suburban snobbery

Livin' the Dream

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:31:00 +0000

the taxi pulls up to the curb on 7th ave, north of Bleeker. the voice beyond the metal grate snarls "$7 dollars" in a bit of a brisk tone and broken cadence. he's clearly not having as good a day as i am... i pass along a generous tip -- after all, it is my responsibility to use my money to lift him out of his misery, right?

i pop back in the headphones of my [red] iPod nano as i slide out of the torn leather seat and step onto the gritty cement. the music picks up where i left off -- Strays Don't Sleep's "Love Don't Owe You Anything", with the haunting keyboard and steady, driving acoustic guitar sweeping me into the gray skies and crisp breeze that gently whispers the reminder that fall is here and winter is on its way. its a welcome whisper, sweeping away the last vestiges of summer heat. leaves are rustling across the sidewalks into the oncoming sea of yellow taxis and crumpling erratically under the tread of the Campers i just opened in the mail -- a down-to-earth sweet Spanish style.

i'm heading up 10th across Waverly towards my bat cave, my respite, my cathedral -- an afternoon alone in the corner of the shop, latte in hand, Wallpaper magazine spread before me, pen readied to circle, notate, and journal. why would i want to do the aforementioned at home when i could do so at Jack's stir-brew behind the brick and window facade and under the cloudy, smoky smell of freshly roasted coffee; and most of all, sporting the latest styles that scream for people to notice me, in my walled-off solitary reverie. i enjoy this modern day Pharisaical ploy -- lapping up this "quiet place" in a well-trafficked and noise-laden corner of Manhattan. but who will i be lest my Nantucket Reds can see and be seen, the cuffs of my worn blazer flapping the table top, my button-down lazily hanging open. with that ring on, the colors (of clothes, of style, of essence, of living) must be turned up brighter to dial in the "notice and envy" factor. i'll not only enjoy the scene, i'll be the scene. and it will be...

beep. beep. beep. nudge. nudge. "ouch", i yell as the final elbow jabs deep into my ribs. i roll over and it is 6:58a.m.

wife: "E is awake and A is stirring as well. do you think you could get one of them up. i thought we could pile in the van for a quick trip to McDonald's. E has been wanting to get the Pancake special".

me: "sure".

wife: "i put your loafers by the back door if you want to wear those. it will be a bit chilly outside. oh, and i put Coldplay back in the van. i noticed on iTunes that you've listened to Death and All His Friends 67 times. what's up with that?"

me: "yeah, its pretty good. let me slip on a sweatshirt and i'll be ready to go".

viva la vida baby.

The Magic Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0000

i recently updated my Facebook "what i am doing now" ... yes, absolutely cliche, but unfortunately the suburban snob must often embrace a cliche to broadcast their snobbery (err, greatness)... regardless, my status was: "...is enjoying The Magic Mountain". unfortunately, the subject of my udpate was apparently too rare. the comments i received (or perceived) were: "oh, how was Six Flags?"; "taking a whiff on the wild side are you?". the poor uncultured fledglings.

the point in all this is that i need people to ask me "what is The Magic Mountain?", not make some inane assumption that it is related to either a theme park or a drag lark. better yet ask me, "what are you reading these days?" Since Americans no longer read books -- or if they do, they are ones selected from some incredibly shallow list like the Oprah Book Club, this is my chance to really demonstrate a level of snobbery (err, enlightenment) rarely found in these modern times...yes, my latent greatness. the script is well-rehearsed:

"oh, yes , i'm reading The Magic Mountain. Great book. One of my favorite authors. Oh, you've never heard of it ... right, it was written in the early 20th century and it was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Oh right, German author named Thomas Mann. Yes, i read my first book by him several years back [not mentioning it was required class reading]. that book, Felix Krull, is one of my favorites. Yes, Magic is interesting. Oh, what is it about. well actually it is an allegory for the socio-political evolution of early 20th century Europe and the fight of liberalism -- what capitalism used to be called -- versus the increasing popularity of socialism. it takes place at a sanitorium in the Alps, with ..."

fascinating, yes fascinating. the book itself, well, it is quite a haul but worth every penny of respectability it earns me. but gosh darn it, i'm worth it!

[and for the actual record, the book is well worth it.]

the Firebird

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:48:00 +0000

there are days when suburbia becomes too much suburbia and you feel extra suburban in the suburbs. i had one of those days a few weeks ago -- actually to tell you the truth it wasn't even in the suburbs (it was on campus) but that ruins the moral of the story, so we won't explore those details. to escape, i parked myself in the back row of the auditorium and for $5 was treated to an incredible performance by the Stanford Symphony; and as it was comprised mostly of students, it made the performance all the more stunning. i won't go into the entire program, but will recommend that to escape the suburbanness of suburbia that can become stifling in the suburbs: turn off the lights and turn up the Firebird Suite. this piece by Igor Stravinsky is all at once delicate, theatrical, and rousing. it can capture the imagination...

