Monday, September 30, 2013

Review: Cruisers - a comparison

So now I own two "Cruiser" jackets: A few thoughts:
  • They're both warm (but not too warm) coats with a ridiculous number of pockets.
  • The Best Made Cruiser is lighter-weight. It has fewer pockets, but the pockets it has have greater capacity.
  • The Filson Cruiser is heavier with some kind of weirdly-reinforced sleeves that I'm finding difficult to describe. Neat, but kind of weird.
  • Both have a decidedly-loose fit, which works well for layering. I'd say Best Made's sizing is accurate enough. If you generally wear a Large, then you'll probably do fine with their Large. Filson's conversion chart gives "Small/Medium/Large" conversions for folks like me who look at size numbers and blank out.
  • Both are reasonably water-resistant. I haven't tested the Best Made Cruiser yet in any kind of heavy rain, but it's been fine in the light rain I've worn it through. The Filson was fine in the freak rainstorm the other day.
Do I have a preference? Not really. Both are pretty awesome. The Filson's extra pockets are offset by the Best Made's pocket capacity. Both suit my style preferences (such as I have any kind of style). I look forward to the weather cooling so I can give them some proper use and love.

So much salt to mine

After a week of unmitigated sloth and gluttony, I am back at work and sad that I am not a one-percenter. I think I was born to be idly slothful and an utter waste space. I would be so awesome at being rich and useless!

Sigh.

I got caught up on season two of "Person of Interest" and have found myself even more hooked on that show. Goddamn those writers are brilliant. That or I'm just easily entertained (I'm easily entertained).

I rode on the bike path of the Bay Bridge over my time off. I have to say, that's a hell of a ride. It was... longer... than I expected. And the grade was more of a struggle than I expected, but I toughed it out.

I guess that means I violated the sloth bit. Sigh. Still, it was totally worth it. If you get the chance, ride your bike or walk that path. It's a hike and it doesn't connect with Treasure Island/Yerba Buena yet, but it's worth checking out.

I actually accomplished a fair amount of housecleaning until I tweaked out my wrist moving some heavy boxes. I got a proper bar set up in my kitchen and have given it more use than is healthy. Next step: learn to make a proper Old Fashioned (my current poison of choice).

Monday, September 23, 2013

A Return to Forbidden Island

Yesterday I returned to Forbidden Island in Alameda for a much-overdue visit.

Damn but they make great cocktails! The drink menu has expanded somewhat to add some new tasty drinks and now they do a punch-card option where if you try every drink from their redesigned menu, you get some kind of deal (a free drink, a free t-shirt, or whatever).

Life is good.

Review: Filson Dry Finish Tin Cruiser

Some time back, I came across a remarkable, impossible-to-pass-up deal and snagged a Filson Dry Finish Tin Cruiser. I'd been looking for a multi-pocket jacket in a non-black color and the Tin Cruiser appealed to me.

It arrived during a heat wave so I briefly tried it on to ensure it fit, then put it away 'till the weather got more agreeable.

The other day, we had a freak rainstorm hit the Bay Area and it was... while not cold, certainly cooler than normal.

I busted out the Tin Cruiser and went out to lunch with a friend. The freak rainstorm then decided to pour on me, letting me test the water-resistant treatment of the coat.

My reactions:
  • This is a damn well-constructed coat.
  • So. Many. Pockets. Just... pockets with pockets in them. Meta-pockets!
  • Quite water resistant.
  • Comfortable.
  • Warm. This coat will do well when autumn gets chilly and will work well in Bay Area winters with a layer or so.
  • Loose. That's nice 'cause I could stand to loose a few pounds...
Worth every penny. Alas, that's a lot of pennies, but you get what you pay for...

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Review: Mikeller Bar

So you're in San Francisco, near the Powell Street station. You're suddenly craving lunch and wouldn't mind a nice pint of beer to go with said lunch.

What to do? What to do?

I've a suggestion: Mikeller Bar.

Possessing a constantly-rotating list of delightfully-tasty beers (most of which are local to the Pacific Coast of the U.S.) and a delightfully-tasty menu (I had the merguez sausage... mmm...) it ain't cheap, but it's worth the price.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Bits of Random Friday Babble

Returned to martial arts a couple of weeks ago. I'd forgotten the bruises, the aches, and the weird feeling of satisfaction I get from getting through a class more-or-less intact.

