P*ONG

Chef Pichet Ong, formerly of RM, 66 and Spice Market, recently opened p*ong, a dessert focused restaurant featuring an intriguing array of offerings both sweet and savory. p*ong continues the concept of a dessert bar first established by ChikaLicious and Room 4 Dessert. Look for Tailor, a dessert bar/lounge by wd-50 alumnus Sam Mason sometime in late spring/early summer.

I apologize in advance for the blurriness of some of the pix as I switched settings halfway through our meal.

Organic spring vegetables, red miso yogurt

Burrata, American paddlefish caviar, tomato, bagel chip

Shrimp and mango ceviche, Thai chili, cilantro, cachaca lemongrass mist

Bluefin tuna tartare, black olive, seaweed, Meyer lemon sabayon

Escarole “Green Goddess” salad, white anchovy, avocado, crouton

American Wagyu beef carpaccio, shiso pesto cracker, sour plum, Maldon sea salt

Stilton cheese souffle, walnut crust, basil-arugula ice cream

Blackberries, tapioca pearls, Vermont mascarpone

Miso ice cream and extra virgin olive oil cake sandwich, wasabi candy, strawberries

Chevre cheese croquette, pineapple, walnut, drunken chocolate sauce

Chocolate banana tart, almond, Ovaltine ice cream

The man behind it all.

Out of 10? A strong mid-range to high-end 7.

Stars of the show: the escarole salad, followed by the shrimp ceviche, the beef carpaccio and the souffle in that order. The mango sorbet accompanying the ceviche has no sugar, the salad contains not one ounce of mayonnaise and the souffle worked quite well with its ice cream accompaniament. Miso ice cream sandwich is an acquired taste and the black olives paired with the tuna did nothing for me (though the sabayon was an interesting counterpoint).

I can see myself coming back. Coconut creme caramel with rhubarb shaved ice, basil seed and Himalayan pink salt is definitely worth a return visit based on the aroma alone. That, and the ceviche. I’d be content.

p*ong is located at 150 West 10th Street (Waverly Place), in Greenwich Village.

Gym Journal: Community Chest

God, I hate doing chest and stuff…

*checks to see if Spamwise left his gay card at home*

I think if I actually achieved better results I might LIKE chest day. Gah.

+W indicates weight increase
+R indicates rep increase
+! indicates PR
* indicates warmup set

Medicine ball cable presses: 20×8*, 25×7 (+5W), 30×6x2
Military press: barx8, 50×7, 55×6
Skullcrushers: 30×6x3
Incline bench press: 55×5x2
Cable flyes: 25×5x3
Medicine ball crunches: BWx10, BWx13 (+1R), BWx13

Notes:

I’m probably going to gravitate back to regular benching, or maybe attempt decline bench. Or ask my trainer to teach me dumbbell bench. In three years of lifting, I’ve never been able to go over 100 lbs. Yeah, I’m pathetic. Shut up.

Yet I can deadlift my bodyweight and then some. Deadlifts work wonders for your posterior chain (traps, erector spinae, rhomboids, obliques, glutes, quads, hams) and abs/core. Unfortunately, the movement doesn’t do much for the typical gay “show” muscles.

“Patience”, Part 10

Wherein a dreamer finds solace from the waking world….

For a long time, he didn’t know where he was.

He wasn’t asleep; he knew what it meant to have dreams, and he knew what it meant to walk in his sleep—to be awake, but not in his body. He went to That Place a lot, and sometimes there was a man there. A gold man with long, wispy white hair and eyes like amber and skin polished to such a gem-like sheen that it caught the angles of every ray of light that struck him. It was the only time he felt Right, and he couldn’t explain what was Right about it, only that it was.

He went there now.

The Gold Man sat cross-legged atop a pool of water; he didn’t sit in the water, but over it, as though he were oil and could not mix. ‘Rilo walked towards him, over the water, and stood when, if he had wanted to, he could have reached out and touched the man’s arm. He always felt guilty when he went There at night, because sometimes the Gold Man was sleeping, and he didn’t want to wake him up. He knew without asking that the Gold Man didn’t sleep often, and when he did, his rest was fitful. When he came Here, he slept an honest man’s sleep and did not have nightmares.

