Welcome To Xanadu

I had a good time at Club Paradise last night. It may not have been the Folsom Street Fair (that I really, really, REALLY wanted to go to), but it was still a fun evening.

I love a salty rim!

I also wanted to upload a video of myself singing karaoke at Club Paradise, but my performance was a tad over the 100MB limit. So, here is a little link to Xanadu on YouTube. Enjoy.

Salmon Cakes with a Creamy Caper Chive Sauce

My grandparents would go up to Fort Bragg, California every year from about the middle of July to the end of August. It was practically an article of faith for them that was done for two main reasons. One, it was an escape from the triple-digit heat of summer in Stockton, and two, my grandfather loved deep-sea salmon fishing.

My grandfather was a great fisherman, and that 6 week period provided 1/3 of ALL the meat they would eat for an entire year. My grandparents would freeze and smoke some of it, but they canned most of it.

Now, for this recipe you don't need any of my grandmother's famous canned salmon (I used the last of that 4 years ago), but you can use any store bought variety, and it will taste almost as good (grin). So, here is my grandmother's recipe for salmon cakes with a creamy caper chive sauce. It is heart healthy, diabetic friendly and very, very tasty.

SALMON CAKES with CREAMY CAPER CHIVE SAUCE

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 2 large egg whites, slightly beaten
• 1 can (14 3/4 oz.) sockeye salmon, drained, bones and skin discarded
• 2 tblsp chopped fresh chives
• 3/4 to 1 tsp "Old Bay" seasoning
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tblsp drained capers
• lemon or lime wedges (optional. Be creative and use both)

1. To prepare fresh bread crumbs, tear bread into pieces; place in bowl of food processor. Process until finely minced.
2. Place in medium bowl, and stir in egg whites.
3. Break salmon into small chunks; add to bowl of breadcrumbs with 1 tblsp chives and seasoning. Mix well.
4. Shape into 4 patties about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
5. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.
6. Add salmon cakes, cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
7. Meanwhile, combine sour cream, remaining 1 tblsp chives and capers in small bowl. Mix well.
8. Serve salmon cakes with caper sauce and lemon or lime wedges (or both if you're creative like me).

This recipe makes 4 servings.

As always, eat and enjoy.

The 856 Resteraunt

Yesterday, after work, I went to a restaurant I hadn't been to in a very long time, and I am so glad I went.

The restaurant is "856", conveniently located at 856 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton, California, and owned by the Davis brothers, who also happen to own Club Paradise.

For my dinner, I had the beef barley soup, the Italian roasted half-chicken with seasonal vegetables, and for desert, the creme brulee.

I found the soup very tasty, but did think it could have used maybe a touch more pepper. Yes, I know you can always add more pepper when they bring your soup, but the hallmark of good cooking is that you don't need to add extra seasonings.

The chicken was mouthwateringly delicious, but I found myself wishing I had an extra stomach (though I know some of you might think I already do) because another diner at a nearby table was having the chicken shish kabobs that were the evening special, and if the aroma was any indication, they would have been even better.

The highlight of the meal was the creme brulle' I had for desert. I had it once before at this restaurant, and if possible, it was even better this time! My 2nd favorite part of this desert dish is making the first break in the glazed sugar covering which is one of the signatures of the desert. My favorite part is eating it.

The service I received was phenomenal by the way. It seemed that if my server Nicole, or the cook Benny, even had the slightest idea I wasn't pleased, they redoubled their efforts to make my dining experience a pleasurable one. They succeeded fantastically.

All in all, I would have to give my evening at 856, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, a 10.

I endorse, recommend, and implore you to do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant. Your taste buds will thank you.

Right and Wrong

I was sort of right about the financial markets today. At one point, the DJIA was down about 127 points before rebounding for a gain of over 121 points.

Most commentators seem to be of the opinion that the rebound was caused in part by the legislature agreeing to continue talks about the $700billion bailout, or as Jim Cramer calls it, "Invest In America".

In other (almost) news, I went to a nice restaurant after work tonight. I'll be posting a review in the morning.

Friday, Bloody Friday!

Today is not going to be pretty, and if this were Sunday, I'd say it would be a "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to rival any in history.

After the deal was struck, and the market surged up nearly 300 points for the day (over 400 at one point), nervous "no-nad" republicans decided it might be "fun" to rebel against their democratic allies (and their own President) and derail the economic, $700Billion Bailout Rescue Plan, that Jim Cramer likes to call "Invest In America".

