London Olympics: 1908

They really need to bring tug-of-war back.

Tampa sunrise

Nocturnal flags

Pizza wars: Whole Foods

The contender: Whole Foods

Style: Thin crust

In your mouth: For a pizza sold as "thin crust" the crust provides a remarkable amount of its flavor. It tastes a lot like dough, even when fully cooked. I couldn't taste the sauce or cheese, and the pepperoni flavor was very weak. I don't know what "chemicals" they put in regular pizza, but I miss them.

The next day: Doesn't taste like dough anymore, or much of anything.

Overall: If you're recovering from a terrible illness and can't handle strong flavors, this is the pizza for you.

Sunset and minarets

Everyone wants a picture:

When babies attack

She crawled up to me and hid behind my leg.

Winter Flowers

Long lasting paint: 1905

It may have had some technical limitations, but they sure made up for it in artistry.

Acting "Gay": c. 800

For he went to the baths and had himself closely shaved, polished his skin, cleaned his nails, and had his hair cut very short as if it had been done by a lathe. Then he put on linen undergarments and a very white shirt...

--From Two Lives of Charlemagne--

This passage is about a deacon, and although the text doesn't explicitly say he was homosexual the translator was kind enough to add a footnote telling us that was the gist of the author's description.

It got me to thinking:

You wake up, take a bath, scrub your skin and make sure your fingernails are nice and clean; then head down to the barber for a quick shave and a close cropped haircut. You top everything off by putting on a crisp white shirt.

In 9th century France this made you look like a raging homosexual, in 1950's America it made you look like a respectable businessman.

Reverse Engineering: c. 800

These same Greek envoys brought with them every kind of organ, as well as other instruments of various kinds. All of these were secretly inspected by the workmen of the most wise Charles, and then exactly reproduced.

--From Two Lives of Charlemagne--

Teachers are helpful, but all you really need is a good example and some motivation.

Save the Children: c. 800

He was very enthusiastic in supporting the poor, and in that spontaneous generosity which the Greeks call alms, so much so that he made a point of not only giving in his own country and his own kingdom, but even overseas when he discovered that there were Christians living in poverty in Syria, Egypt and Africa...

--From Two Lives of Charlemagne--

There's a point where charity becomes vanity and I often wonder where that point lies; something as simple as sending money to poor people in Africa used to be the sort of thing only Emperors would think of doing.

Pelicans

Pizza Wars: Cappy's Pizza

The contender: Cappy's Pizza

Style: Deep Dish

In your mouth: With all the sauce and peperoni you'd expect water or oil to drain out of each slice, but the sauce doesn't even move. It's the cleanest pizza I've ever seen:



So, first you taste astonishment, then jealousy.

For most of the eating experience you can't taste the crust--the sauce dominates. It's rich and savory with a hint of oregano. There could be a bit of red pepper flakes, but the suggestion of "heat" may be from the pepperoni; it's that subtle. The cheese also stands out, it's the flavor you would get from a fried mozzarella stick, but held back a little.

The crust is very delicate, I almost want to call it pastry. I now understand why some people say "pizza pie".



It's nice to eat the crust after
The next day: Much more acidic, the cheese flavor has faded and oregano stands out.

Overall: It sounds pretentious to say it was a revelation, but yeah, it was a revelation.

A walk by the ocean

A walk at night in the summertime, after a delicious Chinese meal, is always welcome.

A Very Special Pizza Wars

The deal: My purchase of pizza caused a pizza to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House, so I get to write a blog post and help sick children.

I'm not saying other bloggers hate sick children, but they do.

The contender: Fortunato's Italian Market

Style: New York

In your mouth: The cheese is sweet, it tastes fresh and wholesome. The peperoni is flavorful, but isn't hot, and adds bits of saltiness. The sauce, which usually isn't a big player in New York style pizza, stands out. The crust is just the right thickness to hold everything together.

The next day: Not the least bit soggy, although it doesn't taste nearly as wonderful as when it was warm.

Overall: Generous. This pizza has been designed to maximize flavor without being too messy.

They asks at the counter, "Was it good?". The answer is "Yes!"

Pizza Wars: Pizza Hut

The contender: Pizza Hut

Style: Deep Dish

In your mouth: Where a normal deep dish pizza is filled with toppings, this one is filled with dough. After the first bite there's a burning sensation at the back of your throat, and I'm not sure what it's from because the pepperoni isn't particularly spicy. There is almost no sauce, the cheese is bland and the crust is greasy. Also, there's a weird smell, like burnt cheese, hanging over everything.

The next day: It tastes sad.

Overall: A thick piece of bread with cheese on top. This is the first pizza I've tasted that had no redeeming qualities.

The Best Gay Pride Photo of 2011

Pizza Wars: Domino's Pizza

The contender: Domino's Pizza

Style: New York

In your mouth: The crust is soft and seems to be coated in a light layer of butter. The sauce has a muted tartness. The cheese is noticeably bland and the peperoni less so, but everything about the pizza seems dialed down. To counteract the dullness they sprinkle the crust with some sort of garlic salt mixture, which you taste long after you've swallowed your last bite.

The next day: The crust isn't soft anymore! Now it's stale on the outside.

Overall: Weird and exotic.

Car Lust: 1965

At the botanical gardens