Instead of waking him, ‘Rilo seated himself in front of the Gold Man and folded his hands in his lap; he fidgeted. He knew if he wanted to, he could stay here as long as he wanted. He’d done it before, when his parents yelled at him. He’d spent an hour here, alone with a cinema of memories and thoughts around him, or with the Gold Man, talking and listening to his stories. And then when the Gold Man had to leave, ‘Rilo would go back—somehow—and no time had elapsed at all. It was like this was a place created only for him and the Gold Man, and if he wanted to, he never had to go back to life at all.

He must have stayed seated there for an hour, or so it felt like. Gradually, those amber eyes opened, and the Gold Man looked at him with curiosity and affection.

‘Rilo smiled. “Hi.”

“You shouldn’t come to me as often as you do,” the Gold Man reprimanded him, but he smiled also. He set his hands to his kneecaps and shook his head slowly. “If you let your life escape you and let your mind dwell here too often, you’ll lose part of yourself. I wouldn’t want you to do that—you’re too young.”

“You always say that,” ‘Rilo said with a slightly sulky manner about him, but he knew that the Gold Man was right. He also knew that something had happened—to him, not to the Gold Man. Something was wrong, and it tickled the back of his conscience like a feather, causing him to squirm and giggle. His humor was infectious.

“Why do you laugh so?” the Gold Man chuckled.

“’Cause!” ‘Rilo laughed. “It tickles.”

“What tickles?”

“My mind. Here.” He reached his hand up to tap his temple, smiling again. “Life, I guess. Something important is going on.”

“Can you recall what?” The Gold Man looked interested. He sat forward, let his elbows rest on his folded knees, and let his chin rest on his fingers.

“Nah,” ‘Rilo said with a dismissive wave of one hand. He flopped back onto the water. It made a wet ‘splat’ sound behind him, but he didn’t feel wet. He felt his skin press against something cool, something that flowed around him but couldn’t touch him, something that refreshed him and left him feeling… indestructible. “It probably wasn’t that important anyway. Dad’s probably fussing at me again.”

“Are you sure you are at home?”

Home.

He opened his eyes, suddenly, and the pleasant place he knew only as There was gone.

(to be continued)

* * *

Click here to read Part 11.

Gym Journal: Back Attack

Back and shoulders really…

+W indicates weight increase
+R indicates rep increase
+! indicates PR
* indicates warmup set

Deadlifts: 135×5*, 135×6, 145×6
Cable rear delt extensions: 5×8, 7.5×6x2
Arnold presses: 12×6x2, 15×6
Lat pulldowns: 70×8, 90×6x2
Medicine ball crunches: BWx12, BWx10, BWx9
Assisted dips: stage 11×7, stage 10×6x2

Notes:

1. Even though I have a max deadlift of 245×1, that was with horrible form and not nearly as strict as I could have been. It’s much harder now that I’m doing things correctly with an emphasis on my core.

2. I forgot to do military presses as this was a lunchtime workout.

3. I’m going to have to start doing direct arm work eventually. Kind of tired of having 13″ arms. Besides, when a gay guy asks for your stats, chances are he’s not talking about your quad sweep.

4. I hadn’t done lat pulldowns in ages. 70 was rather light, 90 seemed about right. Next time it will be 90/100 or thereabouts.

Upper body/chest work on Sunday. My LEAST favorite day.

“Teach Me That Mind-Meld Trick…”

I wonder who would win in a fist-fight.

Gym Journal: Wheelz Aftermath

I needn’t have worried.  Quads, hammies, inner thighs and glutes are all moderately sore.  Of course this is only Day 1.  Experienced lifters know that real DOMS usually don’t strike until Day 2.  Ask me how I’m feeling tomorrow and I’ll probably curse you out in response.

