Nosferatu movie showing at the Del Mar

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Anyone want to go to the Del Mar Theatre and get creeped out with me?

Nosferatu

Wikipedia:

Nosferatu is a German Expressionist film by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. Its original German title is Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (“Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror”). The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was in essence an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula…

7 pm on Tuesday the 30th. Westi will be introducing the film! And… she says there will be live music!

If you can’t make it to the theater, you can stream or download it.

Update:

Nikkie, Linus, Westi, Mike, Frost, Christina, Amba and i ate at Sitar.

Westi gave a great introduction.

The music was perfect – spooky, but not too distracting from the movie.

Near the end of Act I, the Alum Rock 5.6 earthquake hit. You could see the two-story-high ceiling swaying. The downtown fatalities from the Loma Prieta quake flashed through my mind, but after a few seconds, of course, the shaking stopped. The house lights went on briefly and a quarter to a third of the audience went out to the lobby for a few minutes, but the movie kept going and the musicians kept playing.

When we got a chance, people made phone calls. Amba called Marc and he got a quote from me saying the shaking was scarier than the movie.

It got published in the Sentinel the next day, but the Sentinel has a lousy website – the article is gone now.

A night to remember!

Leopard discount from Amazon

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Mac OS X LeopardAll of you folks salivating over Leopard, good news, you can now get it at a $20 discount by pre-ordering it from Amazon. The ship date will be October 26.

I learned about this via Daring Fireball. If you’d like DF to get his Amazon kickback, use his associate link.

If you’d like to benefit Jessibird instead, use her associate link.

Personally I’m holding off, at least until all my favorite shareware is compatible. How about you?

How not to get hit by cars

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I ride my bike every day, and I don’t want me or my bike to get smashed by a car or truck driver.

Bike accident

I’ve had many close calls, like any of us who cycle the streets regularly. I’ve had my bike smashed up once; luckily I only got a few scrapes and bruises. And even if we haven’t personally lost anyone, we all know about the tragic accidents that have happened this year.

For a couple of months, I’ve been too scared and angry to write anything about the topic. The fear and anger get reinforced on a regular basis, every time a driver gets way too close. But it so happens that I haven’t had any close calls in a couple of weeks, so I’m calmer than usual.

Following the laws isn’t enough to keep you safe. Big swiftly moving hunks of metal are never going to be safe. But there are things you can do to stay safer.

This is the best article on avoiding car-bike collisions I’ve seen. Go read it. Please. Whether you’re a cyclist or a driver or both.

And if you have any smart advice about Santa Cruz routes and/or trouble spots, please share by commenting below.

Love you all, fellow cyclists – have fun and keep safe!

P.S. If you cycle without a helmet, please get one and wear it regularly. I know someone who is alive today because she had one on when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit her. In broad daylight.

Marinated Cauliflower & Mushrooms

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Yum, this is such a good party dish, but I’m drooling just thinking about it. Might have to make a batch for myself. I haven’t tried it with the sliced olives, though; I’m not sure about those. I think I prefer without, or with whole olives alongside.

Marinated Cauliflower & Mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium head cauliflower, broken or cut into florets
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and cut into even-sized pieces (or use whole baby button mushrooms)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes; do not allow onions to brown. Add the garlic and cauliflower. Continue to saute for another 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the mushrooms and coriander seeds, and saute for two more minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Serve garnished with the parsley and olives, with some crusty bread on the side.

Variation:
Replace up to half of the mushrooms with fresh green beans: ends trimmed, and cut into one-inch pieces. Add at the same time as the cauliflower.