"Dont trust *anybody* there. Only trust **********. "
"Dont get too close to anybody."
"Theyre all playing games."

Etceterah etceterah etceterah.

What gets me about that is that I have to take people at face value. So when I keep hearing this, I have to pay attention, and yet try to not to be prejudiced toward folk.

It aint easy.

It is far easier to fall into a state of negativity and paranoia.
(Personally, I find paranoia to be rather useful ;-)

But, Id rather be thankful and enjoy what is good.

Because in a way - you get what you give.

Id rather not give negativity.

What is ironic in all the advice I might get about the dangers of people I dont know - few bother to give me the most important advice:

Be trust worthy.

I drowsily padded out of the room Im using for my office to the bedroom, and I saw it.

A huge gecko on the wall by the hallway.

I didnt scream, but gotdamn - it was freaky lookin.

It was freaky because the gecko was trying to match the color of its background.. a white wall, so its skin color was adjusted as it tried to blend into its background.

It couldnt change its blood and guts tho, so the gecko was a light pink, starkly contrasting to the wall and had taken a yellow hue due to hallway light.

And it turning nearly transparent, I could see many of its purplish insides (eyes, heart, spine, footpads).

Ghost Gecko!

I dunno how he got in the house, and my second instinct (the first was suppressing my feminine side and keeping myself from screaming out loud) was to look for the camera to capture this.

But Ghost Gecko was having none of this, and sprinted across the wall to disappear into the darkness of the house.

I was kinda glad anyway. I want the lizard in the house to eat the skeeters that have been eating me alive while I sleep.

But I dont wanna see him.
--------------------
A common photographic technique is to shoot images around sunrise and sunset, as the the low light tend to make objects and people look better.
(Check out any car ad picture...)

I have been sick of taking pretty pictures, so I havent been shooting lately... until someone pointed out, I could take a 'sunset' shot for every day, as theyre almost never the same.

Heyyy, that would make a good ongoing project.

The problem with sunsets tho is that you only have a few minutes to catch the shifting light, so its very easy to miss it.

The reason why professionals love shooting at sunset, is - its not really about the light, its the color.

As one I worked with would say "You cant BUY color like that".

















All taken within a period of 10 minutes before darkness hit. (A demonstration of just how precious time is..)

Cant buy color like that.

By definition, Im a near teetotaller, which means I hardly ever drink alcohol.

If I drink, its a beer. And if I drink a beer, its usually that one for that day, that month or two..

Why that is a not-so long story, but one of the reasons is that I dislike losing control of my faculties (a particularly Virgoan thing), and I also dislike the morning after that crappy alcohol products will do to you.

(Busch beer is the work of the devil in this respect..)

Last night I was plied with decent wine, although I stuck to my one-cup-then-nurse-a-glass-of-water-all-night social routine.

I needed a drink, frankly.
Its been a long week where I didnt get much done on my to-do list, I havent slept properly all week and with the full moon rising - Ive been getting particularly frustrated and whiny.

And its been harder and harder to not get caught up in the drama around me.

I needed that drink.

So this morning.
I just woke up.
Im awake and slightly clear-headed and calm, which is the desired after-result of libation.

Decent wine. I should get a bottle to nurse while Im here.

Funny tho, Im feeling so calm and non-anxious, that my desire for coffee and the morning Post is not a priority.

Seems like too much drama.
..
...

Heh. Lets not get too crazy now. ;-)
-------------

Mornin comix...

Heheh. "Fourbucks Coffee".

WTF??

I wasnt even aware of this...

Poo was telling me that she and many other Canadians are steaming at the disrespect shown at US/Canadian hockey and basketball playoff games.

Before I hear a flippant "So what?" from Americans.. think about it.

These arent just our neighbors. They are our staunchest allies. We dont even bother guarding our borders with them.
They back us up. They go out of their way to help others all over the world.

And there are Americans booing the Canadian national anthem?

As theyre burying Canadian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan killed by American 'friendly' fire???

One of them happened to be a neighbor of Poo's.

Maybe some Americans DONT get it.
Maybe some of those Islamic militants have a fucking point.
America vs Terrorists. Israel vs Arabs. Muslim vs NonMuslims. etc etc etc

Its all about respect. Which goes both ways.