* * *

Elsewhere, I mentioned that I eat something like five to seven times a day. Disbelief ensued, which is a typical reaction because most normal people limit themselves to two or three meals.  It’s not difficult to imagine considering that two of my meals are really shakes and one is usually a handful of nuts and fruit.  It’s just that I eat more frequently and smaller portions but with lots of quality calories per meal.

For example, here is today.  Projected meals are in italics.

1:  4-egg omelette (broccoli, red onion, Swiss cheese) on a toasted onion bagel with butter, orange juice, milk.

2:  grilled chicken sandwich with roasted peppers, lettuce, Provolone cheese and olive oil on a sourdough roll; fruit salad, milk.

3:  peanuts, fruit, milk.

4:  protein shake w/ milk, 1 t. EVOO and maybe a scoop of peanut butter.

5:  broiled skinless chicken breast, rice, broccoli, milk.

6:  bowl of cottage cheese.

Not shown:  lots of water throughout the day.  This is roughly in the neighborhood of 3500 calories, give or take a couple hundred.

I’ll let you in on a little secret:  my diet is pretty standard most days of the week.   While it’s true that I post about gourmet stuff, it’s not like I make it a habit of eating at Per Se on a regular basis.  I’m probably less of a foodie than you think.  A girl’s gotta have standards, don’cha know.

Gym Journal: Wheelz

I’ve been falling off track for the past few weeks when it comes to working out.  Part of that is due to an increase in billable time at work, part of it is depression and part is sheer laziness.

Going forward, this part of the blog will be a regular update on Spamwise’s activities at the gym.

By the way, I use “z” a lot.  Some people would say “too much”. 

* * *

+W indicates weight increase
+R indicates rep increase
+! indicates PR
* indicates warmup set

Squats:  barx8*, 65×7, 65×6, 75×6
Dumbbell lunges:  BWx6, BW+10×5, BW+10×6x2
Medicine ball crunches:  BWx12, BWx10, BWx9
Angled calf raises:  50×8, 70×8, 80×8x2

Notes:

1.  Been working on depth on squats for the longest while.  I’ve been experimenting with grips (wide/narrow) on the bar.  I’m satisfied that I can finally squat to parallel.  ATF is definitely not going to happen anytime soon probably due to hamstring inflexibility.

2.  Lunges are one of the most underrated exercises ever.  It’s going to be hell tomorrow as far as walking is concerned.

Weight:  167 this morning.

My biggest fear is that I’m skinny-fat.  Hope to god not.

Election 2008: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Seventh in a series of preview posts regarding declared and potential candidates in the 2008 American presidential elections.

If Bill Clinton was Mr. Everyman, then what will be Hillary’s defining moment and can she translate that to a win come next November? Why is she championed as one of the best answers to the Republican right that has arisen in a long while, yet is seen by a significant portion of the population as unelectable? (Apologies to Mr. Obama.) It’s going be interesting to see how the Hillary story continues to unfold between now and January, when the first primaries are slated to occur.

A Conservative in Liberal’s Clothing

I find it striking that many people think of Hillary as your standard liberal Democrat when the truth is a bit more complex than what sound bites would have us believe.

For example, a Quinnipiac poll conducted on 5 May 2005 showed that 52% of respondents view her as liberal, 29% as a moderate and 10% as conservative (with a 2.8 percentage point margin of error) while another poll held slightly over a year later demonstrates a shift in numbers. In those results, 47% viewed her as liberal, 34% as moderate and 11% as conservative (with a 2.8 percentage point margin of error).

On social positions (i.e., abortion, civil liberties, gun control), Mrs. Clinton tends to be perceived as liberal to the umpteenth power. I would say liberal with “nuances”. She views abortion as immoral but would not support a constitutional amendment against it. In Arkansas, she supported parental notification but as Senator from New York, now supports informed consent.

A longtime advocate of the death penalty, she, along with Orrin Hatch (R-UT) co-sponsored the Innocence Protection Act of 2003, which provides for DNA testing prior to administering federal executions.

