This
http://youtu.be/7hoqpPmDGI0
Bears
Steve Fromholz, singer, songwriter poet laureate of Texas passed away after a hunting accident.
Aningaaq: Companion Short To Gravity
Aningaaq is a stunning, moving short film to the other side of Sandra Bullock’s character’s desperate radio call in Gravity. It’s directed by Jonas Cuaron, son of Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron. Sorry for the long, non-avoidable advertisement. Please be patient, it’s worth the wait.
You don’t need to see Gravity first to appreciate this excellent short film, though it fills in pieces on either side.
A Farewell To Two Arms
Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte will retire after the Yankees finish this season. Roger Angell writes in the New Yorker about and ending.
All these, seen once again, have been as familiar to us as our dad’s light cough from the next room, or the dimples on the back of our once-three-year-old daughter’s hands, but, like those, must now only be recalled.
You Are What You Don’t Eat
The concept of the durability of food whether in how you got it from the store or produce stand or stuff you grew, or as in leftovers as something prepared and then stashed, was burned into my brain by my grandparents and parents: “If something you were going to eat that has been put away awhile has grown new fur, you probably shouldn’t eat it. And if it smells bad when it didn’t before, you probably shouldn’t eat that either. Maybe you should, but probably not. Otherwise, go for it. And if you let it sit that long before eating it, shame on you.”
I say this thinking primarily about my Grandpa Tom. Shame meant sit at the table and finish your meal. He was practical, frugal, and admittedly a bit taste bud-challenged due to years of smoking Benson and Hedges. He liked to eat liverwurst, Limburger and mustard sandwiches on pumpernickel, with a side of sardines, so his flavor profile went to 11 on the 1-10 Mohs scale of food hardness. I inherited no small part of my love for the stanky food from him. Anyway, his non-scientific theory/mandate has served me well. I have always assumed that the silly dates on packaging aren’t really scientific or even a guideline, let alone a promise that something is completely given over to making you sick.
All the time, I see people throw out massive quantities of food that is still perfectly edible. I do it too. In both the restaurant business and home food business, portion control is the main culprit. People want huge plates of food because it looks nice, but seriously, does every meal have to look like family dinner just for you? And don’t be scared of a silly number when you buy more than you can use before its number comes up.
Eagle Eye
GoPro strapped to an eagle, near Chamonix. Thanks, kottke.