Its bad when Americans think that our closest allies deserve casual disrespect too.

But BOOING?? Booing O' Canada????

Dumbasses.

Its ALL about respect.

Im starting to wonder if this society knows what that concept actually means.
-----
Oh yeah.

Yanks flock north seeking refuge

Some 116 U.S. citizens are seeking refugee status in Canada, claiming they fear for their lives if they returned south of the border, say immigration officials.

And most are accepted.

Cant ya just taste the irony.

Fish Stories

South Florida is like boat heaven, with most households running an SUV so that they can tow a boat.

And folk go sea fishing during the weekend.

Which is how I got fresh MahiMahi filets to cook yesterday afternoon.

Oooh.

Nice. Although I was given instructions on how to cook it.. I have never cooked fish, It wasnt lookin good - so I turned to a woman of uncommon sense fer advice.

JPennant: hey hon
JPennant: got a question fer ya....
JPennant: Someone caught some Mahi Mahi sunday
JPennant: know how to cook fish?
gigi: hi! i'm a terrible cook, sorry.

*pshaah* She forgets I know what she wehnt to school for (nutrition), and over the years Ive known her - she tends to be one of those people who gives me excellent advice when asked.
(No mean feat for us egotistical Dragons, who have trubble TAKING advice in the first place, much less asking.)
I aint fooled by her self-effacing act.
Im about to get righteous advice.

So, I gave it a minute, and a one and a two and a......

gigi: what is your question?
JPennant: Im baking some fresh mahi mahi
JPennant: they tell me to cook at 350 for 30 minutes
JPennant: in a foil tent
JPennant: I look at it and there is a LOT of liquid.. and it dont look cooked
gigi: hmm....
gigi: maybe drain some of the liquid and put it in for a little longer, slightly higher temp?
gigi: just a suggestion. i dunno. sorry. :-(

Doh!

See? :-)

JPennant: heh. that sounds like its an excellent suggestion :-)
gigi: :-)
JPennant: Lessee, instructions were to put a little fresh squeezed lemon first
JPennant: then butter
JPennant: then spices
JPennant: then bake
JPennant: in tin foil tent
JPennant: I put a little ginger, black pepper and garlic and parsley
JPennant: the spices steamed thru.
JPennant: thats the way to do it, right?
gigi: sounds like a good combo
JPennant: cool :-)

JPennant: Lemme go do what you told me to do.
gigi: hehe

JPennant: Ok, did that.. and now its starting to have a luvverly aroma. :-)
gigi: hehe
gigi: yay!
gigi: you have to let me know how it tastes!
JPennant: danke, oh woman of uncommon sense. ;-)
gigi: :-)
JPennant: Heh. It will be under Fish Stories.. my new irregular feature :-)
gigi: lol!


JPennant: Mmmmm. Yeah
JPennant: Its like the tenderest whitemeat steak Ive ever had.
gigi: yum
JPennant: Im cookin it a little more
gigi: ok
JPennant: Next time Im getting some soy marinade
gigi: are you having rice with that?

Doh!

JPennant: I'll make a little herb flavored white rice
gigi: sounds good

Later.....

JPennant: MMMMMMM
JPennant: Very very very very good
JPennant: rice + fish = goood
gigi: and healthy
gigi: :-)
JPennant: heheh

See what I mean? ;-)

I didnt have the heart to mention there was ... mmmmm... lotsa buttah .. on the rice.

gigi: i'm excited you are cooking!!
JPennant: it feels good :-)
--------------
Whoof.

I woke up this early, cuz its muggy as hell.. at 4am

You know its hot when you have to wake up and go take a quick shower to cool down and relieve the stickiness.

Well, this is the tropics.

Someone once confessed to calling and waking me up at the ungodly hours every morning.. just to hear my morning voice.

She said I give good voice. Specially during the morning.

Over a decade later, that *still* gives me warm fuzzies. (Think I would forget, N? ;-)

And, Im telling you - the best time to go singing is in the morning when your voice is good and hoarse, singing like you got cigarette voice..

The best song for that is STILL Boogie Oogie Oogie.