I tweaked my knee somehow. I think I managed to do this bike riding, though I'm pretty sure class didn't help any. Ice packs are a wonderful thing.

Finally got a proper bartending kit. I've now figured out how to make good mai tais. Practice makes perfect and all that.

xkcd calls out the truth of things



This is totally me. Except that my place really is a garbage pit.

Sigh.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Thems that dies be the lucky ones. Arr.

So it be Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Um... arr?

Haven't seen any of the Pirates movies recently so I'm a bit rusty. I do like me some grog, though.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Creeping Tuesdayness

Want: Gerber Downrange Tomahawk/Breaching Tool.

Need? No. Have any real, justifiable use for? No. Any place to put it? No. Any conceivable way to justify $220 + shipping for a tool thing I'd only ever need in an apocalyptic disaster? Well... there's that whole "apocalyptic disaster" justification, I suppose. Works for all the other crap I have... and you have to admit it looks damn cool.




Today's bike ride was oddly-difficult. No reason, I suppose. Just entropy.




How is it only Tuesday? HOW???

Monday, September 16, 2013

A few bleary-eyed Monday observations and musings

  • Every time a Disney "Star Wars" rumor is circulated an angel loses its wings. The angel then goes batshit crazy, takes a basket full of puppies and kittens, transforms them into ravening soul-devouring beasts, and unleashes them upon the world to create more MBAs who will create more ideas for Disney to milk "Star Wars" to death and beyond. This is what we call "a perpetual motion machine". Metaphysics making physics its bitch.
  • Ghost music continues to soothe my sleepy self.
  • When I was in Portland, I stopped for a bit in the Deluxe Hotel. There, in the Driftwood Room Lounge, I had a "Whiskey Rebellion". Bulleit Rye, punt e mes sweet vermouth, Imbue bittersweet vermouth, and some West Indies orange bitters. My dad got some of the Imbue vermouth and recreated the "Whiskey Rebellion" over the weekend. This may well become one of my favorite cocktails ever.
  • Okay, seriously. A $1,300 jacket? Thirteen-hundred dollars???? Fuck you.
  • Someone had to explain to me who Miley Cyrus is. This. This right here. This is where I stand with the not-understanding-of-celebrities.
  • So very sleepy...

Friday, September 13, 2013

A wounded sole

During training I noticed the soles of my favorite shoes were cracking and disintegrating.

This is extremely disheartening. My mutant feet are rarely completely-happy in footwear, especially work-acceptable footwear.

I pretty much have some boots that work, my beer-drinking slip-on shoe/slippers, and some flip-flops at this point. The weather is too hot for boots and the rest... well, they present problems of their own in the workplace.

I have other shoes, but they always rub the foot wrong, either along the heel or along the outer toes. I've tried gel inserts and what-not, but those never stay in-place and never seem to do the trick.

Time to do some shoe shopping again, I suppose. Sigh.

Review: EAB Gerber Pocket Utility Knife

Oh County Comm, you never fail to lure me in. When I got the AAx2 Maratac light, I also saw the EAB Gerber Pocket Utility Knife.

So the last thing I need is another knife at this point. Still, the design intrigued me and for less than $14, I felt the need to check it out.

I'm glad I did. The EAB is a tiny thing, but feels solid and well-constructed. It's got a smooth action for opening and I have yet to accidentally cut myself. Though give it time...

There are guards in good places to protect the delicate fingers from the disposable blade. Did I mention the disposable blade part? Yeah, this takes a box-cutter blade that you can replace with a screwdriver.

In short, it's the perfect box-cutter and utility blade. Portable and solid. Could make a good money clip, I suppose.

Review: AAx2 Tactical Maratac Flashlight

I saw it. I wanted it. I got it.

I opted to get County Comm's AAx2 Tactical Maratac Flashlight, mostly 'cause I saw it's advertised to spit out 510 lumens on the high setting.

It does that quite nicely. With two AA batteries, this puppy provides a nice variety of lighting options and has a nice, slender profile to slip into a coat pocket or cargo pants pocket. The reflector has greenish, glowing inner ring that's kind of creepy-neat.

Nice light and a good price for the performance.

Hopefully I won't have a repeat of my last mishap with another Maratac light and accidentally activate it in my pocket. These buggers get awfully warm if left on for a long time...

