Il Canale - New brick oven pizza in Georgetown

Here is a picture of the oven and Mike the pizzaiolo at Il Canale in
the Georgetown area of Washington, DC.

And a margherita:

Score:

A for effort

B for taste - tomatoes were acidic and the crust a little dense

Defense Attorneys Are Patriotic Too.

Here are my thoughts on this poorly written article by Bush-era speechwriter Marc Thiessen that somehow got into the Washington Post. The article is about recent criticism of defense attorneys who have represented Guantanomo detainees as being unpatriotic and "weak" on terror.

"Should a lawyer who advocates setting terrorists free, knowing they may go on to kill Americans, have any role in setting U.S. detention policy? My hunch is that most Americans would say no."

Your hunch, like the rest of your article, is flawed. Who says they are terrorists? They haven't been charged with terrorism or any other crime. They may go out and kill people or they may go sip tea; only God knows. I'm an American who says yes they should either be released, have charges brought against them or be held as prisoners of war.

Holding people indefinitely without due process of law stands against the principles that this country was founded upon and defense attorneys who stand up for fair and lawful treatment of people accused of a crime, whether by actual charges or by indefinite detention, should be applauded not scolded as unpatriotic.

A Canceled Gig With A Happy Ending

I went to play a Sunday brunch gig at the Waynesville Inn and Country Club today and as we were getting ready to set up our equipment, the restaurant manager came up and said something like "you're not playing today, I sent an email to the bandleader a few days ago. No more music for the Sunday brunch." Well, isn't that just grand. The leader of the trio got no such email and had an agreement (a verbal handshake agreement but legally binding nevertheless) that two weeks notice would be given if the music had to be discontinued. So I drive an hour for a $75 gig only to be turned away by a sketchy restaurant manager. Hissssssss! So where's the happy ending with that you ask?

As we sat outside in disappointment, a family that heard us play another time came up and said that they came especially to hear us play and were looking forward to the brunch. We told them the bad news and they too were disappointed. But here's what was a pleasant surprise - they said that they weren't going to patronize the place that unfairly treated us and invited us out for lunch with them at a different nearby restaurant! It was a good reminder that although there a lot of people who could care less about jazz, there are some who not only appreciate the music but also understand that the musicians need to be fairly treated from a business perspective too. I had a nice lunch with good food and good conversations with an interesting and pleasant family. Many thanks to this family for turning a bad gig into a good day.

Austin McBride Jazz Piano Lessons

I don't know what to say about this:

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/92033_piano-jazz-five-four.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/92021_piano-jazz-trio.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/92017_piano-jazz-progression.htm

All of his other lessons can be found here:

http://www.expertvillage.com/expert/1426.htm

He also teaches break dancing and golf ball tricks.

Why You Shouldn't Fly US Airways

Don't fly US Airways. Here's why:

• US Airways can't fly on time resulting in missed connections, especially through Charlotte. This happened to me (and a lot of other people) twice within a week with multi-hour layovers waiting for the rescheduled connection, which was also late (Flight 2511, check it.) A 3 1/2 hour flight ends up taking 7 hours.
• After taking every phone number and email address you have during the booking process, they still won't use one of those numbers to contact you and tell you that your flight is late.
• The gate agents don't smile. Ever. And don't ask questions, because they're too busy to deal with your problems. And if you do get through to them, make sure they answer the question you asked, not the one they want to answer because it's easier or more convenient.
  
• US Airways will not sell a bereavement fare through certain airports like Washington Reagan. No reason is given. I guess they're happy to squeeze out some more money on a fare from someone whose relative just died. Real nice people, huh? If you complain to them, you'll receive a form letter back.
  
• Checking a bag costs money, $15 and up. Better pack light.
• Connecting flights are at different terminals a long, long walk away.
  
• The flight attendants try to sell you a US Airways credit card during the flight. First there is a long speech over the intercom about the "benefits" of a high-interest rate US Airways credit card, then the flight attendants come through the cabin trying to give you the paperwork to fill out, then there is the follow-up information over the intercom for people who were suckered into signing up. So much for a quiet flight.
  
• No snacks on board the plane. How much do pretzels cost? Really.

Long story short - fly Southwest or another carrier. There's no good reason to fly US Airways when there are other airlines offering better service.

Sushi conveyor

Interesting expressions on people's faces. The kid's faces are naturally more curious and less concerned than the adults.

Jazz and the NSA

I came across an interesting entry in a listing of videotapes (pdf) produced by the National Security Agency, the largest of the US intelligence agencies, titled "Jazz in the USSR." Running just over 46 minutes long and carrying a "For Official Use Only" classification, the 1985 program is described as a survey of jazz in the Soviet Union.

I wonder if this was made by some NSA employee/jazz fan attempting to make their job more fun or if there is more to it than that?