The others on my list is Cherelle's "I Didnt Mean To Turn You On" and Barry White's "Practice What You Preach" when Im feelin REALLY mellow.

Damn, I do give good voice in the morn. :-D

Lately.. and Im almost ashamed to admit it.. but now my morning throat exercise is to sing the Ja Rule bits to all the songs he helped remix and push into the Top 10.

Somethin about that lyrical urbanthuggish growl.

Livin it Up. Im Real. Holla Holla. Whats Love. Aint it Funny. Get Away.

The DIRTY versions. Heheheh.

"Whats mah m&@%#@%!@ *NAME*!!!"

" that ..little 'ooooh'
HOW cute are you?"

*growwwl*

Much fun. :-)

Fish Stories..

"Ive NEVER seen a fish this big in the canal!!!"

He spread his hands to show a fish standing to about chest high...

"Its back here floating belly up."

This I had to see.

The tide had started coming in that afternoon, so a lot of things will start getting swept in. And sure enough - as we walked to the back of the office, there seemed to be a large, very large, silver fish floating bellyup, gently bouncing against the retaining wall.

As he knelt to inspect it closer, there seemed to be something odd about the fish.. it seemed oddly truncated with no tail.

We turned it over, and we could see the large black eyes were totally greyed over, like the characters in a SpyVsSpy cartoon.

It had no tail. That had been hacked all off behind the tall dorsal fin. And the nose had been hacked off, as with a machete.

This proud fish was the leftover of a deepsea catch someone had tossed over the side of a boat into the canal.

We couldnt determine if it was a swordfish, tarpon or kingfish. but he picked it up and threw it back into the middle of the canal.

And in the middle of it.. the big fish's large heart was hanging outside the carcass.

Thats what I remember the most about it. The large heart, as big as two fists, hanging.

Im almost glad I didnt have a camera with me.
-------------------
I got my wish last night.

I wanted to try dolphinfish after seeing them hunt in the canals.

We went out to j. Alexanders.. swank, but down home, but swank.. for dinner.

They had Mahi Mahi on the menu.

I had grilled Mahi Mahi (dolphinfish) with Louisiana (ouzo) rice and a sweet croissant.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

It was described as a great, firm whitefish steak. Mmmhmmm.

Mars, youre right. That fish is damned good eating.

A line from the new Woody Allen flick, him talking to a Hollywood, California producer..

".... look, you USED to be a sharp New Yorker. But now... I..I just cant trust anyone who has a Herbalist."

I am looking forward to living in the Next Dimension. Heheheh.

Hey cyn.. our favorite little chinatown cake cart made the NYPost's list of best street carts!

She is usually by Elizabeth and Canal, although (I amy be wrong) carts are required to change locations on different days of the week.





They called them "Hong Kong cakes".

I like "bird egg cakes" better.

This of course is an excuse to show random images of NY's street carts.. heheh.

Chinatown


The nut carts are a ubiquitous sight almost everywhere in mid and lower Manhattan.

Good nuts, hot nuts - but expensive.


But *this* cart, on the corner of Mott/Baxter and Canal... you can pull up and fill up for less than 3 bux.

It aint gourmet, but it hits the spot.


Meats, meats on a cart. Usually right by the bird cake lady.

49th and Sixth by Fox TV headquarters


17th and 5th Ave (Looking down from the fifth floor)


Union Square (Broadway and 13th)


Mmmm. Grilled shish-kebab sammiches. Mmmmm.

A tad unsanitary lookin, as its one of those old style carts, but tasty as hell.

Good times.

Today's horroscope...

Your point of view will change dramatically this week.
The sun in Taurus will reveal new ways of thinking and new ways of looking at the world, and once you realize what you've been missing over the years, you won't want to go back to your old ways.
Even a slight shift in your awareness will lead to a major change in your philosophy of life.

There are times in life when you go through a seismic shift in life change.

Often it will seem like nothing is happening, when in truth - there is quite a bit of movement going on.. except the change is so massive, it seems from your perspective that the swell isnt moving fast at all.

Until the wave rises up and crashes down on you, with the irresistable undertow taking you away for a ride.

Like the proverbial tsunami, it isnt how fast change moves - its how much power it contains.