Now, as I write this the DOW futures are down 193 points, NASDQ futures are down 40 points, S & P futures down 26 points, oil down $1.98. There is some good news though (insert sarcasm here), gold futures are up $11.20.

Cash is, it would seem, king, and at the moment, makes up nearly 50% of my total portfolio value, and I have adjusted the prices for my automatic buy orders down an average of 10%. I'm thinking if the market comes down as much as I think it will, I can increase my positions in my top ten stocks (see Bloodbath Monday!!!) that have not already maxed out at my $2,500 limit.

I'm just wondering one thing now. How long will it be before Pat Robinson or one of his right wing, Christian fundamentalist (re crazy morons) say that the current economic crisis is the result of God's displeasure over the abomination of gay marriage. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't said it now. They were quick enough to do it after 9/11.

Bottlenecks and Rubbernecks

I got caught in a traffic jam today. It wasn't because of an injury auto accident, it wasn't because a tomato truck tipped over, spilling it's cargo of tomatoes all over the I-5, and it wasn't even because the California Department of Transportation closed all but one or two lanes for highway repair. No, it was because EVERYBODY wanted to slow down and look at a car that had been pulled over to the side of the road for some reason. I can only imagine what traffic would have been like if it had been part of an accident or if a highway patrolman was giving the driver a ticket or something. It was caused by "rubberneckers"!

I see this a lot. People seem to have a pathological need to stop and look at auto accidents on the highway, and I know some of the reasons why. They want to see blood, guts, gore and body parts. They want to be able to tell their friends and co-workers, if the accident makes the evening news, "I was there! I'm a witness! I saw it all!" Some of us have lives people. Are your lives so empty, you have to attach yourselves to some sort of event, just for the sake of bragging rights?

Another type of traffic jam I'm frequently caught in is the result of bottle necking. That's when people aren't paying attention while driving and get to close to their exits before they realize what they've done, and rather than just take the next exit they slow down, curse all the other drivers coming up behind them who won't stop to let them over, cause others behind them to slow down to nearly a dead stop, and make their exit. To those who may be guilty of this, let me say "You are not the center of the world!".

Here is a little trick I'm going to share with you all. If you are three or more exits away from the one you need to take, drive in the leftmost lane whenever possible, when you are two exits away, start moving from the leftmost lane to the next lane to your right, and when you have passed the exit before your exit, get into the rightmost exit lane! It's that simple people.

I'm sorry (but not much) for sounding so angry, but I was in a rubberneck jam today and was nearly 15 minutes late for work, and I left for work 30 minutes before I had to be there, which normally gives me 15 minutes of relaxation time in the break room before I have to start my day.

In other news, I started a chain e-mail today. It contains a file photo of the picture of a rose I took while at Bob and Nate's wedding in Oroville. For those of you who delete my e-mails, here is the picture. I love roses. They remind me of my grandmother who adored them. Enjoy.

Bob & Nate's Wedding

For those of you who were unable to make it to Bob and Nate's Wedding, here are 12,000 words worth of pictures to describe for you how wonderfully happy Bob and Nate looked on their specail day.

Bob, Nate, I wish you all the best, and many happy years in the future.

Sacramento Ducal - 2008

I had a great time last night, at the Sacramento Ducal Ball. Everyone was so friendly, dressed so elegantly, and just so happy, it's hard to put into words, and since a picture is worth 1,000 words, here are 16,000 words for your enjoyment.

Also, I'm providing a link to my first ever uploaded YouTube video. It is of the "Crowning Moment" of the Sacramento Ducal Ball, 2008. I look forward to hearing your comments.

(NOTE: It really does take several minutes to upload a video. So, if you're thinking of following my example, please be patient).






For any of you who's picture I took last night, but did not post here, send me an e-mail, and I'll send you a coppy.

Coming soon, the pictures I took of Bob and Nathan's wedding!

But I Can Sleep at Night

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was a wild roller coaster ride today. Down, up, DOWN, then finishing UP 410.03 points. That's a gain of 3.86% for the day. My portfolio of investments, "Wesley's Top Ten", only went up 1.28% for the day, but I'm not upset in the slightest. Want to know why? Continue reading.

Yes, my stocks only went up 1.28% vs. 3.86%, but yesterday, "Bloodbath Monday on a Wednesday", the DJIA went down 4.5%, and my portfolio only went down 3.75%, so I'm still beating the market.

That's the secret of my success I suppose. I don't go up as much, but I don't go down as much either. Investment equanimity. It let's me sleep at night. That and the portfolio's average annual dividend return of 4.11%.

