task force caves

Oh... you just know that there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Idaho Statesman:

Rewrite of state liquor laws likely delayed

State officials say they are delaying for now a plan to rewrite state liquor laws that includes eliminating the state's liquor license quota system.

Otter spokesman Jon Hanian says liquor licenses are a sensitive subject and the process might require more time.

He says new legislation likely won't be drafted for another year.

I think that there is a word for this... hmm... what could it be... oh -- capitulate. If there is one thing to be said about this state is that money talks, er, make that money screams and no one seems to care.

I would just love to know the back door conversations on this one.

The Argus Observer reviews Brick 29 Bistro

...said the French onion soup was the best he's ever had.

Read the whole thing.

The Bravery @ The Big Easy Jan 22nd

Trying to not get into concert overload here...

The Bravery who were supposed to be the opening act for the Smashing Pumpkins this past summer but never made an appearance after the show was canceled due to... well, no one buying tickets. I'm full well putting the blame of that boondoggle on the shoulders of Billy Corgan and his reincarnated Pumpkins. I almost thought about going just to check out The Bravery, but that would have made for an expensive ticket to just see the opening act.

Tickets for the January 22nd show go on sale this Friday at 10 am for 15 bucks at Ticketweb.

Check out a clip of them performing their song "Believe" below.

Drive-By Truckers @ Big Easy Feb 19th

I knew that the signs were there.

Pollstar is reporting that one of my favorites; The Drive-By Truckers are going to be playing the Big Easy on  Tuesday February 19th. There is still no conformation on the band's website yet, but I don't have any reason to think that they aren't coming to town.

This in addition to former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell playing the Neurolux on February 1st.

Right now the openers are slated to be The Felice Brothers who I spotlighted a month or two ago in my Weekend Tunes with their song "Roll On Arte".

Gonna be a good one.

Update

The show is listed on The Felice Brothers MySpace page.

Update II

Deeds confirms.

Nampa news

Last night at Nampa's Masonic Events Center residents, developers and city officials all met to discuss what is currently going on in Downtown Nampa and what is coming in the near future. I really wanted to make it to this but was unable to -- now having read about it I really wish I could have made it down there.

Idaho Statesman:

Nampa officials moving ahead with revitalization plans
Officials said at a meeting that the city soon will look into developers with experience in mixed-use projects.

Nampa city officials are on the verge of soliciting developers for the city's largest venture ever - several public and private developments that they hope will revitalize downtown.

"We've embarked on a very ambitious plan," said Mayor Tom Dale. "It's already paying dividends. Individual investment in downtown reflects city investments."

About 70 residents and business people got an update from officials Tuesday on plans for downtown revitalization but no word yet on where the projects will be located. They also watched a video, "Entrepreneurs Make It Happen," highlighting recent private business openings and renovations in downtown.

While it doesn't seem that there was any big news on projects that people didn't already know about, it was a chance to meet with the people who are driving the change in Nampa's Downtown. After viewing the video (more on that below) it was however the first time I've seen sketches of the proposed library, public safety building and the park.

The City of Nampa Office of Economic Development has also put up a website called Why Nampa? Which is a wealth of information about our city and information geared at bringing in more businesses to the Downtown area.

Also interesting is a video called "Entrepreneurs Make it Happen" a nicely done short video on the history, present and future of Downtown Nampa. It also has some great interviews with the people getting things done in Downtown Nampa. You can see the video on the Idaho Statesman website.

KTRV Channel 12 also has a story.

Could Huckabee be their guy?

I mean, come on, you didn't really expect a moderate did you? Or someone who is half-way intelligent and curious about the world? Remember kids, the goal isn't to "progress", because that'd sound like "progressive", and that is evil.

Huckster on Muslims in Iraq:

"We don’t have a dog in the fight between Sunnis and Shiites - our enemy is Islamic extremism in all its guises."

Huckstick on the NIE:

Mike Huckabee, did not even bother to keep abreast of the news on the Iran finding initially. When asked his view on the NIE, he admitted he had not yet heard about it.

Huckleberry on women (via signature):

"A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ."

A Seasonal Disguise

Can you think of a more appropriate band name for this time of the year?

I've been browsing around the websites of a few Boise bands trying to get past that layer of "butt rock" that has gripped the area for the last 20 or so years. For reasons that I still for the life of me cannot figure out a lot of bands think that Yamaha guitars and multi-effect pedals are capable of creating good music. I have deep sympathy for people who never realized that good music, indeed historic music comes from the acoustic guitar -- only then when the melody is cemented do you toss in some electricity and add an effect or two. And frankly if you go beyond some fuzz, a DS-1 or a flanger you've lost me.

