Can't Stand By & Be Silent

Perhaps October, being GLBT History Month, we can take the time to refocus on our youth and taking care of them so they can appreciate history, not make it so young. What has been happening in September is not just plain sad, it shows there is a real problem. People might not like homosexuality, but suicide is not acceptable under any circumstance. Period!

Student's Suicide Highlights Bullying Over Sexuality

The suicide of a Rutgers University freshman student whose sex life was broadcast over the Web stirred outrage and remorse from classmates who said they wished they could have stopped him from jumping off a bridge last week.

"Had he been in bed with a woman, this would not have happened," said Lauren Felton, 21, of Warren, N.J. "He wouldn't have been outed via an online broadcast, and his privacy would have been respected, and he might still have his life."

Gay-rights groups say Tyler Clementi's suicide makes him a national example of a problem they are increasingly working to combat: young people who kill themselves after being tormented over their sexuality.

A lawyer for Clementi's family confirmed Wednesday that he had jumped off the George Washington Bridge last week. His body was identified Thursday.

Click here to read the entire story!
This story was compiled by NPR Staff and Wires

The Day That Just Got Messed Up!

Woke up this morning and planned to head to the doctor and get sutures out and then on to the office and get things done and home to rest for a while before going to 5th Avenue Theatre to see "In The Heights" which is a fabulous show and running in Seattle through mid-October. Go see it if you can. Well, all I can say is that things did not go quite as planned and I was fried out by early afternoon and knew all too well that I had to make some changes quickly. So thanks go out to Holly for hosting and I am glad Anita and Lars still got to see the show. As for me, I got home and in bed for the long-haul. Thankfully I saw the show on Broadway last year and oh the memories live on.

Happy Birthday Markie!

That is Markie in front laughing and enjoying life. I have known him over a decade now and we have shared a pied-à-terre and traveled on a couple of cruises together. We enjoy our cocktails and news. We like completely different types of guys and I know he loves his hot dogs. He has lived a very full life.

In the past year friends have referred to us as bonvivants and I have to say that would be spot on. The classic definition is a person with refined taste, especially one who enjoys superb food and drink. He enjoys the journey as much as the destination. Visit his blog to see what he is doing this year to celebrate his birthday at UMTravels.

Duke's Was A Delight!

Tuesday had me driving down I-5 to Tacoma. What should usually be a 45-60 minute commute ended up being only 20 minutes so while waiting for Pam I decided to enjoy a beer to start. Mac & Jack’s African Amber is a favorite of mine and from what I hear it is also Duke’s personal favorite.Kicked off the dinner by ordering a Tuna Wasabi Quesadilla which is marinated yellow fin tuna with creamy wasabi mayo, cucumber pico de gallo and fresh guacamole. Without hesitation it is a favorite I enjoy when I get down to Ruston Way. Pam was delayed and so I decided to try another appetizer. In general I really like calamari and especially like it done the pepper salted style. At Duke's they serve Calamari Steak Strips using Pacific Wild Squid lightly battered with tequila lime aïoli. I must be honest, it was a miss. There will not be a repeat order in the future.Pam arrived and got a cup of chowder and we just were chatting away and I decided to try one of the specials this week. A trio of sear Wild East Coast Scallops. They were served with grilled fingerling potatoes, veggies and melon. A citrus vinaigrette tossed salad balanced out the plate. It was OK, by at $12.99 just not worth it to me. Two strikes and Two hits...what would be the final result? We shall see.Pam decided to also try a special on the menu. These are Salmon Shooters. Blackened Salmon on Romaine Lettuce with a vinaigrette. She seemed to like them, but was not overwhelmed. Darn, this was not going well. But there was a last choice for me yet to come.YES! I wanted to end the meal on a high note and knew how to do it. I went for Duke's "Award Winning" Classic Clam Chowder. “This is no regular Chowder. It wins Awards. It saves Relationships. It’s all natural, herby and creamy. The natural Clam perfume takes you to Clam Heaven.” – Duke

So indeed, we were able to hit a home run and call it a wrap. But the best part was seeing Pam again. If you have a chance, visit her blog: So I'm Fifty!

We will be back...

Tonight was dinner with Pam and tomorrow is "In the Heights" and so I may not get back to the blog until Thursday or so...Later!