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Bumps in the Thursday Road

Woke up. Got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head (I didn't really do that last bit... I just felt like quoting a Beatles song).

Headed out and... the roads were wet. It was... not really raining, but sprinking pretty intently. WTF?

Fortunately, this morning I was moving so slowly that I opted to drive in. And that worked out doubly-well as I arrived to encounter skunks by the entrance to my office. I waited until they were off doing whatever skunks do (look for food, I imagine) then rushed into the office and breathed a sigh of relief. Yikes.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Requisite bit of political blurting

Ten ways America has come to resemble a banana republic. And I'm not talking about the clothing store. Interesting reading, especially on today of all days.

Yet another Wednesday

Ah ghost music, your haunting weirdness visits me again this fine Wednesday morning.




As of this morning, 26 intrepid (or bored?) souls have perused Monday's post on tiki bars in the Bay Area. Huh. I'm flattered. In the interests of being clear, there are more than three tiki bars in the Bay Area. I should have included Trader Vic's on my list of ones I've visited and there are others in the general area. Maybe one day I'll do a rewrite or a better comparison.




I find it oddly-disconcerting how, as time passes, I'm having more and more difficulty both identifying "celebrities" and figuring out why, exactly, a person is a celebrity. Example: Kardashians. Why? Just... why? I still don't understand.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Wonkiness

Blogger's giving me trouble logging-in. Sigh.

I probably had something banal to observe earlier today but I've since forgotten. Probably for the best. It was probably something whiny.

In other news, I finished reading "Impulse" by Steven Gould. The third (fourth?) in his Jumper series, I found it a delightful read and good fun. I'll never understand why Hollywood messed with the plot of the original "Jumper" to make that piece of utter garbage that was the movie.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Tiki Rooms of the Bay Area: A few thoughts

I love tiki bars.

I love the kitch. I love the hokey music. I love the giant tikis. I love the fruit juice rum cocktails.

As such, I've visited a few in my time, in Hawai'i and on the mainland. The following the the "big three" I've visited in the San Francisco Bay Area and my thoughts on each:

Forbidden Island



Set on the island of Alameda, Forbidden Island is easy to miss if you're not paying attention. From the outside, it's an understated brown building, albeit one with a giant tiki set in an alcove by the main entrance with another on the inside.

Once you enter Forbidden Island, it quickly transforms into a marvel. It has a long bar with many seats set under a faux "grass hut" roof area. Set in a cork roof are hundreds of marked-up $1 bills set in place using cocktail umbrellas. This is in honor of a mariner tradition that's best explained by the staff.

The lighting is dim inside and there's stained wood paneling in a sort of faux "Robinson Crusoe" feel. Puffer-fish lamps, nets, Polynesian weapons, and kitchy paintings complete the decor. The staff wear obligatory Aloha shirts or tropical attire and there's always something on the television that fits the setting: Elvis's Blue Hawaii, episodes of "Hawaii Five-0", episodes of "Gilligan's Island", etc.

They have a patio in back for smokers or folks who want to enjoy those all-too-brief hot days in Alameda.

The drinks are excellent. They offer a variety, ranging from rum drinks, gin cocktails, beer, and wine. They have a rum tasting club as well.

The food is largely of the snack variety. I'm personally fond of the spicy chicken tenders.

A nice quirk is how the menu is marked. Each drink entry has a number of bottles next to it. That's the strength of the drink. And pay close attention, especially if you're thinking of getting a Zombie.




Smugglers Cove



Set in San Francisco, on the edge of the Hayes Valley neighborhood (I think?), Smugglers Cove is also unobtrusive on the outside. Within, the interior is similar to that of Forbidden Island with the decor. Instead of one level, Smugglers Cove has three levels. There is an upper level set in a faux grass hut that is entirely seating. The entry level has a small bar with a few seats and in the lower level there is a second bar with a few seats before it and more seating in an open area. There is no outdoor seating.

As I understand it, Smugglers Cove was created by the founder (or one of the founders) of Forbidden Island who struck it out on his own. The decor in Smugglers Cove has triva I personally found fascinating. There's menus for old, long-gone tiki bars from long before I was born, such as Skipper Kent's.

The drinks at Smugglers Cove are excellent. Sublime. Divine. They don't serve food. Their only flaw is the layout of their bars. They're small and can only handle one (maybe two) bartenders behind each. Each drink is hand-made and that place gets crowded so you may be a long wait between drinks...




