currently playing on the turntables:
the debut album from diverse --> one a.m.

"i know for certain...everything ain't right"
okay, so it's not the witching hour just yet, but i realized through the haze of spliff and sip of shochu that i needed to make an entry.

diverse, by the way, has put together quite an impressive first album. breakbeats/headz galore, to keep the neck exercised and soul grooving. with the likes of rjd2, madlib, and prefuse-73, it's something that i'd recommend to my neighbor!




funny thing is, i've grown pretty attached to this downtempo vibe. i should just be a man and walk up to the firing squad: i'm getting old. back in the day, i was convinced that my folks used to listen to only simon and garfunkel, the carpenters, and abba; talk about reallydowntempo! not to post a jibe...nuff respect to all! (guess that answers your question, shaolin...that's all i could find in the house when i was a kid).

i used to be able to pull all-nighters without a problem, but after a night out in osaka, at "isn't it," no doubt!

"isn't it." a last haven for expat brethren and sisters residing on this island chain.

isn't "scum and villainy" is how obi-wan put it best?

the smell of sex was in the air, 'though i was having none of that!

and as i stumbled off to find a capsule in "american town," one thought kept reverberating in my brain...

how am i going to fight off that hangover that 's going to hit me on the train ride home???

NOT-SO-FAMOUS BRITISH FOOD PRODUCTS, part 1


move over, marmite and vegemite!!!

i've got a product that will beat the competition into the ground...

i discovered the miracle of vegemite years ago when a junior high school friend of mine handed me a slice of toast with unappetizing black goo smeared all over it. after hiding my fears and taking a nibble, i was at once amazed at the richness in flavor that plain ol' butter and jam had long lacked. of course, vegemite and marmite without a "chaser" (i.e. bread) is rather horrid-tasting, but a pat of the black stuff on some good ol' fashioned toasted white bread will do wonders to your breakfast routine.

okay, so some people think that concentrated yeast spread is disgusting and unpalatable, and to tell you the truth, i always thought that it lacked a certain punch. don't get me wrong, i love marmite and vegemite just as much as the next guy (i.e. shaolin), but as an omnivore, i often get the craving for that beefy taste.





which is where BOVRIL comes in handy. created in scotland, home to such treats as haggis, tartan garb, and bagpipes, BOVRIL is, in essence, liquid cow.

imagine this: the tanginess of vegemite with not-so-subtle hints of beef.

appalled, yet curiously drawn to this confusing concoction?





BOVRIL apparently has been around since 1874, and was hailed for its many uses. a spoonful of it in hot water supposedly makes "(a) savory hot drink, and the kind of thing likely to be in the thermos of anyone out on a cold day for any length of time. Shackleton had it on his epic voyage in 1914, and it's been a favorite at football matches, in the days when drinking at football matches was as common as a half-time pie and Bovril." (i haven't had the guts to try this yet, but i imagine it tastes something like plain beef broth)

it was also used during World Wars I and II as a means of providing troops on the warfront and citizens back home with much-needed nourishment and a bit of beefiness...perhaps it was a means of boosting morale?

according to dj k-rate (born in tokyo and raised in london), he grew up on the stuff, and was kind enough to bring back a jar for me. it tastes pretty grubbin' on a spoon just by itself, and is all the more divine with a bit of butter on a baguette.

although it is difficult to find in the states, i'm sure most of you can manage. and yes, some purport that BOVRIL and its distant cousins vegemite and marmite are vile-tasting, but damn!!! it's sure gotten me hooked...

A DEVIL AMONGST US

secretary of defense donald rumsfeld is in town starting tomorrow, off to hobnob with leaders of the japanese diet with elections in this country just having finished four days ago. while the opposition in iraq keeps the world's eyes trained on hot spots in the middle east, rumsfeld has moved in an aircraft carrier off the japanese coast, along with new-generation military hardware, no doubt to piss off an already irate chairman kim.


speaking of iraq, one of the bills up on the diet table is the issue of whether to send JSDF troops over to the middle east to take part in occupational force operations. though the general public is against it, koizumi seems fairly intent on deployment...is the relation between dubya and the prime minister really THAT intimate?


the question now is how many troops, and to what degree of strength?

news sources report that there has been much internal strife within the bush cabinet, with rumsfeld and rice butting heads on a regular basis. to my amusement, dubya seemingly encourages these petty arguments as a way of fostering growth and the formation of new ideas.





i can imagine it already...

nat'l sec. advisor rice: HEY! that's MY krispy kreme donut!

sec. of defense rumsfeld: back off, woman! i need more sugar to satiate my hunger to conquer the world!

the redeye shift





and now, for zignine's turntable tip of the day:

easy listening and hip hop, although grating and unpleasurable to the ear, CAN be mixed together.

KILLER VEGGIES




i decided to make cheese fondue for dinner tonight, and hoofed it over to kobe foreign grocers in sannomiya to buy the necessary ingredients. although the store itself is quite small, it's nice to browse the aisles, looking at enticing edibles from around the world.

after getting sidetracked by the betty crocker brownie and hormel spicy chili section (hmm...$4.00 for cheesy-ass betty and $6.00 for a can of CHILI!? methinks this establishment is making a kiling), i found the fondue formula and paid the charlatan behind the counter.





"let's see..." i muttered to my girl. "bread, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, what else do i need?" she pointed out that asparagus was a recommended veggie on the package.

now, don't get me wrong. asparagus, i.e. asparagus officinalis are not only grubbin' as a dish in itself, it is known for its ability to work as: an Aphrodisiac, Cardiotonic, Demulcent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Expectorant, Female Tonic, Galactagogue, Laxative, Nutritive, Rejuvenative, Reproductive Tonic, Kidney Tonic, as well as Sedative.





it can also be used topically (what're you supposed to do? grind up the stems and rub the juice all over yourself?) to cure Joint Stiffness and Muscle Spasms...

not my idea of fun, but back to the topic at hand. after searching high and low, i realized that the local supermarket didn't have your garden-variety, green baby asparagi (is it a summer vegetable?). not to be daunted, i marched over to the canned foods section and found white asparagus instead.

the fondue was excellent. the white asparagi, however, remained untouched throughout the entire meal. it tasted revolting, plus i'm sure it'll make my urinations smell like asparagus for the rest of the week...

at least i'll know that my innards are squeaky clean now!