2007 Macon-La Roche-Vineuse Blanc

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0000

hot Southern summers have quickly enhanced my previously lukewarm pursuit of white wine. last night i enjoyed a bottle that was perfect in many ways...

1) it is obscure. while having nothing to do with either its actual character or quality, this certainly increases my ability to make it a topic of conversation when it is served.

2) as a corollary to attribute #1, i am able to mention that i stumbled upon this wine after having read reviews of different Burgundy Blancs, i.e. French chardonnay, in the Wall Street Journal, which further demonstrates my general sophistication.

3) as a corollary to attribute #1 and #2, i am able to swell with a certainly unnoticeable smugness as i walk into the local wine store and ask if they have Bernard Morey's Burgundy Blanc. and when they don't, i can drop a few lines about looking for an less-oaky, more earthy, fruity -- but not too fruity -- Chardonnay... and shazzum, the owner's eyes light up and i'm instantly in his circle of wine snobs.

4) as a corollary to attribute #1, #2, and now #3, he recommends a wine from the appellation of Macon, which affords me the further opportunity to casually mention that i spent part of my honeymoon at a chateau in that relatively obscure and agrarian, but beautiful region.

(wow, i've really racked up the points today...pat, pat, pat)

5) oh, and as to the wine itself, it was a terrific wine, even if it is a lower quality for that region (do we have to mention that?) ... and at roughly $15, if you can get your hands on this or a Bernard Morey or a Burgundy Blanc from the Macon region, do it. it has a definite fruitiness like a Sauvignon Blanc but with a touch of oak that makes it incredibly nice without feeling like you've swallowed a cup of butter. it was a terrific wine with our simple meal of fresh tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and fruit salad.

i'm so sophisticated that i am not even sure the proper way to refer to this wine but if you head to your store, drop some,or all of these names which appear on the label:

2007 Macon-La Roche-Vineuse Blanc, "Sous Le Bois", Chateau de la Greffiere.

suburban snobbery tip #1

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:38:00 +0000

buy a decanter. it will make that $10 wine swell with pride! it will put a lock on the understanding among peers that i (and you dear friend) are a true connoisseur ... in fact, it might as well be the visual confirmation of your status as an up and coming sommelier. my / your feeble attempts at ascribing praise to the contents of said object will become instant truth in the eyes of friends equally eager to impress their host.

in all seriousness, pouring into a decanter can do wonders for a good $10 - 15 bottle of wine. i believe it adds about a year of maturation just to decant it, letting it sit for 30 - 60 minutes. in fact it is generally recommended even for the best wines. and if you don't want to buy a decanter, open the bottle of wine, pour a little into a glass, put the cork back in and shake the bottle vigorously for a good minute or two.

[crate & barrel for 19.99 in case you were wondering.]

narrow(ed) stairs

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:31:00 +0000

received this CD for my birthday, and i'll be frank, it has been somewhat relegated to second shift behind Coldplay's recent release which yes, i'm somewhat embarrassed to reveal that i purchased (and really like) ... frankly their Top 40 trendiness doesn't exactly fit my ideal suburban snobbery criteria, and it feels a bit cliche to be a fan of theirs at this point, but as long as i remind people that i first heard them when i saw 'Yellow' on MTV Asia sitting in a hostel in Siem Reap, Cambodia -- yes, that makes me feel OK about being a fan of theirs.

(really? i mean, come on)

back to the point ... the new Death Cab has been good but i admit it hasn't struck me as great .... yet...i think it will get better with age (like a fine wine, but we'll avoid annoying "snob-egories"). it is a terrific road CD with some classic hits. they've certainly retreated to the Transatlanticism (and previous) sound. it is an interesting choice to have Chris Walla (guitarist) also produce the album -- seems pretty unique for a successful band to do an "inside job", but maybe not. Walla has also worked with the Long Winters and the Decemberists, both unique and part of that eclectic rock genre. the album reflects some of the more random and eclectic elements that made prior works interesting... check out tracks "Bixby Canyon Bridge", "Cath...", "Your New Twin Sized Bed", and "Long Division"...

The Stump Jump

noreply@blogger.com (bbv, llc) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:49:00 +0000

savoring The Stump Jump - a terrific GSM blend (Rhone style i believe they say). second bottle in as many weeks. incredible value at $9.99 (sold for as much as $14.99) -- to me it has hints of greatness with a nice balanced nose of savory, fruit, wood, and a touch of spice. OK finish and terrific to drink. needs either an hour opened or a bit of shaking.