Birthday

Today was very productive. I started by cutting the grass and watering all the plants. Then we went to Cost Co and did some shopping. One of the things on my birthday list was a new audio receiver, but they didn't have a very good selection, so we stopped at Best Buy and picked one up there. After that, I took a yoga class with the new mat I got from my brother, then I cam home and undid the yoga class trying to set up the new receiver. In the end it was not too complicated, but I made some stupid mistakes that made the process a lot harder than it should have been. The productivity continued with washing both cars; and cleaning up the garage.


To enjoy the day more I opened my presents one at a time throughout the day, not all at once; this was a good strategy as I usually get depressed once the present opening is over. To round out the evening, we went over to Jenny and Al Campbell's house for the Iron Chef Hot Dog Throwdown. This was a cooking contest with the main ingredient being a hot dog. There were several categories including "Best Use of Secret Ingredient" and "Most Creative," and many amazing things happening with hot dogs, including hot dog infused vodka. We didn't stay to eat as we already had plans to have dinner at the always great Bombay Cricket Club.

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

I have long wished I could come up with a word or saying that would make its way into everyday lexicon, so I'm totally impressed that everyone in the world knows the title to Joseph Heller's great book, Catch 22 even though they don't know that it's a book. The catch 22 in this book becomes apparent in the Second World War, specifically 1943, when a bomber pilot realizes he can only get out of flying missions if he is crazy, but wanting to get out of flying bombing missions proves he is sane. This is the kind of weird and interesting humor you will experience throughout this book. It is told from several points of view and can seem a little disjointed at times, but it is worth sticking with it. When this book was published in 1961 it was polarizing, half the reviews loved it and half hated it. It has endured however, with The Modern Library ranking Catch-22 as number 7 (by review panel) and as number 12 (by the public) on its list of the greatest English language novels of the twentieth century.

Al-Amir Restaurant

Al-Amir is a great old Portland restaurant that we have not been to in years, but luckily we rediscovered it after a few beers at the Oregon Brewers Fest on Friday night. They have a great bar and I highly recommend the Lebanese Margarita to get you going. Then ask you waiter to start bringing you food, you don't have to look at the menu, it's all good stuff. You'll most likely get the Al-Amir Sampler, a platter of Hummus, Baba Ghannooj, Tabooli, Grape Leaves and Falafel. Then you can add an entree or two, I would go with the Shish Kabob, grilled cubes of lamb or beef marinated in Al-Amir's special spices and wine; and the Dajaj, grilled fillet of chicken breast marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon and herbs.

You'll have more fun if you go with a large group of people, it will allow you to get a wider breadth of the menu. You can also enjoy traditional belly dancing every Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM.

I also found this interesting info about the Bishop’s House, where Al-Amir is located: It was in fact the residence of the Archbishop. The Catholic Cathedral was around the corner and upstairs was a balcony where the Archbishop held prayer meetings and, on occasion, entertained guests with scared music sung by the Cathedral choir. Times changed and by the thirties, the balcony housed a band for the speak-easy that operated in the basement of the building. During the first major refit in the sixties, wires were discovered that ran from the the Bishop’s House to the Police Station. However, history does not relate who was bugging whom.

Al-Amir Restaurant
223 SW Stark Street
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 274-0010

This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

Somehow I missed out on LCD Soundsytem's previous work, including 45:33, which as the name suggests is a 45 minute download, commissioned by Nike and available on iTunes, as a download for runners. LCD Soundsytem is basically James Murphy and various guest musicians. Murphy started out playing in post-punk and hardcore bands, and was a well know producer before he got into one of my favorite genres - fun dance music with dark lyrics. This is Happening is his third full-length studio record. If you were a fan of the self titled debut or the critically acclaimed Sound of Silver, you will be very happy with this latest offering; there is no wholesale reinvention, just more of a very good thing. If you want great lyrics, you'll love "Drunk Girls," if you just want to dance, there is plenty for you on this record. LCD Soundsytem should be on your iPod, they are one of the best bands of the 2000's.

A Pale Criminal by Phillip Kerr

I just finished the second book in the Berlin Noir series by Phillip Kerr, A Pale Criminal, and there is quite a maturing between it and March Violets, the first book in the series. Private Detective Bernie Gunther is back and he has taken on Bruno Stahlecker, another ex-police officer, as a partner. This is an unfortunate decision for Stahlecker, as he is murdered early in the book on a stake out for what seems like a cut and dry case. Of course with Kerr, nothing is cut and dry. In what turns out to be a huge, ever-escalating case, he is forced back into the Berlin police, and worse, is made a Kommisar in the state Security Service (or the dreaded SS, as they later became know). As Gunther tracks a serial sex murderer he interacts with many of the senior players in the Nazi party and Kerr gives us an amazing insight into life in Berlin as the Second World War is about to break out. Once again this novel is not only a good detective story, it is equally interesting as historical fiction.

Mad Men is Back

The most anticipated TV show of the year, Mad Men, is back and better than ever. It's 1964, a year since we last saw the cast, and Don Draper is divorced and a partner in a re-formed advertising agency. Many of the old characters are back, but some real favorites - Sal I am thinking of you - have not resurfaced. Don's wife, Betty, is remarried, but she is yet to move out of the house she and Don shared with their two kids, which is a major stress point. Meanwhile Don has moved into a bachelor pad in Greenwich Village. He is finding dating is hard work and is satisfying he needs with a prostitute, that he likes to have slap him around a little.


The most intriguing element of the show is the rise of the creative advertising agency. As a partner in the new agency, Don has more say over the creatives role in running the agency and in one of the best scenes of the first show, he runs off a potential client for being too prude; as he leaves the room, he says, "now you've seen how a creative agency works, I hope you liked looking in the window." This is where Executive Producer Matthew Weiner does his best work, getting the details right. In most TV shows and movies, it is obvious the writer has no idea how an ad agency works. Weiner has nailed it. This was also a great time for advertising; they are moving out of the boring 1950's play it safe mode, to the more liberated 1960's, where creativity and risk taking really start to take off. We are also seeing the split between large, staid agencies like Y&R and upstart creative shops. What I love most is that they use real agency names and real clients that still exist.

But, as one of the founders of Wieden+Kennedy, David Kennedy, said to me when I recommend he watch the show, "this is not a show about advertising, it's a soap opera." He loved the details of the ad world, but like most of us it's the real world tensions that keep the show going. 1964 should be an interesting year.

23rd Annual Oregon Brewers Festival

It's July, so it's time for one of the best events in Portland, the Oregon Brewers Fest. There are 80 different microbrews from all over the country being enjoyed by over 20,000 beer lovers of all stripe. We have sorority girls and girls with tattoos on their chest, we have young guys trying to meet girls and old guys trying to meet the perfect beer. This year we added a fun new game, you get to punch your friend every time you see a hated utility kilt.


Gone are the days that you can go down to the waterfront on Thursday or Friday afternoon to avoid the weekend lines. This event is getting too popular. You've got to get there at noon if you don't like crowds, because by 5:00 PM it'll be packed. Also, if you really want to fit in, wear some kind of beer t-shirt, like "Beer is Good Food" or "Beer, it's what's for breakfast."