Anyway.

One of the bands that I've really been obsessing about the last week or so is A Seasonal Disguise, a band that appeared to be a one man show but has recently included the addition of a few more band members to round out the live show and it seems, the sound. Now, I'm not saying the music is flawless, but giving  more and more listens to the band's music I'm hard pressed to tell it apart from some of my favorite acts. Tunes like "Won't You Hibernate With Me" have me reeling with mental comparisons of one of my all time faves; The Eels. The acoustic and mostly solo "A Storm Cloud on a Cloudy Day" can't help but bring mild -- if not early comparisons to Jeff Buckley (for the love of all that is sacred and good, go to Buckley's page and listen to "Hallelujah", you'll be in tears) -- in both lyric, voice and song form... I'm dually impressed.

The song writing is strikingly mature and developed, sure there is a thing here or there that could be tweaked, there is with all music. But I'm pretty blow away that this is coming out of Boise -- by a guy who still has to have a day job. Most of the songs could benefit with an additional refrain or an extra chorus, but they aren't completely necessary, they will however give the listener more time to sink into the artists vision. Almost all of his songs have what you don't normally get from smaller-time acts; good melody and solid song structure, A Seasonal Disguise has both of these.

Check them out. Make sure you listen to all the tracks they have on their MySpace page and definitely pick up some of their music, there is good music coming out of the valley, who knew?

From their pics it looks like they've played the Flying M Coffeegarage -- heres to hoping they come back... soon.

Wine in 2007

Fermentation has the top 10 wine related stories of 2007.

As I sit here an drink some Kirkland branded Pinot Noir out of Central Otago I find the Costco story the most hopeful.

Speaking of...

While I'm not a fan of Costco's Kirkland branded wine labels the wines themselves aren't really that bad -- as with anything at Costco. But really; can't you at least try to trick me into thinking I'm drinking something else besides a Costco branded wine? Put a little bit of effort into that label? I could have done a better job than that, and then maybe I wouldn't have had to place the bottles in my cart... label down. I mean, I hate to be so shallow, but I'm just being honest.

At least Albertsons and Fred Myers attempt to disguise their house brands with a little bit of labeling creativity.

Updating Downtown Nampa

If you're interested there is going to be a meeting on the progress of Downtown Nampa on Tuesday the 11th @ the Masonic Events center from 5 to 6 p.m.

Both local government and private parties will be talking about the status of the numerous projects that are currently under way in Nampa.

Idaho Press-Tribune has more details.

Shooting people must be easy

I mean if you read Clayton Cramer's blog (Jesus, know HTML much?) you'd think that aligning the rear sight to the front sight center mass on a human target with say... 1 or 1.2 square feet of target space all while being shot at would be just as easy as shooting at pieces of paper with outlines of pretend perps on them.

When I read Cramer talking about guns and how cool they are I can't help but be reminded of the "I'm from the internet" guy.

While I respect the attitudes of people like Cramer when it comes to being a tough guy and looking out for the safety of the general public. I just don't think he really understands the complexities of actually shooting at someone, while being shot at.

I've was never in combat, but I trained for it -- trained for it a lot. Shooting at pieces of paper stapled to boards of wood is a totally different thing than shooting at a moving target with obstacles in the way. Let alone when said target is doing the unimaginable; shooting back. I did go through years of training with the MILES system and cant attest to the fact that it is substantially more difficult to hit a target that has minimal target mass and is returning fire. Unless you're a sniper sitting back at a safe distance you tend to spray the target area with a lot of lead, well, that or laser beams from your MILES gear. That and when I was training it was in desert and forest environments -- not malls or churches where the culprit is moving amongst people, not trees or rocks.

Personally when it comes to people like Cramer packing heat in public I think I'd rather take my chances ducking and hiding than having an untrained middle aged white dude sporadically shooting off his Saturday Night Special at anything that moves. There are reasons why we pay taxes to have guys (and gals) who are trained to tackle these types of situations. It beats a bank full of weekend shooters randomly unloading their rusty unkempt pistols at a bank robber who is most likely armed with a scrap of paper.