In other news, I'm not going to be able to make it to the Folsom Street Fair this year. I forgot we have our Amateur Night at Club Paradise on the same day. It's open to all performers, the wonderful Chris Davis is letting us use the karaoke system, and we have Shawn, most recently seen in the Stockton Civic Theatre production of "The Full Monty" acting as our DJ. There will be a first, second, and third place prize, and I intend to perform as well. It will be a lot of fun.

I'll go to the Folsom Street Fair next year, and maybe even the Dore Alley Fair (aka "Up Your Alley") July 26, 2009. It'll give me more time to lose the weight I want to so I wont look like a stuffed sausage in my leathers (evil grin).

Wanted, One Cameraman/woman

I am going have to find someone to serve as my cameraman/woman. I went to club paradise tonight for the karaoke, and the person who said he would come out to video me for my blog (and maybe www.youtube.com) never showed up.

Then, I foolishly asked another of the bar patrons if he would video me, and he said yes. Guess what, he didn't. I can hardly blame him though, he was busy playing pool when my turn to sing came up (literally 3 minutes after I asked him).

So, I need to find a cameraman. I can't pay anything of course, but you'll get the bragging rights and my never ending gratitude. (I can hear you all thinking more or the less the same thing, "BMFD!!!")

Anyone interested? It's not just for karaoke, I also need someone for my upcoming cooking segments as well. You'll get fed for those times. Send an e-mail if you're interested.

Bloodbath Monday!!! (Part 2)

Well, I was right. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 504.48 points today! That's a decline of 4.42%! When will the bleeding stop?!?!?!

Of my "Wesley's Top Ten", they only fell an average of 1.88%, with only Consolidated Edison (ED) rising $0.55 (or 1.26%).

I was able to pick up some more shares of AT&T (T), but the other stocks on my top ten list did not come down far enough for my automatic buy orders to be triggered. Thank goodness for small favors.

So, for those of you who have asked (and no one did) I have about 69% of my investment portfolio in cash and cash equivalents (ie short term T-Bills), 7% in a California Municipal Bond Fund, and the remaining 24% invested in my "Top Ten".

I'm staying away from the rest of the market though. Remember the mantra "WWHGD?"

We Must Fight Back

Now, I'm not much for fighting. By nature and inclination I am a pacifist when it comes to conflict, and my study of Taoism and in particular the Tao Te Ching have given me some excellent tools when it comes to dealing with those who wish me ill and would do me harm, and I'm not about to change now.

This November, California voters will have the chance to show our state is not stuck in the 1950s. Proposition 8 is an attempt to amend the constitution of California that reads "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

The proponents state that they are fighting to defend the sanctity of marriage. I say they're trying to hold onto it as a "Straights Only" club (not unlike the "Humans Only" club mentioned in "Star Trek; The Undiscovered Country"). Religious (Judea-Christian) leaders point to Biblical Scripture, "Man shall not lie with man as with woman, it is an abomination before The Lord" (notice how our Lesbian sisters are not mentioned). Well, the next time one of them quotes this passage, ask them, with all seriousness, if they believe the Bible is the Word of God, and should be interpreted and obeyed as such. After they say yes (and if you phrase it like I did here, they will), ask them if they have any clothes that are not 100% of any particular thread (eg cotton-poly blend, wool-acrylic, etc., etc.) because it says right their in the Bible "thou shalt not wear fabric woven of two different threads, it is an abomination before The Lord" (or anyone with a sense of fashion). It's the same if they have ever eaten pork products or shellfish, a damnable abomination before The Lord". Remind them they cannot pick and choose what holy scripture they will enforce and what they will ignore, and the Highway to Hell is paved with bacon.

Where am I going with this? I mentioned earlier by Taoist beliefs and practices. I have often been heard saying "A single drop of rain won't get anything wet, but a million drops of rain will make a flood". That is what we have to do, all of us little drops of rain, come together in a flood of voters and "Vote NO on Prop. 8". Every vote will count on this come election day, and I don't care if I have to low-crawl naked over shards of broken glass and rusty razor blades, I am voting NO on proposition 8. My vote, or your vote, just might be the last drop of rain needed to burst down the damn of ignorance, sweep away the landscape of hate, and bring "Liberty and Justice for All."

In the meantime, let's here what Margaret Cho has to say on the subject of Gay Marriage.

Peace.

Bloodbath Monday!!!

I've never claimed to be any kind of expert on the stock market, but even a blind Buddhist monk living in a mountain cave in Tibet, 100 miles from the nearest city, let alone the nearest television, could tell you that today is going to be a bloodbath in the financial markets!

With Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, the "fire sale" of Merril Lynch, and insurance giant (and DJIA component) AIG, the DJIA futures market is down nearly 350 points as I write this, and I thought the worst was over.

Last year, I lost about $6,000 in the market. I was not alone in my loss, and ever since I've been fighting my way back, $1 by $1.

Well, just over a month ago, my boss and I were talking about "The Market", and he asked my what 10 stocks would I buy right now, and what 10 I would not buy. I thought you might like to know as well, so her are "Wesley's Top Ten";

1. Unilever (UN) - current dividend 4.9%
2. Pepsico (PEP) - current dividend 2.3%
3. McDonald's (MCD) - current dividend 2.3%
4. AT&T (T) - current dividend 5.1 %
5. Bristol-Meyers (BMY) - current dividend 5.6%
6. Consolidated Edison (ED) - current dividend 5.4%
7. Dominion Resources (D) - current dividend 3.7%
8. Dow Chemical (DOW) - current dividend 4.6%
9. Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) - current dividend 4.0%
10. Heinz (HNZ) - current dividend 3.2%

All together, these ten stocks, with an average dividend yield of 4.11% should insulate you from the worst of today's disaster. The rest of my portfolio is in either cash or short term (IE 1 month) T-Bills. Some people say "WWJD?", I say "WWHGD?", and the answer is "Conservative investments with a substantial cash reserve to back up movement and get the stocks of quality companies at a bargain.

Still and all, today it's going to be an ugly bloodbath. Ugly hell! It's going to be a "Fugly bloodbath!"

Feeling A Little Melancholy (2)

I'm running out of descriptive phrases to use as titles.

That being said, let me add that this is going out to nobody in particular, but sometimes, I get caught up in a feeling of sadness and melancholy, and it's almost like having someone to talk to when I'm writing in my blog.

The Sound of Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend,

I've come to talk with you again.

Because a vision softly creeping,

left its seeds while I was sleeping,

and the vision that was planted in my brain

still remains within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone.

Narrow streets of cobblestone,

beneath the halo of a street lamp,

I turned my collar to the cold and damp.

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light,

that split the night

and touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw ten thousand people,

maybe more.

People talking without speaking.

People hearing without listening.

People writing songs that voices never share.

And no one dared disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools" said I,

"you do not know silence like a cancer grows.

Hear my words that I might teach you.

Take my arms that I might reach you."

But my words like silent raindrops fell,

and echoed in the wells of silence.

And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon God they had made.

And the sign flashed out its warning,

in the words that it was forming.

And the signs said;

'the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls,

and tenement halls,

and whispered in the sounds of silence.

I take no credit for this poem. It was written and performed by Simon and Garfunkle (or is that Garfinkle?). Anyway here is the YouTube link one more time if you want to see and hear a particularly poignant rendition of "The Sound of Silence".

Deep Bayou Chowder

Some will (and have) told me that I should not concern myself with things that are none of my business, that I should go along to get along. I have never been able to live my life by that somewhat selfish credo.

So today, I present for your tastebuds delight, a dish not only delicious but heart healthy and diabetic friendly. I care about you all so much I want to keep you all arround, alive and kicking, for a long time.

Deep Bayou Chowder

• Non-Stick cooking spray
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup water
• 8 oz red potatoes, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups fat-free (ie skim) milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 shot gin (optional)

1. Place Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot and spray with cooking spray.
2. Add carrot, pepper and onion and spray vegetables with cooking spray.
3. Cook and stir about 4 minutes or until onions are translucent.
4. Add water, potatoes, corn and thyme.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover.
6. Simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
7. Stir in milk, seasonings, and the optional ingredients of salt and gin.
8. Cook for another 5 minutes

This will make 6, 1-cup servings.

As always, eat and enjoy.

Next weeks recipe (yeah, I know I said once per month again, but I changed my mind) will be another heart healthy, diabetic friendly recipe, Roasted Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas.

Last Night in Alameda

I went to Alameda last night and had a really good time, but I wasn't the only one. Here are some of the pictures I took, I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I did taking them.



I would also like to take this chance to welcome a couple of new readers to "The Tao of Wesley". Kevin Roche and his husband Andrew Trembley. Congratulations on (in your words) your "constitutional inconvinience". To learn more about Kevin, you can follow this LINK to his blog.

Now, I would also like to take this opportunity to apologize for some of the things I had thought regarding I.S.E. and how disappointed I am now in someone I once held in high regard. I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character, but when evidence is given to me that my faith was misplaced, well, let me just say I am very, very, VERY disappointed in you, but even more disappointed in myself.