Happy Birthday Google

Have a little fun and go Google these to see if you can find the correct answer. Send me your answers to chris.w.schilling@gmail.com and you just might win some Google Gear. Enjoy!

1. How many servers does Google have around the world?

2. What happened in 2007 that Google take over a service that had previously been sponsored by AOL?

3. What is significant about September 6, 2008?

4. What alternative energy has Google been investing in heavily this year?

5. Who designed this year’s Google Doodle for its’ birthday?

6. When was he born?

7. What was included in the first Google Doodle?

8. When was it issued?

9. What holiday has had the longest run of acknowledgement in Google Doodles?

10. Where in the world would you hear “Mind the Gap?”

11. What are the 12 original signs of the zodiac in order?

12. What are the 12 animals in the Chinese Calendar?

13. 10 Most visited cities in the world?

14. Shanghai World Expo is about to close in October and had 200 countries participate, the largest ever. Seven others have had over 100 countries attend, where and when?

15. When and where was America’s last Expo?

16. Three US cities are planning to bid for 2020, name them.

17. How many times has the Olympics been held in the United States?

18. Where?

19. How Many times in Canada?

20. Where?

21. What city gave up the Olympics after being selected & where did they happen?

22. What major change happened in 1992 to the Olympics?

23. What was unique about Vancouver’s Opening Ceremony this year?

24. E&A has 8 clubs. In what order did they open?

25. What year did E&A begin?

26. How long has the current Canadian Flag been in use?

27. How long has the current US Flag been in use?

28. How many provinces and territories are there in Canada?

29. Largest? Smallest? Where does BC rank?

30. How many states is E&A in?

31. Which amusement park has the most roller coasters in Canada?

32. And how about the US?

33. Name the Tallest and Fastest Steel Coaster?

34. And how About Wooden Coaster?

35. When and where was the original Ferris Wheel?

Seahawk Sunday

You know it is just too funny to be sitting at breakfast with Helene and in walked a family of mom, dad and the two kids and while the little girl is dressed up as a princess and the little boy is done up in a cowboy outfit that is cool, they're kids but the parents are decked out in Seahawks Jerseys and proceed to ignore the kids as they talk Seahawk stats and read the paper. Thankfully the server brings over crayons and pages to color. I'm sorry but they might be fans but they suck as caring parents. OK, so let me breath and share that indeed the Seahawks won, and how do I know? Nope, did not watch any sports, it was the fireworks going off this afternoon. Too funny.

But the day was good in that I got the following done:

2 loads of laundry
house got cleaned
went to the office
breakfast with Helene
picked up wine cooler for Sandy
caught up on some reading
blog post on Vintner's dinner
polished a trivia quiz
had some pizza
put dishes away
tuna to Helene
paid a couple bills

Yes, it was a vey good day! Good night!

The Vintner's Dinner - The Whites

Welcome to a posting the nature of which has not been seen since The Herbfarm. Yes, it is long enough that you might want to snag a cocktail or glass of wine and settle in for a wild ride. This dinner was the second that Jodie, Rob and I assembled. The first had the theme of bacon back in May and tonight, it was all about the Apple. The dinner is a work of love that takes several days to prepare for and right up until it begins things can be fluid and open to last minute opportunities. In the end 7 people came together for the evening. As I posted in facebook it was Fapplebulous!

Arriving just before 3pm the excitement is in the air and the pork loin is on the rotisserie. That would prove to be course six. The cheeses get opened up to breath a bit and the first wine is opened as the rest of the guests arrive. Tonight besides the hosts mentioned above, we welcomed Johnna, Nancy, DeeDee and Heather. Who knew that the vintner’s dinner was going to come complete with entertainment but Heather proved to be a complete delight as I had never met her before this evening. Once seated, it was time to get down to business.
A lovely seafood stuffed avocado was matched with a bottle of Roussette de Savoie Altesse 2007 French White Table Wine. Quite crisp and fresh there were floral overtones to the wine that complemented the appetizer. This course highlighted the Honey Crisp apple.