Senator Clinton purportedly believes that homosexuality is unnatural, and while she opposes a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, nevertheless she is against legislation that would facilitate LGBT individuals gaining access to the right to share in this institution. Sorry, but the argument that ‘civil unions’ should be equal to marriage doesn’t hold water. Something less equal than full equality is total bullshit and should remind you of similar instances in American history. Besides, her husband signed DOMA into law and you can bet your biffy that she’ll stand for the same.

My Schwartz Is Bigger Than Your Schwartz

Remember that line from Spaceballs?

Sometimes I feel that one thing that separates Hillary from the current neo-conservatives in power is that she feels the need to maintain the image of a protective mother so as not to repulse potential voters. Before there was Hillary, there was Pallas Athena, warrior goddess and patron of the home and hearth.

I’ve blogged before about Hillary’s hawkish views in the foreign policy arena so I won’t repeat myself here. I will say that her insistent statement that “had she known then what she knows now when she voted to authorize the Iraq war in 2002″ demonstrates the cowardly side of Hillary. Madame Senator, true leadership requires, nay, demands that one admit to being erroneous when called upon to do so. By and large, we Americans do not expect perfection with regard to our elected representatives. Nevertheless, we appreciate and respect those who possess the courage to own up to their mistakes.

A Rendezvous With Destiny

We’ll never accomplish what we need to do for our children if we burden them with a debt they didn’t create. Franklin Roosevelt said that Americans of his generation had a rendezvous with destiny. It’s time to protect the next generation by using our budget surplus to pay down the national debt, save Social Security, modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit, & provide targeted tax cuts to the families who need them most. — excerpt from a speech that Mrs. Clinton gave during the Democratic National Convention in August 2000

All well and good, but where’s the money going to come from that’ll pay for all of the proposals that you’ve put forth? Both Social Security and Medicare are on the brink of insolvency, and while ‘tax relief’ is a nice buzzphrase for voters, it’s not like dollar bills grow on trees. It’s going to take a tremendous amount of political capital, not to mention some creative financial bookkeeping, in order to be able to deliver on these and future promises IF you manage to get elected next year.

Oh yeah, and a hefty dose of luck too.

Next: Joe Biden

Render Unto Caesar What Is Caesar’s…

Public Law 109-364 a/k/a the “John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007” was signed into law by Emperor Palpatine on 17 October 2006 under the cover of darkness. This revision of the Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the President to declare a “public emergency” and station troops anywhere in the country and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to “suppress public disorder.”

I’ve blogged about its more famous legislative sibling previously, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, a law which essentially strips the right of habeas corpus from foreign nationals and [potentially] American citizens. In combination with the MCA, the JWDAA creates the necessary legal foundation with which the Emperor can declare martial law in the United States with impunity. The implications of the JWDAA are enormous since it is a defacto repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act, a law which was passed shortly after the Civil War that strictly prohibits the military from acting in a law enforcement capability in the United States unless granted explicit authority by either the Constitution and/or Congress.

Section 1076 of the JWDAA states:

SEC. 1076. USE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN MAJOR PUBLIC EMERGENCIES.

(a) Use of the Armed Forces Authorized-

(1) IN GENERAL- Section 333 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

`Sec. 333. Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law

`(a) Use of Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies- (1) The President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to–

`(A) restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that–

`(i) domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order; and

`(ii) such violence results in a condition described in paragraph (2); or

`(B) suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy if such insurrection, violation, combination, or conspiracy results in a condition described in paragraph (2).

`(2) A condition described in this paragraph is a condition that–

`(A) so hinders the execution of the laws of a State or possession, as applicable, and of the United States within that State or possession, that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law, and the constituted authorities of that State or possession are unable, fail, or refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that protection; or

`(B) opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.

`(3) In any situation covered by paragraph (1)(B), the State shall be considered to have denied the equal protection of the laws secured by the Constitution.

