bowlinger qua bowlinger

travel to toledo hobo-style on the ann arbor railroad!

paddle down the huron river!

get a texas-style couch dance!

enable your local skater punk!

I figured I would share a few thoughts on my recent trip to Europe. I am not sure how to best organize this post other than mention some of the things that were interesting to me or that I would recommend.

 In Germany, they have this thing called a Floss (it actually has the funny German S symbol that looks like an F but it’s said like floss). For about 130 euros you get passage on a wood raft made out of logs down the Isar River. The whole thing takes about 4-5 hours and you are supplied with several kegs of beer, some bottled beer, and a band. The bands range in style from traditional leiderhosen fare to a Ramones cover band. How awesome is that? Riding down the river with unlimited beer, no life jackets, and a German Ramones cover band. Why they can’t do this in America is beyond me.

The trains in Germany are known to be among the best in the world. However, the real fun was on the Czech train from the border of Germany to Prague. For 50 euros for two people (so 25 each) you can get from Munich to Prague and can ride the Czech train, complete with shirtless guys walking from car to car and making announcements that you can’t understand. Also, the six person family with the pet mouse in a glass cage that they held in their lap was priceless. I loved imagining the great mouse escape on the train. The official train ticket checker also lied to passengers on the train and told them there were no bathrooms (there totally were) and that they should get off at the next stop because the train would stop for over 10 minutes. The train left in less than 5 minutes so I can’t figure out whether he just wanted to get rid of people or not.

Prague was wonderful however, and I will definitey go back to see more of it in the future.

Munich’s big six breweries rankings: After several stops and samples of all the Big Six, my rankings are Paulaner, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Lowenbrau, Spaten, and Hofbrau. The Paulaner is always just incredibly smooth and golden. The Augustiner is very similar with a bit of a bite at the end. H-P was a surprise with a fuller, more wheaty flavor. Lowenbrau I think is a fine beer, but not as good as the first three, less character. Spaten is an even wheatier version of H-P. And Hofbrau is just my least favorite.

Although I do not have a sacher or linzer torte to report on, I did have large quantities of schnitzel (pork breaded and fried in butter, who doesn’t love that) and leberkase (hot meatloaf type ham product - sounds gross but is totally delicious with mustard on a roll) and roasted chicken and sauerbraten.

September 17, 2007: Luxembourg. The Court of First Instance, Europe’s main appeals court for challenges to the European Commission, will announce its decision on Microsoft’s appeal of Europe’s biggest antitrust case ever.

September 17, 2007: Chicago. R. Kelly’s trial on charges of child pornography begins.

Re-Update (9/5/2007): The Chicago Tribune is reporting that R. Kelly’s trial date has been indefinitely postponed yet again, this time because the Assistant State’s Attorney gave birth last week. This case has been on the docket since 2002.

In my own ingroup of 16 judges (11 active members of my court, 4 senior members, and 1 nominee, who will replace an active member who will be taking senior status), only 2 are overweight (12.5 percent), compared to a nationwide average of 66 percent. Among my other friends, judicial and otherwise, the percentage who are overweight is probably no greater than 12.5 percent.

Social Obesity–Posner’s Comment

I’m really enjoying my mental image of the 7th circuit judges lining up for their monthly Posner weigh-in. Or maybe he’s got a mental checklist he’s constantly updating. I’m sort of hoping they’re all in training for some sort of relay race, which they’ll run in robes, with a writ of mandamus as the baton.

Recent events have spurred the WI legislature into action:

2007 SENATE BILL 247

July 25, 2007 - Introduced by Senators Schultz, Roessler, Kedzie, Olsen and
Plale, cosponsored by Representatives Musser, Gronemus, Jeskewitz,
Albers and LeMahieu. Referred to Committee on Judiciary and Corrections.
An Act to amend 940.225 (4) (intro.) and 940.225 (7); and to create 940.225 (3r) and 943.0125 of the statutes; relating to: sexual contact with a corpse and disturbing a burial site.

We’ll see if this bill languishes in committee as long as the bill introduced by Gronemus and Albers back in March (Assembly Bill 148), which would prohibit the sale or distribution of an elastic yo-yo, defined in the bill as any toy known as a “yo-yo waterball” or any other similar toy consisting of a rubber-like object that is attached to an elastic cord.

Update (8/12/07):

The Wisconsin Department of Administration Division of Executive Budget and Finance has evaluated Senate Bill 247 and reported back on 8/06/07 that it would have no fiscal impact on the State or local governments.