The sun had not set as you can see and so we got to share what we had done this day as it was a stunningly beautiful day. But that did not stop us from proceeding to the second course of the evening. This was a lovely mayonnaise-less Waldorf salad. Yes, I realize that it is then not a Waldorf, but don’t walk away but hang and listen up as Jodie made an amazing caramelized dressing that had a bit of a kick to it that was tossed at the last minute to make it pop.She was so detailed that the grapes were all not cut the same. Due to their great flavor Honey Crisp’s made an immediate return to this course next to the walnuts and oh what a night. Look close and see, but also notice the wonderful wine being presented and it is a Vin du Lac of Chelan favorite. The 2009 Les Amis is a Riesling in the European style being less sweet. This was a dinner that was just a delight. Before we all gathered Jodie and Rob decided that several times we would pause for a bonus bottle of wine.
So the first bonus bottle was Joel Gott 2009 Sauvignan Blanc and in addition to enjoying the wine we got to get our first real glimpse of what was on the grill, the pork loin I mentioned Rob was grilling. A thing of beauty (the pork loin), I have to say, Rob is amazing at the grill.Time had come to enjoy the soup course and for that Jodie had created a rich and thick squash soup that was golden and just screamed autumn. The Gala and Granny Smith Apples were used in the soup. This was matched with a Dusted Valley Vineyard’s 2009 Viognier. Don’t know if you have noticed just how wonderful Viognier’s have come into their own of late and boy what a high light for the whites. But we were not quite ready to leave the white’s quite yet.
Yes, do not adjust your eyes, you read right – Apple Pie Ice Cream was the Intermezzo and was a total surprise as I found it at Metropolitan Market this very day. Too funny and a perfect match with the Moscato D’Asti 2009 from Strev which I found on sale last week. Initially I thought Jodie is going to kill me, and I even warned her to be open minded. It was not until everyone dug in and blown away that I think I was safe. Like I said, you just have to be open for the accident to happen. And this brings to a close the White Wine portion of our dinner. At this point the score is 4 courses and 5 wines.

The Vintner's Dinner - The People

So this dinner does have a focus, but there are the people behind the dinner and first up is Jodie, our Kitchen Queen! She has a heart of gold and is so nice and really pours her heart into every coking experience. I have known Jodie now for over 8 years and it has been a delight. She might kill me for this picture, but in full disclosure she took the picture of me below!Up next is Rob and he has a great sense of humor. He is also quite the Grill Master plus I think the guy would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Yes, they are quite the pair and I am honored to count them as friends. Yes, here is Chris with the wines. The group insisted on me posing with it and I did so gladly. We were all having a blast and it also gives you an idea of just how the evening kept going.The two pictures above show the people at the dinner just having a great time. Heather, our youngest member of the evening is on the left at the back. To say that she is a singular sensation would be an understatement. I look forward to getting to know Heather better in the coming months.

The Vintner's Dinner - The Reds

So after a great start and enjoying a variety of Whites, it was time to move on to the reds. What kicked off the balance of the evening was a thing of beauty. Jodie and Rob cracked open a double magnum of Ken Wright Cellar’s Pinot Noir from 2005. Can you say peak of perfection! Oh mama, hurt me and just spank me. It was that good. It was stunning and yet the dish it was paired with a stunning dish. It was duck comfit with pasta. Days in the making and oh how good.Jodie was clever in that she used apple juice to cook the pasta and thus it was an undertone to the dish and the duck was matched with beets and made for a very simple, yet elegant dish. Can you just say YUM!It was time to pull the pork loin off the Grill and the sun was setting. Time now for the 2nd bonus bottle of wine, a flawless Tsillan Cellars 2007 Sinistra. This is a tri-blend of 44% Sangovese, 34% Nebellio and 22% Barbarera. They have been amazing in bringing our some glorious wines.After a nice break it was time to go for the final three courses and up first was pork loin that had been braised with Apple Cider Vinegar and in serving the dish Jodie made an Apple Maple reduction that contained apple juice and apple preserves. This amazing main course was matched with oven seared brussel sprouts cut in half and cooked with olive oil and a gray smoked salt from Alaska. This was paired with a Quenett 2004 Syrah that was stunning. Say it, STUNNING!Oh a moment to pause and give Jodie a bit of a break as cheese and apples were served with Domaine Des Dindons 2008 Petite Syrah. We cranked through 2 bottles of this wine as we ate Jazz and Pink Lady Apples. They were matched with an English Barber’s Cheddar plus a rich and creamy Italian Gorgonzola along with smoky Zolette Gouda.Yes, we are nearing the end of our journey and yet there was still some surprises as Jodie made a rustic Apple Crisp complete with Granny Smith, Gala and Honey Crisp Apples topped with Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream’s newest flavor Crème Fraiche. From France’s Atlantic coast to Washington’s Pacific, crème fraiche is a dairy lover’s diamond. This artisan handcrafted product is a delicate and multi-step affair, yielding the ideal balance of sweetness and tang inherent to first-rate crème. This was paired with Mont Marcal 2006 Spanish Cava Reserva.So while the food was done and done there was still one surprise in order as Rob rolled out the Hardy’s Whiskers Blake’ Classic Tawny Port. Most of the table indulged while I have to fess up I bowed up knowing a drive home was in my near future. Oh my. And as you can see the group had a great time and yet we are all still pondering Rob’s thought of the evening on the age of the port – “It is the age of the breath of the guy shooting the crows.” And on that note I am going to close out this debriefing of yet another gastronomic delight!

