Antagonist Videos

Once again I have found my way back to my blog, and I hope that I will once again be able to post more often than once a month. My life has been busy with much Antagonist stuff lately, so I think I will simply post all of the videos we've done in the last 6 months.

























Stay tuned for more videos, we do this all the fucking time.

Where Pepper? How Cannoli?

In the entire month of June I have managed now 3 posts. Really pathetic. So how will I make this one spectacular to the max? Aw, who knows, I have a long list of things I want to write about, but I think I'll make this one a double dose of food stuffs.

First off, my friend Jeannette and I were talking about something weeks ago, and decided that I should do a post on How Pepper is Made. I think we must have been eating it. After doing some research, I came to find that there's really no science to it (I don't know why I thought there would be).

Pepper is a flowering vine of the Piperaceae family. The fruit of the plant is known as the peppercorn, and when it's dried, that's basically what we grind up and put on everything. It is the single most commonly used spice in the world (not including salt, but then again, salt isn't a spice).

Pepper has been used for thousands and thousands of years, has been found in the noses of mummies in Egypt where it had been used in the mummification rituals, so valuable in the Roman Empire that it was sometimes used as currency, and has been used for medicinal purposes, to treat, constipation, diarrhea, heart disease, indigestion and many other ailments.

Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of pepper, accounting for 34% of the supply, and while they dominate the market, they use almost none if it within their own country. I personally think pepper is delicious on mac & cheese and other pastas. Yum.

Secondly, I found this wonderful, yummy recipe for vegan cannolis in cyberspace and wanted to share it. When I have time, I plan on making these puppies because I LOVE cannolis. You will need:

1 box silken tofu (organic firm)
1 container tofutti better than cream cheese
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons organic powdered sugar
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 good squeeze from half of a lemon
2 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 flax egg (whisk 2 tablespoons flax powder/meal with 3 tablespoons water)
2/3 cup marsala wine
1 EnerG egg substitute egg (1 1/2 teaspoon EnerG powder with 2 tablespoons water)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

For this recipe, you will need cannoli forms. You can buy a pack of four for about $10 at a kitchen supply store. You will also need a pastry bag with a big tip.

Whirl tofu, "cream cheese", powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender then put the mixture in the fridge to chill. This is your filling.

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, shortening, flax egg (whisk 2 tablespoons flax powder/meal with 3 tablespoons water), and wine together to make a dough. Chill in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.

While dough is chilling, mix 1 EnerG Egg Replacer egg (1 1/2 teaspoon EnerG powder with 2 tablespoons water). You will use this to stick the shells together.

Roll out dough on floured surface to about 1/8 inch think.

Cut out 4 inch circles and then roll them one way so they turn into ovals.

Roll the long side of the oval length wise around the cannoli form and brush a little EnerG egg on the edge to make it stick. (I made 4 at a time because i only have 4 cannoli forms). the ends will be flat and flayed out.

Fry in canola oil (or other neutral oil) until dark golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and carefully pull out cannoli forms so you can make more shells.

When you have made all your shells, melt 2 cups of vegan chocolate chips and using a butter knife, line each shell with chocolate. Allow a little chocolate to rim the ends.

Cool chocolate shells in fridge until chocolate is set.

Using a pastry bag with a big tip, squeeze the filling into the shells from each end.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and put back in fridge until ready to eat! They are ready to eat on the spot but the longer they chill the better as the cream filling sets up.

The only problem with this recipe is the filling and the shells do not add up. You will end up with 10 cream filled cannolis and 2-3 extra empty shells. But the shells are good buy themselves too!

Serves: 10 Preparation time: 2-3 hours



So, my mouth started to water as I re-read this. The photo is the finished product from the other blog I stole this from. Yuuum.

The Quote Generator

I found out about this project because the woman behind this whole thing came into my place of business to get some DVDs made. Not only did she walk in with an amazing sweatshirt of shark teeth but her whole manifesto was brilliant and I was thoroughly intrigued by what she is doing. I can't really explain her whole deal, but in short, the girl spoke in only quotes for three years. Yeah, I'm not even kidding.

The Quote Generator

Video of What She Does

Naked Mole Rat

Having a full time job means I don't get to do a lot of work for my own blog anymore, which makes me sad. But right now I have a few moments to put up another awesome post about a weird animal. This time I chose another animal that is near and dear to my heart: the Naked Mole Rat. Back in Seattle, the Science Center has a community of Naked Mole Rats living in a viewable subterrain.

