Delicious Bass!

Check out this Delicious Bass! From ESPN Outdoors: Too much pressure, controversy Say it ain't so, Mac. A day and a half after boating the heaviest largemouth bass known to mankind, Mac Weakley and his two lifelong fishing buddies decided to drop the pursuit of angling's most important world record. "We want to let the 22¼-pound George Perry record stand, and we'll break it another time," said Weakley, 32, of Carlsbad, Calif., whose name has circled the fishing world since he boated a 25.1-pound largemouth bass early Monday on nearby tiny Dixon Lake in San Diego County. If officially recognized, Weakley's bass would have shattered Perry's legendary standard. Worry not, bass anglers, your cherished record is safe.

I caught you a delicious bass

Fisherman Mac Weakley caught a ginormous 25.1 lb bass in Dixon Lake near Carlsbad California. This bass is phenomenal for several reasons:
1) It was caught by his fishing buddy in 2003 when it weighed a mere 21.7 lbs. How do you know it’s the same fish? Because of the tell tale dark fish birthmark on its underbelly visible in the photo.
2) Prior to this challenger, the official largest bass ever caught was 22 ¼ lbs in 1934. So there’s been decades of constant angling and the record has never been broken!
3) This fish was caught on 15 lb test line. I mean I saw a fat catfish snap a pole in half in Kansas, I can’t imagine what happened to this guy’s pole with a 25 lb fish!
4) It was caught on accident. An issue with the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) has arisen as to whether this fish was “foul hooked” and therefore not qualify to break the standing record. Details of this exciting catch follow:

As for the catch itself, Dickerson explained that it was raining and dark early Monday when the anglers came across the bedding bass in 12 feet of water. A male — often much smaller than a female in the world of spawning bass — also was on the bed, and it made several stabs at the jig. The fishermen couldn't tell whether the male or female was hitting the jig when Weakley set the hook at about 6:40 a.m.

The fish surged to deeper water, and Winn, who said he was manning the boat, motored toward a nearby dock — where, Weakley explained, three people, including the dock attendant for the city-owned facility in Escondido, Calif., witnessed the action. There Winn fumbled on his initial attempt at netting the fish.

Yep, Winn swung and missed, which is surprising to anyone who saw him skillfully gaff saltwater fish on the fly when he was a second captain on a charter boat out of Santa Barbara, Calif., in an earlier career.

"My heart was in my throat," said Winn, 32, of Carlsbad, who now also works in the casino industry. "I was wondering which I would get next, a black eye or a bloody nose."

In the confusion and excitement that can at times underscore this level of fishing, Winn had picked up a net that wasn't his and was unfamiliar to him.

"I just grabbed for whatever was closest. I have never, ever missed a fish with my net," Winn explained. " But I got the fish halfway in and it freaked out and kicked out of this other net."

By this time it was quite apparent that it was the female at line's end, and one extremely large and displeased specimen. It again finned to deeper water, and the pursuers followed in their electric-powered rental boat (all that is permitted for use at this 80-foot-deep reservoir).



More evidence of big bass at Dixon Lake: Mike Long registered the largest largemouth in two decades when he boated this bubba in late April 2001.But a few moments later and five minutes after it was hooked, the big mother was in Winn's net. To the anglers' great dismay, the fish had been hooked in its side. Soon after that sad discovery — and determining that its own weight might hurt the fish in the handling process — the bassers decided to release it.

Thank you espn outdoors.

Many of you are wondering “fishing is cruel why endorse it? Or “it’s just a big fish.” But this is the kind of story that sparks interest in the outdoors. Activities such as rock climbing, fishing, hunting, hiking, diving, rafting etc expose people to what their environment is like. When people associate good times with clean environment they start to care and if they don’t work to protect it, they sure don’t vote to destroy it. When environmentalists do their job too well and close off parts of the wilderness to others, biodiversity is preserved, but preserves are always threatened by man because no one is allowed to enjoy the land therefore it has no value to the local voter, who makes the decisions about their fates. For example before Heal the Bay and other marine organizations started exposing the public to Southern California’s wetlands, they were just waterfront property sites that needed to be landfilled. Now we have protected estuary and wetland areas for naturalist activities and the tide of public approval is against development of these areas. Likewise, sportfishing associations organize and work to remove offshore oil pilings and work with environmentalists to make offshore preserves. Environmentalists take heart and suspend your disbelief. Sportfishermen care about water quality because it affects their catch. Sushi consumers care about bioaccumulation of toxins because it affects their meals. Beachgoers care about urban runoff because it affects their picnics. However it is up to us to make them see how their interests are connected to the environment and affect them personally; but the interest can start with an enormous bass.

Watchuwant Natalie?!

Natalie Portman was on SNL the other week and did this rap video and it's hilarious! She never said she was a role model.

my headshot

Asahi

I am Asahi and I live an active lifestyle. Don't bother me if you're not here to play games like "fetch" and "sock." I'm also into communication with the other dogs of the neighborhood. I love to bark at big scary dogs. I am a party peik so watch out Paris and Linsday there's a new party girl in town. Also like Paris, I love Carls Jr Hamburgers with Bacon. I do not like rolling over, shake, or speak (on command.)