Oh Canada - In 12 Hours!

Folks the above pictures were taken on the way home. The Floral Canada Flag, then the Peace arch and finally the floral American flag! Only at the border crossing. They are totally rebuilding the crossing process and it is really impressive. Up and back in 12 hours. Only spent 5 minutes at border and that was without Nexus! Exhausted. But you know what, I would do it again tomorrow, but thankfully, not. Instead, after breakfast with Mick I am going to be doing phone interviews and then on to an amazing vintner's dinner at Jodie and Rob's tomorrow with the focus being the apple! Catch you all tomorrow!

Welcome Autumn!

We made it! Yes, another summer is history and not a day too soon. OK, so my work calendar says it was tomorrow, but it is today. Tonight is a "super Harvest Moon" and so do you know what that is? It is when a full moon falls on the autumnal equinox. We have not had one in 20 years. So enjoy.

Markie and Hot Dogs

So Markie is off tomorrow on a cruise to celebrate his birthday. It should be fun. He'll be back next month and his birthday is next week so last night he had a small dinner and I surprised him with his gift a bit early. A hot dog toaster and two books on the hot dog. Markie loves his dawgs to be sure and so it was only a natural. He is not an easy one to gift for and yet this was fun even finding a card of a hot dog. But you know what, it was all in fun and what a delight to spend some good time with Markie and Mick. I will run him to the airport tomorrow night as he has an overnight flight to Florida and then meets up with Dan and Lisa. It was a nice night and a good way to spend the last night of summer. This has to be the classic moment for hot dogs as Oscar Meyer created a car to promote their product. I have a friend who got a ticket trying to catch up with it once. What is it about the hot dog. We all love them and yet we shun them as being non-nutritious. Too funny.

So Now For Something Completely Different

On this day in 1973, in a highly publicized "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, top women's player Billie Jean King, 29, beats Bobby Riggs, 55, a former No. 1 ranked men's player. Riggs (1918-1995), a self-proclaimed male chauvinist, had boasted that women were inferior, that they couldn't handle the pressure of the game and that even at his age he could beat any female player. The match was a huge media event, witnessed in person by over 30,000 spectators at the Houston Astrodome and by another 50 million TV viewers worldwide. King made a Cleopatra-style entrance on a gold litter carried by men dressed as ancient slaves, while Riggs arrived in a rickshaw pulled by female models. Legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell called the match, in which King beat Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. King's achievement not only helped legitimize women's professional tennis and female athletes, but it was seen as a victory for women's rights in general.

King was born Billie Jean Moffitt on November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California. Growing up, she was a star softball player before her parents encouraged her to try tennis, which was considered more ladylike. She excelled at the sport and in 1961, at age 17, during her first outing to Wimbledon, she won the women's doubles title. King would rack up a total of 20 Wimbledon victories, in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, over the course of her trailblazing career. In 1971, she became the first female athlete to earn more than $100,000 in prize money in a single season. However, significant pay disparities still existed between men and women athletes and King lobbied hard for change. In 1973, the U.S. Open became the first major tennis tournament to hand out the same amount of prize money to winners of both sexes.

In 1972, King became the first woman to be chosen Sports Illustrated's "Sportsperson of the Year" and in 1973, she became the first president of the Women's Tennis Association. King also established a sports foundation and magazine for women and a team tennis league. In 1974, as a coach of the Philadelphia Freedoms, one of the teams in the league, she became the first woman to head up a professional co-ed team.