Quick and dirty: Naked Mole Rats are rodents that live in underground communities. They are one of only two known eusocial mammals, meaning they live similarly to ants and termites, in large groups with a queen and workers and such. They live in harsh conditions, and have adapted to such, with skin that has almost no pain sensation, and a low metabolism.

The very first thing one might notice about these strange looking little guys is their lack of pigment, interesting dental work and nearly blind stare. Their teeth are situated in front of their lips, so that when they burrow (by using their teeth) they don't get dirt in their mouths. They are very nearly blind, can run backwards as fast as they can run forwards and very little hair (naked...).

These guys are native to Eastern Africa, and despite the harsh living conditions they inhabit, they aren't an endangered species. They can live up to 20 years, but a large portion of that time is spent sleeping. These funky little creatures are despised by some and often called ugly (but really, come on, they're endearing), yet they manage to live on, albeit, in a very unusual way. Check them out, at your local zoo if possible, or on the web, they're really quite something.

Artist Interview: Pat Conlon

My poor, neglected blog needed some art love, so I have a short and sweet interview with mister Pat Conlon, a New York City artist who is having an art exhibition at Alphabet City Soup on June 8th. Get to know him a little here, and come see his work in person there.

Q: When did you know you were going to become an artist?

A: When I was a kid, I would disappear underneath coffee tables, dinner tables or basically end up on the floor drawing to escape the chaos of big family Christmas dinners.



Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

A: I'd like to think of myself as an out of work comedian. I'll hear a good joke or have a funny experience and think about how it would make for a great drawing or painting.



Q: Who have been some influences in your art and in your life?

A: My father is one of my biggest creative inspirations. He inspires me anywhere from what he can make with his hands, to his spirited personality, which deems him the life of any party.



Q: Tell me about your connection to the Antagonist Art Movement.

A: I got involved in the late nineties when they would do potluck or Chris Cringle type art exchange between the collective. I was lucky enough to get Arturo Vega and we've become friends, as well as collectors of each other's work. Ethan Minsker and the crew have established a great thing and I'm proud to be involved.



Q: What is your thought process while making a piece?

A: Various streams of consciousness.



Q: What is your physical process when making a piece?

A: Material to material, pencil to paper, paint on canvas, etc. I don't have a ritual that I go through if that's what you're asking.



Q: What do you hope to bring across in your art?

A: To give people a taste of the assorted box of chocolates that God in his infinite wisdom has given us.



Q: Do you have a dream piece that you have yet to attempt?

A: I get flashes of my dream piece, but my dream piece is the one that I haven't made yet.



Q: What are your hopes for the future?

A: To enjoy myself as much as possible.



Q: You are given $1Million in funding for anything you want to do. What do you create?

A: I'd create myself a trip around the world.


Alphabet City Soup is part of the Antagonist Art Movement, and occurs every Monday night. There is live music, sometimes art, sometimes comedy, sometimes dance, but there is always, ALWAYS, fun.

Niagara Bar
112 Ave A (@ 7th ST.)

Photobooth Funny

I'm always the last person to discover things, such as Photobooth, the Mac application that comes on all of their computers and might be the best time waster ever invented. This is just a short video (it does video too!) that me and my roommate made when we were messing around with it. We laughed forever, it might not be as funny to you.

The Format - "Dog Problems" Music Video

Another music video. This one takes me back a few years ago, to The Format, who are no longer together (sad to say), but the video endures, because it's happy and smart and makes me smile.

World's Fastest Banjo

Doing the lazy thing and putting another video on here. This only until I get enough time in my life to create real posts that are informative and interesting. But for now, settle for some AMAzing banjo.

For those of you who don't know, I love banjo.

Menomena "Evil Bee"

I don't know what to think about this. It is amazing. And freaky, and I absolutely love it.
On a related note, Barsuk Records, who this band, Menomena, is on, have some of the greatest bands on earth on their label.

Schocholautte on QuietColor.com

The gentleman of Schocholautte have been featured on a fabulous music website called QuietColor.com, and I think you should all go check it out, leave a nice comment, come to Alphabet City Soup tomorrow night, see them rock you out of your pants, and then buy the EP. Sound like a plan?

Schocholautte on QuietColor.com!