Tonga Room



Set in the Fairmont Hotel, the Tonga Room is a San Francisco tradition and has been around for ages. I visited it for the first time this weekend for a quick drop-by to see what the fuss was all about. The decor is cheesy and awesome with giant tikis, dim lighting (though better-lit than Forbidden Island or Smugglers Cove). The staff were friendly and attentive. The prices... ye gods.




The Mai Tai Test



So my baseline comparison for drink quality is to use a classic Mai Tai. The Mai Tai is a big deal in my family. My dad has taught me how to make one the old Trader Vic's way as well as to be aware of the variations. As such, I've had a Mai Tai at Forbidden Island, Smugglers Cove, and Tonga Room. My thoughts:

  • Forbidden Island: The classic Mai Tai is a delight. It's wavered a little in quality over the years, but generally stayed solid. Last time I had one at Forbidden Island, it was excellent. The cost is about $10. I've watched the bartenders making the drink and they do it right: adding the liquor and juices indvidually to make the drink properly. These folks know what they're doing.
  • Smugglers Cove: The classic Mai Tai is excellent. The logistics for getting to the Cove have made my visits there less-frequent, despite the ease of public transportation. I can't recall the cost offhand but I think it was about $11, give or take. I watched the bartender make mine fresh and it was divine.
  • Tonga Room: Despite a recent article I read that Tonga Room is shifting away from mixers to fresh ingredients, I found my Tonga Room Mai Tai to be disappointing. It was $13, too sweet, and made clearly with a mixer.
All said, I'd have to rate Forbidden Island as my favorite of the three. It's hard to get to without a car (Alameda is not well-known for their public transportation) but worth the trek. The location has capacity for a lot of people and they have lots of staff. Smugglers Cove is great but their space isn't terribly well-suited to the sorts of crowds they get. I find myself frustrated with the wait for drinks. Tonga Room is overrated. Period.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiinsssssss

Stuffy, warm evenings coupled with excessively-loud neighbors are giving me a lovely does of sleep-deprivation.

That never leads to good things. I don't deal well with a lack of sleep. Makes me go from zero to batshit crazy in no seconds flat.

With sleep it takes at least three seconds. Just so you have a comparison.

And it's only due to get hotter tomorrow. With luck, my goddamn neighbors will STFU before I have to start resorting to my own Tourette's shouting. 'Cause that always goes well.

I swear, if it were not for my supply of BBotE, I don't think I'd be ambulatory at all this morning.




I'm re-watching the entire run of "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Despite this being a kid's show I find myself amazed at how well-written this series was. It had a complex and evolving cast of excellent characters. The plots shifted between victory and defeat so many times, it makes the head spin a bit.

Interestingly-enough, I find my favorite character to be the one non-Bender of the group: Sokka. A sarcastic, self-deprecating, occasionally-foolish, scientist in a world of magic, the character really makes a fascinating transition over the three seasons of the show's run.

And the final battle at the end of the third season is still in my top-three list of the best finales I've seen.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Hump Day is the way

I finished "The Alloy of Law" last night.

Damn that was an excellent book! Sanderson is a writing god. He keeps me hooked and wanting more. I can't wait for him to write a sequel. Damn him.




The bag of Kit Kats I brought to the office was a bad idea. Don't know why I ever thought otherwise.




Now reading "Zealot" by Reza Aslan. I haven't read nonfiction in a good, long time. This should be interesting and comes highly-recommended.




I'm weighing whether or not to return to martial arts this week. I'm leaning towards "yes", though that's going to be a kick in the bank account. The one of many kicks I'll doubtless experience between now and December.




Apparently we won't see Peter Capelli's Doctor in full-swing 'till late 2014. Sigh. Really, BBC? What gives?




Seriously, the Kit Kats were a really bad idea.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

September? Seriously?

After a delightful Labor Day weekend, it's sunk in on me that it's September already.

Ye gods.

The Bay Bridge is open for business, traffic is likely calm (I rode my bike so I really don't care too much about traffic today).

Took a nice, long bike ride yesterday along the Richmond Shore. The weather was perfect. Couldn't ask for a nicer scene.

Then I undid any and all health benefits from that ride by having a couple of pints and a burger at a taproom as I read more of "The Alloy of Law" by Brandon Sanderson.

Loving the book.