You want to be a hero Cramer? Seeing how you declined military service, you should maybe think about volunteering for the Boise County Sheriff's office. Maybe bringing your piece and coming into the big city and riding along with the Boise Police Department, ya know -- guys how do the things you only fantasize about. Maybe you'll get lucky and if you ride with the Idaho State Police you can get a lap dance at one of the local strip joints, we all know how threatening they are to the public safety.

I'd rather have a say in my own destiny or try to defend myself than count on someone like Cramer who has never shot a weapon in a combat situation take down a perp -- and the 4 people standing next to him, which may be me.

---

I'll note that the person who shot the gunman in Colorado (which is where this is all coming from) is a former police officer who was working security at the church when she gunned the gunman down.

It's just booze and business

Interesting story in the Idaho Statesman on the building up of what will most likely be a fairly large fallout from Governor Otter's Liquor Task Force's recommendations a few months ago:

Statesman:

Coalition wants to keep liquor licensing system
But a task force says removing the state's quota system would help Idaho's tourism and economic development.

Some Idaho liquor license holders have formed a group to try to stop a plan that they say would make such licenses easier to obtain and devalue the limited number already in existence.

[...]

The state issues liquor licenses on a per-capita basis of one per 1,500 people, based on Idaho's 1947 liquor laws that were passed to promote "temperance."

That has resulted in waiting lists to get licenses, and some people who now hold them - including members of the Boise-based coalition - paid many thousands of dollars to get theirs.

But members of a task force appointed by Gov. Butch Otter have said they don't think the state should be dictating how many bars an area should have, and removing the quota could help economic development and tourism.

I actually liked this comment that was left on the Statesman's website, it neatly summed it up:

Value of the Liquor License
Submitted by idahorafting on Mon, 12/10/2007 - 7:28am.

The value of the license is only price the state charges for a new license. Any other value is speculative and like the stock market, can go up or down at a whim. Just because someone speculated and paid $200,000 for a license doesn't mean it is worth that.

I understand the loss, but its something that is just going to have to be sucked up by the current license holders; and it's not like they are going to lose everything they put into it. And there are measures in Otter's task force recommendations to compensate the license holders. Yes, they won't be able to turn around and sell it for 200k or more and make a profit so they can buy that home up on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene. But that's not supposed to be the point of liquor laws and the task force is clarifying that point -- to make Idaho's liquor license laws more equitable, for everyone. As they say; "It's just business".

I was pleased to see this move coming from Governor Otter's office, I think it's a show of his core Libertarian values, which is pretty big in my eyes with the growing power (power grab) of Idaho's Conservatives. We'll have to see how this plays out when Idaho's legislature takes up the issue at the beginning of the year, it'll be one to keep an eye on if you enjoy this type of thing. This could really turn into one of those pivotal issues that Idaho's elected Republicans are going to have to choose a side on:

• Do they favor using government to control when and what Idahoans drink?

• Or do they favor letting the private market dictate when and what Idahoans drink?

I think sometime in the not-so-far-off future, say, 10-20 years we'll see Idaho's Republican super-majority splinter into small factions. Ok, we'll see the fractions that exist today out in the public domain.  It'll be reminiscent of the splinter we are already seeing on the national side of Republican politics -- those who believe in limited government and those who believe in using government to control others.

Update

Speaking of.

The Very Most @ Flying M Coffeegarage Dec. 29th

The Very Most out of Boise will be playing a show at Nampa's Flying M Coffeegarage on Saturday December 29th.

Check out their MySpace page and prepare to be delighted.

Weekend Tunes

...And speaking of trumpets. I caught this tune the other day and digged it.

Danielson and their quirky track "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?"

A nice glass of Iron & Wine

You know sometimes you just have to make choices in life, those kind of big choices that will determine the outcome of your life and how they will impact the lives of those around you. Other times you just have to make decisions as to what concert you want to do on a Thursday night -- yesterday was one of those times.

Well, ok, it was not yesterday that we had to make that choice, we had already made the choice a month or two ago when I got a call "Hey, Iron & Wine is coming... want to go?". Our choices were either Flogging Molly (check out their live X-Session here -when they post it) , the Holiday Ale Tasting at the Market in Downtown Nampa, or Iron & Wine. And seeing how we just don't get a lot of acts on the level of Iron & Wine, it ended up being a no-brainer.

Last night was a hectic night in the capital city, the December First Thursday was in full swing, Christmas carolers were wandering the streets, shops were showing off the best of Boise art and area wineries pouring samples throughout the Downtown. I really hadn't seen Boise that buzzing on a weeknight in sometime, it was one of those times when you reflect on why exactly you love this state and moreover, the Treasure Valley so much.

