Well, dear readers, I quite enjoyed our little soda pop history and postings yesterday. So, today I thought we’d do the history of churros. There are two schools of thought on churros. One school of thought is that they were brought to Europe by the Portuguese after going to China and having something called Youzagwei. The Portuguese modified it with a star design because apparently they didn’t really learn the art of pulling the dough like the Chinese (the Ming Dynasty, if you must know). In fact, the Chinese emperor made it a capital crime to share how they pulled the dough. The other school of thought on churros is that Spanish shepherds invented them to substitute for fresh bakery goods. I have a third school of thought on the churro and that is that it was invented by Charo. And there you have it. Why the HELL am I talking about Charo’s Churros? Don’t I have notes to write? I do and therefore I shall, not necessarily in that order.
Yesterday was, as I recall, fine. I got my eight hours of sleep, then met a friend and her daughter at Du-Par’s for breakfast. They were late in getting there, so could only stay for about forty minutes because they were catching a plane at LAX. I had poached eggs and a short stack, although I only ate about one and a half of the three pancakes. I must say, however, that they were back to being great. It was a fun breakfast, and then I came home, answered e-mails, and we shipped out all the Dear Brigitte, Junior High School, and Baja CDs. Martha Ivers will go out this morning. Then I did some work on the computer, then I picked up two little packages, did some errands and whatnot, then came home. I had a few telephonic calls and then, somehow, the day was done and done was the day. I then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched the Cracker movie that was done a year after the last season of the show. It took place in Hong Kong and while it was entertaining, it was nowhere near the quality of the series episodes, in terms of plotting and characters. Of course, there was only one of the regulars from the series besides Robbie Coltrane, and I have to say the others were missed, especially Geraldine Somerville. Then I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Jaws. The last time I spoke of Jaws on this here site was the day the site began in 2001. First of all, Jaws is just a great film. Despite the turmoil in making it, all its parts just mesh perfectly. The acting, the writing, the directing, the music, the shark, all of it is just wonderfully entertaining and it still manages to pack all its punches almost forty years later. The pace of the film is a textbook in how to pace a thriller. And the film’s final third, which all takes place on a boat is just perfect moviemaking. There has been a lot of chatter about the Jaws on Blu-ray. On one particular site there is an astonishing forty-something pages of posts all on whether people could find the exclusive digi-book for Jaws at Best Buy. It just goes on and on and on, as if finding the digi-book was like finding the rare treasure. People were really upset to find their Best Buys sold out of it, people were railing about it, moaning about it, angry about it. Of course, I bought Jaws on Blu-ray because I wanted to actually see the film, not because of some exclusive packaging. And see the film I did and I am here to tell you that the transfer is, in a word, superb. The contrast, color, detail, clarity, all of it – just perfect. One fellow on one of the boards said it didn’t look like any anamorphic 35mm print he’d ever seen. It just makes you wonder what it is they’re watching. First of all, it’s not a 35mm print, it’s a Blu-ray. Second of all, a 35mm print is generations away from the camera negative – this transfer was done from the camera negative and therefore no one has ever really seen it like this before. I liken it to Follies, in a way. Forget that we did the fresh re-mix – but one of the reasons it sounds like blankets have been removed to reveal an astonishing clarity is because it’s the first time anyone has heard the half-inch session masters – the LP master was quarter-inch and there’s a world of difference in that generation and size loss. People are 50/50 on the new 7.1 sound mix. I am not 50/50 on it. I have no need to ever watch the film with a 7.1 sound mix because the film’s original mono sound mix was how it was shown, and that incredible mix won an Academy Award. I don’t need gussied up sound, and after sampling two scenes with the 7.1 I knew for a fact I would never need to hear that again. That’s not Jaws. In any case, this gets my highest recommendation.
After the viewing, I did some more work on the computer and then was sent three songs from the Canadian production of Le Cortex de la Planete X – apparently they recorded the score and put it on CD for the cast and crew. I’ve asked them to send me a copy of it. The three tracks sounded great, and it just tickles me so to hear my lyrics in French. Elmore’s orchestration sounds great, too. I’m really looking forward to hearing the rest of it.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I need a good night’s beauty sleep. Of course, I won’t be pulling my dough because the Chinese emperor forbids it.
Today, I shall write liner notes, I shall do errands and whatnot, I shall do some banking, I shall hopefully pick up some packages, I shall have a lunch meeting with Juliana Hansen, I shall give our musical director sheet music and an CDR, and I shall relax.
Tomorrow and Saturday I’ll be getting ready for my Sunday trip to the city that never sleeps – there’s a lot of stuff to attend to and attend to the stuff I shall. I’m hoping we’re still having a little Sunday night get-together at Joe Allen – I’m ready for it.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons. Let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks. Let’s all dance the Hora or the Horse, for today is the birthday of our beloved Vixmom. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our beloved Vixmom. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR BELOVED VIXMOM!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, do errands and whatnot, bank, hopefully pick up some packages, have a lunch meeting, and give music and CDR to the musical director. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite fried foods. I LOVE fried foods. And what are your favorite fried dough products, such as churros, donuts, beignets, and the like? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland where I shall dream of Charo and churros.