Also, see http://www.dangersofwateryoyos.com/ for more info on the dangers of water yo-yos.

the mission: 4 days, 4 taquerias
the menu: 2 tacos pastor, rice and beans, orchata
the objective: investigate the ‘authentic’ mexican food joints in the greater a2 area and don’t get sick.

day #1: Taqueria la Loma on Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti

• tacos: good, but too weirdly saucy and moist to be a true taco pastor the way i remember them from my favorite chicago taquerias
• rice and beans: dissapointing. beans tasted straight from the can.
• orchata: ok. thicker, fruitier, and sweeter than i prefer.
• ambiance: feels like sitting in someone’s living room that has been outfitted with vinyl tile and changed into a restaurant. telenovelas on tv in the corner a plus.
• miscellaneous details: free chips, but not home made. decent, semi-spicy salsa verde. red salsa is mild and sweet.
• the bill: $9 including tip

day #2: Taqueria la Fiesta on Packard just east of Carpenter

• tacos: really good. reminds me of home. i’m going back for more of these.
• rice and beans: nice. beans had a nice texture and flavor, red salsa provided a nice kick for the rice.
• orchata: perfect summertime orchata. thin, but not too thin, not too sweet. refreshing!
• ambiance: a tiny little slip of a place, i think there are 3 tables in there. from what i’ve read around the tubes, this place is owned by two sisters who also have a place on cross street in ypsi.
• miscellaneous details: no free chips, but the salsa verde is really, really good. it looks and feels like everything here is home made. the flan i saw in the fridge looked tempting.
• the bill: $10 including tip (this was including a dollar discount i got for being patient at the register)

day #3: Senior Lopez on Stadium in the same strip mall as Ace Hardware

• tacos: tbd. they were out of pastor!!! i got carnitas instead, which is kind of like mexican pulled pork. they were good – bland on their own, but with the thick salsa (see below) they were dee-lish. stay tuned for a pastor re-visit of this place.
• rice and beans: mmmmm-mm good. the beans were whole beans, and the rice had bits of carrots and peas in it.
• orchata: another good orchata. not too thick, not too sweet.
• ambiance: more ‘restauranty’ than the others. there’s a mural of a pueblo, and latin music on the sound system.
• miscellaneous details: free chips plus three kinds of salsa: a fresh pico de gallo, a mild, smokey smooth salsa, and a slightly spicier, thick salsa with a texture not unlike tomato paste. the tomato paste one was my favorite.
• the bill: $6 including tip. they have a two tacos + rice and beans special for lunch. i also think they may have cut me a break for being out of pastor

day #4: Taqueria Tacuba on Washtenaw across from the Hua Xing Asian Market

• tacos: imagine taking Taqueria la Loma’s pastor and drying it in the sun.
• rice and beans: dissapointing and forgettable.
• orchata: i got like a big gulp size portion of it. crazy. anyways, it tasted slightly metallic.
• ambiance: kinda feels like if a subway restaurant served mexican food. a big flat screen was showing soccer. i think it was chelsea.
• miscellaneous details: no free chips, salsa comes in a little mini to-go cup. it was ok. they have a large menu of tortas. maybe that’s what they’re good at – it’s certainly not tacos and rice and beans.
• the bill: $9 including tip

The Rankings: Taqueria La Fiesta slightly edged out Senior Lopez, perhaps only because they were out of pastor the day i went. While Taqueria la Fiesta’s tacos were better, and the orchatas were neck and neck, i prefered Senior Lopez’s rice and beans slightly, and they also have free chips and salsa. Taqueria La Loma, whose tacos were mediocre, might be worth another visit for tortilla soup and pupusas acording to local blogs, easily places third above Taqueria Tacuba, a forgettable place.

after all that pork, i’m really looking forward to eating nothing but salmon in seattle.

am i missing something, or are some of these republicans actually coming out in favor of torture?

also, who the hell are some of these people?

besides picking blueberries in dexter, there’s something else you can do there on saturday mornings. you can go on a sailboat! for free!

there’s totally a lake there. and the university of michigan sailing club will take you out on that lake on a boat propelled by the wind!

here’s what you do: wake up relatively early on a saturday morning, take some aspirin for your hangover, drink some coffee, drive down the gravel road leading to the boat house(the gravel road is named strawberry lake road, although you will be going to baseline lake), get out of your car, find the guy with the list, and have him put your name on the list.

if you’re lucky, there will be a guy who reminds you of a kind marine drill sergeant on the shore teaching a bunch of you how to put the sails up on the boat and what all the different ropes and sails and parts are named. he will tell funny jokes and question why ropes are named sheets. you will break into teams of people and practice putting up and taking down the jib and the main sail.

then you’ll be taken out on a little two person boat and you’ll be taught to sail. after you’ve had a few lessons and paid your dues, you can take sailboats out whenever you like, it seems. (it’s probably not whenever, but it sure sounds like it’s pretty much whenever)

hot damn. ann arbor ain’t so bad.

Finally, something useful is posted on the internet! See Ann Arbor and Warm Beer, on where to get cold beer in Ann Arbor, and where not to get it. (i.e. Ashley’s)

I feel that this information will prove useful in the coming weeks.