I also want to let you all know how sorry I was to everyone at Alameda's function last night for speaking a bit loud at one point when the sound system had some technical difficulties, and for causing someone else who was there to react toward me in a somewhat belligerent fashion. I once said, when I fist started my blog, that I would "name names". Well, this person was apparently upset by my post of 7/20/08 called "Nutrisystem: Day 4". I went back and re-read the post, and not once did I mention this person's name, and I refuse to let him/her or anyone else make me feel guilty for what anyone else may think. My thoughts (even though I chose to share them with the world) are my thoughts, and their thoughts are their thoughts.

Where Have I Been?

Well, it's been a crazy week, and I swear, there just aren't enough hours in the day to get done everything I would like to get done. Until the Earth slows it's rotation down enough to give us the 28 hour day, sacrifices will have to be made.

I'm getting ready for my trip to Hayward tomorrow for the Empress Ms. Lady Cranberry. I don't care what anyone else says, and I don't care if I'm kicked out of the court system, Cranberry, I will always think of you as an empress of, if nothing else, peoples (or at least my) heart. Let Diana be the queen, you ARE the empress.

I'm baking one of my special applesauce cakes to bring you for your step-down, and I've been rehearsing for the last week the song I plan to perform. It's all for you Cranberry. By the way, if you, or anyone else would like to buy one of my applesauce cakes, just send an e-mail, and order. The cakes are $30.00 each, plus shipping and handling. Come to Stockton to pick up the cake yourself, and there is no "S&H" for the applesauce cake. Just make sure to write "applesauce cake" in the subject box, because I tend to delete or mark as spam e-mails from people I don't know. Or, you can post a comment on the blog.

Sorry to you all by the way for not posting a recipe last Sunday. I had gone to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire the day before, and I was recovering from a combination of to much fun and 1st degree sunburn. OUCH!!!

I will be posting one this coming Sunday (9/14/08) and going back to my previous one recipe per month format. There was very little interest in my idea of auctioning off a special meal made up to the recipes I had presented that month (none at all in fact). So it's back to my "Recipe of the Month" folks. Tomorrow, I will be posting a very special recipe for a friend of mine who suffers from diabetes. It's a diabetic, heart healthy recipe for "Deep Bayou Chowder". You'll need a Dutch oven for this dish.

Well, that's it for this post. I'll be posting the next chapter from the "Epic of Gilgamesh" next. Hope you've been enjoying it. Remember, it's a 3,500 year old gay love poem.

In 365 Days!

I'm almost to embarrassed to show you what I'm going to show you, and please understand, this is NOT the official "before" picture I plan on submitting to Nutrisystem. It's just for my blog.

This is me at 251 lbs, wearing my "Skinny Clothes". The shirt is a size large and the pants are 34" waist. I swear, I was once able to wear them buttoned up, and my plan, within the next 365 days is to be able to button them up again!

The weight kind of snuck up on me. It mostly started after 9/11. With everything that was happening that day, and the following days, I spent more time watching the news and eating pizza than going to the gym. Then I started gaining more while going to Heald College to get my accounting degree. I had more important concerns than going to the gym or watching my diet. Then, there was the depression of only being able to get temp-work and part time employment and having to depend on the loving kindness of my grandmother just to make my rent. There were other reasons as well, but I can hear what some of you are thinking, "Excuses, excuses, excuses!".

Well, I'm not making excuses now, I'm stating a goal. In 365 days (or less hopefully) I will take another picture like this wearing the same clothes. In 365 days, I WILL have the pants buttoned up! Hell, I may even take the picture without my shirt on. How hot would that be?!?!

Less Time Than I Thought

I honestly thought it would be some long, dragged out process, getting the video converter downloaded onto my computer, but it took hardly any time at all, so here it is, as promised, my trip through the maze at the 2008 Renaissance Pleasure Faire, enjoy.

(Warning! For those with short attention spans, this video is 3 minutes and 48 seconds long)

The Renaisance Pleasure Faire-2008

Well, a few words of text anyway :)

Let me start out by saying I have never been to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in September before, and I will never, NEVER, NEVER go in September again. I got a killer sunburn and I'll be washing the dust off my body for the next few days (I really need someone to help me get to those hard to reach "naughty bits"). But still, I had a good time, as the pictures I'm posting will demonstrate.

As soon as I get my camera and video converter fixed, I'll be adding a video showing my trip through a maze at the faire. I'll bet you all just can't hardly wait.