Chauncey

My name is Chauncey. I am four years old and my interests include: long walks in the park, public urination, and fine dining. I am looking for a younger woman that can enjoys adventurous road trips and will keep me safe from other dogs.

Special Chili

Beef and Black Bean Chili

(recipe from Rachael Ray’s 30 Min Meals. 9/10 Americans agree that this is a good chili!)

2 lbs ground beef 90% lean. The recipe calls for sirloin yet I use normal beef and it comes out just fine.
1 tbsp EVOO
Salt n’ Peppa ( . . . uh pushit . . . )
1.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (if reading from Mexico “Salsa Ingles!”)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped ( if you’re a JA and you hate spicy food, can substitute those little Ortega chilies you buy in a can)
3 tbsp dark chili powder (again if you’re a JA and you hate spicy food, omit 1 tbsp, if you’re a JA’s hakujin boyfriend, adding the chili powder on top works well)
1 tbsp cumin
1 c beef stock
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce or puree
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained (super fibrous!)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1) in large deep skillet or pot, brown ground beef in olive oil over high heat.
2) Season meat with salt and pepper, and then add Worcestershire sauce.
3) Reduce heat to medium high when the meat is browned and crumbled, and then add onion, garlic, red peppers, jalapeno.
4) Season veggies and meat with chili powder and cumin.
5) Cook veggies and meat together 5 min.
6) Stir in broth and scrape up pan drippings.
7) Stir in diced and pureed tomatoes and black beans.
8) When the mixture comes to a bubble, reduce heat to simmer and stir in cilantro.

The same day I took a picture of this guy. I entitled this one "lonely hakujin" because I imagine he's waiting for his Japanese Girlfriend or hostess or whoever :)  

This was a very fast couple in Shibuya. If you're familiar with the area, this is right in front of the Shibuya train station. It's the busiest place in Shibuya because everyone meets at this famous dog statue which is just to the right of the picture.  

This couple was really fast! I have a feeling the guy in the gray sweatshirt and his girlfriend with the blue sweatshirt are foreign. Just a foreigner vibe I get. Maybe it's the non-permed/orange hair.  

Mos Def from okayplayer.com 

Chapelle's Show

Yesterday I saw “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party.” Unfortunately this is not 2 hours of Dave Chapelle being funny. But instead I was pleasantly surprised to see a marching band rendition of Jesus Walks by Kanye West, The Roots, my namesake the handsome and incomparable Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and a reunion of the Fugees. It was like Woodstock and they got it all on film!

Did you know English is Wyclef’s like third language and he advocates public libraries? I didn’t.

Did you know Lauryn Hill’s baby was really cute and big now? I didn’t.

Did you know Kanye West has the same taste in blazers as a college English professor? I didn’t . . . but I could’ve guessed because his parents are professors or something.

I was totally surprised by the energy of the performances and Dave Chapelle is always hilarious; but I thought the way they spliced in the commentary and didn’t really introduce anyone (with the exception of the members of the Roots) didn’t do a good job of telling the story. I totally would have put more footage of the kids from the Brooklyn Police Athletic League in. ** Over all great job on the movie Mr. Black Bush!

** Just a note that their PAL was the best looking PAL I’ve ever seen. The kids in Oak Park in Sacramento didn’t have all those nice floormats, lighting, proper chairs and tables.

http://www.chappellesblockparty.com/home.html

Today I wish I was here.  

A taste of Nice without leaving your kitchen. Famous for its film, this mediteranean locale has inspired award winning flavors.  

Salade Nicoise Sandwich

Salad Niçoise Sandwich

1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp EVOO
2 6 oz cans tuna, drained
1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c kalamata (or other) olives
¼ red onion thinly sliced
¼ tsp black pepper
Salt
1 baguette

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green and tender, 2-5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain again and return to bowl. Meanwhile add vinegar and 2 tbsp of the oil and salt. Drizzle this mixture over the beans and toss. In a separate bowl, combine the tuna, tomatoes, olives, onion, pepper, and remaining oil. Halve the baguette lengthwise, and then cut it crosswise into 4 portions. Toast the baguette if desired. Spoon some of the tuna mixture into the bottom of each baguette portion. Sandwich the top half and press gently but firmly. Serve with green beans.

I ate this sandwich with a cup of tomato and roasted red pepper soup from Trader Joes and it was yum-o! My mom is an expert on French food, and really enjoyed the authenticity of this dish.

Balsamic Poached Chicken

Balsamic Poached Chicken

1 lb new potatoes halved or quartered
3 tbs EVOO
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
1 14.5 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
1 c balsamic vinegar
1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with the oil. Season with 1/3 teaspoon of the salt and pepper, and toss. Roast for 30 min, shaking the pan once. Add the asparagus to the pan with the potatoes, season with the remaining salt, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, 12 to 15 min. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the broth and vinegar to a boil. Add the chicken and if necessary ½ c water. (Really the liquid doesn’t have to cover the chicken because the steam created by the boiling liquid will cook the tops of the chicken. ) Simmer for 1 min. Cover, remove from heat, and set aside until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Return the liquid to medium – high heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup 10-20 min. Multitasking is key because the poaching and reducing takes so long. Thickly slice the chicken. Divide the ingredients among individual plates. Drizzle with the balsamic mixture.