Dinner; The Falcon Tavern which btw is turning into a rather delightful pre-concert destination. The grub is always good, fresh, cheap and the brews on tap are always just right. It's hard to go wrong when it's only 70 bucks for 4 people to eat dinner with a bottle of wine + two more glasses and 9 micros. The slow roasted leg of lamb sandwich w/ ginger soy au jus? Get it. Plus it really helps on these chilly December nights that it is just around the block from the Egyptian Theatre.

So, that brings us to Iron & Wine, well, to the opener anyway. I really quite enjoyed Arthur and Yu, they played a short 6 or 7 song set with a killer song to close it out. I wish I could tell you more about them, but frankly I hadn't ever heard of them before, but I'll be picking up their album in the very near future. Lot's of folkesque rock rife with the harmonies you get from having two singers.

Then it was time for Sam Beam with his full band in tow including his lovely sister Sarah to take the stage. Something I've been waiting to see ever since I heard my first Iron & Wine track some years ago. You do know don't you, that there are some concerts where there is a time and a place to just really get into it, but most times on a weeknight after working all day it can be hard. But there are bands like Iron & Wine that you just can't pass up, Sam Beam has to posses one of most beautiful voices out there today in modern music. Not to mention that he is firmly planted somewhere in my top-10 list of favorite lyricists...

Jesus the Mexican boy
Wearing a long desert trip on his tie
Lo and behold he was standing under the welcome sign
Naked the Judas in me
Fell by the tracks but he lifted me high
Kissing my head like a brother and never asking why

The concert was a great mix of new and old, combining tracks from his latest album The Shepard's Dog with tracks from his many earlier EPs. While "The Shepard's Dog" isn't my favorite Iron & Wine album it was nice to see how the songs have evolved since being recorded and see them live in person. And of course Sam didn't disappoint -- he played a couple of his older more well known tracks like "Naked As We Came" which he did solo for the single encore.

This being Sam's first visit to Boise he really seemed to enjoy himself with a very enthusiastic weeknight crowd, that and the show selling out with next to nil advertising really helped out I'm sure. Heres to hoping that we'll be seeing Iron & Wine the next time he departs on a trek across the country for his next tour -- I'm thinking that he'll be coming back.

Compare and contrast

Because, yes (I don't know how many times I really have to say this) there is a difference.

Update

Our good friends at 43rd State Blues offer up a translation.

Calexico, please come to Boise

Please.

I was looking around for some YouTube videos of Iron & Wine to toss up in light of their upcoming performance at the Egyptian on Thursday and found some vids of Calexico instead. Iron & Wine and Calexico did some tracks together some years back which is how I ended up getting into Calexico in the first place. And all that brings us to the point, er, closer to the point of this.

Those who know me know that I'm a sucker for pretty much any song with some trumpet in it, there is just something about it that gets to me. Which I do find odd, I was never into trumpet growing up, I was more of a trombone, tenor sax and bass kind of guy. However, thinking back now, I remember being brought to tears by not by any of those instruments, but by guys playing the trumpet at jazz festivals in Reno, Seattle and Nampa High's own Little Theater. So maybe that is where my fascination with trumpets is coming from these days -- who knows?

But words don't describe tunes like this or this.

While you're at it make sure you check out Calexico's MySpace page for a tune that they did with Jim James of My Morning Jacket (another freakishly outstanding band that really, really needs to come to Boise).

Setting safety precedents in Nampa

To some Nampa City Councilmen it is a bad thing.

Idaho Statesman:

Nampa council agrees to lighted crosswalk after accidents

A dark, busy intersection in North Nampa will get a lighted pedestrian crosswalk and improved street lighting, Nampa City Council members agreed Monday night.

The council told Public Works Director Michael Fuss to move forward with about $140,000 in improvements to help pedestrians safely cross 11th Avenue North at 3rd Street.

[...]

Councilman Martin Thorne noted that pedestrians have been hit by vehicles at other Nampa intersections, including a recent fatality on 12th Avenue South. He suggested the city "start by painting a couple of crosswalks," expressing concern that paying to improve that one intersection might set a precedent that could create expectations for many more lighted crosswalks.

That would be fine, Mayor Tom Dale countered. "I'd love to set a precedent that as we move forward we start budgeting for more of these crosswalks," Dale said.