Glass Shallot by Adam Baer | Adambaer.com

At last, A Way To Park On My Street

Vista and Refuge: Interview with a Big Sur Yurt-Hotel Owner/White Tanker Firefighter

In May’s Men’s Journal, I have a one-pager about Big Sur in the wake of last year’s wildfires. In the piece, I write about an awesome collection of yurts overlooking the Pacific ocean called Treebones. My wife and I hung out in Big Sur for this piece in November ‘08, on the weekend that Santa Barbara's Montecito area lit up like a roman candle, and on which there were crazy winds that shook us, and a fair amount of our camping friends in Ojai and beyond, all night long. Why Lina and I continually end up in oceanfront mountains during wildfires and windstorms is beyond me. That said, we’d been to Treebones before, and we’ll return. There’s nothing like it, and it’s only perhaps too rustic for the Woody Allen wannabe who can’t hold down his lunch west of the Mississippi. But if you want a little supplement to the MJ piece, I thought that I’d post some of a long and bewitchingly cool interview with Treebones’s unusually decent founder, John Handy, a recently indoctrinated volunteer fireman and green-building pioneer who used to work as a toy executive down in super-serious LA, eventually decided to leave the so-called grid, and now owns a Big White Tanker and lives in Henry Miller’s woods, where it’s nice and natural, and no one wants to stick you with dirty needles for your change from the Korean fried chicken place. Here, if you haven't opened the PDF yet is the Q&A. For more about traveling to Big Sur, here's the MJ piece, which is also available on their Web site. --AB

gefilte fish-off 3.0

If you actually think you can beat Shallot's only gefilte fish winner, feel free to send in your recipes now, regardless of how you feel about that tired subject called Organized Religion (boo! yay!). Bonus: Best gefilte-related story wins you a publication and a surprise award to be discussed in public on this here Interweb portal.

the new pressures of being a successful male writer in hollywood

We must now look this hot and put-together whenever we leave our Laurel Canyon homes.

Disclosure: What AIG Gave Me

This:

Recession Real Estate 101

I love LA. Even in a recession, the real estate agents know how to sell. (Clara, you hussie!)

Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer (and Bernie Madoff)

Forgive me, Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer (and Bernie Madoff), I was just taught the keyword magic used by top S.E.O. experts to improve my pageviews and already steep income from blog ads, and I'm experimenting with the Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer and Daily Show and CNBC news to see if the Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer and Daily Show and CNBC news will give me more than the usual three readers today, a day when everyone is talking about Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer and the Daily Show and CNBC. And, oh, the Recession. And Economy. And GM. And some guys called Obama, Madoff, Michael Jackson, and China.

From the Shallot Press Release Inbox...

Occasionally (alright, frequently), the Shallot gets a press release that's just too much fun not to share. Who needs entertaining journalism when a company does the work for you?

Today's featured release:

"Speakal Launches Limited Edition Black iPig, Available Exclusively at Amazon.com

iPod® Docking Station featuring 25 watts of power, touch volume controls, unparalleled design elements and a high gloss black finish

Culver City, CA – March 9, 2009 – Speakal is thrilled to announce the Limited Edition Black iPig, available exclusively through Amazon.com.  Listening and reacting to the demands of their valued customers, Speakal designers gave the iPig a high-gloss black finish.  The iPig combines quality, performance, compatibility and style into one compact iPod® docking station.  This elegant iPig model is only available in limited quantities and provides consumers with a truly one-of-a-kind iPod® audio solution.

“Due to excessive demand, we are proud to offer this one time opportunity to our customers,” said Speakal CEO David Solomon.  “The exclusive availability on Amazon.com will certainly insure our customers have a pleasant purchasing experience and we are happy to grant this exclusivity,” added Solomon.

Despite its small footprint, the iPig features 5 speakers that pump out 25 watts of premium and highly efficient sound.   The acoustic design elements enable the iPig to disseminate 360 degree sound, insuring  the entire room is filled with heart-pumping sound.  It’s rubberized feet ensure the crystal clear audio isn’t interrupted by any unwanted vibrations.  Additionally, Speakal continues to make the environment a top priority when it comes to the production of their entire product line.  Through their use of earth friendly components, production methods and product power usage, Speakal promises to have as little impact on the environment as possible. Please visit the Limited Edition Black iPig along with all other Speakal products at www.amazon.com/ipig."

Unopened Press CD of the Week

[Shallot's Unopened Press CD of the Week is a newly recurring feature in which the Boss finally unwraps one of the discs that had been sent to him for review and shares the cover art, which always, obviously, Says It All.]

coming attractions

Byrne tallks to the Shallot. Stay tuned.