`(b) Notice to Congress- The President shall notify Congress of the determination to exercise the authority in subsection (a)(1)(A) as soon as practicable after the determination and every 14 days thereafter during the duration of the exercise of that authority.’.

(2) PROCLAMATION TO DISPERSE- Section 334 of such title is amended by inserting `or those obstructing the enforcement of the laws’ after `insurgents’.

Meanwhile, Section 333 of the Act states:

(a) Extension and Limitation on Total Number of Contractors- Section 332(c) of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314) is amended–

(1) by striking `September 30, 2007′ both places it appears and inserting `September 30, 2009′;

(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and

(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection (d):

`(d) Limitation- The total number of personnel employed to perform security guard functions under all contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall not exceed–

`(1) for fiscal year 2007, the total number of such personnel employed under such contracts on October 1, 2006;

`(2) for fiscal year 2008, the number equal to 90 percent of the total number of such personnel employed under such contracts on October 1, 2006; and

`(3) for fiscal year 2009, the number equal to 80 percent of the total number of such personnel employed under such contracts on October 1, 2006.’.

(b) Report on Contractor Performance of Security-Guard Functions- Not later than February 1, 2007, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on contractor performance of security guard functions under section 332 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314). The report shall include the following:

(1) An explanation of progress made toward implementing each of the seven recommendations in the Comptroller General report entitled `Contract Security Guards: Army’s Guard Program Requires Greater Oversight and Reassessment of Acquisition Approach’ (GAO-06-284).

(2) An assessment, taking into consideration the observations made by the Comptroller General on the report of the Department of Defense of November 2005 that is entitled `Department of Defense Installation Security Guard Requirement Assessment and Plan’, of the following:

(A) The cost-effectiveness of using contractors rather than Department of Defense employees to perform security-guard functions.

(B) The performance of contractors employed as security guards compared with the performance of military personnel who have served as security guards.

(C) Specific results of on-site visits made by officials designated by the Secretary of Defense to military installations using contractors to perform security-guard functions.

(c) Contract Limitation- No contract may be entered into under section 332 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314) after September 30, 2007, until the report required under subsection (b) is submitted.

Why are we using independent contractors instead of individuals from the armed forces to fulfill roles and responsibilities with regard to the nation’s defense? More to the point, why hasn’t public awareness been raised?

When the hammer strikes, I wonder if we’ll be able to absorb the shock from its blow.

REAL ID, Coming Your Way, Real Soon: Part 2

Since I last wrote about REAL ID, there’ve been a slew of articles in both print and online media relating to this misbegotten spawn of evil that’s due to take effect in May 2008. Unlike the Israelites battling Goliath, we don’t have a David on hand to save the day. I tell everyone I know who voted for Bush and the Republicans that they should be thankful that we have the government we deserve. Who knows how we’d have done without Jim Sensenbrenner?

Early Casualties

A class action lawsuit filed 7 March 2007 claimed the Missouri Department of Revenue violated the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (the “DPPA”) by sharing residents’ personal information with a company that was hired to send out vehicle registration renewal information but also placed advertising inserts in renewal notice envelopes. The case is Poynter v. Vincent.

The DPPA was enacted in 1994 in response to incidents in which criminals used DMV records to establish the location of their victims. In 1999, Congress amended the DPPA to add the requirement that DMVs gain an individual’s “opt-in” consent before sharing their personal information with marketers and other non-governmental third parties. The opt-in rule became effective on 1 June 2000.

The complaint alleges that the DPPA forbids the disclosure of ‘personal information’ contained in motor vehicle records for bulk distribution of surveys, marketing materials or solicitations if the state has not obtained the express consent of the person identified by the information.

Once REAL ID takes effect next year, the sound that you hear all across America will be that of virtual cash registers popping open once everyone from private corporations to identity thieves realize that all the information they will ever need will be right at their fingertips. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the temptation to use or gain access to the information therein will soon become second nature.

Click here and here to remain updated on this issue.