civil war-era skirb

Thanks to GM for the title! Goblets Rule!

This from the latest tech wires: Unilever, maker of Skippy Peanut Butter has announced rollout of their new product, "Skippy Select" which according to the company is fresher, tastier and more peanut-ier than their "classic" Skippy.  It also boasts the unusual characterstic of only being  spreadable on Unilever's new sandwich bread product, "Attraction" and "Attraction Wheat."  A proprietary enzyme in the peanut butter prevents it from being used with any other non-Unilever product. If you try to spread it on ordinary bread, the enyme reacts with the bread and causes it to liquify, ruining both the bread and the peanut butter.  Skippy plans a slow roll out, eventually replacing all "classic" versions of their popular peanut butter by Q3 2009. Initially, the company says, each consumer will receive a free loaf of "Attraction" bread with each purchase of the peanut butter and coupons for two more loaves.

A spokesperson for the JM Smucker's Co, maker of fruit spreads and notably, Jif brand peanut butter has countered by launching development of an enzyme in Smucker's jams and jellies that will only be spreadable combined with Jif peanut butter.

Unilever is now in talks with other manufacturers of jams and jellies to work out licensing agreements for Skippy and Attraction Bread. Unilver says the enzyme can easily be programmed to react against a certain product, ie: only working with approved breads and spreads, and placing rival spreads like Smuckers on the "liquify list."

As an interesting side note, Unilever acquired the Skippy brand from the Rosefield Packing Co. of Alameda, CA! Skirblog's homebase for a number of years!  The name was in litigation for many years as the creator of the "Skippy" comic book, Percy Crosby tried to have the trademark invalidated. Rosefield persisted when Mr. Crosby was "committed to an insane asylum" according to wikipedia, and the name was passed to Unilever, which is still in litigation with the heirs of the Crosby family.

I'm only making part of this up. Also, fuck you both Apple and Microsoft.

In other skir-related news: I often see this sign: "hair cuts" and it always seems wrong to me. Esp. since its supposed to be one word, "haircuts." When its two it takes on other meanings. Also think its interesting when people say "eyeglasses" and "inkpen." Glasses don't usually need modified further, as we generally know that a person is referring to eye glasses as opposed to tequila shot glasses; and the same for ink pen. While there are undoubedly those out there using "blood pens," and the like, I think "pen" is usually okay. Not that these longer phrases are incorrect, just odd.

Speaking of "not incorrect" (as opposed to correct. A different thing entirely) and odd, saw the film, "Cloverfield," last week. Note to parents: don't take under-13's to this film. While there is very little graphic gore or violence, the psychological fright was too much for my near-11 year old. He, who can blast Halo aliens into disgusting splatters of gore without batting an eyelash, was shaken to his core for days over the  realism and unseen scares of Cloverfield. My take was very different if I separate it from the scare my poor son was experiencing. Since I don't like horror films or murder/slasher/death/gore/evil films, Cloverfield, like Blair Witch, is a great opportunity for me to go the movies and get a good, old fashioned scare. I appreaciated this aspect, like a good coaster, very short term, non lingering and fun. But heed the PG-13.

Back in the archives I mentioned that I was recorded one sunny afternoon talking about my dumb job. Now that recording,  plus a bonus interview with the skirb entitled "Death and Typos" is available on my friend Jon Armstrong's excellent podcast, "If You're Just Joining Us." Jon has interviewed a bunch of interesting people already and those interviews are worth listening to. Since he quickly ran out of ideas, in desperation he turned to me and you can hear the results here.

A lot of music is flowing in and out of the skir-mansion of late through the lala system. I rec'd so many Breeders/Amps/Throwing Music CDs, and so many Ween CDs that I can't tell any of them apart. One CD that stood out immed. and is worth noting however was "No Wow" by the Kills. Very unusual and compelling music. Kind of counter-intuitive in a lot of ways: two people: female vocalist "VV" and one noisy guitar (sometimes) maybe a drum machine sometimes, homemade sounding sometimes,  but works because.... because... its just fukkin' good. For instance the song, "ticket man" is VV, who sounds like an evil hybid of Sleater Kinney and Cowboy Junkies, backed by like one note on a piano, and somebody tapping on what sounds like an empty Quaker Oatmeal box in the distance. But shit man, it rules. Reminds me in a lot of ways of Suicide, but without inducing that feeling in the listener as Suicide often did. A definite check out.

Civil War Era Skirb

Wha? But yes, we took another of our epic field trips, the youngling and I. You remember our Balcutha adventure last year right? This year the masterminds at the Alameda Unified School Dist had other plans for us.

We were to sail over to Angel Island, sitting as it does smack dab in the middle of the SF Bay, and while  there, immerse ourselves at Fort McDowell, a partially restored Civil War era facility that guarded our precious Golden Gate. The Park Svc runs an immersion program where the kids are newly recruited soldiers, in ranks with one of them a corporal, and they will live two days like they did when it was a working fort. There was a "Major" who came with the program, and the parents (skirb) would assume the "seargant" roles, learning and running the kids through various learning stations, like militia drill instruction, flag signalling, bread baking (a loaf of bread was promised to each soldier in the day, and a special "bake house" was included at the fort. On Angel Island the bakehouse if beautifully restored and working. Worth seeing if you're ever there.

Seargant skirblog was assigned to KP, and I had no idea that I would be not only tending to the giant, iron wood-fired stove, but cooking two meals for the 50 of us. The kid was off being a corporal, and distancing himself from his weird dad, but I had the time of my life. The day was spent prepping the stove, which was also our only source of heat in the building, and assemble and cook a gigantic beef stew. During the day, squads of kids came through and helped peel potatoes, chop carrots, gather firewood, and was dishes. Any hot water had to be heated on my stove taking hours.  I had two massive iron skillets to cook with, each so heavy it nearly took two people to handle. You'd have to put them on the stove  like an hour before using them, so they'd be hot enough.

I surprised myself (and those hungry troops) with a very passable beef stew, plus fresh bread made by the troops in  the bakehouse. I was pretty danged proud of getting that all to happen and it was a decent meal. I mean, I've had worse. The next morning I awoke at 5:30 to cook bacon and eggs for the lot.  Word from the troops was I burned both the bacon and the eggs. How do you burn eggs? One magical moment for me was my decision to sleep outside next to the shore, as opposed to sleeping crammed together with 40 kids on wooden platforms in the barracks. Yes, it was freeeekin' cold that night, but thanks to GM's lovely, high end sleeping bag she graciously lent me, I was extremely comfortable.  When was the last time I slept  outside? I can't recall. It felt safe and brisk and lovely. I heard owls and various scurrying, and the waves lapping all night. I'd look out of my cocoon and see the stars, the lights of Tiburon, San Francisco, Sausalito all around me, and slow, silent ships gliding through the night. Lovely.