Real Simple Magazine April 2006

Balsamic Poached Chicken ~ real simple magazine april 2006 

Alumna Embarassment

Pacific McGeorge embarasses me. I opened my "Pacific Review" alumni magazine to find a picture and article about a McGeorge "Alumna." (Why is she an alumna, aren't we all alumni? isn't that what it says on the title of the magazine?) The title reads "THE GOOD FIGHT: One Woman's Crusade to End Bias." So my ex-school endorses her "good fight?"

The picture was of a dowdy looking white woman, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and went on to read “In 1996 California voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution that prohibits race and sex based preferences by state and local governments.”

“Is this article talking about what I think it’s talking about?” I asked. I’m sorry to say that I was right. This champion of the downtrodden is fighting “the good fight” in support of proposition 209.

Knowing that you’ve received the job you have because of your merits is a good thing, but the reality of knowing that you have to be twice as good as a white candidate to get the same job is another. That smug self satisfaction at the end of the day, or dare I say resentful feelings towards my less qualified colleagues who got their jobs because of the oh so prevalent “good old boys” network, is not worth the decrease in diversity that occurs when 209 is strictly enforced. The article goes on to say that civil rights groups immediately worked to get 209 repealed. Critical readers unite and question why civil rights groups wouldn’t like 209. So who’s fight is “the good fight?” Tell me Connerly?

During my first year of law school I had a job where there was one woman and two Hispanics and one asian in a firm of over 40. You do the math. A law was passed in 1996 to remove the shield which protected people from discrimination because it was no longer needed yet I can be all by my lonesome in 2003? No longer needed or no longer wanted? Just as a footnote I was the "minority hiring and retention committee fellow" that year and no one really questioned my ability because when I got there I shined like a new penny. If the initiative was passed in 1996, did the people's memories of 1992 just disappear? Los Angeles basically had a race riot because inequality exists.

I think the last nail in the coffin for me was that the woman’s work was funded by PLF the Pacific Legal Foundation and she was a public interest law fellow. I bet there were dozens of more left minded men and women waiting for that fellowship who would have done some real good.

Check out: http://www.equaljusticesociety.org/ for news and action by scholars, activists, politicians, and people in the know.

photo from "Real Simple" Magazine. April 2006
 

new things to do with coconut milk

This month's Real Simple magazine includes four different ways to use that left over can of coconut milk in your pantry.

Coconut, Shrimp, and Corn Chowder
(total time 35 min. makes 4 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes- peel optional. cut into a 1/2 inch dice
3 cups corn (6 ears of fresh corn) or 2 cups (16 oz of frozen corn)
1 can (13.5 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (i've been using Trader Joe's Organic Chicken Broth- it comes in a box and it's resealable so you don't waste the remainder of a can)
1 tsp cumin
1tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined


Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 min. Add the gartlic, potatoes, and corn and stir to coat. Add the coconut milk, broth, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 min. Add the shrimp and simmer until pink and cooked through about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into individual bowls.

Note on coriander: I always wondered what the spice was that flavored the vegetarian fritata from a box mix I was using. It's coriander!

Note on tabasco: I bet tabasco would taste really good in this too.

Pictures of Couples.

Here are three more additions to the "dorky hakujin and Japanese girlfriend" photo collection. Perhaps these pictures are really "prelude to a hapa." For hapa issues try http://hiphapa.blogspot.com/ to read the rantings of one resentful hapa.


Let me draw your attention to the "fanny pack" that he's wearing. To his credit, it's very fashionable to have a Gucci waist pack in Japan. Paris would say "that's hot." However this guy needs another Joker magazine because to get the desired effect, your fanny pack must not have been made in the early 90s.

Tokyo is a walking town. As you can see everyone is walking, riding a bike, or showing off their boyfriend. I don't think I could date a guy who wore a coat exactly like mine . . . and is he wearing a bolo tie? 

Check out the hairdo on this guy! As you can see he's holding hands with his Japanese girlfriend and has added so much gel to his hair that he could comb a spiral into it. It's like a bullseye for birds.  

My delicious roast 

Pork Roast

Slow Roasted Pork Butt (3 or 4 lbs)

1) Make a rub using Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Rosemary, Basil, Tarragon, Garlic, Parsley. (I used about 1 teaspoon of that garlic that comes in a jar, and a quarter teaspoon of all the other ingredients except rosemary. I discovered we were growing fresh rosemary outside so I used a full sprig. However in retrospect I would've doubled the amount of each ingredient to make more than enough rub because I ended up with just shy of enough rub with a quarter teaspoon and then had to redistribute)

2) spray a cast iron frying pan with pam and sear it in a hot oven for 20 min @ 475.

3) turn down the oven to 275 and cook it for 2 hours or until the roast is at 170.

4) take meat out and put it on a board to rest

5) take extra grease out of pan. Deglaze with white wine and add some of the left over rub and capers. Pour this over the meat at the tableside.