The "mother of modern sports" retired from tennis with 39 Grand Slam career titles. She remained active as a coach, commentator and advocate for women's sports and other causes. In 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, was renamed in King's honor. During the dedication ceremony, tennis great John McEnroe called King "the single most important person in the history of women's sports."

Hank is Such a Ham!

Now do not be fooled. Hank looks like he does not get food. Could not be further from the truth. Hank gets wonderful meals twice a day by his owner, Michael. Of course, sometimes one has to wonder who owns who?

Hank came into Michael's life back in 2004 and was a mess. He had been abused and Michael opened his home and heart. It has been challenging at times, and that is an understatement. Hank is quite the Alpha dog and really does not like to have the under hand.

But Hank is one to perform for food. He loves cheese, veggies just about anything that is not sweet. Michael has come home to have entire colanders of veggies consumed by Hank. Who knew he was an equal opportunity Vegetarian!

Saturday Brings Julia and 42nd Street Cafe

Michael was busy at the computer and in the kitchen as I awoke from a 10-hour slumber. After making a special treat I'll address further down, we were off to have a morning brunch at an old favorite, 42nd Street Cafe. We were welcomed with a trimmed down menu and so we made our choices. Michael picked the Salmon scramble with a side of bacon.
I decided to start with an order of Beignets that was down to two from what had been 3 and a couple of years ago, 4. But remembered to ask for the powdered sugar on the side. Mind you what you see above my plate is what was left AFTER we had the beignets. Oh my! I decided to go for the Jambalaya Omelet and it was more like a nod to Mexico. Oh well, memories are memories and we will move on. It is sad to see so many places in the Long Beach area closing up, but hey, it is not good times down there.

Back at the house we had a low key day of naps, rain and beach walks. Michael did begin the day making homemade mayonnaise! Yup, and can you just say "TO DIE FOR!"

Above he is whisking to beat the band and did not stop until all was good. It was then put in the frig to chill and below you can see how fabulous it turned out as we had a simple dinner of tomatoes with his mayo on top plus a delicious salad of chicken, potatoes and mushrooms on a bed of lettuce and green beans.

And to think we were going to head out to dinner, but feeling low energy we stayed in and look at the joy of dining at Michael's home, this is a gold medal meal.

Dessert was a duet of cheese and Bartlett pears and how can you go wrong? There is just no way as Michael pulled out two different Spanish cheeses and the pears were a delight. And yet you might wonder, was there any way to make it better? Initially we thought not. But my next post tells you otherwise!

The night did not end nearly as early, but oh it was still as fun as good food mixed with fun stories made for a wonderful night at the beach and rain visited during the night making for a great night's sleep.

A Gourmet Weekend

Hello all, what a festive weekend at Michael's home as I finally made it over for the first time this year. In addition to getting 3 cases of fresh packed tuna, we enjoyed some marvelous gourmet treasures. Here Michael is cooking away at the stove. Here is an amazing picture as Michael FLAMES the livers with cognac as a final step towards pure bliss and enjoyment. This caps the nearly two hours of caramelizing onions and that served as a bed for the sauteed livers and they were capped with a chopped egg and served with fresh bread. Truly a delight. We devoured the livers and wine. Bedtime followed soon.

Does Michael ever take a bad picture, I think not. Here he is enjoying the livers. Originally to be the first course, it was in the end the main course and that was just fine! And to think Saturday was just around the corner.

Catch Up With You Later

Zoning out for a few daze and so not sure when next post happens, but here are a couple of shots from breakfast at Beth's. I have had this like fixation on peanut butter shakes of late and it was so good there that Carl got one too. But I have to say this in total honest sharing of the loving space kind, their food was pretty forgettable to the border of sucking big time. Totally underwhelmed. May try again to see if it was just an off day, but the biscuit was dry, sausage burnt and the was one piece of sausage in all the gravy. The hash browns were barely eatable. It was really sad in that I have heard of this place for years and years and wanted to experience it and go for it. Well, like I said, gonna give it another try out and see what happens on the flip flop. We all have bad days. OK, so most of us do. But seriously, so ready for next Thursday and autumn to arrive. Bring it on! The week has been intense with my procedure being done and Carl visiting plus got cable and broadband install. Calendars went up and Whistler is filling. The purple chair found a new home and I am liking the open feeling by moving the bench Lars made me over by the window. It's all good.